I one shot a level 10 at level 2

[arawra]

I feel pretty bad ass. It was 100% legitimate as well.

As a little game, I'd like to answer yes or no to questions as to how this was done.

[Benthesquid]

Were you a caster?

[Astral Avenger]

I feel pretty bad ass. It was 100% legitimate as well.

As a little game, I'd like to answer yes or no to questions as to how this was done.

Was there a fort Save involved?

[TuggyNE]

Was your opponent a caster?

Did your opponent have the Quick trait or the Frail flaw?

Were diseases involved?

Were you a martial initiator?

[MonochromeTiger]

did you coup de grace?

[Sir Chuckles]

Bask in it while you can, for soon either holes will be poked through your actions like swiss cheese, or you realize that it is not uncommon.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Were you a spirit Totem (Lion) Barbarian?

Were crits involved?

[Setra]

Did you perhaps have a valorous lance on a mounted charge?

[EugeneVoid]

Was the thing that you hit played intelligently?

[arawra]

Were you a caster?
I very much could be considered one.


Was there a fort Save involved?
No


Was your opponent a caster?
Yes


Did your opponent have the Quick trait or the Frail flaw?
Unknown. Don't believe so.


Were diseases involved?
No.


Were you a martial initiator?
Needs more definition. I think the answer to your question is no.


did you coup de grace?
No


Were you a spirit Totem (Lion) Barbarian?
No


Were crits involved?
Yes.


Did you perhaps have a valorous lance on a mounted charge?
Two questions in one.


Was the monster played intelligently?
Two questions in one.

[Seer_of_Heart]

Was a spell used?

[arawra]

Was a spell used?
Correction - spell was used successfully, but had no effect on the fight.

[eggynack]

Did you fight him in a box? Did you fight him with a fox?

[EugeneVoid]

Was it CR 10?

[arawra]

Was it CR 10?
CR would be 10 or higher


Was a spell used?
Correction - spell was used successfully, but had no effect on the fight.

[Invader]

Did it involve a two handed weapon and power attacking?

[MonochromeTiger]

did you use an environmental hazard?

[ngilop]

Is this the real life?

Is this just fantasy?

[Ravens_cry]

Is this the real life?

Is this just fantasy?

Were you caught in a land slide.
Or was there no escape from reality?
***
Seriously, person-type being, just spill the beans.
What. Happened.

[MonochromeTiger]

Were you caught in a land slide.
Or was there no escape from reality?
***
Seriously, person-type being, just spill the beans.
What. Happened.

but if they do that they can't have us hype up what we expect it to be and feel awesome from having all of us guessing. we'd know exactly what they did and poke holes in it or explain how it's not as astounding as expected.

[Gale]

Two questions in one.
I don't consider the question, "Was the monster played intelligently?" to be two questions in one. It's one question that gives two facts; it determines whether or not you killed a monster and if it was actually played intelligently. It is not however two separate questions and it should be entitled to an answer. Especially if you're already willing to answer multiple questions from a single person anyways. You're only prolonging the inevitable.

[Ravens_cry]

but if they do that they can't have us hype up what we expect it to be and feel awesome from having all of us guessing. we'd know exactly what they did and poke holes in it or explain how it's not as astounding as expected.
I though blue was the customary sarcasm colour 'round these here parts.

[MonochromeTiger]

I though blue was the customary sarcasm colour 'round these here parts.

my apologies, still not used to forums, more of an in person sarcasm-er.

[Sir Chuckles]

Once crits are involved, it becomes two more questions:

Exploding dice?
Multi-Confirmed crits?

There's also:
Was massive damage involved?

[Ravens_cry]

my apologies, still not used to forums, more of an in person sarcasm-er.
I don't use it myself, but I am sure I've seen you use 'blue' sarcasm a few times. I use faux HTML tags myself, because I am funky like that.

[ngilop]

did you say Don't stop me now?

were you a Tiger?

Defying the laws of gravity?

were you Burning through the sky?

or Traveling at the speed of light?

Were you having such a good time?

having a ball?

[Setra]

Was a valorous weapon involved?

[MonochromeTiger]

I don't use it myself, but I am sure I've seen you use 'blue' sarcasm a few times. I use faux HTML tags myself, because I am funky like that.

I know how to use it I just forget on occasion. generally used to people understanding the reason I said something really weird or stupid was as a joke.


did you say Don't stop me now?

were you a Tiger?

Defying the laws of gravity?

were you Burning through the sky?

or Traveling at the speed of light?

Were you having such a good time?

having a ball?

did you have the eye of the tiger?

was it on the highway to the danger zone?

is one the loneliest number?

