What is the damage for a cat?

[LordDrakulzen]

If I take a cat, regular tiny animal, and hit someone with it: what is the damage?

If I throw the cat at an unarmored head: what is the effect on the target? and what is the attack bonus for the cat on the unarmored head?

This is just me looking to have some fun at my DM expense. And would make the entire game so much more fun when at a low level.
Think about it, you have a bag of tricks, the BBEG is preparing his long winded speech about how puny you are, and how it is inevitable he will win... "I pull out a cat, and throw it at his face!" or substitute cat for badger/rat/ or whatever actually can be pulled out of a bag of tricks.

Looking for serious RAW answers, and what your reactions would be at the table:smallbiggrin:.

[Ranting Fool]

I'm sure there are rules somewhere for "non-weapon weapons" like hitting people with chairs and such. But can't remember them off the top of my head.

I honestly don't see a cat doing much damage in a D&D game ...
(And I DID have one thrown at me when I was younger, the cat was not pleased and clawed me and while it did draw blood it was more of a nasty scratch on my ear)
as you would have to throw it with such force the poor kitty would die as well... Now casting fly on a Rhino or something then dismissing the spell when it was 100ft above someone.... big splat.:smallbiggrin::smallconfused:

[Dancingdeath]

It be an improvised weapon dealing 1d2 damage. As far as what the cat (or whatever) does after being thrown, that up to you and your DM.

[Gnoman]

The relevant rule would be


Improvised Weapons

Sometimes objects not crafted to be weapons nonetheless see use in combat. Because such objects are not designed for this use, any creature that uses one in combat is considered to be nonproficient with it and takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls made with that object. To determine the size category and appropriate damage for an improvised weapon, compare its relative size and damage potential to the weapon list to find a reasonable match. An improvised weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. An improvised thrown weapon has a range increment of 10 feet.

A cat is Tiny, which has a weight of 1-8 pounds. That puts it in the range of a Morningstar, which is 1d6 damage. There is an argument to be made that a cat is too soft to transmit force as well as it should, so it would not be unreasonable to drop it to 1d4. In either case, the RI would be 10 feet, and it would do Bludgeoning damage.

[Renegade Paladin]

Actually, the relevant rule would be
Cat
Size/Type: Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: ½ d8 (2 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12
Attack: Claw +4 melee (1d2-4)
Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee (1d2-4) and bite -1 melee (1d3-4)
Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
Skills: Balance +10, Climb +6, Hide +16*, Jump +10,
Listen +3, Move Silently +8, Spot +3
Feats: Stealthy, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Domesticated or solitary
Challenge Rating: ¼
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —
Murders commoners all the live long day, thanks to minimum damage 1. :smallbiggrin:

[LordDrakulzen]

Would it cause a grapple to start?

Interupt casting?

My biggest question would be what AC would the cat be attacking if hitting the victim in the face?

[KillianHawkeye]

If you throw a cat AT an enemy, it deals damage as an improvised thrown weapon. If you throw a cat ONTO an enemy, it deals no damage but gets a free surprise grapple attempt and makes two rake attacks. :smallwink::smallamused:

[ericgrau]

Since D&D doesn't have called shots, you'd attack his normal AC. A miss means you hit his armor or something rather than exposed skin. If you want the cat to scratch his face specifically and not some other exposed body part then you have to make up new rules.

[Knight13]

I think you want Bhu's Cat Fu Fighter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9233762&postcount=4), which specializes in wielding/throwing cats.

[jackattack]

A thrown cat will make a DEX save to twist in midair and jump off of its intended target, doing no damage to either of them.

A swung cat will make a DEX save (or an attack roll) to climb up your arm and claw at your face, doing a minimum of 1 HP and lowering your CHA.

Try a dead cat. Everyone knows you can't swing a dead cat without hitting.

[Alleine]

If I take a cat, regular tiny animal, and hit someone with it: what is the damage?

Well according to the internet the average adult cat weighs ~10 lbs, and since I know nothing about cats I'll go off of that. Complete Warrior has rules for improvised weapons and bases it off of weight. So a 10lb cat will actually be doing 1d6 damage, although it may do more depending on whether having its claws out counts as sharp or not. If it counts as sharp, then for the purposes of these rules its weight effectively doubles, and it deals 1d8. Standard -4 penalty to attack for improvised weapon however.

If you've got Handle Animal you may even be able to use cats as minions, making sure to chuck them at the enemy before the cat's initiative so it can attack when it get there. :smallbiggrin:

[erikun]

Cats deal slashing damage, as anyone who's handled a non-declawed one knows well enough. :smalltongue: It'll probably deal that slashing damage to you, as you're the one foolish enough to throw it around, although with the Improved Handle Animal feat you can probably orient the slashy bits towards your opponent for a slightly more rewarding weapon. :smallbiggrin: