DM'ing advice required !

[Dezea]

Hey guy !

Small question for all the Dm - And player - out here.

Are you adding some houseruled debuff to Player/Npc when their abilities score drops very low ? As an example, I had one of my NPC drop a rogue strenght to 1 last day, and while the rules would have him only heavly encumbered, I houseruled that he couldn't even move anymore. How would you had done it ?

And if strenght is one of the most evident, what about an heavy drop in another stats, but without reaching 0 ?

Thanks a lot !

[JDL]

Feeblemind specifically states that even with a score of 1 in Intelligence and Charisma a character recognizes friends and can protect them. However, reducing a creature to animal level intelligence in my books means they are unable to fight with manufactured weapons effectively. I'd limit them to natural attacks only or apply a non-proficiency penalty to manufactured weapon attacks.

Physical stats have their own penalties associated with them in combat. Low Strength equals lower bonuses to hit and damage. Low Dexterity means lower AC and Reflex saves. Lower Constitution means lower Hit Points and Fortitude saves. In my opinion stat damage and stat drain is already well balanced for physical stats in combat.

[(Un)Inspired]

Feeblemind specifically states that even with a score of 1 in Intelligence and Charisma a character recognizes friends and can protect them. However, reducing a creature to animal level intelligence in my books means they are unable to fight with manufactured weapons effectively. I'd limit them to natural attacks only or apply a non-proficiency penalty to manufactured weapon attacks.

Physical stats have their own penalties associated with them in combat. Low Strength equals lower bonuses to hit and damage. Low Dexterity means lower AC and Reflex saves. Lower Constitution means lower Hit Points and Fortitude saves. In my opinion stat damage and stat drain is already well balanced for physical stats in combat.

Aren't their animals in real life that use manufactured weapons? Like chimps using sharpened sticks to hunt? Don't apes have below 3 int in dnd?

[Douglas]

Hey guy !

Small question for all the Dm - And player - out here.

Are you adding some houseruled debuff to Player/Npc when their abilities score drops very low ? As an example, I had one of my NPC drop a rogue strenght to 1 last day, and while the rules would have him only heavly encumbered, I houseruled that he couldn't even move anymore. How would you had done it ?

And if strenght is one of the most evident, what about an heavy drop in another stats, but without reaching 0 ?

Thanks a lot !
Heavily encumbered is not the highest the rules go. If the rogue were carrying above his new maximum load (which is just 10 pounds, so probably yes), all he can do is "stagger around with it". No dex bonus to AC, moving even 5 feet takes a full round action, and unable to do pretty much anything other than put things down. If his load goes above twice that, 20 pounds, he can't even lift it off the ground. Unless some of it is held in hand or otherwise instantly droppable, I'd rule that the weight forces him prone and pins him in place until he can get rid of it somehow.

If his load is 10 pounds or less, though, heavy encumbrance is all I'd stick him with. "Unable to move" is an explicit consequence of strength 0, not strength 1.

[Scipio_77]

Hey guy !

Small question for all the Dm - And player - out here.

Are you adding some houseruled debuff to Player/Npc when their abilities score drops very low ? As an example, I had one of my NPC drop a rogue strenght to 1 last day, and while the rules would have him only heavly encumbered, I houseruled that he couldn't even move anymore. How would you had done it ?

And if strenght is one of the most evident, what about an heavy drop in another stats, but without reaching 0 ?

Thanks a lot !

I'm all in favor of quick'n'dirty gameplay as opposed to rulemongering, but on this one I would have let him waddle around. The presumably very light load should offer him this advantage compared to someone in a full plate.

[Dezea]

I'm all in favor of quick'n'dirty gameplay as opposed to rulemongering, but on this one I would have let him waddle around. The presumably very light load should offer him this advantage compared to someone in a full plate.

He was definitely not wearing much, tho he was above 10 pounds (27, actually), so I guess he was expected to be crawling on the floor.
On a side note, it was actually pretty funny, since that NPC was basically Min-Maxed and optimized in some deep cheddar, and I really enjoyed my PC finding creative solution around it.

