Just a few questions... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Just a few questions... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Worshiper_of_Moradin
12-09-07, 11:36 PM These are just a few things I've been thinking about....

1: How much damage would a human bite do? d4? d2?

2: Some creatures have a slam attack. What does a slam attack look like? Is it like a punch?

3: When any ability score hits 0 due to poison/ability drain/whatever the creature dies right, or is only when con hits 0?
Man in the Funny Hat
12-10-07, 12:51 AM 1: How much damage would a human bite do? d4? d2?I'd say d2 at best, probably even d2-1. Human bite is NOT an efficient attack mechanism.
2: Some creatures have a slam attack. What does a slam attack look like? Is it like a punch?It's basically a blunt force trauma attack using any convenient part of the body - foot, knee, fist, head...
3: When any ability score hits 0 due to poison/ability drain/whatever the creature dies right, or is only when con hits 0?DMG p. 289. Strength 0 means you can't move. Same with Dex 0. Con 0 is dead. Int 0 is unconcious/coma. Wis 0 is same - sleeping with nightmares. Cha 0 is catatonic stupor. ALL but Con are in helpless condition and that's only because Dead takes precedence :).
Tedronai
12-10-07, 01:24 AM Note that damage will continue to accumulate even after the effective ability score reaches 0, and that anyone immobilized or rendered comatose via ability damage will die of dehydration if they remain in that state for more than a few days despite natural healing (1 pt per ability score per day, 2 for complete rest, which they're virtually guaranteed to get if they're helpless).

From the SRD:
'A character can go without water for 1 day plus a number of hours equal to his Constitution score. After this time, the character must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.'

Though the SRD doesn't actually say that nonlethal damage from dehydration in excess of full normal HPs is converted to lethal damage of an equal ammount, Sandstorm does. If you drop unconscious from dehydration, you'll die shortly thereafter.
bobotheguy
12-10-07, 01:39 AM There is this really nasty spell in the Book of Vile Darkness, called Eternity of Torture. Pretty much if the person fails, they are helpless, but they do not need food, or drink, or air. They do not age, to ensure the eternity of torture. each day, all of the targets ability scores drop by 1 until they reach zero. Except Con which stops at 1

Bobo
kelvinaw273
12-10-07, 07:37 AM Nasty! In effect, a save-or-die spell with insult to injury ... and the fact that anyone hitting the person with an anti-magic shell, ray, Mordenkainen's Dysjunction, dispel magic etc. can knock out the effects and the character will recover pretty quickly - probably in a very bad mood!

But back to the original question, presumably if the character has companions they will be able to at least give him water until his stats become positive again. I would say a Heal check at DC 10 (ie take ten for automatic success) would be required to feed and water a helpless person.
Lincoln Hills
12-10-07, 05:01 PM ...1: How much damage would a human bite do?...

2: ...What does a slam attack look like? Is it like a punch?

3: When any ability score hits 0 due to poison/ability drain/whatever the creature dies right, or is only when con hits 0?

1. I'm pretty sure they didn't have BITING the enemy in mind when they wrote the 'unarmed strike' rules. So: call it 1d2 points of damage (both piercing and bludgeoning), with no Strength bonus applying, and without the advantage of 5' reach. (In other words, you have to enter a grapple to successfully bite an opponent.) This makes the bite what it should be: a weapon of absolutely last resort. (It would still be funny to see it stack up with Sneak Attack, Improved Trip, or Stunning Fist, though. Hah!)

2. Depends on the creature. Some critters "slam" with tails, or legs. Even a "slam" using an arm suggests a flailing motion driven from the shoulder, rather than the drive-from-the-elbow motion I think of when I hear "punch". Either way, the result is the same: some bludgeoning damage.

