Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Omni-Wyvernil May 04, 2009 22:00:44	In Fourth Edition, non-lethal and lethal damage are pretty much the same thing - the player decides what happens when the enemy hits zero HP. This rule can be stretched to allow all sorts of creative 'defeat conditions'; as long as it makes sense and the enemy can no longer fight, it's all good. This thread is dedicated to documenting some of these creative ends. After all, unlike in a videogame, the enemy doesn't just keel over or fade away the moment it hits zero HP. Unless, of course, the DM is an unimaginative putz. Here's some examples to get things started (be sure to list the kind of character or attack that would deal the final blow before describing it). 1. Touche! Method: Dexterous rogue or fighter wielding a rapier. With a lightning-quick parry and spin of your weapon, you knock the enemy's weapon out of his hands and hold your blade to his throat. The battle has ended. 2. Froggy Morning Method: Wizard, warlock or druid casting spell to finish an opponent. Having worn down his opponent with blasts of arcane or spiritual energy, the caster lifts his hand, utters a baleful curse, and poof! The enemy has turned into a toad. A good consolation prize for veteran players grumbling that their wizard can't turn people into small harmless animals anymore. 3. Scanners Method: An attack dealing psychic damage. The enemy clutches his head in pain, blood seeping from his nostrils and eye sockets. Finally, unable to bear the psychic assault any longer, his head explodes in a shower of gore.
#2 pigknight May 04, 2009 22:43:12	4. In Teh Face! Method: Melee attack with a sword. You strike the target in the face with the pummel of your weapon.
#3 Authw8 May 05, 2009 0:41:23	5. I'm not dead yet! Method: Light or Heavy Blade You remove every single one of your target's limbs, yet he continues calling out your cowardice. 6. Mysterious disappearance Method: Magic-user of some sort "Where did he go?" "You don't want to know."
#4 Omni-Wyvernil May 05, 2009 7:43:01	7. Hurled Into Hell Method: Warlock using Hurl Through Hell power A maw-like opening opens below the enemy, glowing with fiery brimstone. A bony, burning hand reaches up and grabs the hapless enemy, dragging it screaming into the inferno. The maw closes, never to open again... ...or it opens a second time to spit out a few charred bones and a skull. 8. Swing For The Bleachers Method: Attack that pushes enemy a large distance (such as the barbarian's Crater Fall power) You wind up and slam the enemy skyward, sending him flying into the stratosphere until he disappears in a twinkle in the sky. I think you just knocked him into orbit.
#5 grey_mu_gamma May 05, 2009 16:54:26	9. Using objects as weapons Method: Any attack dealing seen damage You hit a out of play object, (Like a colum or tree), hence smashing your opponet.
#6 whodyacryem May 05, 2009 18:22:46	10. Wrythe in your piety Method: Melee attack with any edged weapon Gouge out the eye and lop off the hand of a devout follower of vecna causing them to die painfully.
#7 salla May 05, 2009 19:04:43	7. Hurled Into Hell Method: Warlock using Hurl Through Hell power A maw-like opening opens below the enemy, glowing with fiery brimstone. A bony, burning hand reaches up and grabs the hapless enemy, dragging it screaming into the inferno. The maw closes, never to open again... ...or it opens a second time to spit out a few charred bones and a skull. FATALITY.
#8 sinjei May 05, 2009 22:17:36	11. Melee Arrow! Use when dispatching an adjacent opponent with a ranged weapon 'Ducking underneath your enemies blows you draw another arrow from your quiver, but instead of nocking it to your bow, you plunge it straight into your opponents face, he falls to the ground screaming in pain and shock.' 12. Serendipity Use when you kill an opponent but deal pathetic damage with that attack 'Your arrow/blade slams into your opponents toes, yelling in pain, he teeters offbalance, stumbles and slams his head on the conveniently located rock nearby.' 13. Chain Pain with spiked chain 'the chain whips around your opponents neck, there is a brief pause as he looks at you in dawning horror, then you quickly twist and yank the chain and it whips back, blood fountaining from his neck.'