[Kelb_Panthera]

I'm thinking it was a lance crit from dog back by a halfling ranger. A couple flaws for the relevant feats and you can get sick damage. And then a crit? Forget about it

[Helluin]

I very much could be considered one.

In that case...

Are you multiclassing?

[Nettlekid]

If this turns out to just be a triple nat 20 thing then I'm going to be sorely disappointed.
Who am I kidding? It's doubtlessly dreadfully disappointing anyway.

[ngilop]

Did your opponent not last forever... in the cold november rain?

was your opponent knocking on heaven's door?

Did you have to cut loose, footloose?

Kick off your sunday shoes?

did somebody try to put baby in a corner?

[arawra]

Did it involve a two handed weapon and power attacking?
Two questions...

Did involve a 2h, but no power attack.


did you use an environmental hazard?
No

[Grod_The_Giant]

A crit with a two-handed weapon... a scythe?

[arawra]

The stories out.

I crit for max damage - with a scythe.
Cleric 2 of Nerull

Surprised round, I summoned a Skele behind the level 10 Wizard to guarantee a Rogue buddy with SA's. He missed his attack that round, and I moved to box in the Wizard.

I won initiative and crit the second round. The flanking bonus was not significant when confirming.

I had a very underwhelming strength of 12, making max damage 40 (2d4+2 x4)

[MonochromeTiger]

..a creature with a CR of 10 or higher had under 40 health? I mean sure it's a wizard but it still seems unusual for something at the halfway point of normal levels to be in 1 hit kill territory and not be in a group.

[TuggyNE]

The stories out.

I crit for max damage - with a scythe.
Cleric 2 of Nerull

Surprised round, I summoned a Skele behind the level 10 Wizard to guarantee a Rogue buddy with SA's. He missed his attack that round, and I moved to box in the Wizard.

I won initiative and crit the second round. The flanking bonus was not significant when confirming.

I had a very underwhelming strength of 12, making max damage 40 (2d4+2 x4)

You actually rolled max damage on 8d4+16? I'm impressed by that bit of probability.

[MonochromeTiger]

You actually rolled max damage on 8d4+16? I'm impressed by that bit of probability.

some groups just multiply the normal damage roll instead of rolling extra dice to do critical damage. example: 2d6+5 with x3 crit, double 6, 17 damage gets multiplied by 3 for 51 damage.

note: numbers used were entirely random.

[Ravens_cry]

Um, why do you have a +2 to damage then? 12 would mean +1. Pretty pathetic HP for a level 10 wizard too. Their Con must suck and they must have rolled bad too.
Also, don't you only get a move or a standard on the surprise round?
You seem to have done both by your description.

[Nettlekid]

And thus, had you answered the "was the monster (opponent) played intelligently?" question, the answer would have been No, no it was not. A 10th level Wizard, with access to 5th level and lower spells such as Teleport, Scrying, Celerity, Greater Blink, and summons of their own, allowed themselves to (firstly lose initiative, and then) be flanked by a Rogue and an enemy caster's summons, and then attacked by the same enemy caster? They deserved death. What did the Wizard do on their turn?

[ngilop]

So.. basically a 10th level wizard just stood there and let you kill him/her with no spells currently affecting him a 10 in CON (but max HP to make up for it)

sounds pretty boring to me.

[arawra]

Yeah, we're fudging up the rules a bit. None of us have played 3.5 in a while. Wizard should have gotten a spell during surprise round, I shouldn't have been able to move and cast.


Um, why do you have a +2 to damage then? 12 would mean +1 Using a medium or larger weapon with two hands gives your strength bonus a time and a half.

[Kelb_Panthera]

The stories out.

I crit for max damage - with a scythe.
Cleric 2 of Nerull

Surprised round, I summoned a Skele behind the level 10 Wizard to guarantee a Rogue buddy with SA's. He missed his attack that round, and I moved to box in the Wizard.

I won initiative and crit the second round. The flanking bonus was not significant when confirming.

I had a very underwhelming strength of 12, making max damage 40 (2d4+2 x4)

Umm..... Shouldn't the damage value be 2d4 +1? Strength 12 is a +1 mod and the half for two handing gets rounded down.

So that should be 2d4 +1 x4 or 8d4 + 4 max being 36 in either case.

Then an average wizard should have 10d4 (average 25) + 10 or 20 for a 35 or 45 HP average.

The probability at work here is.... impressive. Huzzah for dumb luck.

[MonochromeTiger]

Using a medium or larger weapon with two hands gives your strength bonus a time and a half.

which is usually rounded down, half of 1 is .5, rounded down that's 0.