3. A character reduced to 0 in Strength or Dexterity is essentially limp as a noodle or stiff as a board, and is treated as paralyzed (helpless). A character whose Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma is drained to 0 is in a comatose or stuporous state, and is treated as unconscious (helpless). A score of 0 in Constitution is the only state that is fatal.
Worshiper_of_Moradin
12-10-07, 11:28 PM Thanks for the info guys, and sorry for the double thread creation. <.< My internet or somthing wasn't working so it made it look like the post didn't post.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Worshiper_of_Moradin 12-09-07, 11:36 PM	These are just a few things I've been thinking about.... 1: How much damage would a human bite do? d4? d2? 2: Some creatures have a slam attack. What does a slam attack look like? Is it like a punch? 3: When any ability score hits 0 due to poison/ability drain/whatever the creature dies right, or is only when con hits 0?
Man in the Funny Hat 12-10-07, 12:51 AM	1: How much damage would a human bite do? d4? d2?I'd say d2 at best, probably even d2-1. Human bite is NOT an efficient attack mechanism. 2: Some creatures have a slam attack. What does a slam attack look like? Is it like a punch?It's basically a blunt force trauma attack using any convenient part of the body - foot, knee, fist, head... 3: When any ability score hits 0 due to poison/ability drain/whatever the creature dies right, or is only when con hits 0?DMG p. 289. Strength 0 means you can't move. Same with Dex 0. Con 0 is dead. Int 0 is unconcious/coma. Wis 0 is same - sleeping with nightmares. Cha 0 is catatonic stupor. ALL but Con are in helpless condition and that's only because Dead takes precedence :).
Tedronai 12-10-07, 01:24 AM	Note that damage will continue to accumulate even after the effective ability score reaches 0, and that anyone immobilized or rendered comatose via ability damage will die of dehydration if they remain in that state for more than a few days despite natural healing (1 pt per ability score per day, 2 for complete rest, which they're virtually guaranteed to get if they're helpless). From the SRD: 'A character can go without water for 1 day plus a number of hours equal to his Constitution score. After this time, the character must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.' Though the SRD doesn't actually say that nonlethal damage from dehydration in excess of full normal HPs is converted to lethal damage of an equal ammount, Sandstorm does. If you drop unconscious from dehydration, you'll die shortly thereafter.
bobotheguy 12-10-07, 01:39 AM	There is this really nasty spell in the Book of Vile Darkness, called Eternity of Torture. Pretty much if the person fails, they are helpless, but they do not need food, or drink, or air. They do not age, to ensure the eternity of torture. each day, all of the targets ability scores drop by 1 until they reach zero. Except Con which stops at 1 Bobo
kelvinaw273 12-10-07, 07:37 AM	Nasty! In effect, a save-or-die spell with insult to injury ... and the fact that anyone hitting the person with an anti-magic shell, ray, Mordenkainen's Dysjunction, dispel magic etc. can knock out the effects and the character will recover pretty quickly - probably in a very bad mood! But back to the original question, presumably if the character has companions they will be able to at least give him water until his stats become positive again. I would say a Heal check at DC 10 (ie take ten for automatic success) would be required to feed and water a helpless person.
Lincoln Hills 12-10-07, 05:01 PM	...1: How much damage would a human bite do?... 2: ...What does a slam attack look like? Is it like a punch? 3: When any ability score hits 0 due to poison/ability drain/whatever the creature dies right, or is only when con hits 0? 1. I'm pretty sure they didn't have BITING the enemy in mind when they wrote the 'unarmed strike' rules. So: call it 1d2 points of damage (both piercing and bludgeoning), with no Strength bonus applying, and without the advantage of 5' reach. (In other words, you have to enter a grapple to successfully bite an opponent.) This makes the bite what it should be: a weapon of absolutely last resort. (It would still be funny to see it stack up with Sneak Attack, Improved Trip, or Stunning Fist, though. Hah!) 2. Depends on the creature. Some critters "slam" with tails, or legs. Even a "slam" using an arm suggests a flailing motion driven from the shoulder, rather than the drive-from-the-elbow motion I think of when I hear "punch". Either way, the result is the same: some bludgeoning damage. 3. A character reduced to 0 in Strength or Dexterity is essentially limp as a noodle or stiff as a board, and is treated as paralyzed (helpless). A character whose Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma is drained to 0 is in a comatose or stuporous state, and is treated as unconscious (helpless). A score of 0 in Constitution is the only state that is fatal.
Worshiper_of_Moradin 12-10-07, 11:28 PM	Thanks for the info guys, and sorry for the double thread creation. <.< My internet or somthing wasn't working so it made it look like the post didn't post.