Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Herald_of_Darkness 04-24-05, 04:27 PM	I'm wondering about Bluff checks or something similar to fake being dead or unconcious. I don't know if this was covered in any WoTC book but I'm curious to know if this could be done or what people would house-rule on it. Maybe a Bluff check with a penalty for remaining hp made against an opponent's Sense Motive check and if they fail it appears for all purposes that your below 0 hp. Not sure how this would apply to a warforged. Any thoughts?
polt 04-24-05, 05:53 PM	Well, just just roll a bluff, and the other dude rolls a sense motive. Of course i think you have to roll a bluff check very few rounds.
Vharuck 04-24-05, 06:11 PM	Yeah, but what bonuses or penalties come into play? This is difficult.
polt 04-24-05, 06:13 PM	I don't think there should be any bonuses or any penalties. Just let the player roll the bluff every single round, or every second round.
Wren 04-24-05, 06:14 PM	Same for as for any bluff or sense motive check. Also depends on how much time they take to check ya. If I was a DM I would give a bonus if they kicked ya or... tickled your character for that matter. Very hard to act dead when you are getting tickled I'm sure.
Quoriil 04-24-05, 06:35 PM	How about for warforged? Do they have "vital signs" per se?
Wren 04-24-05, 06:50 PM	Not that I know of... I recently watched this older movie called F/X. Main character "feigned death" at one point. In order to cover for vital signs he put some thick fake skin over his wrists and neck. Thus, whomever felt for a pulse got nothing thinking him dead... that and he felt cold and clammy I'd wager.
The Livewire 04-24-05, 07:16 PM	Agreed, Bluff vs sense motive. I'd allow some cross skills. +2 on the bluff check for 5+ ranks of Concentration. +2 for 5 ranks of autohypnosis. +2 on sense motive for 5 ranks of heal. +2 on sense motive for 5 ranks of Knowlege (Arcana) for Warforged.
Wren 04-24-05, 07:21 PM	Depending on how much time you have ... I'd say +2 on bluff for 5 or more ranks in disguise. (seeing as it ties in with my above post)
Gurv 04-24-05, 10:38 PM	It depends on the situation. Bluff vs. Sense Motive makes sense if something happens (like taking a hit in combat) that could actually kill you. You fall down, stop moving, etc. An appropriate Perform skill might be another thing that could accomplish this. If you are trying to looks like you have been dead for a while, Disguise might do it to, with the Bluff synergy bonus for acting kicking in. But if you are pretending to be dead while someone is checking your vitals, then a Heal check made by the suspicious individual makes more sense. I can't think of a skill to oppose it with; the DM would need to set a DC, and I don't think anyone with ranks in Heal should have a hard time determining if someone is still alive or not. It all depends on what you are trying to do. In the heat of battle, one foe faking death could work. But in a one-on-one situation, things might be entirely different.
Lord_Jebus_Christ 04-24-05, 11:06 PM	I have it as a Bluff verses Sense Motive every two rounds with a -2 penalty for each prodding of the "dead guy." As for autohypnosis, I put that at a DC 10, increasing by one each round. Synergys are +2 on the bluff check if you have 5 ranks on Perform (acting) or concentration (stackable). For the Sense Motive check, I gave it a +2 for 5+ ranks on Heal. A special is +1 to the bluff or autohypnosis roll for every minute you make a successful DC 15 disguise check. This came up a while back in my own group, and since I was the Dungeon Master, I came up with this. Hope you can use it (we haven't for a while, but good to keep these things around!). :evillaugh No one dies a virgin. Life screws us all! :evillaugh
a_psh 04-24-05, 11:26 PM	But if you are pretending to be dead while someone is checking your vitals, then a Heal check made by the suspicious individual makes more sense. I can't think of a skill to oppose it with; the DM would need to set a DC, and I don't think anyone with ranks in Heal should have a hard time determining if someone is still alive or not. Given that it generally gives you a lot of control over your bodily rhythms (resist poison, stabilize when dying, act when near death), Autohypnosis might be a good thing to oppose that Heal check, perhaps?
Gurv 04-25-05, 10:05 AM	Given that it generally gives you a lot of control over your bodily rhythms (resist poison, stabilize when dying, act when near death), Autohypnosis might be a good thing to oppose that Heal check, perhaps?Autohypnosis might be good for that. I wasn't thinking of psionic skills when I posted. I think the check might take a penalty though, because even Autohypnosis can't stop heart rate entirely and looking for a slow pulse certainly falls under the Heal skill..
Kid SixXx 04-25-05, 10:20 AM	I think the check might take a penalty though, because even Autohypnosis can't stop heart rate entirely and looking for a slow pulse certainly falls under the Heal skill.. I think you're correct. A good poke with a sword will also find a pulse. ;)
Just another user 04-25-05, 04:35 PM	But if you are pretending to be dead while someone is checking your vitals, then a Heal check made by the suspicious individual makes more sense. I can't think of a skill to oppose it with; the DM would need to set a DC, and I don't think anyone with ranks in Heal should have a hard time determining if someone is still alive or not. I seems to remember than in In D&D there are class abilities to Feign Death, in D20 modern there should be needed at least a feat to do the same.
talion09 04-25-05, 05:30 PM	I think you're correct. A good poke with a sword will also find a pulse. ;) A good poke with a sword works well... or beheading with an axe... or the party's resident rogue falling back on stereotypes and slitting throats as he searches the bodies of the fallen enemies, right down to stripping off thier clothes and boots and checking for anything that might possible be worth a silver or more... or instructing the clawfoot animal companion to grab a bite to eat while the food is still warm... or the warlock blasting fallen bodies from a distance before he moves in to loot, just because he can and because he is paranoid... Come to think of it, my players generally go out of their way to make sure that whatever has fallen, stays down on the ground... it probably has something to do with out last DM who ran a brutal ravenloft campaign where anything and everything might come back to haunt you...