Throat Slit?

[JDowling]

I'd CDG it... or the assassin / death attack bit.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I would call it a CDG also, but it would first require that the barber beat the target's Sense Motive with a Bluff check.

With a substantial penalty. I'd say around -5-- -10 is too much, being the penalty to Listen checks while one is asleep, but I'd say -2 is too little. People who expect barbers to cut their throats don't go to barbers. (Rather similarly, I do not hire clowns for my birthday parties, but this is as far into that phobia as Eric's grandmother will allow me to delve.)

 

[Thanee]

I'd say it's a CDG. Auto-crit, which with a dagger won't be all that much... 2d4+4 maybe? And a fort save, say around DC 19. That gives melee types a pretty fair shake at surviving, and casters a harder time.

Heh. That's one of the funny things about CdG. It's obviously better to "slit a throat" with a large sword, than a little razorblade.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Bauglir]

Heh. That's one of the funny things about CdG. It's obviously better to "slit a throat" with a large sword, than a little razorblade.

Bye
Thanee

Heh.
I once played a rogue that kept a scythe around (even though he was nonproficient) for this very reason.

 

[RangerWickett]

I just use house rules in my game where an unavoidable attack does Wound Point damage (basically Constitution damage, to the uninitiated). So the Barber would deal probably 2 points of Con damage, since slitting the throat is pretty serious.

I dunno. This whole thing is a little silly.

 

[RigaMortus]

The situation is functionally identical to sneaking up on someone unawares...

President Bush, is that you?

 

[the Jester]

I'd call for a Sense Motive vs. Bluff, and if the barber won I'd give him a CDG.

Leaning back to let someone put a razor to your throat is leaving yourself as open as anything I can think of, certainly moreso than just getting attacked by someone you weren't aware of.

 

[Nellisir]

I wouldn't CDG it -- the target isn't helpless. And as has been pointed out, a CDG isn't very cinematic. The barber rolls some dice, the player rolls one, the character's dead.

The character is flatfooted, loses any armor or shield bonuses (but retains bonuses from a ring of protection or amulet of natural armor), and has a -2 AC penalty (sitting). The barber is arguably on higher ground, and could claim a +1 bonus to attack.

The character either gets a Sense Motive check or does not, DM's call. A successful Sense Motive check negates the flatfooted status, but not the lack of armor, the penalty for sitting, and the barber's "higher ground" advantage.

If unsuccessful, the barber makes his attack, including sneak attack damage, and does the whole assassin death attack thing.

If successful, roll initiative -- remember the PC is sitting and has to get up (move action; draws AoO). If the barber wants to keep the character down, it becomes a grapple.

Cheers
Nell.

 

[Xeriar]

Throats are really quite tough. I'm not exactly suggesting that it not do damage, but the tissue guarding the throat and jugular is really quite resilient. Without any real momentum behind it the barber is more likely just to get blood all over and have a really pissed off (and if he's lucky, mute and/or faint/stunned from lack of blood and pain) 'client' on his hands.

If he's trained, he would drive his knife down the side of the neck between shoulder bone and rib cage, leaving the man to internally hemmorage to death in a minute or two unless he recieves nearly immediate magical healing or advanced (modern) surgery.

Alternatively he could drive the knife up through the jaw bone, where the blade would get guided into the brain cavity, but that would be a lot harder to pull off.

 

[Sejs]

that gives me a very funny mental image of a normal barber having a hard time shaving an adventurer because of all the deflection, natural armor, etc bonuses they have to their beard's ac.