Can you Coup De Grace a Hydra? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Can you Coup De Grace a Hydra? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
FrostHammer
01-18-08, 11:03 PM Ok, so a coup de grace involves beheading someone. So what if you make a Hydra fall asleep, and then attempt to CGD it? Would ti force a fort-save or die for the Hydra? Would the Hydra take damage at all?
NoldorForce
01-18-08, 11:13 PM Ok, so a coup de grace involves beheading someone.No, it doesn't necessary require that. It just involves making a mortal blow without any chance of failure in actually hitting. Execution by firing squad is an example of a coup de grace, for instance, that doesn't involve decapitation.So what if you make a Hydra fall asleep, and then attempt to CGD it? Would ti force a fort-save or die for the Hydra? Would the Hydra take damage at all?The coup de grace functions as normal against the hydra's body.
runestar
01-18-08, 11:18 PM It would work. :)
zeratulcraft
01-18-08, 11:22 PM No, it doesn't necessary require that. It just involves making a mortal blow without any chance of failure in actually hitting. Execution by firing squad is an example of a coup de grace, for instance, that doesn't involve decapitation.The coup de grace functions as normal against the hydra's body.

Cept firing squads are normally done from further away than five feet. And the target is often conscious for it. I think mostly that's just overkill on a humans expected damage threshold. A coup de grace in my mind with a ranged weapon is firing into the skull.
pres_man
01-18-08, 11:25 PM A shot or stab to the heart will kill most creatures.

Also being conscious or not is not necessary for a coup-de-grace, merely that the target be helpless (like being under "hold person" for example).
pigknight
01-18-08, 11:57 PM I feel a coup de grace is based on the wielder and weapon. A cleric of nerull decapitates the target when doing a coup de grace, while a fighter with a greatsword impales the target.
Napoleon_the_Clown
01-19-08, 02:15 AM And a shoeless halfling Ranger/Barbarian (that probably killed his animal companion) does it in unspeakable ways...

Anyway, coup de grace works against a Hydra with one remaining head just as well as it does against one with fifteen heads. It's very much the ultimate "Save or die" "spell" since the save can be essentially impossible for anything that isn't epic, depending on the weapon used and the strength of the wielder.
ArcTan
01-19-08, 02:35 AM No, it doesn't necessary require that. It just involves making a mortal blow without any chance of failure in actually hitting.

That's, indeed, why they specifically used a generic word "Coup de Grace" instead of calling it "beheading", just like calling it "Sneak Attack" instead of "Backstab".

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
FrostHammer 01-18-08, 11:03 PM	Ok, so a coup de grace involves beheading someone. So what if you make a Hydra fall asleep, and then attempt to CGD it? Would ti force a fort-save or die for the Hydra? Would the Hydra take damage at all?
NoldorForce 01-18-08, 11:13 PM	Ok, so a coup de grace involves beheading someone.No, it doesn't necessary require that. It just involves making a mortal blow without any chance of failure in actually hitting. Execution by firing squad is an example of a coup de grace, for instance, that doesn't involve decapitation.So what if you make a Hydra fall asleep, and then attempt to CGD it? Would ti force a fort-save or die for the Hydra? Would the Hydra take damage at all?The coup de grace functions as normal against the hydra's body.
runestar 01-18-08, 11:18 PM	It would work. :)
zeratulcraft 01-18-08, 11:22 PM	No, it doesn't necessary require that. It just involves making a mortal blow without any chance of failure in actually hitting. Execution by firing squad is an example of a coup de grace, for instance, that doesn't involve decapitation.The coup de grace functions as normal against the hydra's body. Cept firing squads are normally done from further away than five feet. And the target is often conscious for it. I think mostly that's just overkill on a humans expected damage threshold. A coup de grace in my mind with a ranged weapon is firing into the skull.
pres_man 01-18-08, 11:25 PM	A shot or stab to the heart will kill most creatures. Also being conscious or not is not necessary for a coup-de-grace, merely that the target be helpless (like being under "hold person" for example).
pigknight 01-18-08, 11:57 PM	I feel a coup de grace is based on the wielder and weapon. A cleric of nerull decapitates the target when doing a coup de grace, while a fighter with a greatsword impales the target.
Napoleon_the_Clown 01-19-08, 02:15 AM	And a shoeless halfling Ranger/Barbarian (that probably killed his animal companion) does it in unspeakable ways... Anyway, coup de grace works against a Hydra with one remaining head just as well as it does against one with fifteen heads. It's very much the ultimate "Save or die" "spell" since the save can be essentially impossible for anything that isn't epic, depending on the weapon used and the strength of the wielder.
ArcTan 01-19-08, 02:35 AM	No, it doesn't necessary require that. It just involves making a mortal blow without any chance of failure in actually hitting. That's, indeed, why they specifically used a generic word "Coup de Grace" instead of calling it "beheading", just like calling it "Sneak Attack" instead of "Backstab".