Execution Damage

[CalleroftheDeep]

I am playing a Death-esque character, and I thought it would be great if he was particularly good at finishing people off. Does anyone know of an ability that grants more damage as the opponent becomes lower in health, or something similar?

[Thurbane]

Not exactly what you are looking for, but there are rules for using the Profession: Executioner skill to kill people in BoVD.

[Gruftzwerg]

Not as I would be aware of. The only things that come into my mind are spells that check the targets actual HP and if it has to much, the target is either unaffected or has to deal with a weaker effect.

Besides, in 3.5 depending on lvl and optimization of your party, the game becomes RocketTag mode quick. Which means: Execution Damage = 1hits

Why bother with Execution Style builds (low hp enemy = dmg bonus) when you can slap them out of existence in a single blow?

On the other hand, what purpose would it (execution style) have? You would need to skip all other types of damage bonuses (lets say a tank build) so that the execution damage bonus ain't wasted.

Enemies has mostly as little HP as your characters (sometimes a lil more if high CON + HD), but not the scales of lets say WoW, where you can attack a single enemy for eons.

Imho execution style combat won't work or just be weak in 3.5

And as said, why bother with execution dmg bonus if you can 1hit em out of existence?

[Thurbane]

A couple of feats may be useful for the character concept:

Death Blow (CAd) allows you to coup-de-grace as a standard action, instead of full round.

Harvester of Souls (EE) makes it hard for any creature you kill with a coup-de-grace harder to restore to life.

...of course, you need the targets to be vulnerable to a coup-de-grace to begin with.

[Florian]

"Execution Style" is normally done with builds centered around Death Attack or forcing a Coup de Grace.

[Braininthejar2]

The Iron Heart style has a level 7 discipline "finishing move" that does exactly that - 4d6 against a healthy opponent, 6d6 against injured, and 14d6 against a target below half health.

[CalleroftheDeep]

The Iron Heart style has a level 7 discipline "finishing move" that does exactly that - 4d6 against a healthy opponent, 6d6 against injured, and 14d6 against a target below half health.

Yes! This is exactly what I wanted! I'll need to pick up a level or two of Warblade to grab this.


Not as I would be aware of. The only things that come into my mind are spells that check the targets actual HP and if it has to much, the target is either unaffected or has to deal with a weaker effect.

Besides, in 3.5 depending on lvl and optimization of your party, the game becomes RocketTag mode quick. Which means: Execution Damage = 1hits

Why bother with Execution Style builds (low hp enemy = dmg bonus) when you can slap them out of existence in a single blow?

On the other hand, what purpose would it (execution style) have? You would need to skip all other types of damage bonuses (lets say a tank build) so that the execution damage bonus ain't wasted.

Enemies has mostly as little HP as your characters (sometimes a lil more if high CON + HD), but not the scales of lets say WoW, where you can attack a single enemy for eons.

Imho execution style combat won't work or just be weak in 3.5

And as said, why bother with execution dmg bonus if you can 1hit em out of existence?

You're right, Execution damage generally has little place in RPG combat systems (The last time you need extra damage is when the opponent is about to die), but in short, it's flavorful to have for Death, who gets more powerful the closer you are to his domain. If I wanted to maximize melee damage, I would probably run a Transmuter Gishy build, or Pounce someone out of existence with ubercharger, or run some fancy Diamond Mind WB build. I'm running ninja, for goodness sake! But ending someone from the ethereal plane without them having a chance to realize I'm there seems too flavorful to ignore!


Not exactly what you are looking for, but there are rules for using the Profession: Executioner skill to kill people in BoVD.

This is dripping with flavor. I will need to add Profession: Executioner to my skills.

[Fouredged Sword]

I remember somewhere there was an ability to treat targets who are cowering as helpless, but for the life of me I cannot remember the ability or where you get it. I think there was a fighter / barbarian fear build that wielded an executioner's ax and did this whole swift/move action fear stacking thing before using the standard action to CDG.

And I can't for the life of me find it again right now. :smallsigh:

[Bakkan]

Yes! This is exactly what I wanted! I'll need to pick up a level or two of Warblade to grab this.


You'll need more than a level or two. You need an initiator level of 13, which means of you want to get the ability by character level X (at least 13), you need at least 26-X levels of Warblade (or IL-advancing prestige classes).

[Florian]

I remember somewhere there was an ability to treat targets who are cowering as helpless, but for the life of me I cannot remember the ability or where you get it. I think there was a fighter / barbarian fear build that wielded an executioner's ax and did this whole swift/move action fear stacking thing before using the standard action to CDG.

And I can't for the life of me find it again right now. :smallsigh:

Puh. Maybe some year back, I posted a Slayer build I dubbed "Angry Citizen" that could do swift AE fear stacking and CdG as standard, triggering more fear stacking (and the nauseated condition) as an AE rider effect by doing so. But that used unarmed strikes and was eerily similar to Rorschach.

[daremetoidareyo]

Coup de graces count as getting critical hit. So if you have abilities that trigger on getting a critical hit, you can add them to your coup de grace damage. Roundabout kick should do it. I made a build that used a really iffy reading of the ranged pin, chokehold, and ring the golden bell feats. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19553570&postcount=252) Using ranged pin multiple times a round to proc grapple checks, some of which you use to move from a grapple to a pin on your opponent, which makes them pass out thanks to chokehold. Then you run up and coup de grace as a standard action, and then roundabout kicking them, which is also a coup de grace attack and thus triggers roundabout kick again. That is, if you don't assume that roundabout kick uses an immediate action instead of a free one.

[Braininthejar2]

So, a monk that uses the force to punch people in the throat at range? :smallbiggrin:

[daremetoidareyo]

So, a monk that uses the force to punch people in the throat at range? :smallbiggrin:

Once they pass out, you kick their head off. Very mortal kombat.

[Thurbane]

You'll need more than a level or two. You need an initiator level of 13, which means of you want to get the ability by character level X (at least 13), you need at least 26-X levels of Warblade (or IL-advancing prestige classes).

Depending on the DM, there is that poorly written clause that "most PrCs fully advance IL" (AFB, don't have the exact quote), so that might help depending on the build.

Of course, straight Warblade could be pretty neat for this kind of build anyhow. :smallsmile:

[AlanBruce]

There is a PrC from the 3.0 book, Sword and Fist: A Guidebook to Monks and Fighters that has the Gladiator, If your DM is fine with using such a book, this PrC has a neat little class feature:


Improved Coup de Grace: You dispatch fallen foes quickly, or with great flair. You may use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace attack as a standard action. If you are being showy, you take a full-round action to deliver the coup de grace attack, but gain a +2 morale bonus to attack for the rest of the combat.

This ensures your target doesn't have a chance to get up or be healed as quickly. Granted, I believe you mentioned your character is a ninja, so being "showy" to a roaring crowd might not be your style.

But if you can get the DM to approve of this as a special move for your PC, all the better.