Capturing someone alive

[Matafuego]

My group of PC's have to capture an NPC with loooots of HP's alive.
They can most certainly try to hit him at -4 so they deal subdual damage, but considering the circumstances it will be almost suicidal (very high AC).
They considering taking subdual-damage-dealing-weapons
Actually the Rogue has one and is very skilled at it, but the Archer seems to dislike this idea a lot.. (you can figure out why). Also the Cleric.

They thought there could be some spells that rendered the weapon a subdual dealing weapon. (like some "subdual arrows") But I don't know any.
Is there any?
If they research one. What level do you think it would be?

One of my players came with the idea of a spell that tells you how badly wounded someone is. (like a videogame... green means healthy, yellow means damaged , red means almost toast) So they can fight normally and when he reaches the "almost dead" status they all attack him with the -4.
Is ther any spell such as that one?
Could there be?
Never before we encountered such a situation (at low level it's easier to deal subdual)

Can you help me please?

 

[Shallown]

Have you considered the mighty grapple and the also useful net and bolos. There are lots of ways to entangle and imobilize without killing or even causing serious damage. Ray of enfeeblement looks like a cool spell after you net someone. Also strength draining poisons etc.

Later

 

[psyronin]

The players can get weapons of mercy. IIRC, for the cost of +1 a weapon deals +1d6 extra damage and all the damage is subdual.

 

[Epinephrine]

The subdual damage dealing weapons are probably the best idea, but the party archer actually doesn't need to get worked up over them. Just have the rogue and possibly one other melee person use theirs. The normal damage wears down the NPC's hp, the subdual damage counts up, and when subdual exceeds remaining hp he falls unconscious.

The trick is, you don't all need to be doing subdual damage. A few sap sneak attacks should be all you need to ensure that the NPC doesn't, well, die before falling unconscious.

 

[Liolel]

Try researching a spell that does a good deal of subdual damage to one target foritude save for half. Then the other party members try to subue him and keep him ocuipied while all that can cast the spell try to bring him down.

 

[Arkhandus]

The Merciful special ability for magic weapons, as described above by another poster, can be found in Sword And Fist. Also, there is a Subdual Substitution metamagic feat in Tome And Blood, which can be applied to a damage-dealing spell and makes its damage into subdual, with no spell slot adjustment. Deathwatch is a 1st-level cleric spell that can tell when a creature has 3 or fewer hit points, and can tell when they're dead or dying, and it lasts 10 minutes per caster level. Despite the name, Deathwatch isn't an Evil spell and isn't a Death spell either, so any cleric can cast it. A party cleric can always use a Cure Light Wounds if necessary to keep the defeated enemy alive once they fall below 1 HP, and once an enemy is unconscious, someone in the party can easily smack the enemy for subdual damage to make sure the enemy stays unconscious when the cleric CLW's them. The other posters mentioned some good tactics too, just have a party rogue sneak attack with a sap or something while flanking the enemy with another party member, and then no one else has to worry about doing subdual and taking the attack penalty.

 

[Matafuego]

Wow thanks a lot. The Deathwatch seems like a good spell but 3 hit points is very very few

The "Merciful" is great!! I knew there had to be something like that.

My party isn't good at all at grappling (and the NPC will have lots and lots more strength than they do, they are weak).

And I totally forgot that the whole damage didn't need to be subdual, maybe the rogue's sap and one of the PC's "Merciful" (soon to be) weapon will do the trick just fine.
I don't think they will gain a feat (like the one in Tome and Blood) for this encounter, but the idea of reasearching a spell is a good one.

Should I allow the reasearch of a spell that simulates having a feat?
Like researching a "silent" Magic Missile that is level 2 (without having the silent feat).

 

[Jeph]

I'd just hit him with normal weapons until he's looking rather spotty, then start using the -4 to hit thing. Or the party wizard (or whatever) could seek out a Rod of Subdual Substitution, or just take the metamagic feat...a Wand of Subdual Fireball or whatever should also work.

But then there's always alternative magic. Charm, Geas, Dominate, Feeblemind, Insanity, Hold: endless possibilities.

 

[der_kluge]

Just Hold Person, Hold Person, Hold Person, wash, rinse, repeat until he fails a save. Hit him with "Doom" and "mind fog" if you're high enough level to ensure success.

Ropes of Entaglement are particularly awesome for this kind of thing, but they are pretty expensive.

"Status" is the spell that you want to track the life of nearby creatures.

Also, IMC, there is a version of Fireball that deals [Force] damage which can be used to deal subdual damage only.

 

[Matafuego]

As far as enchantments are concerned, he has great great great saving throws versus them. And they know it. That's one of the reasons they need him alive in the first place. That's why the thought of using enchantments was banned from the beggining, I didn't point that out before. Sorry.

Another totally unrelated question:

Does anyone know where I can find a Noble's House map?
The City of the Spider Queen has a good map like the one I'm looking for and I thought the Adventure "Freedom" from Dark Sun had one too but it didn't (I played this adventure a looong time ago and I asked my DM back then if it did and no luck )
Because I need to design a house and it's defenses for a slave controlling, arena owner, noble.
If anyone can help me I would appreciate!!

[Edit: Typos]