[Ravens_cry]

Yeah, we're fudging up the rules a bit. None of us have played 3.5 in a while. Wizard should have gotten a spell during surprise round, I shouldn't have been able to move and cast.

Using a medium or larger weapon with two hands gives your strength bonus a time and a half.

Rounded down (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm#roundingFractions). So . . . +1. Also, there's no such thing as a medium weapon in 3.5. A two handed weapon, yes, but, still, rounded down (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm#roundingFractions).

[Raven777]

You lose a point for the situation being fairly boring, but gain it back for one shotting someone with a frikkin scythe, which is always badass.

[Kelb_Panthera]

How was it described? Decapitation? Disembowelment? Severe dismemberment?

Inquiring (and slightly disturbed) minds want to know.

[Ravens_cry]

You lose a point for the situation being fairly boring, but gain it back for one shotting someone with a frikkin scythe, which is always badass.
I always thought scythes should be an exception to the Disruptive property being only applicable to bludgeoning weapons. The idea of going after undead as a servant of Death, seeking those who would escape Hɪs grasp, wielding the customary weapon of the Grim Reaper, just tickles my fancy.
Oh, and on horseback, because Death Rides a Pale Horse, not a pale dog or a pale pony.:smallamused:

How was it described? Decapitation? Disembowelment? Severe dismemberment?

Inquiring (and slightly disturbed) minds want to know.
Caught under the crotch and slit from stern to stem is how I'd describe it.

[ben-zayb]

The RNG gods loves you, don't they? :smalltongue:

I say gratz, and thanks as well. Any Wizard who plays like that deserves every single hit point damage coming for him/her.:smallamused:

[MonochromeTiger]

I always thought scythes should be an exception to the Disruptive property being only applicable to bludgeoning weapons. The idea of going after undead as a servant of Death, seeking those who would escape Hɪs grasp, wielding the customary weapon of the Grim Reaper, just tickles my fancy.
Oh, and on horseback, because Death Rides a Pale Horse, not a pale dog or a pale pony.:smallamused:

I'm personally a fan of giving scythes bonuses on cleave attacks, they're DESIGNED for fighting groups in the open.

[arawra]

Unfortunately, the DM didn't describe it ><

[Kelb_Panthera]

Unfortunately, the DM didn't describe it ><

Awww. Boooo.....

I once had a player scythe crit a goblin. I described it as the goblin exploding in a shower of gore. In vivid detail..... I ain't right.

[Ravens_cry]

I'm personally a fan of giving scythes bonuses on cleave attacks, they're DESIGNED for fighting groups in the open.
Actually, they are designed for cutting fields, and ,realistically, make poor weapons. The War Scythe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_scythe) is with the blade raised upright in a literal poorman's halberd.
Still, scythes are bad-ass looking, so I give them a pass.

[MonochromeTiger]

Actually, they are designed for cutting fields, and ,realistically, make poor weapons. The War Scythe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_scythe) is with the blade raised upright in a literal poorman's halberd.
Still, scythes are bad-ass looking, so I give them a pass.

as a farmer's tool yes they're meant for fields, but both that design and the war scythe are effective at, excuse the pun, broad scything attacks (which cleave counts as).

[Ravens_cry]

as a farmer's tool yes they're meant for fields, but both that design and the war scythe are effective at, excuse the pun, broad scything attacks (which cleave counts as).
The fact the sharp side faces inwards on a vanilla scythe means you have to hook them with it, giving up a lot of the reach while leaving yourself open.
Still, like I said, it looks cool and it's damn thematic, so I like it.

[Nerd-o-rama]

The main "dumb" thing about this scenario is that the level 10 wizard got within 30 feet (actually probably 20 feet) of enemies without any defensive buffs up. It works if the players suddenly decided to bushwhack him in his workshop without any prior preparation or something and he didn't have any panic buttons memorized, but that doesn't sound like what happened.

[cakellene]

How was it described? Decapitation? Disembowelment? Severe dismemberment?

Inquiring (and slightly disturbed) minds want to know.

Had my DM describe as the drow blowing apart in my face when I one-shotted a drow on my Favored Soul of Nareis with a scythe.

[arawra]

It works if the players suddenly decided to bushwhack him in his workshop without any prior preparation or something and he didn't have any panic buttons memorized, but that doesn't sound like what happened.

In our campaign, I was given a vision of saving the world from blah blah blah... The Wizard did too. My party went to go visit him and get his account of the vision to compare/contrast. I asked my group (minus our Rogue, whom I know was also worships Nerull) to leave so I could speak personally to Mr. Wizard shopkeeper of magic items.

