Melee Damage and Str Penalties

[Metus]

I'm actually DMing a game right at this very moment, and a situation has arisen.

If a person has a negative strength penalty, say -1, and they only roll 1 damage with their weapon, say a rapier, will they actually do 0 damage or is it always 1?

We're checking on it, doing searches and whatnot, but finding nothing conclusive. Anyone know the answer?

 

[griff_goodbeard]

I belive 1 is the minimum. I remember several cretures in the MM the do something like 1d2-3 damage and it notes that mimimum damage is 1. Hope that helps.

 

[Hypersmurf]

DAMAGE
When your attack succeeds, you deal damage. The type of weapon used determines the amount of damage you deal. Effects that modify weapon damage apply to unarmed strikes and the natural physical attack forms of creatures.

Damage reduces a target’s current hit points.

Minimum Damage: If penalties reduce the damage result to less than 1, a hit still deals 1 point of damage.

-Hyp.

 

[Metus]

You da man, Hypersmurf. Thanks.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

The absolute minimum is 1.
The only reason for 1d3-3 damage to be shown is in the chance of critical hits.

 

[zoroaster100]

Another reasons to show 1d3-3 damage is in case buff spells add to the damage, such as a Bull's Strength spell which would change the damage to 1d3-1.

 

[Flamewarrior]

The only reason for 1d3-3 damage to be shown is in the chance of critical hits.

But isn't the penalty multiplied too? I.e., if it was X2, wouldn't it be 2d3-6, dealing 1 point of damage at best?

 

[Nail]

But isn't the penalty multiplied too? I.e., if it was X2, wouldn't it be 2d3-6, dealing 1 point of damage at best?

Exactly. Criticals change nothing, with respect to this subject.

This is also explained on page 134 (second column, half-way down) of the PH 3.5e, should you need the reference.

As a related aside, one of my fomer players got quite annoyed when I continually rolled damage for a creature that did 1d3-2. He asked me why, and I had to respond: "Force of Habit".

 

[Infiniti2000]

But isn't the penalty multiplied too? I.e., if it was X2, wouldn't it be 2d3-6, dealing 1 point of damage at best?

The counterargument (which I don't agree with btw) is that a critical is 1d3-3 (min 1) + 1d3-3 (min 1). As Nail points out, the correct interpretation is (1d3-3+1d3-3) (min 1) = 2d3-6 (min 1). That will always be 1.

 

[Vegepygmy]

The counterargument (which I don't agree with btw) is that a critical is 1d3-3 (min 1) + 1d3-3 (min 1). As Nail points out, the correct interpretation is (1d3-3+1d3-3) (min 1) = 2d3-6 (min 1). That will always be 1.

I don't see how that's the "correct" interpretation. The PHB says you roll the damage multiple times and total the result. Multiplying the dice (and penalties) and then rolling them all together would be rolling damage only one time.