What's the DC for pulling free from manacles?

[Storyteller01]

I had been thinking on this, and I'm wondering if these questions are covered in the rules. I know that there are rules for breaking manacles as well a using escape artist techniques, but this doesn't seem to be covered. :\

1) Supposing a character was willing to risk hp damage and a fort save for crippled hands, what would the save DC be to pull free from a set of manacles?

2) How much damage would the character take?

3) What would the Fort save be to keep your hands intact (or re-locate your thumbs/wrist bones, as the case may be)?

 

[dedicated]

What type of check?
You can already do escape artist so I'm asuming you want a strength check,
is that right?

 

[Storyteller01]

What type of check?
You can already do escape artist so I'm asuming you want a strength check,
is that right?

That seems the most appropriate. Wasn't sure if anything else qualified.

 

[Caliban]

That seems the most appropriate. Wasn't sure if anything else qualified.

You might be able to talk your DM into a circumstance bonus on the Escape Artist check if you are willing to damage yourself or incur long lasting penalties in the process.

 

[lonesoldier]

Though, as a DM, you should not require the character to cripple themselves as the only way to escape.

 

[Storyteller01]

Though, as a DM, you should not require the character to cripple themselves as the only way to escape.

True, but he has access to magical healing, he may fingd this route easier.

Not being arguementative, just proactive. Players are strange that way...

 

[Storyteller01]

*bump*

 

[Storyteller01]

*last bump*

Any words of wisdom? Any at all?

 

[Silveras]

*last bump*

Any words of wisdom? Any at all?

I think Caliban has the right of it. Skills in 3.x are fairly expansive, though there can be lots of very specific tasks under them.

Regardless of the specifics, getting out of manacles without breaking them open is using Escape Artist. Whether you injure yourself in the process or not is window-dressing. If the character does not have a high enough skill to make the necessary DC, the option of a circumstance bonus from harming him/her self is reasonable.

I would treat it this way: the PC can get a circumstance bonus by risking crippling his/her hands. Such is NOT just hit point damage, but a more significant penalty. To gain a bonus of +2, the PC gets a Fort save of DC 20; failure means the hands are crippled in the process. That means (off the top of my head) -4 to Dex-based skills, no casting spells with somatic components, and -2 to hit with weapons because of the pain.

The character can increase the bonus to +4, but the save DC rises to 25, a DC 20 Will save is required to MAKE him/her suffer such an injury, and the penalties double.

Raising the bonus to +6 increases the save DCs by 5 (to 30 Fort and 25 Will), and the character suffers permanent ability drain of 1 point of Dexterity.

 

[dcollins]

I had been thinking on this, and I'm wondering if these questions are covered in the rules. I know that there are rules for breaking manacles as well a using escape artist techniques, but this doesn't seem to be covered.

As you say, there are rules for using Strength or Escape Artist to get out of manacles. There are no by-the-rules bonuses for suffering injury or a handicap while doing so -- in fact, there are only the sketchiest of rules for any handicaps in the first place. Presumably the normal Escape Artist/Strength checks result in painful scrapes and cuts that are not life-threatening (no hit point damage).

As DM, I would not give any bonus for this situation. As you say, magical healing is so commonplace it would really just be a "free" bonus anyway.