vbushido
2007-02-02, 03:08 AM
I pointed out in the 408 thread that Roy seemed to hit Miko with the flat of his blade inflicting subdual damage. Second hit seemed similar to the first. Third was lethal. This is a standard routine I see practiced when taking down someone that should be subdued - 2 rounds of subdual shots, then lethal damage.
Certain attacks deal nonlethal damage. Other effects, such as heat or being exhausted (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#exhausted), also deal nonlethal damage. When you take nonlethal damage, keep a running total of how much you’ve accumulated. Do not deduct the nonlethal damage number from your current hit points. It is not "real" damage. Instead, when your nonlethal damage equals your current hit points, you’re staggered (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#staggered), and when it exceeds your current hit points, you fall unconscious (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#unconscious). It doesn’t matter whether the nonlethal damage equals or exceeds your current hit points because the nonlethal damage has gone up or because your current hit points have gone down.
So, by inflicting say 30hp of damage in two hits, Miko now has a 30hp cushion in which she'll go out before she goes into negative hit points. The point here is to get the target unconscous, not dead. And Roy doesn't seem to respond immediately to lethal damage with lethal damage. He builds up that subdual cushion before striking for lethal. Roy didn't change his mind by going lethal, he was following a standard tactic. Even after critting (impalement), Miko's hitpoints still hadn't fallen below her subdual total, so she's still up.
Belkar might want to strike for subdual now, though...
(This is all, of course, on the presumption that I interpreted the fight correctly.)
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Code as if whoever maintains your code is a violent psychopath who knows where you live
Certain attacks deal nonlethal damage. Other effects, such as heat or being exhausted (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#exhausted), also deal nonlethal damage. When you take nonlethal damage, keep a running total of how much you’ve accumulated. Do not deduct the nonlethal damage number from your current hit points. It is not "real" damage. Instead, when your nonlethal damage equals your current hit points, you’re staggered (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#staggered), and when it exceeds your current hit points, you fall unconscious (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#unconscious). It doesn’t matter whether the nonlethal damage equals or exceeds your current hit points because the nonlethal damage has gone up or because your current hit points have gone down.
So, by inflicting say 30hp of damage in two hits, Miko now has a 30hp cushion in which she'll go out before she goes into negative hit points. The point here is to get the target unconscous, not dead. And Roy doesn't seem to respond immediately to lethal damage with lethal damage. He builds up that subdual cushion before striking for lethal. Roy didn't change his mind by going lethal, he was following a standard tactic. Even after critting (impalement), Miko's hitpoints still hadn't fallen below her subdual total, so she's still up.
Belkar might want to strike for subdual now, though...
(This is all, of course, on the presumption that I interpreted the fight correctly.)
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Code as if whoever maintains your code is a violent psychopath who knows where you live