D&D 5E How would you incapacitate/knock-out a skeleton?

[CapnZapp]

My group is going to encounter an animated pet bearded lizard. It was the Barbarian's companion in a world where everyone has a beloved companion. It was crushed in a falling ceiling trap, but was "raised" by the Necromancer enemy the group is hunting.

The Barbarian's player will not be present at the next session, but the skeletal pet bearded lizard will be. How would the other party members subdue such a "beast" to return him to the owner?

I'm hoping to see a bunch of brainstorming to hopefully not be surprised when the group comes up with something.

Simplest answer: you can't "subdue" undead, you hit them until they're destroyed.

However, you can trap/catch them, and then use magic to transfer control back to its original owner.

So build a cage?

 

[Azurewraith]

Pretty much catch it pull of its legs heck remove its head from the body could freeze it in a block of ice.

 

[delericho]

Sleep spell? Or is that too easy?

 

[Awesome Adam]

If it's that small, simply grappling it should be enough to restrain it.

 

[BoldItalic]

The PCs could fashion an elaborate trap consisting of a thin cord strung between two sprung pillars. When the skeletal lizard is enticed to walk over the cord, the trap is sprung, the cord rises between its ribs and catches underneath its spine, snagging between two vertebrae leaving it held in the air unable to move. Then they throw a blanket over it.

Lots of scope for skill checks, there.

 

[SkidAce]

Interestingly enough, the rules for dropping a creature to 0, and choosing whether its dead or unconscious don't preclude using them against undead.

On the other hand, the rules for skeletons say they have no connection to their former life.

On the third hand, sounds like a fun and cool plot. Have them subdue or catch it, and IF the necromancer is slain, then control mysteriously passes to the barbarian. (but is it his former pet? or a malign spirit?)

 

[jayoungr]

Hold Monster and then shove it into a sack or something while it's paralyzed?

 

[Mirtek]

Hold Monster and then shove it into a sack or something while it's paralyzed?

just pick it up with one Hand and shove it into a sack or something.

Really, with something this small, there's no needs for any special way to incapacitate it

 

[Mallus]

Whack it over the head with a [-]Bible[/-] <insert setting-appropriate holy book here>.

Alternately, stuff a sock full of really heavy [-]Rosary beads[/-] <insert setting-appropriate small round objects of religious significance here>...

 

[Ganymede81]

I'd go to the medieval pet store to look for a bearded lizard that looks exactly like the barbarian's, find one that looks close enough save for a white patch on its tail, cover the white patch in paint, give it to the Barbarian, then have the cleric cast Enhance Ability (Charisma) for the ensuing deception check.