CannonBall Special

[majustismp15]

In the game my friends and I are playing, we have a half-orc monk and a halfling rogue.
One day we encountered a pesky imp that was fifteen feet up. What did we do? The orc threw the dual weilding halfling at the imp like the cannonball special. It was so awesome we did it again.
The problem we came accross both times is: what the heck rules does this fall under? What effects does it have besides getting someone (x) feet up in the air? what skills are used in this?
We are really starting from scratch, so any input would help us nail down this situation.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

I miss that era of XMen..... I always wanted to see the New Mutants fastball special Magik into the Juggernaut and have one of the bigger bads completely eliminated by the kid team...

(going to go hide in the geek corner now)

 

[The Blow Leprechaun]

The problem we came across both times is: what the heck rules does this fall under? What effects does it have besides getting someone (x) feet up in the air? what skills are used in this?

The throw should mostly be a strength check, and the person getting thrown is going to have to deal with the fall. You go 15 feet up, you go 15 feet back down at the end and should suffer falling damage (unless you use Tumble or somesuch to negate some of it)...

A) Probably a ranged attack to get the person into the area, I would treat this the same as throwing a splash weapon to hit a 5' square on the grid (you only have to hit an AC of 5).

or maybe, B) Maybe just a ranged attack using strength instead of dexterity (like the war hulk throwing boulders). Realistically, a fairly strong half-orc can throw a lighter halfling. I'm not sure what limit to put on how much weight you can throw... You can lift twice your max load over your head, but I don't think you'd be able to throw it very far. Maybe take a -2 penalty to throw attack for each weight category for you the person being thrown is (light no penalty, medium -2, heavy -4, etc), and treat the person as athrown weapon with a range increment of 10', and take the -4 penalty for throwing something that isn't meant to be thrown.

I would definitely include the falling damage bit, though. The person being thrown should probably have their own set of penalties, too (AC as though flat-footed, for starters... not going to be doing much dodging!).

 

[Kahuna Burger]

ok, since no one else is looking up the relevant info....

Improvised Weapons
Sometimes objects not crafted to be weapons nonetheless see use in combat. Because such objects are not designed for this use, any creature that uses one in combat is considered to be nonproficient with it and takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls made with that object. To determine the size category and appropriate damage for an improvised weapon, compare its relative size and damage potential to the weapon list to find a reasonable match. An improvised weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. An improvised thrown weapon has a range increment of 10 feet.

additionally, under thrown weapons,

It is possible to throw a weapon that isn’t designed to be thrown (that is, a melee weapon that doesn’t have a numeric entry in the Range Increment column on Table: Weapons), but a character who does so takes a -4 penalty on the attack roll. Throwing a light or one-handed weapon is a standard action, while throwing a two-handed weapon is a full-round action. Regardless of the type of weapon, such an attack scores a threat only on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. Such a weapon has a range increment of 10 feet.

so, given a reasonably high strength thrower and low weight throwee, it's looking to me like a ranged attack roll at a -4 10 ft range increment taking a full round action. If your only goal is to deliver the halfling into a particular square so he can attack it could be seen as a ranged touch attack. With a regular attack, I would probably give it the halfling's base weapon damage plus the half orc's str bonus, but no special damage the halfling would normally get. Either way the halfling must be explicitly cooperating, prolly by readying an action while the half orc throws.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

This came up in a previous campaign of mine, and knowing my players I had to make a definitive HR to cover the problem.... becuase they were going to use the tactic alot...

Kobold Monk and Half-Orc...

Anyway, last time the topic came up I posted my HRs here

My focus was to make it a useful tactic but not overpowered... and also be able to use the rules for simply chucking the lighter character over obstacles...

 

[Storyteller01]

Look at The Quintessential Halfling by MGP. The thrower makes a Str check, and the throwee gets jump check bonuses or penalties based on the roll (no limit to distance, of course). If the jump check succeeds, he makes it to target. If not...

The are even feats for it, including being allowed to use SA ig you're thrown. I think one is called the Fastball Special.


PS: Should it come up, the book also has monster climbing rules, ala Shadow of the Colossus. Good times.

 

[Korak]

Races of Stone... Fling Ally feat.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Races of Stone... Fling Ally feat.

Pheh, who needs a feat?

 

[AnonymousOne]

Pheh, who needs a feat?

/concurs. It's something that I think adds flavor to the game and makes things kinda quirky and fun. I wouldn't require a feat for it even though one exists.

BTW, my friend is playing a Goliath next semester and even though I'm a human male, we figure that since he can be counted as one size larger than he is when it's beneficial, we could do the 'run at the Goliath, jump onto his hands, and get tossed at target X' idea.

 

[majustismp15]

I suppose I forgot to mention our orc likes to use enlarge person as much as possible. He ususally is enlarged whenever we try to perform this trick.