Weirdly Cool RAW Encounters

[Dan_Hemmens]

So I was in the middle of one of my usual "for pity's sake, don't assume that the world works according to the game mechanics because that would be *stupid*" rants, when it suddenly occurred to me that you could have some really fantastic scenes based on a literal interpretation of RAW.

For example: A group of PCs discover a village, seemingly deserted, in the middle of a desert or overgrown woodland. They find that the people there are all lying in what seems to be a magical sleep.

In fact what has happened is that the people had a particularly bad harvest one year, and decided that since they didn't have enough food to feed themselves, they would simply lie down and go to sleep. Since it is, of course, impossible to die of starvation or thirst in D&D, they have lain there for the past thirty years in peaceful rest, untroubled by the cares of the world.

Any other ideas?

[Reinboom]

An entire town living by the teachings and realization that death is no worry, you can still take actions.

A settlement that is purposely flooded by a couple inches of water, in case anybody gets hurt.

A small, probably wealthy, village where children are raised lawful good, yet all the adults are one step away from being so.
Reason: At the age of eighteen, if you lived a lawful good life, you are allowed to read a passage from the village teachings. "Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu".

[daggaz]

For example: A group of PCs discover a village, seemingly deserted, in the middle of a desert or overgrown woodland. They find that the people there are all lying in what seems to be a magical sleep.

In fact what has happened is that the people had a particularly bad harvest one year, and decided that since they didn't have enough food to feed themselves, they would simply lie down and go to sleep. Since it is, of course, impossible to die of starvation or thirst in D&D, they have lain there for the past thirty years in peaceful rest, untroubled by the cares of the world.

Any other ideas?

Man...amazing how many people get this one wrong. Best reread the RAW again, my friend. If you are taken to zero hps by non-lethal damage, the next round of that same damage counts as lethal. So yeah, you most certainly can starve or thirst to death in DnD.

[sonofzeal]

In a slightly different vein, one of my favorite rules-twisting monsters was actually published on the WotC website - the Gelatinous Cube Monk! Fast Movement, Improved Grapple, Flurry of Slams, what's not to love? But wait, you say, things with Int below 3 can't take class levels! Well never fear, because that's easily solved with a quick application of "Fiendish" (or "Celestial"). Guaranteed to confuse your players endlessly, especially as a returning villain.

[Dan_Hemmens]

Man...amazing how many people get this one wrong. Best reread the RAW again, my friend. If you are taken to zero hps by non-lethal damage, the next round of that same damage counts as lethal. So yeah, you most certainly can starve or thirst to death in DnD.

Umm ... nonlethal damage *doesn't* take you to zero HPs. You just gain nonlethal damage and, when it exceeds your current HP you fall unconscious.

"Extra nonlethal is lethal" is a common house rule, but it's nowhere I can see.