Jain_Mor
2014-04-27, 08:38 PM
After a week or so of trawling through forum posts regarding the uselessness of the garrote (lol I hold my breath), and wanting to include it in my campaign, I've put together some rules here based upon the garrote rules in 3.5 pathfinder and the sleeper hold feat.
I want your thoughts before I introduce it to my campaign :)
Garrote
Exotic Two-handed Melee Weapon
Cloth or Leather, 1gp, 1d4, 19-20x2, Bludgeoning (nonlethal)
Wire, 3gp, 1d4, 19-20x2, Slashing (lethal)
A garrote is a length of wire or thin rope with wooden handles at both ends. The wire is placed across a victim's throat and crossed behind the neck; when the handles are pulled tight, the garrote blood-chokes them.
Classes with sneak attack are proficient with the garrote. Using a garrote requires two hands. It is ineffective against a character with metal neck protection, such as those on any form of heavy armor. It can only be used against a target with a neck, no more than one size category larger than the attacker.
In order for you to use a garrote your opponent must be helpless or you must be behind an opponent who is unaware of you. You must make a grapple check (though you avoid the –4 penalty for not having two hands free) to successfully begin garroting your opponent. This provokes an attack of opportunity, though opponents that are unaware of you or are helpless do not threaten you. Sneak attack damage does not apply to a garrote, however you gain a bonus to your CMB and CMD against your opponent during the garrote grapple, equal to your number of sneak attack dice.
Your garroted opponent must make a concentration check (DC 20 + your CMB + level of the spell he’s casting) to cast a spell with a verbal component, use a command word item, or use any magic requiring speech. They also can not talk loudly.
Successfully grappling or maintaining the grapple deals damage with the garrote. After maintaining the grapple the only grappling actions you can take are moving or releasing the victim.
Grappling with the garrote has a blood-choke effect as per the Sleeper Hold feat:
If you maintain the grapple for a number of consecutive rounds equal to your opponent’s Constitution bonus (minimum 1 round), you can attempt to knock out your opponent. The victim must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Str modifier) or else it falls unconscious for 1d4 rounds. Each successive round you attempt this, the target takes a cumulative –1 penalty on its saving throw. Creatures that are immune to bleed damage, stunning, or critical hits are immune to this ability.
It actually does something now, though only in specific circumstances, and isn't SoD. Thoughts? :D
I want your thoughts before I introduce it to my campaign :)
Garrote
Exotic Two-handed Melee Weapon
Cloth or Leather, 1gp, 1d4, 19-20x2, Bludgeoning (nonlethal)
Wire, 3gp, 1d4, 19-20x2, Slashing (lethal)
A garrote is a length of wire or thin rope with wooden handles at both ends. The wire is placed across a victim's throat and crossed behind the neck; when the handles are pulled tight, the garrote blood-chokes them.
Classes with sneak attack are proficient with the garrote. Using a garrote requires two hands. It is ineffective against a character with metal neck protection, such as those on any form of heavy armor. It can only be used against a target with a neck, no more than one size category larger than the attacker.
In order for you to use a garrote your opponent must be helpless or you must be behind an opponent who is unaware of you. You must make a grapple check (though you avoid the –4 penalty for not having two hands free) to successfully begin garroting your opponent. This provokes an attack of opportunity, though opponents that are unaware of you or are helpless do not threaten you. Sneak attack damage does not apply to a garrote, however you gain a bonus to your CMB and CMD against your opponent during the garrote grapple, equal to your number of sneak attack dice.
Your garroted opponent must make a concentration check (DC 20 + your CMB + level of the spell he’s casting) to cast a spell with a verbal component, use a command word item, or use any magic requiring speech. They also can not talk loudly.
Successfully grappling or maintaining the grapple deals damage with the garrote. After maintaining the grapple the only grappling actions you can take are moving or releasing the victim.
Grappling with the garrote has a blood-choke effect as per the Sleeper Hold feat:
If you maintain the grapple for a number of consecutive rounds equal to your opponent’s Constitution bonus (minimum 1 round), you can attempt to knock out your opponent. The victim must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Str modifier) or else it falls unconscious for 1d4 rounds. Each successive round you attempt this, the target takes a cumulative –1 penalty on its saving throw. Creatures that are immune to bleed damage, stunning, or critical hits are immune to this ability.
It actually does something now, though only in specific circumstances, and isn't SoD. Thoughts? :D