Arterial Strike

[Derulbaskul]

As a DM I like to use bleeding wounds on PCs. I rarely use the 3.5E wounding property but rather use the 3E version instead (although I call it "bleeding" rather than "wounding"). In my higher level campaigns I also combine the bleeding property with the vile property: yep, one point of vile damage per round.

No PCs have died yet from such a combination but it's nice to have them scared.

I think all of the evil rogues and blackguards that I have statted up as NPCs have the Arterial Strike feat, and certainly any who are assassins by profession. It's also good combined with the feat that lets you draw a weapon and treat an opponent as flat-footed (just can't remember the name).

 

[kwiqsilver]

It's also good combined with the feat that lets you draw a weapon and treat an opponent as flat-footed (just can't remember the name).

Flick of the wrist. It's in the Song and Silence (and I think the Complete Warrior).

 

[Erratic K]

As a sometime DM, it is fantastic for NPCs. Not all feats are good for players, not all feats are good for NPCs.

-E

 

[Stalker0]

There's also the old door guard scenario. Hit him once with a wounding arrow, then just sit back and watch him bleed to death.

 

[Rashak Mani]

There's also the old door guard scenario. Hit him once with a wounding arrow, then just sit back and watch him bleed to death.

If he is shouting whilst dying it won't do you much good !! Plus you must be 30' away to do sneak attacks.

 

[Darklone]

Arterial Strike is really useful against monsters that can't use Heal or Cure spells.
If you're a rogue, you sneak up, use AS, sneak away, come back and start again. After a few times, your opponent is bleeding 10hp or more per round, and your exposure to enemy attacks is minimal.

Good joke, I've seen this tactic too often... reminds me of CRPGs.

Anyone, even animals, can make a Heal check DC 15 untrained to stop the bleeding.

And that door guard scenario seems to fit a CRPG as well...

 

[kwiqsilver]

Good joke, I've seen this tactic too often... reminds me of CRPGs.

Anyone, even animals, can make a Heal check DC 15 untrained to stop the bleeding.

Uh, no. Somebody with at most a +1 or +2 will have trouble hitting a DC 15. The skill also vaguely mentions "dressing the wound", which implies the need for some materials.

 

[jgsugden]

Uh, no. Somebody with at most a +1 or +2 will have trouble hitting a DC 15. The skill also vaguely mentions "dressing the wound", which implies the need for some materials.

This is not cleanly detailed in the books, but considering the concept of 'licking one's wounds', it seems likely that most animals would be able to do a heal check on themselves.

If you can prevent the enemy from tending to their wounds, however, bleeding them is a good tactic. For instance, a rogue hiding on a ship that nailed a flying hippogriff with a sneak attack that caused bleeding damage would get a lot for his money. By the time the hippogriff could find its way to land and tend to its wound, it would die of blood loss.

In general, AS forces a foe to give up an action to heal the wound or take 1 pt of damage per round. That makes it lousy for quick to kill foes, but excellent for foes that linger and can't afford the time to heal themself.

 

[kwiqsilver]

In general, AS forces a foe to give up an action to heal the wound or take 1 pt of damage per round. That makes it lousy for quick to kill foes, but excellent for foes that linger and can't afford the time to heal themself.

Or, if the guy keeps failing his heal check, he loses his action, and takes a point of damage.

 

[Darklone]

Or, if the guy keeps failing his heal check, he loses his action, and takes a point of damage.

You're right that it's not easy nor automatic... but these tactics to use one hit against a doorguard and let him bleed to death make me puke on my screen.