can a bug kill a man?

[wingsandsword]

There is an episode of nature's nightmares running on National Geographic channel right now called hornets from hell. It is about "giant" japanese hornets. They are about 3 inches long and their poison disolves tissue. A nonallergic man died from only 12 stings from them, and, according to the show he basically had no face by the time he died.

Dire Hornets with Con Damage poison it is then

 

[snarfoogle]

In general, D&D has a hard time dealing with less-than-one damage. It's a minor, but noticable flaw in the system, that mostly has to do with the size of the numbers. If all common damage and HP were inflated by x100, for instance, you could much more easily simulate minor damage.

I love house-ruling something along those lines. A single wasp killing a person in 24 seconds is something I do not like.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Personally, I'm wondering where the "a wasp sting does 1 point of damage" idea comes from.

I'm not seeing a single wasp statted out anywhere in the core rules. Which would seem to me to be an indication that perhaps it's just plain wrong and stupid to assign ones damage as being 1 pt...

Or is this from a web enhancement or something?

 

['o Skoteinos]

Personally, I'm wondering where the "a wasp sting does 1 point of damage" idea comes from.

I'm not seeing a single wasp statted out anywhere in the core rules. Which would seem to me to be an indication that perhaps it's just plain wrong and stupid to assign ones damage as being 1 pt...

Or is this from a web enhancement or something?

There is a rule somewhere that says that every attack that hits deals at least 1 point of damage. So even if something deals 1d4-10 damage, it is always at least one. Because, if a wasp were statted, it would have an attack (sting) it would deal at least one point of damage if it hit.

But if you think that is silly: a commoner with a maul cannot kill a wasp in 1 hit: even if he rolls maximum damage, the wasp is still at -9. =]

 

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

I agree. A wasp, in my opinion, would do superficial damage, assuming there's no allergic reaction to the venom. Therefore, I wouldn't even bother to measure it by hitpoints. A cat does one point of damage when it attacks.

 

[Saeviomagy]

[QUOTE='o Skoteinos]There is a rule somewhere that says that every attack that hits deals at least 1 point of damage. So even if something deals 1d4-10 damage, it is always at least one. Because, if a wasp were statted, it would have an attack (sting) it would deal at least one point of damage if it hit.[/QUOTE]
Which is total rubbish. Look up the stats for an octopus. It has multiple tentacle attacks listed at (0) damage.

 

[Sejs]

If anyone has ever played Shadowrun, this thread has to make you smile.

Bugs can't kill a man.....riiiiiight.....

Heh, aaaah Shadowrun.


Sure, they can kill you. Oh, how they can kill you.


But really, it would a such terrible shame to have to kill you. Waste not, want not after all...

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

I seem to recall several creatures that have Sting +X(poison) attacks.

 

[ErikSalaan]

Wasp

I think that small critters deal like 1d4-4 or some spectatularly low number like that. D&D makes sure that you have to cast Bull's Strength or something on them to deal damage. Although you could have a potent bug attacker with massive pumps. =)

Poison damage would probably be more acceptable, but a DC 10 and only 1 point of DEX damage, IMO. See the Snake, Tiny and Small Versions.

 

[diaglo]

don't forget the coup de grace on the sleeping Commoner by the bed bug who wants to hog all the pillows and blankets.