bitin' zombies and punchin' golems [Archive] - Wizards Community

bitin' zombies and punchin' golems [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
imakuni67
10-26-07, 12:51 PM I know there is no rule for it, but let's say you're a half-dragon human with a bite attack (of course). Can you keep biting decaying fetid undead such as zombies and ghouls without being nauseated? Of you are a non-monk who is really desperate you can deal real damage to an object but you don't take in any damage regardless if you bypass the hardness or not. But how do you not take at least subdual damage from doing so? I wouldn't punch a brick wall nonstop would you?
Nephlite
10-26-07, 01:20 PM I know there is no rule for it, but let's say you're a half-dragon human with a bite attack (of course). Can you keep biting decaying fetid undead such as zombies and ghouls without being nauseated? Of you are a non-monk who is really desperate you can deal real damage to an object but you don't take in any damage regardless if you bypass the hardness or not. But how do you not take at least subdual damage from doing so? I wouldn't punch a brick wall nonstop would you?

In D&D, unarmed strikes don't recieve damage unless the creature has a fire aura or other desritive ability. Like Fire Elementals talk about how it hurts to hit them (1d6 fire or something).
Monks, for example, are not human after awhile. They do extraordinary and supernatural stuff. So they are a poor example.

A commoner takin damage maybe, but not a Monk.
And no rules about biting not working against ghouls.
imakuni67
10-26-07, 01:43 PM Monks, for example, are not human after awhile. They do extraordinary and supernatural stuff. So they are a poor example.

Which is why I stated non-monk....

Example: A level one human warrior with strength 18 in jail, with a 3 inch thick stone wall (hardness 8, 45 HP). His unarmed strike deals 1d3 + 4 damage. Not enough to bypass the hardness, except on a critical hit where he'll deal 2d3 + 8 damage. So only 1/20 chance to bypass the hardness. Or...3 crits per hour. That's a minimum of 6 damage per hour so it will take at the most 8 hours to punch through the wall.

So, has anyone punched a stone wall for 8 hours without taking damage?

Also let's say there is a plain wooden stool (size small) in the room. Note that the warrior can bash the crap out of it to his hearts desire, but if he used it as an improvised weapon to smash the wall there isn't any backlash damage to the stool, anywhere in the rules....hmmm...
Finarin Panjoro
10-26-07, 01:50 PM You can't critical hit a wall. It doesn't have vital anatomy. Same reason you can't critical a construct (like an animated object, even an animated wall). Additionally punching does non-lethal damage and a wall is likely immune to that as well (like a construct).

So he'll never punch through the wall. As for damage I would rule he takes half of whatever he deals and when he reaches his hit points he starts taking a -2 penalty to any attack that involves that hand (that is the non-lethal damage disabled his hand, it did not knock him out).
imakuni67
10-26-07, 01:53 PM :eek: Errr...I screwed up. It's been a long day... ;)

So let's say he has power attack then.
Dog_O_War
10-26-07, 02:58 PM You have a very good question; one that only you can answer (the do I take damage from punching a wall?)

As for the biting decayed flesh bit; it depends on your constitution (not in the mechanical "I have an 18 con!" sense). It would only really affect you if you were to swallow the flesh (though I have no doubt the taste would be awful).
Also, paralyzed while biting a ghoul. That is too funny.
Salla
10-26-07, 06:44 PM Unless the creature has a special ability that says you suffer some consequence to landing a successful attack, you suffer no consequences for a successful attack.
Necroramo
10-26-07, 11:13 PM I don't think you take penalties for either of those, even though you'd think it would make sense. Even more so when there's a spell IIRC in the SpC that makes the target nauseating to the taste so that those who bite it take penalties
Nephlite
10-27-07, 12:43 PM I don't think you take penalties for either of those, even though you'd think it would make sense. Even more so when there's a spell IIRC in the SpC that makes the target nauseating to the taste so that those who bite it take penalties

Also if we really went the route that punching hurt your fist; we would have to do the same for every weapon. Now Hardness would protect your weapon from some blows, but eventually you'd break your sword.

