[3.5] How much strength does one need to lift someone by their neck?

[deuxhero]

It would likely involve an (ugh) grapple check at some point, but what strength would one need to hold up a say... 180 pounds with items person after the needlessly complicated parts? The rules for carrying capacity include on back, pushing/pulling, and over head. Is carrying capacity (you can lift up something with both hands equal to double your carrying capacity) reasonable?

[Lev]

It would likely involve an (ugh) grapple check at some point, but what strength would one need to hold up a say... 180 pounds with items person after the needlessly complicated parts? The rules for carrying capacity include on back, pushing/pulling, and over head. Is carrying capacity (you can lift up something with both hands equal to double your carrying capacity) reasonable?

That really depends if the person wants to be held up or not, or how it's rigged.
Carrying an unconscious person while escaping from a flaming building and giving a living person with broken legs a lift is very different... but when it comes down to it I'd say you could manage to go full carry capacity with your shoulders aka neck (upper traps surround the neck sides, superficial backline also goes through the neck) but the lifting would have to be ideal and consensual conditions.
Explain how the person is rigged or held to you?

[deuxhero]

No, I meant grab someone else's neck with your hand.

[Marriclay]

As a DM, I'd say that you could do it within your carrying capacity as long as it's weight is medium or lower (for your capacity) and the other character is effectively pinned

[valadil]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/carryingCapacity.htm

Hmm. Treat it as heavy load, but don't forget to count the gear the person is already carrying. If the person is struggling or if you're trying to lift them one handed I'd say the max you could get is going to be light load instead of heavy.

Is this happening in combat? If it is I'd err on the side of restricted it to light load. It's a lot harder to get under someone who is moving around and trying to avoid being picked up. You have to be able to toss them around like a rag doll. So someone with Str 23 could pick up a 180 pounder, but a normal person with an oh so wimpy 18 str wouldn't be able to do it in combat - they'd have to brace themselves or something.

[deuxhero]

I mostly thought of it happening to non-combat NPCs as part of an intimidate maneuver.

[Mastikator]

Depends, are we talking about lifting an ogre or a halfling? It makes a big difference.

Anyway, from the SRD
"Lifting and Dragging: A character can lift as much as his or her maximum load over his or her head."
So using one hand would mean you can lift 1/4 of your maximum load. (because you're using only one hand, and presumably the body you're lifting is away from yourself). So someone who weighs 170 lbs you'd need 23 strength.

Also with the grappling and the pinning.

[Lev]

My bad, I'd probably multiply that by a factor of 1.5x for 2 hands lift or 3x for 1 hand lift since it's awkward, if they resist I'd also say take a -5 for 2 hands and -10 for 1 hand lift to the grapple.

[Hendel]

I mostly thought of it happening to non-combat NPCs as part of an intimidate maneuver.

If you lift me up by my neck, it had better be combat or the first thing I will say is "roll initiative."

[Seffbasilisk]

The assumption on lifting and such, is two hands (or as many appendages as the race can bring to bear), so lifting someone by the neck (assuming one hand), I'd go with matching their weight+gear against 'lift over head' divided by two.

[Saintjebus]

You say "Roll initiative" when someone threatens you with physical harm? Wow, you're dedicated to D&D.

[Hendel]

You say "Roll initiative" when someone threatens you with physical harm? Wow, you're dedicated to D&D.

You better believe it! It takes them off their guard so that you can gig them where it counts or run away depending upon your mood.

[Grumman]

One of my characters was actually created with this in mind as a viable tactic. She was a counts-as Goliath with Improved Unarmed Strike, the Crushing Weight of the Mountain stance and a dip in (Goliath) Bear Totem Barbarian. This meant she could rage for extra reach, use one hand to hit and grapple someone before they got in range to fight back, then crush the life out of them with one hand while beating them to death with a mace with the other.

[deuxhero]

If you lift me up by my neck, it had better be combat or the first thing I will say is "roll initiative."

If random commoner not giving me the information is going to be in combat, then it looks like I picked a fight with the right person.

[Gnaeus]

Enough to beat them in a grapple check at -20? That is how a monster holds you in 1 claw/tentacle/etc.

[hewhosaysfish]

Why are people using the Lift Over Head figures? I would have though Lift Off Ground was more appropriate?

A character can lift as much as double his or her maximum load off the ground, but he or she can only stagger around with it.

[deuxhero]

Enough to beat them in a grapple check at -20? That is how a monster holds you in 1 claw/tentacle/etc.

So the grappling part won't have to be made up by the DM, good to know.

I would hope a full BAB class+high strength PC would be able to make the check against an NPC with 10 strength/dex and no escape artist ranks.

[Gnaeus]

So the grappling part won't have to be made up by the DM, good to know.

I would hope a full BAB class+high strength PC would be able to make the check against an NPC with 10 strength/dex and no escape artist ranks.

A level 10 (full BAB class) with a 18 strength, +4 for items (+6 str mod), and improved grapple would have an even chance with a level 1 commoner or other med/low BaB class.

[Greenish]

I mostly thought of it happening to non-combat NPCs as part of an intimidate maneuver.

You need to be strong. That's all. Go with the narrative instead of calculating carrying capacities.

[Optimystik]

Neck Lift is rule of cool anyway, why bother quantifying it?

[Asheram]

If you lift me up by my neck, it had better be combat or the first thing I will say is "roll initiative."

The first thing I'd say would be "You just provoked an attack of opportunity"

[valadil]

Why are people using the Lift Over Head figures? I would have though Lift Off Ground was more appropriate?

I'm making the assumption that both people are standing up and roughly equal height. If you're going to lift them an appreciable amount (say 6-12 inches) they'll be above the height of your head.

[Gnaeus]

Neck Lift is rule of cool anyway, why bother quantifying it?

So that you have rules to use when the PC tries it on someone who will fight back.