Covering someone's mouth so they can't scream... how?


Rules Questions

Sovereign Court

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Saw a movie today where the sneaky bad guy snuck up behind someone, quickly put his hand over the victim's mouth so he couldn't scream, then cut his throat.

How would you model that in game?

Stealth to sneak up, then a surprise Grapple? Or maybe a surprise Dirty Trick giving a "silenced" condition?

The classic is left hand over the mouth, right hand knife across the throat. Two-weapon attack? But only the first would be a surprise, so the second wouldn't get sneak attack damage. That doesn't seem right.

Suggestions?


I think it would be flavorful description being thrown in at the GM's discretion. I mean, if you sneak attack a guy and kill him with one shot, he won't really have time to scream, so it could just be interpreted as you doing that to him.


Surprise round, initiate grapple, win initiative, pin.

Liberty's Edge

In 3.5 there was an explicit rule that allowed you the option of preventing a pinned opponent from speaking. However this was dropped in Pathfinder (whether on purpose or accident I don't know, so I assume on purpose).

Therefore any option to silence a pinned opponent in PF is at the GM's discretion (and maybe will impose a penalty, or require you to efectively grapple one handed etc).


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber
Mosaic wrote:

Saw a movie today where the sneaky bad guy snuck up behind someone, quickly put his hand over the victim's mouth so he couldn't scream, then cut his throat.

How would you model that in game?

Stealth to sneak up, then a surprise Grapple? Or maybe a surprise Dirty Trick giving a "silenced" condition?

The classic is left hand over the mouth, right hand knife across the throat. Two-weapon attack? But only the first would be a surprise, so the second wouldn't get sneak attack damage. That doesn't seem right.

Suggestions?

Death Attack by an Assassin would do this nicely.

First: Quick Dirty Trick to silence (cupping their mouth)
Second: Death Attack

After the initial study, you still have 3 rounds to make the Death attack as part of your sneak attack. See no reason you can't do it on the second attack on a full attack.

Shadow Lodge

Mosaic wrote:

Saw a movie today where the sneaky bad guy snuck up behind someone, quickly put his hand over the victim's mouth so he couldn't scream, then cut his throat.

How would you model that in game?

Stealth to sneak up, then a surprise Grapple? Or maybe a surprise Dirty Trick giving a "silenced" condition?

The classic is left hand over the mouth, right hand knife across the throat. Two-weapon attack? But only the first would be a surprise, so the second wouldn't get sneak attack damage. That doesn't seem right.

Suggestions?

a feat called CHOKE HOLD. you grapple them, then you pin them as a stunning fist, if the stunning fist succeeds then you choke them preventing them from being able to speak. its the only way to do it in pathfinder by the rules.

a GM can deal with it how ever they choose to if they are willing to house rule.

Alwaysafk wrote:


Death Attack by an Assassin would do this nicely.
First: Quick Dirty Trick to silence (cupping their mouth)
Second: Death Attack

After the initial study, you still have 3 rounds to make the Death attack as part of your sneak attack. See no reason you can't do it on the second attack on a full attack.

i dont think dirty trick allows silence, unless the gm says so.

Scarab Sages Reaper Miniatures

PFSRD
[quote=]If your attack is successful, the target takes a penalty. The penalty is limited to one of the following conditions:

blinded, dazzled, deafened, entangled, shaken, or sickened.

Silenced is not allowed RAW, but I would allow it as a GM, based on the Rule of Cool and Rule 0.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber
Bryan Stiltz wrote:

PFSRD

[quote=]If your attack is successful, the target takes a penalty. The penalty is limited to one of the following conditions:

blinded, dazzled, deafened, entangled, shaken, or sickened.

Silenced is not allowed RAW, but I would allow it as a GM, based on the Rule of Cool and Rule 0.

Aye, don't see why a DM wouldn't allow the silence even if it's simply for the duration of the surprise round.

Though reading through Assassin again you might be able to use Quite Death and forgo the Quick Dirty Trick Entirely.

Quite Death:
At 6th level, whenever an assassin kills a creature using his death attack during a surprise round, he can also make a Stealth check, opposed by Perception checks of those in the vicinity to prevent them from identifying him as the assailant. If successful, those nearby might not even notice that the target is dead for a few moments, allowing the assassin to avoid detection.

Silver Crusade

There are feats for forbidding a grappled creature from speaking.


Maxximilius, given the Pinned condition still allows for verbal actions can you name and link to these feats please.

Silver Crusade

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/chokehold-combat
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/jawbreaker-combat


Alwaysafk wrote:
Mosaic wrote:

Saw a movie today where the sneaky bad guy snuck up behind someone, quickly put his hand over the victim's mouth so he couldn't scream, then cut his throat.

How would you model that in game?

Stealth to sneak up, then a surprise Grapple? Or maybe a surprise Dirty Trick giving a "silenced" condition?

The classic is left hand over the mouth, right hand knife across the throat. Two-weapon attack? But only the first would be a surprise, so the second wouldn't get sneak attack damage. That doesn't seem right.

Suggestions?

Death Attack by an Assassin would do this nicely.

First: Quick Dirty Trick to silence (cupping their mouth)
Second: Death Attack

After the initial study, you still have 3 rounds to make the Death attack as part of your sneak attack. See no reason you can't do it on the second attack on a full attack.

You can't Death Attack if they realize that you are an enemy. It just turns into a Sneak Attack.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber
Serisan wrote:
Alwaysafk wrote:
Mosaic wrote:

Saw a movie today where the sneaky bad guy snuck up behind someone, quickly put his hand over the victim's mouth so he couldn't scream, then cut his throat.

How would you model that in game?

Stealth to sneak up, then a surprise Grapple? Or maybe a surprise Dirty Trick giving a "silenced" condition?

The classic is left hand over the mouth, right hand knife across the throat. Two-weapon attack? But only the first would be a surprise, so the second wouldn't get sneak attack damage. That doesn't seem right.

Suggestions?

Death Attack by an Assassin would do this nicely.

First: Quick Dirty Trick to silence (cupping their mouth)
Second: Death Attack

After the initial study, you still have 3 rounds to make the Death attack as part of your sneak attack. See no reason you can't do it on the second attack on a full attack.

You can't Death Attack if they realize that you are an enemy. It just turns into a Sneak Attack.

Ah point taken. Still thought Quite Death is pretty much what he's looking for so it would be:

Study
Death Attack using Quite Death
???
Profit!

Could this be done with spring attack?


CMB as a part of the attack roll, or as right before it.

CMB is meant for that kind of stuff.

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