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Non-lethal damage
- Thread starter Zaukrie
- Start date
ExploderWizard
Hero
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Well, not according to the PHB. "Martial powers are not magic in the traditional sense..." is the opening line of the description of the power source.
-Hyp.
Gort
Explorer
The way I visualise it is that hitpoints are your "defense points". Once you've battered someone's defenses down (be it with physical or mental damage - stuff like morale effects) you can then make your "killing blow", which can be a combination of blows if you want to describe it like that.
However, the "killing blow" can be anything from a disarm to a knockout attack, to a controlling grapple, to a stab through the heart. The important thing is that the opponent is beaten and isn't getting back up again short of healing magic or extreme encouragement.
However, the "killing blow" can be anything from a disarm to a knockout attack, to a controlling grapple, to a stab through the heart. The important thing is that the opponent is beaten and isn't getting back up again short of healing magic or extreme encouragement.
Mal Malenkirk
First Post
If that were true, a 200hp fighter who is down to 5 hp is about to bleed to death even if he stands victorious.
D&D is unrealistic enough without imagining that the dozens of hits your fighter took all drew blood.
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The only houserule I add to deciding whether an opponent lives or die after the last blow is that the PC must use a credible action to achieve his end. If you use your sword, I can imagine that you punched him over the head with the pommel. If you shot him with a crossbow, though...
Gort
Explorer
... you use a blunted crossbow bolt?
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Nah - you incapacitate him with a shot through the shoulder or the leg.
Hollywood action movie rules - it'll put someone down without killing them.
-Hyp.
WalterKovacs
First Post
(a) Most times opponents are put to 0, they aren't dealt enough to be "dead" by PC standards. This means, they are effectively making death saves for the rest of the fight. The players can decide if they allow the enemies to "fail" their death saves, and thus die, or they can say "they haven't failed the 3rd one yet, so we can do something to wake them up".
(b) You do NOT "bleed out" in 4e. 3e had the "stabilize or keep taking damage" ... that was the "bleeding" mechanic. 4e instead has the "roll to see if you die now" mechanic. Getting hit by a fire ball doesn't cause you to start bleeding out. Unless you are taking ongoing damage, you aren't bleeding in such a way that you will die from massive blood loss.
So, ultimately, you beat everyone unconcious. Unconcious people may end up dying if they aren't "lucky" enough to make all their saves, and if no one intervenes before the "last" failed save. Also, until a short rest, [or a "20"], the unconcious characters would remain unconcious, and thus, can be killed off.
Ultimately: If something does NOT cause ongoing damage ... you don't continue to get hurt by it. A fireball does not set you on fire, a normal attack from any weapon doen't cause a bleeding wound. You pass out before you would be killed outright ... that is why there is a whole area between 0HP and dying from damage ... When you go unconcious, your body is basically in shock, you are unable to act, and are merely trying to keep your body going. You could die, but it has nothing to do with bleeding to death ... that's a risk at dying by hit points, NOT dying by death saves.
Part of the problem is that, because of the way that 3e did things, people have equated dying with "bleeding to death". In 4e, you can die by death save OR by getting to negative bloodied. Bleeding to death would involve some kind of ongoing damage hitting you every turn while unconcious and you die when you hit negative bloodied. The "in game" explanation of death saves? You don't really see it. Someone is unconcious. At some point, they die. Or they don't. THAT, is what death saves are, uncertainty of whether or not that guy that just went down will ever come back up. It's known that every second counts in reviving the person, but ultimately, it is unknown as to whether or not someone will die, but the longer someone is unconcious, the more likely it is [unless they pop up on their own, but the odds are against that happening, unless your a human].
(b) You do NOT "bleed out" in 4e. 3e had the "stabilize or keep taking damage" ... that was the "bleeding" mechanic. 4e instead has the "roll to see if you die now" mechanic. Getting hit by a fire ball doesn't cause you to start bleeding out. Unless you are taking ongoing damage, you aren't bleeding in such a way that you will die from massive blood loss.
So, ultimately, you beat everyone unconcious. Unconcious people may end up dying if they aren't "lucky" enough to make all their saves, and if no one intervenes before the "last" failed save. Also, until a short rest, [or a "20"], the unconcious characters would remain unconcious, and thus, can be killed off.
Ultimately: If something does NOT cause ongoing damage ... you don't continue to get hurt by it. A fireball does not set you on fire, a normal attack from any weapon doen't cause a bleeding wound. You pass out before you would be killed outright ... that is why there is a whole area between 0HP and dying from damage ... When you go unconcious, your body is basically in shock, you are unable to act, and are merely trying to keep your body going. You could die, but it has nothing to do with bleeding to death ... that's a risk at dying by hit points, NOT dying by death saves.
Part of the problem is that, because of the way that 3e did things, people have equated dying with "bleeding to death". In 4e, you can die by death save OR by getting to negative bloodied. Bleeding to death would involve some kind of ongoing damage hitting you every turn while unconcious and you die when you hit negative bloodied. The "in game" explanation of death saves? You don't really see it. Someone is unconcious. At some point, they die. Or they don't. THAT, is what death saves are, uncertainty of whether or not that guy that just went down will ever come back up. It's known that every second counts in reviving the person, but ultimately, it is unknown as to whether or not someone will die, but the longer someone is unconcious, the more likely it is [unless they pop up on their own, but the odds are against that happening, unless your a human].
