Playing Dead.

[Lord Ben]

What kind of DC is playing dead during combat? I assume bluff vs sense motive right? Or maybe spot? Or a straight DC20 or somesuch?

A couple months ago we were in the temple of EE and fighting some stone giants while in the anti-magic field from a beholder. They were each taking two swings per round and hitting almost every time. The archer of the group got hit with a crit and brought to 5hp on the first swing, he knew that he'd probably be dead on the second swing. He wanted to fake death so as not to die to the second swing. I made it a straight up bluff vs sense motive and I let the giant cleave.

 

[Artoomis]

Generally, you can just let them get away with it, once per combat. Think about it - don't the players just about always assume that when they drop an opponent it drops because they killed it? Or at least took it out until after the combat?

Unless, of course, it gets up again - in which case the worst is assumed and much firepower is devoted to making sure it does not get up again!

 

[Orco42]

Artoomis has a really good point. How often do your players check to see if a critter is really dead (before combat ends).

So I would let the creature get away with it if there is still combat after that he will be found out when the players decapitate the fallen (I think all PC's do this ).

 

[Lord Ben]

I'd still give them some sort of a check. Even at a +10 bonus to bluff.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

I don't know... certainly, having played a PC who got his Spot up to around +20 or so, there does come a point where you expect to notice all sorts of things without having to say you're checking. And beholders have good Spot modifiers.

If you do use a skill check for this, consider the following:
If one is actually prodded or struck while playing dead, a Concentration check would not be out of line.
Anyone who actually examines the character should get a considerable bonus (say, in the +5 range), and the option to use a Heal check if it's better than Spot.

 

[Lord Ben]

I'm inclined to rule in favor of PC's for doing something. And if there are 4 other PC's who aren't playing dead and are very much alive it's definately believable which adds to the bluff skill. If he's doing in while being investigated that's one thing, but doing it after getting bashed with a club isn't out of line.

 

[AuraSeer]

I'd say Bluff vs. Sense Motive is about right. Spot doesn't seem appropriate, and here's why:

In a real-world fight, someone will often go down without being incapacitated-- he's just dizzy, or got blood in his eyes, or whatever. If the baddie has other things to worry about, he's liable to leave the downed guy alone, and concentrate on anyone who's still dangerous.

Spot would let you see that the downed character is still breathing and twitching a bit, but that doesn't mean he's a threat. Sense Motive lets you distinguish between a guy who's really too injured to fight, and a guy who's just playing possum.

 

[Celebrim]

There are several conditions here, each of which suggests to me one of several different contests.

1) The character is struck by something which could reasonably kill the opponent and wants to pretend that he is dead.

In this case, I'd rule it is the character's Perform or Bluff (which ever is better) vs. the opposing creatures Sense Motive. In some cases, it really doesn't matter. For instance, the Dire Wolf is probably motivated by hunger, and if the character pretends to be dead -- well so much the better as far as the wolf is concerned.

2) The character wants to hide admidst a field of corpses after a battle.

In this case, I'd rule it is the character's Hide or Bluff (which ever is better) vs. the opposing creatures Spot. If the enemy decides to search the field (rather than merely walk across it), then he gets a Search roll in addition.

In either case, the enemy gets an additional roll Search or Heal roll every time he interacts with the false corpse in any manner (stabbing it, picking it up, prodding it, going through its purse for lose change) contested by the characters Perform or Bluff. Actually checking a character's pulse, heartbeat, breath or other medical inspection gives a +20 bonus to identify the character as faking. Other the other hand if the character is actually below 0 h.p. at the time, he gets a +5 bonus to his own Bluff or Perform roll. Depending on the length and complexity of the interaction, you might want to rule that the searcher is essentially allowed to take 20 on his search (or heal) roll. If the enemy interacts with the false corpse in a harmful way, the character must make a Concentration check to keep up the ruse, and even if it is successful must immediately win another contest.

My PC's always Coup de Gras anything that stops moving and then search it thuroughly, so I'm not sure how well this is going to work in general. I'd assume that given the chance, the monsters would do the same thing to the PC's, but I can imagine story driven situations where I'd being rooting for the PC to get away with the ruse.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I like AuraSeer's answer.

Spot would be appropriate if you spend an action to check if he is dead. Maybe a free Spot check with a -10 mod.

Bluff vs. Sense Motive sounds right.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it is a gross simplification that -1 HPs is unconscious. Really such a person might be groaning in pain or just incoherently dizzy from blood loss. Such a person is "not a threat" and can safely be ignored (usually).