And, let's be honest : As anticlimatic as it is to end a boss with a lvl 1 spell, we had a really good laugh at it.
(If i daresay, one of my player mimicked a Magicarp dying on the floor, wich, with some help with alcohol, just became one of our party meme.)
(And yes, we are all 40+ years old adults. And on a completely unrelated notes, I'm curious to know if my fellow GiTP gamer do use alcohol during their gaming nights ?)

[JDL]

Nothing goes together as well as D&D and beer. No better way to get into character for your Dwarf than having a flagon of ale at the table, I say.

[(Un)Inspired]

Nothing goes together as well as D&D and beer. No better way to get into character for your Dwarf than having a flagon of ale at the table, I say.

Call me a wuss but I prefer lagers to ales when I'm gaming. Even an IPA like Green Flash can be a bit too syrupy when I'm gonna be drinking for 5 or 6 hours.

[Dezea]

Call me a wuss but I prefer lagers to ales when I'm gaming. Even an IPA like Green Flash can be a bit too syrupy when I'm gonna be drinking for 5 or 6 hours.

This, as a French, will be absolutely cliché, but one of my player is a wine-grower, and I must say it does have some benefit to it.

[Nibbens]

(And yes, we are all 40+ years old adults. And on a completely unrelated notes, I'm curious to know if my fellow GiTP gamer do use alcohol during their gaming nights ?)

Yes and No. My players do sometimes, but not to excess - better for roleplay, I guess. And I usually refrain as a DM. I kinda need my wits about me. lol. If I drink, it might be a beer while DMing but thats it.

On the original issue of the thread, I'd play with the rules as is. A character with a 1 intelligence is still more intelligent than an animal with 1 intelligence, etc etc. We have more fully developed brains and higher cognitive processes which may be more related to our species rather than intellect.

Wow, I just took a long way around to explain game mechanics... I'm going back to my hole. lol.

[Scipio_77]

He was definitely not wearing much, tho he was above 10 pounds (27, actually), so I guess he was expected to be crawling on the floor.
On a side note, it was actually pretty funny, since that NPC was basically Min-Maxed and optimized in some deep cheddar, and I really enjoyed my PC finding creative solution around it.

And, let's be honest : As anticlimatic as it is to end a boss with a lvl 1 spell, we had a really good laugh at it.
(If i daresay, one of my player mimicked a Magicarp dying on the floor, wich, with some help with alcohol, just became one of our party meme.)
(And yes, we are all 40+ years old adults. And on a completely unrelated notes, I'm curious to know if my fellow GiTP gamer do use alcohol during their gaming nights ?)

Well, it sounds like a minor DM twist that made for a better story without changing the plausible outcome, so then it is all good in my book. I dislike letting rulemongering getting in the way of a good story.

As for your aside: Some of my players drink a little now and then, but it is never much. I don't mind it. :smallamused:

[atemu1234]

Yes and No. My players do sometimes, but not to excess - better for roleplay, I guess. And I usually refrain as a DM. I kinda need my wits about me. lol. If I drink, it might be a beer while DMing but thats it.

On the original issue of the thread, I'd play with the rules as is. A character with a 1 intelligence is still more intelligent than an animal with 1 intelligence, etc etc. We have more fully developed brains and higher cognitive processes which may be more related to our species rather than intellect.

Wow, I just took a long way around to explain game mechanics... I'm going back to my hole. lol.

I'm no were near 40 personally. In fact, not even 21. So I'm pretty much legally required to say no, lol.

[Dezea]

I'm no were near 40 personally. In fact, not even 21. So I'm pretty much legally required to say no, lol.

Being in a country when you can legaly start drinking beer and wine at 16 does hold some advantages.

[atemu1234]

Being in a country when you can legaly start drinking beer and wine at 16 does hold some advantages.

Not one of the reasons I prefer foreign countries, but hey...