coup de grace rules

[Hypersmurf]

My Dm does this too. It makes perfect sense to me because you could always fumble. In situations like this, anyting but 1 hits, but you can ALWAYS fumble. In fact, I usually do in those kinds of situations.

Well, not always.

For example, when attacking an inanimate object, you can make a normal attack (where there's a chance of missing, however small), or:
Furthermore, if you take a full-round action to line up a shot, you get an automatic hit with a melee weapon...

Same as with a helpless opponent. You can make a normal attack, and risk a fumble... or you can take a full round action (CDG) and hit automatically.

-Hyp.

 

[Kapalen]

There is ALWAYS a chance to fumble. I could take a full round action to line upo a shot but that would keep me from sneezing at the pivotal moment. You can always fumble.

 

[diaglo]

take Death Blow from Complete Adventurer

Death Blow (General)
Source: Complete Adventurer
Prerequisite: Improved Init, BAB +2
You waste no time in dealing with downed foes
Benefit: You can perform a coup de grace attack against a helpless defender as a standard action. This action still provokes Attacks of Opportunity as normal.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

There is ALWAYS a chance to fumble.

No, there isn't.

Not with a CDG, and not with a single attack made against an inanimate object as a full-round action.

Not with a +10 modifier to a skill, and a final DC of anything less than 11.

There are many cases in D&D in which there is no chance to fumble.

 

[Christian]

There is ALWAYS a chance to fumble. I could take a full round action to line upo a shot but that would keep me from sneezing at the pivotal moment. You can always fumble.

Yeah, but 5% of the time?

The d20 mechanic isn't fine-grained enough to model events with very low probability. So, the rules model a 5% chance of failure up until the point where that doesn't make sense any more (eg. slitting the throat of an unconscious foe), at which point they jump to 0% failure. (Well, not quite, because he could still make the Fort save-but you won't miss.)

 

[Klaster Flaster]

coup de grace in my campaign

Well for the past several months with a party majority fighters or subfighter type classes, i've adjusted the coupe de grace ruling slightly.

Basically low level characters should be rolling in my opinion, they are not very skilled with their weapons so to speak. As they have advanced and somehow managed to survive the "traps". I then switched back to the standard free hit crit. However, now with the party becoming more strategic and conducting themselves well in serious fights. I use either variant depending on the situation. You are pressed in melee and attempt that coupe de grace on a prone enemy, roll. YOu don't have anyone tearing into you, I'll let you take the free hit.

It's a pretty reasonable approach and semi realistic I suppose. The players are happy, they do question quite a bit on what I do, but players are suppose to do that, but not during sessions!!!!!

 

[Infiniti2000]

...even though our DM does have rather flexible rules about helpless defenders.

That's the problem right there. If he has non-RAW rules about helpless defenders he necessarily has to adjust other rules to compensate. It doesn't matter what the rules say in this instance because he's already adjusting them (and I don't mean to judge this as a bad way or good way, just pointing out that the scenario is not RAW).

 

[irdeggman]

There is ALWAYS a chance to fumble. I could take a full round action to line upo a shot but that would keep me from sneezing at the pivotal moment. You can always fumble.

Nope, fumbling is a variant rule on pg 28 of the 3.5 DMG.

A 1 is in automatic miss not a fumble without a variant rule.

Also there is no core mechanic for "aiming" either.

A natural 1 is always a miss or failure on a saving throw while a natural 20 is always a hit or a success on a saving throw. These are the only "automatics". But note this only applies when a roll is made - there are times when no roll is required (like for instance a CdG) or a spell with no save.

 

[D Money1644]

you all make pretty good points. at this point i think i won't challenge my DM's CDG rules and just let it be. it's not that big a deal anyway, because if you can perfrom a CDG then the defender is helpless and thus has a -5 dex modifier and takes another -4 penalty to AC and shouldn't be hard to hit at all. so, thanks a lot everyone, i really appreciate all the help.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

There is ALWAYS a chance to fumble. I could take a full round action to line upo a shot but that would keep me from sneezing at the pivotal moment. You can always fumble.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has this to say on the subject of flying. There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Pick a nice day, it suggests, and try it.

The first part is easy. All it requires is simply the ability to throw yourself forward with all your weight, and the willingness not to mind that it’s going to hurt. That is, it’s going to hurt if you fail to miss the ground.

Most people fail to miss the ground and if they are really trying properly, the likelihood is that they will fail to miss it fairly hard. Clearly, it is this second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.

One problem is that you have to miss the ground accidentally. It’s no good deliberately intending to miss the ground because you won’t. You have to have your attention suddenly distracted by something else when you’re halfway there, so that you are no longer thinking about falling, or about the ground or about how much it’s going to hurt if you fail to miss it.

It is notoriously difficult to pry your attention away from these three things during the split second you have at your disposal. Hence most people’s failure, and their eventual disillusionment with this exhilarating and spectacular sport.

If, however, you are lucky enough to have your attention momentarily distracted at the crucial moment by, say, a gorgeous pair of legs (tentacles, pseudopodia, according to phyllum and/or personal inclination) or a bomb going off in your vicinity, or by suddenly spotting an extremely rare species of beetle crawling along a nearby twig, then in your astonishment you will miss the ground completely and remain bobbing just a few inches above it in what might seem to be a slightly foolish manner.

This is a moment for superb and delicate concentration.