Coup De Grace - How does it work?

[The Padre]

Hi all,

Had a situation on Saturday nights game.

I thought that if you delivered a coup de grace, you have to do it for the entire round and then the creature you're Coup De Grace'ing gets it's damage and Fort save on you next initiative (ie one round after you started the Coup de Grace).

In the game I was told that wasn't the way it worked, and you do it straight away (in the game the player made a 5' step to the paralysed bad guy, delivered a Coup De Grace and killed him immediately).

Which is correct?

Where is the reference to it in the rules?

Thanks

Dave

 

[irdeggman]

PHB pg 153-154.

It is a full-round action and not a 1 round action - so it takes all of your effort and is resolved on your turn in the initiative order (like other full round actions).

Since the damage is dealt on your turn, the saving throw is a result of the damage dealt (as is the norm for saving throws).

So everything should be resolved when the damage is dealt on your turn in the initiative order. That is on the PC's (who is performing the cdg) turn in the initiitative order.