[Nerd-o-rama]

In our campaign, I was given a vision of saving the world from blah blah blah... The Wizard did too. My party went to go visit him and get his account of the vision to compare/contrast. I asked my group (minus our Rogue, whom I know was also worships Nerull) to leave so I could speak personally to Mr. Wizard shopkeeper of magic items.

Oh, so this was a trap/assassination.

His fault for not doing a Divination background check on you first I guess.

[Ravens_cry]

Had my DM describe as the drow blowing apart in my face when I one-shotted a drow on my Favored Soul of Nareis with a scythe.

Why would he blow apart? Where is this energy coming from? The whole point of a blade is to focus a limited amount of energy on a narrow area. It'd probably be more like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYYDEUF0Grg) but with more blood. Note, while not violent per sae, it's probably not for the squeamish or safe for work, as it's Mythbuster's Tori decapitating a [already dead] goat.

[Sir Chuckles]

3/10 would not participate in again.

That said, he wasn't fully dead, just at 0, if he really did have exactly 40hp, and you did exactly 40 damage.

If I were the DM (Well first off, you'd be dead because the Wizard your turn you into fine grains of sand), I'd simply say that he stabilized.
Yes, it would spoil the 5 minutes of glory, but it would evolve into 5 memorable encounters.

[cakellene]

Why would he blow apart? Where is this energy coming from? The whole point of a blade is to focus a limited amount of energy on a narrow area. It'd probably be more like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYYDEUF0Grg) but with more blood. Note, while not violent per sae, it's probably not for the squeamish or safe for work, as it's Mythbuster's Tori decapitating a [already dead] goat.

Well, I did trigger massive damage rules.

[Ravens_cry]

Well, I did trigger massive damage rules.
That doesn't mean they explode; it means you did enough damage that, hit points be damned, they die in one hit. My earlier description of bisecting them vertically or, heck, a 'simple' decapitation would also count.

[MonochromeTiger]

That doesn't mean they explode; it means you did enough damage that, hit points be damned, they die in one hit. My earlier description of bisecting them vertically or, heck, a 'simple' decapitation would also count.

or the ever classic "impale and flip overhead off a platform or cliff"

[Kelb_Panthera]

Dude, rule of cool. They explode because it's more awesome/funnier that way, physics be damned.

[ben-zayb]

That doesn't mean they explode; it means you did enough damage that, hit points be damned, they die in one hit. My earlier description of bisecting them vertically or, heck, a 'simple' decapitation would also count.

Personally, I prefer a lateral bisection. What better way to end an Int-based character than in an anatomy lesson.

[Ravens_cry]

Dude, rule of cool. They explode because it's more awesome/funnier that way, physics be damned.
"Blood and other bodily fluids spray over your armour and the surrounding area as your blade slices cleanly from their crotch to the top their head, a surprised look in the eye of each half as they fall apart." not awesome enough?

[Kelb_Panthera]

"Blood and other bodily fluids spray over your armour and the surrounding area as your blade slices cleanly from their crotch to the top their head, a surprised look in the eye of each half as they fall apart." not awesome enough?

Awesome; yes. Over the top hilarious awesome; no.

It's just a difference in taste and how far you're willing to suspend disbelief. When ignoring physics, particularly in a non mechanical way, is awesome and/or hilarious it's more acceptable to some than to others.

Your description was good but I prefer something like, "You catch a glimpse of a stunned look splayed across your foe's face, though only for a moment as it goes spinning off into the distance as the rest of the creature's body explodes into a shower of gore, splattering across your armor and face as well as those of your respective allies standing nearby."

[Ravens_cry]

Yeah, and unless I am in an intentionally comedic game, that's too much. Not that it's too gory, but that it makes no <expletive redacted/> sense. Enemies exploding when they die is old video game logic, because it was easier for the programmers to replace the body with an animation of explosion (perhaps with some flying meat chunks, bone and viscera) when it dies than to animate the effects of a blade.
If you prefer that, you prefer that, but there is awesome and there is silly.
To me, that veers into silly.

[ben-zayb]

It's just a difference in taste and how far you're willing to suspend disbelief. When ignoring physics, particularly in a non mechanical way, is awesome and/or hilarious it's more acceptable to some than to others.Why stop there, though? Might as well ignore psychology, chemistry, and biology.

"You catch the stunned look splayed across your foe's face, but not before he sticks two thumbs up in approval and says 'good job, Lorraine!'
Then he spins off as fast as a hurricane towards the ground, spontaneously combusting, and after a few seconds, finally exploding into a shower of miniature gnomes, kitties, wriggling worms, and Bill Murray action figures."