#9 glaive_21842 May 05, 2009 22:53:53	14. Sunder! Method: Melee vs Melee. Both brute force and deadly accuracy are accepted With a great swing or perfectly aimed shot, the foe's weapon shatters completely. Without a method of attack, the foe as no choice but to accept his fate. 15. Hopelessly restrained Method: Arcane user, martial character with long flexible weapon, or character with rope/manacles in hand Broken and beaten, your enemy is unable to dodge your bindings. He awaits his fate, unable to break free. 16. Matador's strike Method: Any rapier user With a feint and perfectly placed shot, the enemy just stands there, unaware that they are already dead. 17. Divine reclamation Method: Any divine character. Better at higher levels, with BBEGs, and with less benevolent gods Your god is angry, and wishes to deal with your foe...personally. Upon dealing the final blow, divine light bursts from the sky, consuming your enemy completely. Nothing remains, but you know inside that your foe's torment is far from over.
#10 Zalabim May 06, 2009 3:19:48	18. The Fastplant: Anyone with quick draw and a spare weapon, like a mundane dagger. With an upwards slash of your blade you let it fly into the air so you can draw and plant another dagger into your foe's vital parts and still have time to catch your falling weapon with style. 19. The Battle Takes Its Toll Best for damage on miss effects. The enemy succumbs to exhaustion, blood loss, or catastrophic morale failure and simply falls to the ground, despite your attack apparently missing. 20. For Whom the Bell Tolls Heavy metal weapon users on metally armored opponents. A resounding blow to the enemy's armored head causes loss of balance from inner ear damage. 21. Liberty Bell Any enemy with a hard shell, armor or otherwise. Your felling blow causes the foe's carapace to crack, shatter, or simply fall apart, leaving the highly vulnerable enemy no choice but surrender.
#11 lordofchaos000 May 06, 2009 5:29:51	Intimidate Method:High Intimidate character ROAR! And your foe run and scream like a girl while peeing his pants. Overwhelmed Method:3 - 4 character with succesfull grab check The enemy is helpless and he cannot move any possible way. Charmed Method: caster with charm magic effect "Why are you fighting me? I just want to be your friend" *cutthroat*
#12 Kainsin May 06, 2009 9:11:07	25. Ashes to ashes Method: Divine power vs. undead target The targets mouth and eye sockets erupt with bright white light as divine energy courses through it. The target is disintegrated from within, reduced to ashes hanging in the air. 26. Absolute zero Method: Cold power The target is completely frozen or encased in ice. The player then snaps his/her fingers which causes the target to explode into tiny fragments.
#13 Omni-Wyvernil May 07, 2009 0:14:47	27. Waste Away Method: An attack dealing necrotic damage The enemy rapidly decomposes before your eyes, wasting away into a skeleton that crumbles into dust. 28. Immolation Method: An attack dealing fire damage The enemy spontaneously combusts from the heat of your fire spell, turning into a pillar of flame. When the fire dies down and the smoke clears, all that is left is a blackened silhouette of ash that blows away in the wind. 29. Blinding Glory Method: An attack dealing radiant damage from a cleric or invoker The divine caster raises his holy symbol or staff and speaks a word of the Supernal language. A radiant light envelops the enemy, burning his eyes into blackened sockets. All the foe sees forevermore is the face of the caster's god, in all its glory.
#14 dual_wielding_blades May 29, 2009 22:50:03	30. A Head of His Time! (If an unarmed melee attack is used) Your punch connects with your opponent's chin, there's a cracking sound and his head flies into the air, hits the ceiling and falls back at your opponent's feet. -Critical hit bonus points: If you scored a critical hit, you decapitate the opponent with your foot, do a flip into the air and punch his head into his body with such force that he explodes. ...No, I didn't rip that from Mortal Kombat. Would I do that? ;) 31. Part of Your Zone (If an elemental zone effect is used) Your opponent isn't killed by the effect...not quite. The energy is so powerful that his howling form transforms into the element being used. (Example: A fire attack would result in the character literally turning into flames.) -Critical Hit Bonus Points: The character is so thoroughly transformed that time is altered--he was always an element of the world, and no one remembers him but the adventurers. (What a tweest!) 32. Bullet Time (If you use an immediate reaction to kill your opponent) You react so quickly to your opponent's action that you literally start your action a nanosecond after he starts his, and execute it a nanosecond after he executes his. The resulting blur is too fast for normal eyes to see...but at least you know how unbelievably cool it looked. 33. I'm No Doctor, But Seriously... (Using a blunt weapon or an unarmed attack to finish an opponent.) You literally punch through your opponent. Oddly enough, there aren't any guts or organs or anything. It's kind of like a gross cylinder. How the heck does that work out, anyway? I mean...seriously. What
#15 prator_the_golden May 30, 2009 9:37:19	34. Anime Dash If you move, attack and kill, and then move again in one turn. Quick as lightning, you dash forwards and past your enemy. Once you finally stop moving, it's not actually clear that you took the time to strike until suddenly your enemy collapses, blood spurting everywhere. 35. Cool! Cause of death was an ice-based attack Your opponent starts to look very blue in the face. She has just enough time to open her mouth and attempt to scream before the creeping frost covers her face and silences her. 36. Nailed. Cause of death was a thrown or launched piercing weapon The force of your attack drives the bolt into your enemy's body core and drives the bolt and the body into the far wall. For a moment your foe jerks a bit, but then goes still. 37. Bloody Mess Cause of death involved a lot of flying shrapnel OR extreme concussive force Your enemies are everywhere. On the walls, on the ceiling, and of course the larger chunks are just covering the floor. It looks like someone coated the entire area in beef stroganoff and bone-bits. Make a fortitude save not to vomit.
