DM's and Rules Lawyers - How Would You Rule this Deadly Situation?

[Nail]

....whistles.........twiddles thumbs..........hum-de-dum......

While we're waiting for Herremann the Wise to get on with it:

A Greater Stone Golem is CR 16, so it's not something you'd like to take "just one more hit" from, when you're down to ~40 hp. Still it will get one attack, with an attack of Slam +42 melee (4d8+13), means that, on average, the poor Ftr is likely take "only" 30.9hp of damage.

And, err.....max damage is 45 hp, with a crit bringing that maximum up to 90. Yoowza.

But hey, a crit didn't happen, right? The Ftr got hit and limped outta there, right?

 

[Nail]

The real question is why did the fighter not retreat on 80hps?

...'cause he went from only slightly damaged to 40 hp in 1 round? That'd be my guess.

 

[anon]

Herremann the Wise, you've built up the suspense for long enough...

Finish the story. Please.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Hi Everyone,

Sorry to take so long to ge back to you all - time difference between Sydney and the rest of the world and all that.

Firstly, the DM ruled that since the creation effect is effectively mindless and that the fighter in question was not the designated rider for the horse, he could not simply go through the squares as if it were an ally. In hindsight, the rules are quite specific in that there is no middle ground between ally and opponent. Unfortunately I suppose, our DM took one.

As such, the fighter was left having to make an opposed strength check to barge past the horse. Strangely enough, he failed. Attack of opportunity, whooshka. Still alive but barely.
At this point, the argument developed from the fighters player. He thought he could easily move through the horse's square using it as cover to avoid the attack of opportunity. In the heat of battle with a cherished character on the canvas, emotions took over. If you want to find out what happened afterwards, you'll just have to read the story hour when it finally catches up to this moment (see signature).

As I did not want to get involved in the argument, I did my best to smooth things over and keep the game moving. Unfortunately, the fighter's player went right off. I suppose it comes back to "The DM's always right except when he's wrong and even then he's still right". All in all though, it was a perilous situation, regardless of the specific ruling in this regard.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[TheEvil]

So why DIDN'T the fighter just go around the PS?

 

[Herremann the Wise]

So why DIDN'T the fighter just go around the PS?

There was a mass of Lucifus's psuedonaturally summoned centipedes surrounding the vicinity also attacking the Greater Stone Golem gate - this is from the Return to the Tomb of Horrors for those who recognise it.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[PrinceZane]

Sounds fun. I still would like to run through ToH at some point.

Anyway, other than just tumbling through the square (or the bullrush attempt) i'd say he was pretty much stuck.

 

[Nail]

????????

....but the horse doesn't fill the space it occupies! It's not a gelatinous cube, you know. Such a bad call. Moreover, the Ftr could have passed through the pseudonatural centipedes too! They are also allies, and thus do not block movement! If I were the player, I'd be mad too.

 

[TheEvil]

I'm inclined to agree, I could see slowing movement, I suppose, consider the PS difficult terrain or something. Requiring a bullrush seems a bit extreme.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

I think I'd be more resigned than mad because what can you do? The fighter was by dm interpretation hemmed in & did not have any say over the tactical matter. The demise of said fighter was nothing to do with lack of skill or even misfortune but just poor ruling.

It's a bit hard to have any emotional attachment to a character when they can get pasted without much say in the matter.