[Kelb_Panthera]

Yeah, and unless I am in an intentionally comedic game, that's too much. Not that it's too gory, but that it makes no <expletive redacted/> sense. Enemies exploding when they die is old video game logic, because it was easier for the programmers to replace the body with an animation of explosion (perhaps with some flying meat chunks, bone and viscera) when it dies than to animate the effects of a blade.
If you prefer that, you prefer that, but there is awesome and there is silly.
To me, that veers into silly.
I grew up on those games so it really doesn't bother me at all even though I know it's nonsensical. It doesn't even count as a blip on the radar for my suspension of disbelief. I doubt I'm the only one that feels that way.

Why stop there, though? Might as well ignore psychology, chemistry, and biology.

"You catch the stunned look splayed across your foe's face, but not before he sticks two thumbs up in approval and says 'good job, Lorraine!'
Then he spins off as fast as a hurricane towards the ground, spontaneously combusting, and after a few seconds, finally exploding into a shower of miniature gnomes, kitties, wriggling worms, and Bill Murray action figures."

I'm not going to lie. That made me laugh and in a certain type of game or just the right setting within a serious game (xoriat or dal quor) I wouldn't bat an eye at it.

You're making a bit of a false equivalence there though. What you've described is more than a little bit more absurd.

In the end we're all playing a game of elves and pixies in our heads and on paper. Why disparage my tolerance for the absurd just because it stretches a bit further than yours?

[Ravens_cry]

I grew up on those games so it really doesn't bother me at all even though I know it's nonsensical. It doesn't even count as a blip on the radar for my suspension of disbelief. I doubt I'm the only one that feels that way.

Probably not, it's funny what influences us. People used to brown, non-saturated video game palettes tend to find more colourful games 'unrealistic' even though reality can be quite colourful and there was technical reasons why games did/do this (http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/PhilippeRinguetteAngrignon/20090606/1708/Why_quotNextGen_Gamesquot_Went_Gray_Brown_And_Grey .php).

[ben-zayb]

I'm not going to lie. That made me laugh and in a certain type of game or just the right setting within a serious game (xoriat or dal quor) I wouldn't bat an eye at it.

You're making a bit of a false equivalence there though. What you've described is more than a little bit more absurd.

In the end we're all playing a game of elves and pixies in our heads and on paper. Why disparage my tolerance for the absurd just because it stretches a bit further than yours?I did that one in jest, to be honest. But as you've said, it really depends on the type of game you're playing. On some games we'd all be cracking puns, breaking the fourth wall in another, while perhaps be in a life-and-death seriousness in yet another.

[Kelb_Panthera]

I did that one in jest, to be honest. But as you've said, it really depends on the type of game you're playing. On some games we'd all be cracking puns, breaking the fourth wall in another, while perhaps be in a life-and-death seriousness in yet another.

Ah. Failure of the medium to properly convey tone again. Oh well. No harm, no foul then.

[Fable Wright]

"You catch the stunned look splayed across your foe's face, but not before he sticks two thumbs up in approval and says 'good job, Lorraine!'
Then he spins off as fast as a hurricane towards the ground, spontaneously combusting, and after a few seconds, finally exploding into a shower of miniature gnomes, kitties, wriggling worms, and Bill Murray action figures."

...Seconding_Kelb Panthera's sentiment, and hopefully stealing this for an Unknown Armies game.

Though, back on tangent, I did run into the situation where a scythe crit caused the enemy to explode before in a serious game. The scythe was enchanted to explode with a 6d6 damage fireball the first time someone rolled a crit with it. (As we were level 3 characters in an E6 game at the time, this was not inconsiderable damage.) As it turns out, it was also our only source of Fire damage against a troll we found in a dungeon. Funny how well those things work out sometimes.

[Brookshw]

Oh, and on horseback, because Death Rides a Pale Horse, not a pale dog or a pale pony.

Lime green by the original Greek, pale was the result of a later translation into (iirc) Latin.

[Ravens_cry]

Lime green by the original Greek, pale was the result of a later translation into (iirc) Latin.
Still, a horse, and if Wikipedia can be trusted (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse#Pale_Horse), it's not so much a translation error as much as it can be read both ways.

[Thurbane]

I once had a player crit an opponent with a Scorching Ray that took him to -10. I said the ray caught him in the eye and his head exploded, Scanners-style.

Or Chopping Mall-style, if you prefer more obscure references.

[Spuddles]

That doesn't mean they explode

Yes it does. Now stop gainsaying the DM.