#16 mondos123 May 30, 2009 20:01:26	I've had this in my game for a long time, I called them Dynamic Kills/Finisher. 38. Five slices of Bologna Light or Heavy bladed weapon Five quick flashes of light are seen before your blade returns to its sheath. Your opponent slowly falls into 5 neatly cut pieces.
#17 johnnyslick May 30, 2009 21:03:05	39. Minion Kebab Best done with a spear and two minions, one in front of the other.
#18 blackmage88 May 31, 2009 2:18:22	40. Taking Them Down a Notch Heavy Blade or Axe The player chops off their opponent's legs, dropping them down low enough for the backswing to take off their heads. 41. Comprehension Would Blow Your Mind Psychic Attacks The victim clutches their head, screaming. But instead of their head exploding, their mind snaps, leaving them crumpled on the ground, reduced to a drooling vegetable. 42. Point Blank For most adjacent blasts or range attacks The player punches the target in the head, confusing them long enough to grab them and pull them close. Having dragged their enemy close, the player puts their wand/crossbow/etc against the target's gut and fires. If it's a blast, the rest of the blast actually shoots through the target's back to hit the other targets. The player then tosses the corpse to the side.
#19 romulus_lonewolf May 31, 2009 11:24:07	I actually used this one in my last game, for my wizard.. 43. Through the Grinder Cause of Death: Cloud of Dagger The enemy runs through your Cloud of Dagger and comes out the other side sliced up into pithy little chunks of meat.
#20 prator_the_golden May 31, 2009 12:13:53	44. Knocked over the head. Sneak attack with a bludgeoninng weapon Your weapon hits the back of the opponent's head with a dull thump. He groans and then crumples to the ground. 45. Backstabbed. Sneak attack w/ a small piercing melee weapon You creep up slowly, quietly, and gently drive your the tip of your blade between two vertabrae of your enemy's neck. He has just enough time to let out a gurgled scream before falling off your blade and collapsing two the ground. 46. Cuttthroat Sneak attack w/ a small slashing weapon You move softly, silently, then run the last few steps towards your foe, covering his mouth with one hand and drawing your blade across his neck with the other. He lets out a muffled scream as his arteries bleed out, and then goes still. 47. Sephiroth's Manuever (AKA Dragoon's Flight) Sneak attack w/ a large piercing or slashing weapon. Your opponent seems unaware of you. You take advantage of his lack of caution by leaping into the air and letting the force of gravity as well as your own muscles drive your weapon through his back and out his torso. 48. Quick Finish Draw your bladed melee weapon, attack, and "kill" in one turn Your arm is already swinging as you draw your weapon from its sheath, A. Smacking your opponent's weapon right out of his hands, leaving it to stick in the ground some distance away. He looks kind of sheepish as he makes a gesture of surrender. B. cleaving through your foe's body with remarkable ease. He looks shocked as he falls down, already dead. 49. Assassin's Strike Normal attack with a small bladed weapon You leap forward while your opponent's guard is down, latching onto your foe with your legs as you drive your weapon into his neck. You keep it there as he falls to the ground with you still atop him.
