Stunning Fist & Big Creatures?

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Does it make sense that a halfling monk can stun a colossal dragon with a stunning fist attack?

The Pain Touch monk feat in Complete Warrior adds a size limitation (excluding creatures more than one size category larger than the striker).

With reference to this, shouldn't Stunning Fist also have such a limitation?

Thoughts?

 

[CRGreathouse]

I'd prefer dropping the feat's restriction to limiting stunning attacks. With a dragon's Fort save, you won't stun it anyway...

 

[Hypersmurf]

With reference to this, shouldn't Stunning Fist also have such a limitation?

It has a limitation.

Stunning Fist forces a foe damaged by your unarmed attack to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wis modifier), in addition to dealing damage normally.

A Red Great Wyrm has a Fort save of +32.

-Hyp.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

And if a colossal dragon rolls a 1 against a Tiny fairy 1st-level monk? Stunned? How? A creature will always have at least a 5% chance of being stunned, no matter how ridiculous the size relativity.

I realize the Fort is a reasonable workaround to the problem, but it doesn't address the core problem, IMO.

And what about big creatures that don't have good Fort saves?

Even if there was a size limitation of greater than 2 sizes larger than the striker, that would limit some of the sillyness potential.

 

[Scion]

I think it makes about as much sense as such large creatures flying in the first place.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Either A) it's IMPOSSIBLE for a halfling monk to stun a colossal dragon or B) it's POSSIBLE.

If it's IMPOSSIBLE, then just ignore the rule and say "it's impossible."

If it's POSSIBLE, and you don't like the 5% from rolling a 1 on a save, say that if the dragon rolls a 1, it gets to roll again, and it only fails if it rolls two 1's in a row. Or, if even that is too much for you, make it three 1's in a row, etc.

Just bend the rules--no biggie.

Dave

 

[Tatsukun]

Oh come on, it's not like a halfling monk is the most munchkin PC in the world. If he gets into melee with the wyrm and lives 20 rounds, and on all of those rounds he uses his stunning blow the odds are he will stun the dragon for one round.

Now, the fact that a halfling monk will never survive 20 rounds in melee with a wyrm and the fact that the monk probably won't have 20 stunning blows a day are extra.

The monk is already a weak class, why nerf it more?

-Tatsu

 

[Liquidsabre]

In order to strike a vulnerable area, wouldn't you have to be able to reach it first? Soudns like a reasonable limitation, the lower portions of the colossal dragon aren't vulnerable, the halfling monk would have to leap, climb to a vulnerable spot to strike a stunning blow.

 

[Scion]

humans have some major chakra points in the feet, might be the same for dragons.

 

[Tatsukun]

Well, if you cna attack a dragon normally, and you can sneak attack it normally, why nerf the monk?

-Tatsu