A quick question on object hardness... [Archive] - Wizards Community

A quick question on object hardness... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Alhadis
03-20-04, 01:22 AM Howdy, folks. :)

I'm just interested in knowing; with regards to object hardness and hit points, how would an ordinary human corpse qualify? Would it have an ordinary hardness of "O"? How many hit points? (It doesn't give any indication in the PHB as to how many object HP/hardness a dead body should have)

Thanks in advance! :)
- Alhadis ^_~;
Another Gnome
03-20-04, 02:53 AM A freshly dead corpse won't resist damage significantly more than a living body, though the lack of blood circulation makes minor injuries invisible and one might thus argue if simple cuts count as damage at all on a dead body.

Because of that, and for the sake of simplicity, I would probably use the leather/hide hardness on a body that died fairly recently, and for a long dead, dried up one (naturally or arftifically mummified) corpse I'd increase the hardness while reducing hit points - there's less soft material to cut, but the remaining bones and dried skin and muscles are more fragile.

* * *

Medium humanoid corpse w/o natural armor*

Recently dead: hardness 2, hit points 20
Mummified: hardness 5, hit points 10

*increase the hardness by half the natural AC bonus given
DMFTodd
03-20-04, 10:38 AM Which begs the question - why are your players trying to destory a corpse?

If it's an undead, then you just use hit points.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Alhadis 03-20-04, 01:22 AM	Howdy, folks. :) I'm just interested in knowing; with regards to object hardness and hit points, how would an ordinary human corpse qualify? Would it have an ordinary hardness of "O"? How many hit points? (It doesn't give any indication in the PHB as to how many object HP/hardness a dead body should have) Thanks in advance! :) - Alhadis ^_~;
Another Gnome 03-20-04, 02:53 AM	A freshly dead corpse won't resist damage significantly more than a living body, though the lack of blood circulation makes minor injuries invisible and one might thus argue if simple cuts count as damage at all on a dead body. Because of that, and for the sake of simplicity, I would probably use the leather/hide hardness on a body that died fairly recently, and for a long dead, dried up one (naturally or arftifically mummified) corpse I'd increase the hardness while reducing hit points - there's less soft material to cut, but the remaining bones and dried skin and muscles are more fragile. * * * Medium humanoid corpse w/o natural armor* Recently dead: hardness 2, hit points 20 Mummified: hardness 5, hit points 10 *increase the hardness by half the natural AC bonus given
DMFTodd 03-20-04, 10:38 AM	Which begs the question - why are your players trying to destory a corpse? If it's an undead, then you just use hit points.