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The title really gives away the question, can an unconscious creature be forced to move with a pull, push or slide effect?
So far I have been ruling it according to the flavor of the power. Thunderwave can push an unconscious creature but a bard's ally moving powers cannot. I was just wondering if there is an official ruling on this?
Off the top of my head and without consulting books, therre might be a linguistic difference between "you slide the target X" and "the target may shift X" that indicates whether or not the movement can occur. In the latter case, they are the ones taking the action, so I would say no.
There's nothing in the rules saying you can't forced move people who are unconscious.
However I would certainly reccomend a blanket house-rule that you can't- I think it's simplest, and makes most sense. Even thunderwave would have trouble pushing a person lying on the floor, more more so for trips etc.
For simplicity sake, WotC did not add in a "moved physically" vs. "moved mentally" type of capability.
They should have because a target that is moved with an illusion should be different than a target moved via a force blast. There are several condition type effects that should be this way as well, but are not. For example, a physically restrained foe as opposed to a mentally restrained foe. In the first case, it should typically be difficult to move that foe with another power. In the latter, is should sometimes be easier.
So, a creature that is mentally restrained with a mental type spell should be moveable with a physical forceful Slide that pushes a target.
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Last edited by KarinsDad; 14th May 2009 at 10:03 PM..
There's nothing in the rules saying you can't forced move people who are unconscious.
However I would certainly reccomend a blanket house-rule that you can't- I think it's simplest, and makes most sense. Even thunderwave would have trouble pushing a person lying on the floor, more more so for trips etc.
It doesn't have any trouble pushing dragons, oozes, and 20 ton gargantuan creatures.
So, the answer is Yes. Nothing prevents an unconcious creature from forced movement. Fear or Illusion effects I may rule differently on for our own version of realism.
So far I have been ruling it according to the flavor of the power.
I would much rather this as a player than the strict ruling.
__________________ "If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry."
-- Ernest Hemingway, "A Farewell to Arms" Burning Empires:Boldaq Keep on the Shadowfell
I see no reason why a skilled warlord could not get someone to move by authority alone as it happens in RL with some regularity. There have been dozens and dozens of documented cases of commanders ordering half dead solders to move or solders continuing on after they should clearly be dead... and to say that can’t be done in a fantasy world is a bit off putting to my tastiest. And to do that by adding more complexity to the game? And nurfing a classes powers for the sake of ‘reality’? Just not a good idea.
I see no reason why a skilled warlord could not get someone to move by authority alone as it happens in RL with some regularity. There have been dozens and dozens of documented cases of commanders ordering half dead solders to move or solders continuing on after they should clearly be dead... and to say that can’t be done in a fantasy world is a bit off putting to my tastiest. And to do that by adding more complexity to the game? And nurfing a classes powers for the sake of ‘reality’? Just not a good idea.
That is an interesting rational and visualization ... ie treating the warlord inciting an unconscious character to move as being similar to any of his inspiring powers.. ie the target surges becoming conscious enough to move forward and drops. Wow that is actually quite cool it ties in with the "healing" theme of his powers...it models well Are we just talking leader powers here ... I think I have no problems with it.
A fear spell can that make a monster run who is unconcious... is more iffy... and less useful too... wakey wakey.
Last edited by Garthanos; 17th May 2009 at 07:45 PM..
Forced movement works on unconscious creatures. If it makes you feel better, we work the flavor of your power to " make more sense " as much as making sense works in a game with elves, dragons and fireballs.
For instance, Command could be a limited form of telekinesis. This is perfectly legal to say that is your cleric's flavor text for command, as long as no rules are changed for the power. So it would keep the entire power write up, keywords and all, but you simply describe it as whispering divine words that grant you a brief telekinetic effect.
Forced movement works on unconscious creatures. If it makes you feel better, we work the flavor of your power to " make more sense " as much as making sense works in a game with elves, dragons and fireballs.
For instance, Command could be a limited form of telekinesis. This is perfectly legal to say that is your cleric's flavor text for command, as long as no rules are changed for the power. So it would keep the entire power write up, keywords and all, but you simply describe it as whispering divine words that grant you a brief telekinetic effect.
Or they stir to consciousness just enough to drag themselves X squares, but the effort causes them to fall unconscious again.
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