d20M - what purpose the sap?

[Plane Sailing]

While I quite like the idea in principle of how d20 modern handles non-lethal damage, there are some loopholes that I'm at a loss to explain.

Like the sap.

A weapon that is basically designed to do 1d6 non-lethal damage, and touts it as a feature

The sap turns out to be a weapon which is singularly useless for its primary purpose (knocking someone out)! Even on a critical hit there is only about a 1 in 12 chance of knocking out Mr Average!! So for this weapon to actually function as expected, against say an AC11 opponent, there is a 1/20 * 10/20 * 1/12 chance of success... 1/480 or just over one fifth of one percent.

Now, call me picky, but those don't seem like the kind of odds which are worth using!

(the only solution which I could see that might make it half-way worthwhile is to remove the "brawl" pre-req for the Knockout Punch feat, and allow people to use Knockout Punch with Saps, pistol whips etc. etc. Especially since the "brawl" feat makes your hands as effective as saps anyway!!

(apologies for the profusion of exclamation marks, but I really was taken aback by this situation.

Cheers

 

[Crothian]

The non lethal damage does seem rather odd in gerneal. However, I'm going to see how it actually plays out and that I'll change it.

 

[Trepelano]

D20 Deadlands has a variant rule (use it at your own peril) for stuff like this.

If you get the drop on somebody (sneak up on them completely unawares - or have them in a position where they are unprepared to defend themselves (crossbow in the back with their hands in the air, or catching them on the john), you can perform a coup de gras on them.

In the case of the sap - it would be a non-lethal coup de gras (subdual damage equal to their hp).

If they want to try to escape your clutches they role initiative against you (you get +5) if they win, you still get to attack first but no coup de gras.

Personally, I like the rule. YMMV