Forced Movement on an Unconscious Creature

[DMingNicholas]

The title really gives away the question, can an unconscious creature be forced to move with a pull, push or slide effect?

So far I have been ruling it according to the flavor of the power. Thunderwave can push an unconscious creature but a bard's ally moving powers cannot. I was just wondering if there is an official ruling on this?

 

[cmbarona]

Off the top of my head and without consulting books, therre might be a linguistic difference between "you slide the target X" and "the target may shift X" that indicates whether or not the movement can occur. In the latter case, they are the ones taking the action, so I would say no.

 

[webrunner]

Unconscious:
You fall prone, if possible.

Prone:
You can’t move from your space, although you can teleport, crawl, or be forced to move by a pull, a push, or a slide.

 

[Lauberfen]

There's nothing in the rules saying you can't forced move people who are unconscious.
However I would certainly reccomend a blanket house-rule that you can't- I think it's simplest, and makes most sense. Even thunderwave would have trouble pushing a person lying on the floor, more more so for trips etc.

 

[KarinsDad]

For simplicity sake, WotC did not add in a "moved physically" vs. "moved mentally" type of capability.

They should have because a target that is moved with an illusion should be different than a target moved via a force blast. There are several condition type effects that should be this way as well, but are not. For example, a physically restrained foe as opposed to a mentally restrained foe. In the first case, it should typically be difficult to move that foe with another power. In the latter, is should sometimes be easier.

So, a creature that is mentally restrained with a mental type spell should be moveable with a physical forceful Slide that pushes a target.

 

[CapnZapp]

So the answer is "yes" although for any sane DM, it will be "no", or at least "it depends".

It seems the best solution is to rule that "mental forced movement" are a free action*, while "physical forced movement" are not-an-action.

*) you can't take any actions when you're unconscious, not even free ones.

 

[mach1.9pants]

So the answer is "yes" although for any sane DM, it will be "no", or at least "it depends".

YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!! Mwahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mach1.9pants
Definitely not sane DM

 

[Mahali]

There's nothing in the rules saying you can't forced move people who are unconscious.
However I would certainly reccomend a blanket house-rule that you can't- I think it's simplest, and makes most sense. Even thunderwave would have trouble pushing a person lying on the floor, more more so for trips etc.

It doesn't have any trouble pushing dragons, oozes, and 20 ton gargantuan creatures.

So, the answer is Yes. Nothing prevents an unconcious creature from forced movement. Fear or Illusion effects I may rule differently on for our own version of realism.

 

[keterys]

Eh, even unconscious people can dream. Maybe they're rolling off the cliff cause they're scared of something in their sleep

 

[LostSoul]

So far I have been ruling it according to the flavor of the power.

I would much rather this as a player than the strict ruling.