What would this look like?

[Ave Rage]

In the smack down thread there's a simple paladin build (Ayla Smack down) where the paladin uses a lance to devastating effect generating some 250 damage in a single blow (spirited charge + power attack + smite + holy sword = hurt). Right now I have a paladin of Helm who is heading in the direction of that smack (mostly just core riding feats) and eventually will be able to pull off the damaging move. What I want to know is how do you visualize a 250 damage hit?

Would the creature explode? On a dragon I assume it would slice through the skin sending scales flying off from either side as you charge by but that's all that comes to mind. I might have a Pegasus as a mount by the I try to pull off this attack so an aerial attack is likely.

How would you describe the effects of the attack?


Also, I've heard reference to the fact that a lance deals two-handed damage even when held in one hand while on the back of a mount but can't find where it says as much in the PHB (3.0). And yes, I have read the mounted combat section on page 138


Thanks for any and all replies.

 

[Ave Rage]

Ack, ment for this to be in general. :X

 

[Piratecat]

I'll slide it over. No problem.

 

[Turanil]

My opinion is that the lance would skewer the target as when you put a chicken on a spit... As such, okay to do 250 points of damage, but once it is done, the lance must be retrieved, thus requiring 1d4 rounds and some Strength checks...

 

[Thanee]

Well, you would hit the dragon with your little toothpick and he would shrug it off and eat you!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Ave Rage]

Well, you would hit the dragon with your little toothpick and he would shrug it off and eat you!

Bye
Thanee

Exactly, this is why I'm asking. If it was a goblin I was destroying I'd just say the lance goes clean through the heart and breaks past the shoulder as the rider continues on his way. Problem is I wouldn't waste 250 attack on a goblin and would aim it for the dragon.

But yes, game mechanics aside, what would a dragon have to worry about a simple lance? Problem is the game mechanics are what we're talking about here (or atleast, the effects of them)

Thanks Piratecat for the move.

 

[Zappo]

In my high-level Dragonlance game a PC had his hands on an actual footman's dragonlance for a short period of time, and he used it on a (young adult, so no thousands of HP here) dragon. I used something similar to 2E's rules, so being a half-dragon himself, he simply added his current HP to damage. The total was more than two hundred, a nasty damage even for a dragon.

I told him that the lance touched the dragon's body and pierced it like a red hot poker pierces butter. The flesh of the beast simply dissolved within a range of several centimeters from the lance's tip as it penetrated. Veins and muscles were violently repelled by the consacrated weapon, further enlarging the hole and shattering bones as they jerked apart.

Then there was the 98 damage critical on a 4 hp kobold. "He's now a fine red mist".

 

[Zappo]

But yes, game mechanics aside, what would a dragon have to worry about a simple lance?

It's not a simple lance, it has holy sword on it, and you're using smite which is a supernatural ability. Your god's power is coursing through the weapon, and your feats mean that you can drive the lance in the target's body to the hilt with no problems. This is already not exactly good, plus the holy energy now can blow up your enemy from the inside rather than just wither his skin.

 

[Ave Rage]

I told him that the lance touched the dragon's body and pierced it like a red hot poker pierces butter. The flesh of the beast simply dissolved within a range of several centimeters from the lance's tip as it penetrated. Veins and muscles were violently repelled by the consacrated weapon, further enlarging the hole and shattering bones as they jerked apart.

This was awesome and exactly what I was looking for. I was stuck trying to imagine how a simple lance would hurt a dragon and forgot all about the spells and holy power enhancing the damage.

Then there was the 98 damage critical on a 4 hp kobold. "He's now a fine red mist".

In my last game I played the 18str 22dex wood elf cleric with a might +4 composite bow cast true-strike and then fired at a Worg. He rolled a twenty and max damage dealing out 36 points of pain with the single arrow (Which had Light cast upon it from the Aasimar paladin of Torm). I suggested a possible route the arrow took while inside the beast which left it blind, deaf, and dumb in conjunction with it being dead (through the nose, mixing the brain, splitting the spine and neutering the creature). Right now the character is trying to decide what to do with the fur he skinned from the animal.

 

[Wolf72]

see if you can't get ahold of Arms Law and Claw Law by ICE ...

it has a whole lot of crit tables and descriptions, most of them are generic enough to be used against almost any foe.

and they're a hoot, ... good times there, good times.