#21 Omni-Wyvernil May 31, 2009 12:24:43	50. Over The Edge Method: Any power that pushes an enemy off a long drop You knock the enemy off a cliff, causing him to plummet until he impales himself on a stalagmite below. 51. Hammertime! Method: Attack involving a blunt weapon such as a hammer You bring down the hammer on the enemy's head, causing it to squish into a bunch of gooey red bits like a watermelon. 52. You're Already Dead Method: Monk using an unarmed attack power Your unarmed chop just hit a lethal pressure point on the opponent's body. Five seconds later, his head explodes. 53. Kali-Ma! Method: Monk using an unarmed attack power You punch straight through the opponent's chest, and your hand pops out of his back holding his still-beating heart. You pull it back out and the enemy collapses to the ground. 54. Humiliation Method: Following any big attack that brings the enemy to 0 HP. Surprisingly, the enemy is still standing after your vicious assault, though a bit wobbly and severely injured. You walk up to the opponent and push on him with one finger, causing him to fall over. Variations include blowing on the enemy to knock him down.
#22 prator_the_golden May 31, 2009 22:41:18	55. Nuclear Annhilation Cause of death was an area-of-effect spell, preferably one which is fire or force-based. There is a smoking crater in the ground where your opponent used to be. All that remains of him is now falling from the sky as ashes. Out-Maneuvered, Type 1 Move around an enemy and attack You make a quick dash to the right/left of your enemy. Before he can turn to face you, you attack and drop him like a sack of rocks. Out-Manuevered, Type 2 Trip an enemy (or otherwise knock him prone) and then attack for non-lethal damage You sweep your foe off his feet and onto his rear, and before he can get up, your weapon is in place for a coup de grace. He quickly surrenders.
#23 calronmoonflower Jun 01, 2009 0:04:26	58). For Science! "We're going to need another Timmy." Use them to demonstrate the laws of physics to NPCs.
#24 prator_the_golden Jun 02, 2009 9:41:15	59. FPS Victim Cause of death was a barrage of ranged attacks As your enemy is struck with missile after missile after missile, he jerks this way and and that with each successive impact. Finally, he falls to the ground, filled with enough holes to qualify as a sponge. 60. Quick-Draw Non-lethal takedown with one ranged attack Your first missile hits your enemy squarely in the shoulder. He cries out and drops his weapon, then falls to his knees. 61. Bone-Breaker Cause of death was a thrown medium or larger object Your thrown object hits the enemy squarely in the torso with a loud CRACK! The force of the blow knocks him down, and the object pins him to the floor by sheer weight.
#25 johnnii Jun 03, 2009 4:16:54	62. Sanity-loss Reducing an enemy to 0 hit points via psychic damage You totally shatter the mind of your opponent, reducing him to a harmless gibbering and weeping pile on the floor. Or he falls prone, clawing his eyes out to remove the "images" from his vision.
#26 Omni-Wyvernil Jun 03, 2009 16:45:00	63. Dem Bones Method: Lightning, acid, or necrotic power reduces enemy's HP to 0 The enemy's flesh melts away, leaving behind nothing but a charred skeleton. 64. Using Your Head Method: Martial, barbarian, or monk attack power You prepare to swing at the enemy, but pull a feint instead. While the enemy is focused on your weapon, you headbutt him in the noggin, knocking him out cold. 65. Abusing His Head Method: Martial, barbarian, or monk attack power Same as above, but this time you're wearing a horned or spiked helmet. The results are quite a bit messier. 66. Off With His Head Method: Attack using a sword or axe With one swing, the enemy's head is severed cleanly from his neck. Bonus points if you manage to catch the head in midair. 67. Decibel Hell Method: Power with the thunder keyword, especially when used by a bard The enemy stands stunned, hair standing on end. Blood and brains leak out of his ears before he falls to the ground.
#27 ocarina_guy Jun 03, 2009 23:49:45	68. Pun-ishment! Method: Deliver a pun during the attack The pun is so groan-inducingly bad that the target surrenders rather than die having heard that piece of ----. 69. Failure! Method: Target must be a warlock or otherwise pledged to some dark force. A flaming chasm opens beneath the target's feet. Gravity happens. (flavor variable)
#28 ciaran Jun 04, 2009 18:08:04	He Took A Walk An archer minion on a rooftop, along with other baddies, was attacking as I attempted to pursue their boss. After teleporting to a safe spot, I used Phantom Bolt and slid him off the roof. Never mind that he had 1 hit point and died. As psycic energy rattled his brain and forced blood through his eye sockets, I compelled him through the use of my magic to take that one extra step. He plummeted to his death.
