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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ashtagon" data-source="post: 4920365" data-attributes="member: 72335">I agree to a certain extent with the coup de grace rules - it is calibrated toward more of a heroic (possibly even cinematic) scale, where dramatically appropriate trumps realism.If I were to houserule a "realistic" version of coup de grace, I'd say that any character can apply sneak attack damage to such an attack as if they were a rogue of their character level. Characters who have sneak attack anyway get to apply their normal sneak attack damage in addition to this. Combine that with the Fort save, and pretty much nothing will survive a knife attack in their sleep.(Check using example from earlier: 2d4-1 + 1d6 damage, average 7.5; 3rd level fighter with +1 Con bonus will have 37.5% survival against untrained wimpy commoner. 1st level rogue (+0 Str mod) doing same attack will do 2d4 + 2d6 damage, average 12; same fighter will need to roll 18+ on the save; 15% survival). This seems closer to gritty, although perhaps still not quite there.It has occurred to me that the coup de grace rule was written to describe what happens when you make an attack against a motionless person. It seems to describe what happens if you are standing over him with a weapon quite well. But if you walk up to him, turn him over, expose his neck or belly, and then push the knife in, that's a different matter entirely.I'd say if you spend a full-round (or more if he is sleeping buried under a big pile of blankets) to kneel down and find such a soft spot, the coup de grace rule should be ignored.Summary: regular coup de grace (you're standing over him etc): You score a critical hit automatically, apply sneak attack damage if you have it, and also apply 1d6 + one die per two character levels above 1st as precision damage. Victim makes a Fort save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or dies instantly.Throat Slitting: If you spend one (or more; GM discretion) rounds in preparation to kneel down next to the target and expose his neck, belly, or other vulnerable spot, you can kill them instantly with any light piercing or slashing weapon as a full-round action.Falling damage:The 1d6 per 10 feet assumes you fall with no slope or intervening tree branches or anything else to help slow your fall.The Tumble skill allows a DC 15 check to reduce the effective distance fallen by 10 feet. The Jump skill also allows such a check. Than means that if you pass both skill checks, the effective damage from a 20 foot fall is zero (the DMG glossary implies you only get one of these, but the skills imply you could get both benefits).If the surface you land on is soft (such as grass), one die worth of damage becomes non-lethal too. There's also a sidebar in there which says a DM can make the first 10 feet as non-lethal damage, regardless of other factorsWith all these factors combined, it seems entirely reasonable for a commoner to survive a 15 foot fall with nothing more than a dislocated joint.You're right that the 5th level fighter can survive falls of silly distances and walk away though. I have seen houserules on this forum which would make that end of things realistic. Unfortunately, I can't find them right now. I recall it centred around  some short term ability score damage that varied depending on the distance fallen or hit point damage taken.</blockquote>

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