When a warrior stands at the wrong end of a crossbow...

[jester47]

Never mind the spell, just make the thing poisoned.

With Black Lotus. He's a Baron, obviously he's rich and can afford it.

 

[Nyaricus]

Lol... I'm flabbergasted by such sarcasm?/irony?/joke?/flattering?/praise?

Completly dumbstruck... can't use my powers of interpretation... someone please come help me!


BTW: Congratz on achieving lvl 2, Nyc

heh heh, it's a phrase which basically means "huh. That's a pretty cool insight - wish I'd thought of it first!"

As for second level *mumble*bloodycrash*mumble* I've finally negated the effects of that negative level from the En World Crash - and well on my way to reclaiming my 1500+ posts of yesteryear

 

[Nyaricus]

There are some guidelines about this.

The Black Company Campaign Sourcebook has a rule where in the surprise round of a combat, any hit triggers a save versus massive damage. It's a little bit more complex than that, but it covers the situation where the gets the drop on someone (or vice versa).

This DOES make a significant change to a game, but it also sounds like it's what you're looking for.

--Steve

So, when you are in the surprise round of combat, and flat-footed, any attack which hits (regardless of actual damage) triigers a Massive Damage Save

If you ever sustain a single attack deals 50 points of damage or more and it doesn’t kill you outright, you must make a DC 15 Fortitude save. If this saving throw fails, you die regardless of your current hit points. If you take 50 points of damage or more from multiple attacks, no one of which dealt 50 or more points of damage itself, the massive damage rule does not apply.

I like it, although the flat DC 15 is kinda lame...

 

[Land Outcast]

I like it, although the flat DC 15 is kinda lame...

Second that!

 

[Nyaricus]

Second that!

maybe 10 + 1/2 damage

With a dagger and a couple points of Str that gets us ~14, which is an okay start.

 

[drexes]

Where thats gonna hurt is the power attackerwith a greataxe or some such...Flatfooted huh? I think I'll max out that power attack and every thing else I can to just a bit more damage...could get really ugly especially when the power attacking, raging, burst wielding cheeseout comes over to play and catches you in the privvy...hrm

Drexes

 

[Nyaricus]

Where thats gonna hurt is the power attackerwith a greataxe or some such...Flatfooted huh? I think I'll max out that power attack and every thing else I can to just a bit more damage...could get really ugly especially when the power attacking, raging, burst wielding cheeseout comes over to play and catches you in the privvy...hrm

Drexes

yep, nothing like starting the first round of combat finishing a bowel movement

 

[harmyn]

I like it, although the flat DC 15 is kinda lame...

Thought there was an optional rule that scales damage up by every 10 extra points dealt. (At least that's what I use). This could easily be tweaked to +1/5points or whatever amount you like.

 

[Nyaricus]

Thought there was an optional rule that scales damage up by every 10 extra points dealt. (At least that's what I use). This could easily be tweaked to +1/5points or whatever amount you like.

Oooo, you know what? That works!! *lightbulb*

A Massive Damage Check (foreverafter called MDC) is triggered at 50 Damage, with the DC being 10 + 1/per 10 points of damage, rounded down. Thus, deal 52 damage and the DC is 15 (10 + [5x1] = 15. Deal 183 damage and the DC is 28.

I like

 

[reanjr]

D&D covers this. Helpless includes characters that are "completely at an opponent's mercy". Coup de grace can be performed on helpless targets. Combat hasn't started, so if the character wants to avoid this, initiative comes up. If he wins on initiative, he has enough time to spin out of the way and act. If the crossbowman comes up on initiative first, that character may well be screwed without a nice Fort save.