Can a carrion crawler coup de grace?

[trentonjoe]

I looked in the PHB and it said you needed a melee weapon. Don't know if an animals mouth counts as a weapon.

I think the answer is yes but I wanted some opinions.

 

[Darklone]

You are k.o., it chews your head off. CDG. Animals usually know how to kill something with a bite. If the enemy does not move, it's easier.

 

[trentonjoe]

Yeah but could it do it in 6 seconds? or would it need a couple of rounds of eating you to kill you?

 

[Darklone]

A wildcat or wolf goes for the throat. (depending on the prey)

If the victim does not move, it will hit.

 

[shilsen]

I'd definitely let an animal or other creature CDG with a bite, claw or any other natural natural attack. 6 seconds is a very long time to have your way (get your minds out of the gutter, people ) with a helpless opponent.

 

[Ysgarran]

My first reaction was to agree with Darklone. Predators
will go for the sure kill whenever they have a chance.

But then I thought...Carrion Crawlers are not really predators,
they are scavengers. They are more akin to buzzards then
a predator and I have a hard time seeing a buzzard going
for a coup de grace as compared to a big cat or wolf.

Although considering the carrion crawlers abilities they
are probably more like coyotes than a pure scavenger.
Given the chance they will go for fresh meat and not just
settle for carrion. Given that, I would say they could
coup de grace.

Now, having said all of that. Giving Carrion crawlers the chance
to coup de grace is playing hard ball with your players, it does
strike me as a bit harsh. I don't mind killing players but I
don't go out of my way to do so. In my own game I wouldn't
give carrion crawlers a chance to coup de grace.

Ysgarran.

 

[Darklone]

Hmm. Some spiders paralyze their victims too with poison and eat them slowly. So these monsters won't use CDG.

 

[guido1999]

It all depends on how you want to roleplay your monsters. Can they by the rules CDG? Yes. Would they or are they intelligent enough? That depends.

 

[niteshade6]

Well you have to ask yourself why a carrior crawler would CDG their enemies. Their paralysis lasts long enough that he can doesn't really need to, he can just kill his enemy by leisurely eating it. He's certainly not used to fighting enemies who cast cure paralysis or anything like that.

But certainly he does have the physical ability to do it.

 

[Rel]

Ruleswise, I'd give an unequivocal "Yes."

From a more scientific standpoint, I'd say that an animal's instinct to "go for the throat" was probably developed as a defense mechanism. If the wildebeast that you are killing might crush your skull with a kick while it is in its death throes, ripping out its throat and causing very rapid death, through massive shock or blood loss, is a survival mechanism. Likewise breaking enough bones in the spinal column to cause virtual total paralysis.

I'd posit that it is unlikely that a carrion crawler would develop this defense mechanism because it's prey is almost certainly helpless by the time it decides to eat it.