List of Nonlethal Damage

[KarinsDad]

Can people start listing all of the ways in which nonlethal damage can occur?

My group is currently doing a lot of adventures in a city where we do not necessarily want to seriously harm people who might get in our way (e.g. servants, guards, etc.). Unfortunately, there are not that many ways to do nonlethal damage in DND.

The four obvious ways seem to be:

1) Grappling, but grappling tends to take a lot of rounds per opponent to be successful and results in an Attack of Opportunity to prevent it if you do not have Improved Grapple.

2) An unarmed strike, but unarmed strikes also tend to take a lot of rounds per opponent to be successful and results in an Attack of Opportunity if you do not have Improved Unarmed Strike.

3) Using a lethal melee weapon, but they are at -4 to hit for nonlethal damage.

4) Using a sap, but this is a martial weapon (hence, are at -4 for many classes to use) that does simple weapon damage.


Are there spells that do nonlethal damage (cannot think of one off the top of my head, charms and holds do not actually knock an opponent out for the duration)?


It's as if the game is purposely created to encourage PCs to kill opponents and never just knock them out.

 

[reanjr]

It's as if the game is purposely created to encourage PCs to kill opponents and never just knock them out.

Well, when you're in a dungeon fighting a dragon, that's usually the sane thing to do.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

This often comes up in my modern games, where it's obvious to everybody involved that wholesale slaughter is oft not the way to go.

Modern helps by having a lower Massive Damage mechanic and obviously tying Nonlethal to that MDT, along with presenting feats like the Brawl chain. (Unfortunately the Nonlethal system isn't Subdual, but we houserule that in.)

What I'VE done in the past with D&D is allow PCs to grapple, pin, and then another character perform a "Subdual Coup de Grace", handled just like a normal CDG but with Subdual damage and Unconciousness instead of Death. It worked for our purposes but certainly isn't core. D&D very much is interested in how you can kill, but not how to subdue.

--fje

 

[Kemrain]

Try a Merciful weapon. a Merciful Greatsword deals 3d6+1 points of Non-Lethal damage, and that racks up fast.

- Kemrain the Martial.

 

[KarinsDad]

Try a Merciful weapon. a Merciful Greatsword deals 3d6+1 points of Non-Lethal damage, and that racks up fast.

Where do you find Merciful weapons?

 

[KarinsDad]

What I'VE done in the past with D&D is allow PCs to grapple, pin, and then another character perform a "Subdual Coup de Grace", handled just like a normal CDG but with Subdual damage and Unconciousness instead of Death. It worked for our purposes but certainly isn't core. D&D very much is interested in how you can kill, but not how to subdue.

Course, pinned characters are not helpless either, but while you are houseruling, you might as well go all the way.

DM: You cannot Coup de Grace the pinned character.
Player: Ok, I will Subdual Coup de Grace him his round and Coup de Grace him next round.
DM: @#$%@$#

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Nonlethal Substitution is a Metamagic spell. I believe its most recent printing was in either Complete Divine or Complete Arcane.

 

[Undead Lincoln]

Monks can deal subdual damage with their unarmed strikes. However it is hard in D&D to hurt people without risking killing them, just like in real life.

Try lots of mind affecting magic. Sleep comes to mind. Charm, suggestion, dominate, and hold person can all be used to incapacitiate a foe long enough to tie them up. Other spells can also be disabling. Try ray of enfeeblement, color spray. At higher levels a harm spell could be used to set up for a sap strike. If you are willing to cure it later or a cure is readily availible, blindness/deafness would be effective. Also magic like disguise self and invisibility can be used to avoid having to fight.

Try threatening them. If they arent a serious threat, they might well surrender, especially if the PCs have a reputation for not mistreating prisoners. Also try bribes.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Don't forget environmental effects!

An unprotected character in cold weather (below 40° F) must make a Fortitude save each hour (DC 15, + 1 per previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.

A character in very hot conditions (above 90° F) must make a Fortitude saving throw each hour (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort take a –4 penalty on their saves. A character with the Survival skill may receive a bonus on this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well (see the skill description). Characters reduced to unconsciousness begin taking lethal damage (1d4 points per hour).

In severe heat (above 110° F), a character must make a Fortitude save once every 10 minutes (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort take a –4 penalty on their saves. A character with the Survival skill may receive a bonus on this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well. Characters reduced to unconsciousness begin taking lethal damage (1d4 points per each 10-minute period).

A character who breathes heavy smoke must make a Fortitude save each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or spend that round choking and coughing. A character who chokes for 2 consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.

A character can go without water for 1 day plus a number of hours equal to his Constitution score. After this time, the character must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.

A character can go without food for 3 days, in growing discomfort. After this time, the character must make a Constitution check each day (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.

A Medium character can breathe easily for 6 hours in a sealed chamber measuring 10 feet on a side. After that time, the character takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage every 15 minutes.

-Hyp.