many questions stemming from our recent combat

[Mystendanian]

I threw my PC's up against an orc group consisting of 7 fighters, 2 clerics and a mage. I gave each of the orcs Amber Amulets of Vermin (which they all used before engaging in melee combat w/ the PC's); two of which were the Lg Monstrous Spider type. During combat, I had the spiders using their web attacks on the PC's.

My questions are these:

1) Is a creature caught in a spider's web subject to a coup de grac?
2) Can a spider (or for that matter, any non-intelligent foe) even perform a coup de grac?
3) Should the party have gotten xp for killing the creatures that came from the amulets, or are they treated like summoned creatures and don't count for any additional xp?

Thanks,

Myst

 

[The Souljourner]

Unless the spider webs say they hold you helpless (which I doubt... I'm guessing they work like normal web - i.e. you're entangled), then you can't coup de grace them.

Also, I wouldn' allow non-intelligent creatures to coup de grace in the heat of battle. they'd fight until all the opponents were down, then they'd go back and munch on the helpless guys. It takes intelligence to say "if I kill this guy now, even if I take an attack of opportunity, it'll help in the end". The spider is just acting on instict, which would say "that guy over there is still a threat, so I better attack him".

As for XP, as long as the amulets counted as part of the treasure that group had, then they're not worth any more XP. It's just a use of a magic item.

-The Souljourner

 

[Mystendanian]

they cant move

the spider webs say the person caught in the web "cannot move." I was just curious what people's translation of that would be. Weigh in with your opinion, please.

 

[Steve Jung]

From the 3.5 SRD, under Spider, monstrous

Web-spinners can throw a web eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider.

From the 3.5 SRD, under Net

Net: A net is used to entangle enemies. When you throw a net, you make a ranged touch attack against your target. A net’s maximum range is 10 feet. If you hit, the target is entangled. An entangled creature takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty on Dexterity, can move at only half speed, and cannot charge or run.

So the target is entangled, which does not allow a coup de grace.

 

[AuraSeer]

the spider webs say the person caught in the web "cannot move." I was just curious what people's translation of that would be. Weigh in with your opinion, please.

In rules terms, "move" usually means "travel across the map." A web that only prevents "movement" would keep a character from leaving his current square, but would not otherwise restrict him.

If an effect is intended to make a target helpless, it will say so.

 

[Darklone]

Sometimes entangled is combined with further movement impediments, as in the Web spell... same for the use of a net, if you entangle someone in your net and tie it somewhere, he can't move much further.

 

[Conaill]

1) Is a creature caught in a spider's web subject to a coup de grac?
2) Can a spider (or for that matter, any non-intelligent foe) even perform a coup de grac?
3) Should the party have gotten xp for killing the creatures that came from the amulets, or are they treated like summoned creatures and don't count for any additional xp?

1&2: no coup de grace when entangled. Note even for someone who's completely tied up, because they can still twitch aside somewhat.

3: Since these are single-use items, I woudl be tempted to count them partially towards Encounter Level. If the orcs had activated the amulets *before* meeting the PC's, you would have to count them fully towards EL (and thus XP), but in this case it sounds like each orc had to waste an action to activate them at the start of combat, so that makes things just a little easier on the PC's. It was *definitely* a harder encounter than it would have been without the amulets, and if these were lvl 1 orcs, they were definitely over-equipped for their level.