But that seems unfun to me.
1 ton ghost
10-27-07, 01:41 PM for having such intimate contact w/ animated cadavres, rotten undead, and the like, i would probably rule a Con check or Fort save vs. a fairly random disease that fits the composition of decay for each bite.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
imakuni67 10-26-07, 12:51 PM	I know there is no rule for it, but let's say you're a half-dragon human with a bite attack (of course). Can you keep biting decaying fetid undead such as zombies and ghouls without being nauseated? Of you are a non-monk who is really desperate you can deal real damage to an object but you don't take in any damage regardless if you bypass the hardness or not. But how do you not take at least subdual damage from doing so? I wouldn't punch a brick wall nonstop would you?
Nephlite 10-26-07, 01:20 PM	I know there is no rule for it, but let's say you're a half-dragon human with a bite attack (of course). Can you keep biting decaying fetid undead such as zombies and ghouls without being nauseated? Of you are a non-monk who is really desperate you can deal real damage to an object but you don't take in any damage regardless if you bypass the hardness or not. But how do you not take at least subdual damage from doing so? I wouldn't punch a brick wall nonstop would you? In D&D, unarmed strikes don't recieve damage unless the creature has a fire aura or other desritive ability. Like Fire Elementals talk about how it hurts to hit them (1d6 fire or something). Monks, for example, are not human after awhile. They do extraordinary and supernatural stuff. So they are a poor example. A commoner takin damage maybe, but not a Monk. And no rules about biting not working against ghouls.
imakuni67 10-26-07, 01:43 PM	Monks, for example, are not human after awhile. They do extraordinary and supernatural stuff. So they are a poor example. Which is why I stated non-monk.... Example: A level one human warrior with strength 18 in jail, with a 3 inch thick stone wall (hardness 8, 45 HP). His unarmed strike deals 1d3 + 4 damage. Not enough to bypass the hardness, except on a critical hit where he'll deal 2d3 + 8 damage. So only 1/20 chance to bypass the hardness. Or...3 crits per hour. That's a minimum of 6 damage per hour so it will take at the most 8 hours to punch through the wall. So, has anyone punched a stone wall for 8 hours without taking damage? Also let's say there is a plain wooden stool (size small) in the room. Note that the warrior can bash the crap out of it to his hearts desire, but if he used it as an improvised weapon to smash the wall there isn't any backlash damage to the stool, anywhere in the rules....hmmm...
Finarin Panjoro 10-26-07, 01:50 PM	You can't critical hit a wall. It doesn't have vital anatomy. Same reason you can't critical a construct (like an animated object, even an animated wall). Additionally punching does non-lethal damage and a wall is likely immune to that as well (like a construct). So he'll never punch through the wall. As for damage I would rule he takes half of whatever he deals and when he reaches his hit points he starts taking a -2 penalty to any attack that involves that hand (that is the non-lethal damage disabled his hand, it did not knock him out).
imakuni67 10-26-07, 01:53 PM	:eek: Errr...I screwed up. It's been a long day... ;) So let's say he has power attack then.
Dog_O_War 10-26-07, 02:58 PM	You have a very good question; one that only you can answer (the do I take damage from punching a wall?) As for the biting decayed flesh bit; it depends on your constitution (not in the mechanical "I have an 18 con!" sense). It would only really affect you if you were to swallow the flesh (though I have no doubt the taste would be awful). Also, paralyzed while biting a ghoul. That is too funny.
Salla 10-26-07, 06:44 PM	Unless the creature has a special ability that says you suffer some consequence to landing a successful attack, you suffer no consequences for a successful attack.
Necroramo 10-26-07, 11:13 PM	I don't think you take penalties for either of those, even though you'd think it would make sense. Even more so when there's a spell IIRC in the SpC that makes the target nauseating to the taste so that those who bite it take penalties
Nephlite 10-27-07, 12:43 PM	I don't think you take penalties for either of those, even though you'd think it would make sense. Even more so when there's a spell IIRC in the SpC that makes the target nauseating to the taste so that those who bite it take penalties Also if we really went the route that punching hurt your fist; we would have to do the same for every weapon. Now Hardness would protect your weapon from some blows, but eventually you'd break your sword. But that seems unfun to me.
1 ton ghost 10-27-07, 01:41 PM	for having such intimate contact w/ animated cadavres, rotten undead, and the like, i would probably rule a Con check or Fort save vs. a fairly random disease that fits the composition of decay for each bite.