#29 AbdulAlhazred Jun 05, 2009 14:20:32	70. Not so Fast The enemy lunges at you with his weapon, it slides past your side and with quick grab you trap his sword arm and force the blade from his hand.
#30 vasiliyu Jun 06, 2009 10:17:24	Seppeku: Hand him a small dagger and offer him the chance to regain his honour. You will of course, be his second with a huge blade to cut his head off.
#31 prator_the_golden Jun 06, 2009 10:57:49	I think the number we're up to is: 73. System Failure Cause of death was constitution drain Your opponent suddenly goes very pale, and his breathing seems extremely labored. He clutches one hand feebly to his chest as he sinks to his knees and then passes out. 74. Energy Drain Cause of death was negative leveling Your opponent seems to be growing older and feebler with each passing second. He has just enough time to cry out around the time he looks like an emaciated old man in his late 1000's before finally he crumbles to dust.
#32 ciaran Jun 06, 2009 14:05:31	Grab the enemy rom behind by his collar, snake two fingers around to his nose and whisper into his ear "This is what your mother smells like" as you stick your dagger into his spine.
#33 zilred Jun 06, 2009 15:39:35	76. Make an Example When loosing an AoE on a bunch of minions Your attack so completely overwhelms the first guy in the line (even though you technically hit all of them), that the others turn tail and run/drop their weapons and cower. 77. O-O-Overkill Based on a 3rd Ed situation where someone scored a max damage scythe crit on a wolf with 1 hp left. Your already weakened opponent's body yields to your swings as you proceed to write your name (or initials) with the splashing blood. 78. Overwhelming Grief You finish the enemy with an attack that makes you invisible to it It's not that the enemy can't see you, it's just that it doesn't even want to look at you. It has realized its defeat and, in its pride, cannot bear to look at the one thing it has failed to overcome.
#34 Omni-Wyvernil Jul 19, 2009 1:58:52	79. Bullseye! Method: Bow attack, preferably one that shoots two or more arrows Your arrow goes straight through the enemy's eye into his brain. Just as his hands reach up toward the embedded arrow in a final death reflex, your second arrow pierces his other eye, and he falls to the ground. 80. Evisceration Method: Attack with sickle, meathook, or scythe Your final strike embeds itself deep in the enemy's abdomen. With a twist and a yank, you pull out several yards of the opponent's entrails. 81. Curb Stomp Method: Last attack knocks the enemy prone After knocking down the enemy, you finish it off by stomping repeatedly on its head until all that's left is a gooey red paste. Hope your boots are thick enough...
#35 prator_the_golden Jul 19, 2009 12:09:48	82. Strike! AoE attack, preferably with force or fire, that drops multiple enemies Your enemies are scattered like bowling pins.
#36 kenlar Oct 20, 2009 4:18:16	83: Ash like snow Enemy must be adjacent to cliffside, you must be a wizard, sorceror or other with Fire dmg close blast attack. Bruised and battered, your enemy collapses, but begins to regain strength. You move adjacent to the enemy and blast him with fire, hurling the ashes off the cliff, causing it to fall like snow.
#37 jokull Oct 23, 2009 19:08:13	Swing For The Bleachers Method: Attack that pushes enemy a large distance (such as the barbarian's Crater Fall power) You wind up and slam the enemy skyward, sending him flying into the stratosphere until he disappears in a twinkle in the sky. I think you just knocked him into orbit.   Ahaha I critical-swung at a kolbold and sent him fifty yards into a pit one time.
#38 happy_dagger Nov 18, 2009 23:30:24	84. In a 3.5 campaign a few years ago, a friend of mine played a big, nasty half-orc barbarian named Gurrg. At one point in this campaign we found ourselves fighting a legendary bandit lord (don't remember his name) and a few of his most trusted henchmen. With this DM, we were never really sure if he was a sadist or just really bad at gauging what our party could handle. Near the end of the encounter, all the henchmen were dead, our rogue and sorceror (me) were unconscious, and our cleric was paralyzed. The only ones still fighting were Gurrg and the bandit lord. Both were quite close to death. The bandit managed to disarm Gurrg, and his trusty falchion landed some feet away. We all thought we were done for. That's when Gurrg remembered that he was standing next to the fresh corpse of a halfling assassin and decided to use her as an improvised club. He lifted the halfling high and swung her with all his might. The halfling's and the bandit's heads both exploded on impact.