D&D 5E Werewolves/rats and damage immunity

[Galendril]

Where does it say that in the rules? What's the damage type of rope? How much damage does it do?

That sounds more like a ruling to me than "RAW." Which is fine, of course, but you seemed to indicate that you followed "RAW" and I did not.

Might I direct you to page 147 of the PHB the pertinent part which I'll reproduce here for your convenience: "An improvised weapon includes any object you can wield in one or two hands"

So let's see. There are two qualifiers. First, it must be an object. Second, it must be wieldable in one or two hands.

In your rope example, it meets the object qualifier. And it also meets the requirement of being wielded in one or two hands as many cowboy movies can attest.

Ergo, rope is a weapon.

 

[Galendril]

I think he's one of those GMs who can't stand Arneson-like players who use imaginative solutions to problems, and will even invoke incorrectly understood RAW to justify their railroading. Very bad IMO.

No, I'm one of those GM's which require his players to actually think. I won't let them get by on using naked brute force even though they've done no research and/or ignored all clues.

 

[Galendril]

RAW it that such creatures could driwn, starve, suffocate etc.

Only direct Hits by weapons are ignored

I did not say a lycanthrope is immune to any of those conditions.

What I am saying is trying to use a weapon (even an improvised one) will not do damage to a creature which is immune to non-magical and non-silvered weapons.

 

[Lucas Blackstone]

I don't think that suffocation is a weapon though. No damage is rolled. I agree the rope is an improvised weapon, but you aren't using it to do any damage and any damage to the were-creature's throat would be ignored.

 

[iserith]

I did not say a lycanthrope is immune to any of those conditions.

What I am saying is trying to use a weapon (even an improvised one) will not do damage to a creature which is immune to non-magical and non-silvered weapons.

The players who are trying to strangle the wererat aren't trying to do damage to it. They're depriving it of air by squeezing or constricting its neck with a rope. Damage immunity doesn't apply because they're not inflicting damage.

It seems to me you don't like the creativity of this approach and are using the rules against the players to shut down their ideas rather than invoking the rules that will support it.

 

[Galendril]

The players who are trying to strangle the wererat aren't trying to do damage to it. They're depriving it of air by squeezing or constricting its neck with a rope. Damage immunity doesn't apply because they're not inflicting damage.

It seems to me you don't like the creativity of this approach and are using the rules against the players to shut down their ideas rather than invoking the rules that will support it.

No, the truth of the matter is I find this incredibly UNcreative. I don't find this attempt at a solution particularly imaginative whatsoever.

Additionally, must damage the creature with the rope to cut off its air supply with it. But, if you can show me an example of how rope can be used in a non-damaging way to strangle someone, I will be very impressed.

 

[ad_hoc]

No, the truth of the matter is I find this incredibly UNcreative. I don't find this attempt at a solution particularly imaginative whatsoever.

Additionally, must damage the creature with the rope to cut off its air supply with it. But, if you can show me an example of how rope can be used in a non-damaging way to strangle someone, I will be very impressed.

Well not exactly strangulation but I would just cover their mouth and nose.

 

[Galendril]

Well not exactly strangulation but I would just cover their mouth and nose.

That's fine. If you think the wererat is going to comply with someone covering their mouth and nose until they suffocate, you've got another think coming.

 

[iserith]

No, the truth of the matter is I find this incredibly UNcreative. I don't find this attempt at a solution particularly imaginative whatsoever.

Additionally, must damage the creature with the rope to cut off its air supply with it. But, if you can show me an example of how rope can be used in a non-damaging way to strangle someone, I will be very impressed.

I find it to be a creative solution to bypassing the monster's damage immunity. Certainly some silvered weapons would be easier, or perhaps blasting away with fire bolt or the like, but in the absence of those things, strangulation is viable in my view.

We have already established that the wererat isnt damaged by a rope - it doesn't reduce its hit points. But the players aren't trying to reduce its hit points. Damage is not a prerequisite of suffocation.

 

[Galendril]

I find it to be a creative solution to bypassing the monster's damage immunity. Certainly some silvered weapons would be easier, or perhaps blasting away with fire bolt or the like, but in the absence of those things, strangulation is viable in my view.

We have already established that the wererat isnt damaged by a rope - it doesn't reduce its hit points. But the players aren't trying to reduce its hit points. Damage is not a prerequisite of suffocation.

No, a creative solution would be to research what a wererat is. A creative solution would be to identify his human identity. A creative solution would be dig a pit or lure him into some other trap.

And where exactly do you think you've established the wererat isn't damaged by a rope? Because all I see is you claiming it doesn't.