Nonlethal Damage [Archive] - Wizards Community

Nonlethal Damage [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
pukunui
10-19-07, 06:35 PM Hi all,

I ran a troll for the first time in 3rd edition last night and while none of the PCs died, I don't think I handled the nonlethal damage thing properly. I'm a bit confused as to how it works. Does it just keep adding up indefinitely? That is to say, if the PCs keep hammering a downed troll with conventional weapons, does the nonlethal damage just keep piling up? Would I at some point just tell them they'd chopped it up into little pieces and let them think it was dead?

Please help.

Thanks,
Jonathan
Salla
10-19-07, 06:58 PM Nonlethal damage simply accumulates and never becomes lethal damage. If they don't have any fire or acid to work with to kill it, they could simply beat it down to a negative couple thousand and run for it and hope it decides not to pursue them.
pukunui
10-19-07, 07:05 PM OK. Damn. Well, even though I did it wrong, it made for a more entertaining encounter and no one died (although I suppose you could argue that the party expended some of its resources unnecessarily). I'll remember that for the future.
weasel0
10-22-07, 08:45 PM You could(if you wanted) take a note from the ogre mage. Once it's beat into unconciousness, you can remove his head and if not reattached within 10min, it actually dies.
Borris
10-24-07, 04:07 AM Or you could just deal enough damage so that it will remain unconscious for a few minutes, and then drown it (or bury it) so that it'll die from lack of air.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
pukunui 10-19-07, 06:35 PM	Hi all, I ran a troll for the first time in 3rd edition last night and while none of the PCs died, I don't think I handled the nonlethal damage thing properly. I'm a bit confused as to how it works. Does it just keep adding up indefinitely? That is to say, if the PCs keep hammering a downed troll with conventional weapons, does the nonlethal damage just keep piling up? Would I at some point just tell them they'd chopped it up into little pieces and let them think it was dead? Please help. Thanks, Jonathan
Salla 10-19-07, 06:58 PM	Nonlethal damage simply accumulates and never becomes lethal damage. If they don't have any fire or acid to work with to kill it, they could simply beat it down to a negative couple thousand and run for it and hope it decides not to pursue them.
pukunui 10-19-07, 07:05 PM	OK. Damn. Well, even though I did it wrong, it made for a more entertaining encounter and no one died (although I suppose you could argue that the party expended some of its resources unnecessarily). I'll remember that for the future.
weasel0 10-22-07, 08:45 PM	You could(if you wanted) take a note from the ogre mage. Once it's beat into unconciousness, you can remove his head and if not reattached within 10min, it actually dies.
Borris 10-24-07, 04:07 AM	Or you could just deal enough damage so that it will remain unconscious for a few minutes, and then drown it (or bury it) so that it'll die from lack of air.