can a bug kill a man?

[kolikeos]

taking to mind that fine creatures have +8 ac and attack, it looks to me like a single normal wasp (not oversized) can kill a human commoner easily.
a wasp can do only one dmg point and has only 1 hp but it has ac 18, a 1st lvl human commoner can use a weapon (with +0 on attack), has 4 hp but only 10 ac.

 

[Turanil]

taking to mind that fine creatures have +8 ac and attack, it looks to me like a single normal wasp (not oversized) can kill a human commoner easily.
a wasp can do only one dmg point and has only 1 hp but it has ac 18, a 1st lvl human commoner can use a weapon (with +0 on attack), has 4 hp but only 10 ac.

I agree that in some cases the d20 system is bugged.

Nonetheless, a wasp can sting-attack only once, and I have heard that in some rare cases one has died from such a sting attack...

 

[Ferret]

Bees can only sting once. Wasps though can sting lots.

 

[Dogbrain]

I agree that in some cases the d20 system is bugged.

Nonetheless, a wasp can sting-attack only once, and I have heard that in some rare cases one has died from such a sting attack...

However, in the dimwit20 system, roughly half of all people will die from a mere FOUR wasp stings.

A single ordinary wasp should do zero damage to all but the rare allergic individual. I wonder what the folks at Hasbro were smoking when they came up with the numbers.

 

[Style]

Ah yes, but let us not forget that these are abstract systems meant to represent numinous qualities in the form of polyhedral dice rolls. A "hit" in combat is best seen as the most successful strike from a number of minor feints, thrusts and ripostes. In the same fashion, wasp encounters are best thought of as being the most representative encounters out of a number of possible wasps. Commoners who die from wasp stings, statistically speaking, are really "virtual" commoners who summarise the result of several stings, failed and otherwise, over a period of time.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Wasp stings don't do damage, but they do inject a poison that deals 1 point of STR damage (no secondary damage)

Thus, your average commoner must be stung by 10 wasps, not just 1 (or perhaps 11). Less if you're one of the small folk (halfling or gnomes have less Str).

And if you can walk away from 10 wasp stings without medical attention (e.g.: effects that restore STR damage), I'd like to see it!

 

[tauton_ikhnos]

Do sixteen bald-faced hornet stings count? I didn't just walk, and ran, leapt over a low fence, and jumped into my neighbor's pool, where I failed to drown. I've got a STR of 11-12 at best, and I know that my Fort save is crap (I get sick a lot). Maybe I have greater rage?

^_^

Honestly, I'd be inclined to grant wasps a Fort 10 Wisdom poison. I was NOT sane.

 

[BOZ]

you can rule that animals two sizes smaller than the humanoid due sudbual damage instead... that way a wasp could kill a 4 hp human after 14 hits. and wasps can kill a human with repeated stings...

 

[Nifft]

Do sixteen bald-faced hornet stings count? I didn't just walk, and ran, leapt over a low fence, and jumped into my neighbor's pool, where I failed to drown. I've got a STR of 11-12 at best, and I know that my Fort save is crap (I get sick a lot). Maybe I have greater rage?

^_^

Honestly, I'd be inclined to grant wasps a Fort 10 Wisdom poison. I was NOT sane.

I've been thinking that we need rules for pain, which include confusion effects and the like.

You probably used an Action Point to survive.

-- N

 

[tauton_ikhnos]

You probably used an Action Point to survive.

Sweet! I've got action points!

...

Well, not NOW. But the potential to earn them is there. And I obviously had one at some point.

More seriously, would love rules for pain. My players might not, though ^_^