Declared subdual damage on a natural 20

[bongo31]

If you have declared you are doing subdual damage with a weapon that normally deals normal damage and you roll a natural 20, is it a normal hit or subdual? What happens if that hit is a confirmed crit?

If you are in meele and another combatant moves past you in such a way that it would normally draw an AoO do you still get the AoO as you are already busy?

Any answers greatly appreciated.

 

[mikebr99]

If you are in meele and another combatant moves past you in such a way that it would normally draw an AoO do you still get the AoO as you are already busy?

Any answers greatly appreciated.

Yes. As soon as an opponent does something in your threat range to provoke an AoO, you have the choice to attack him. This assumes that you haven't used your AoO this round and you don't have Combat reflexes.

 

[mikebr99]

If you have declared you are doing subdual damage with a weapon that normally deals normal damage and you roll a natural 20, is it a normal hit or subdual? What happens if that hit is a confirmed crit?

Sure... you just do more subdual damage.

 

[Caliber]

Actually it says somewhere that you cannot critically hit someone while trying to do subdual. I guess poking someone in the eye with the hilt of your broadsword isn't the best way to bring them down without spillage of blood.

Not knowing of this rule, the half-orc barbarian in my campaign felled a young white dragon with one blow (1!!!) when he did close to 60 points of subdual damage with a critical subdual blow.

 

[Ilen]

Excepting weapons that do subdual damage by default, such as the sap of course. (Or a non-monk using their fist.)

 

[Theovis]

Actually it says somewhere that you cannot critically hit someone while trying to do subdual.

Where would I find this rule?

 

[Negative Zero]

*bump* coz i wanna know where that rule is too!

~NegZ

 

[Caliber]

Calling me out are ya? Fine, fine. I will go look the rule up. I can't get my books now but I will try to find the rule for you Saturday. Scout's honor.

 

[hong]

I'm not aware of any rule in D&D that says subdual attacks can't do critical hits.

You may be thinking of the situation in Star Wars, where unarmed strikes and certain other weapons (basically the ones that would do subdual damage in D&D) can't crit. But that uses a rather different damage setup to D&D.