Pulling punches?

[Emo Duck]

I seem to remember a rule about this from *some* edition of D&D, but I can't seem to find it in Pathfinder:

Can a creature choose to deal less damage with an attack?

Example: Grobgar the Mighty has a strength score of 20 and wields a longsword. He is pitted against a young aristocrat with delusions of grandeur, but he would rather wound the man's pride than kill him outright or knock him out cold with non-lethal damage. Can he opt to deal less than 1d8+5 damage with his sword?

My question also extends to supernatural attacks: If a 9th-level antipaladin with the curse Cruelty simply wants to bestow a curse on someone rather than injure and possibly kill them, can he voluntarily reduce the 4d6 negative energy damage from Touch of Corruption?

If no rules exist on the subject, what do you think would be a fair implementation? Corner cases welcome!

[wraithstrike]

Nonlethal damage is how it has been done ever since 3.X.
Maybe 2nd edition are earlier allowed for pulled punches.

edit: For spells you can cast at a lower caster level.
For supernatural abilities it is full force, but a nice houserule might allow for you to not use full force such as a dragon that can do 12d6 might only do 6d6 for a breath attack.

[Ridiculon]

I don't see why you couldn't use less than your max str mod. Definitely a house rule but it would make sense to me.

[Emo Duck]

Ridiculon wrote:

I don't see why you couldn't use less than your max str mod. Definitely a house rule but it would make sense to me.

This also makes sense to me, as weapon dice seem to be more a function of the weapon itself. But taking this thought further, would you allow someone burly to pull their punches and strike with a negative strength modifier (down to -5, I suppose, putting only 1 strength point's worth of effort into the swing)?

[Khudzlin]

I think there should be a limit, but I'm not quite sure where to put it. In another thread about that kind of thing, I've seen someone propose a limit on that (up to -6 STR). However, I'd deny this entirely to a raging barbarian (because it would require concentration).

[Java Man]

Hmmm, not sure I agree that not striking full force requires concentration.
Game arguement: combat expertise, fighting defensively, full defense, feint, disarm, not using power attack, drinking a potion while wounded, breaking off an attack, moving to a superior position, all allowed.

Real life arguement: if a boxer only jabs he is not using full force punches.

[wraithstrike]

Java Man wrote:

Hmmm, not sure I agree that not striking full force requires concentration.

Game arguement: combat expertise, fighting defensively, full defense, feint, disarm, not using power attack, drinking a potion while wounded, breaking off an attack, moving to a superior position, all allowed.

Real life arguement: if a boxer only jabs he is not using full force punches.

You can jab at full force, even if the jab is not the most powerful punch.

With that aside I agree with you. I think it takes more focus/concentration to push yourself to hit as hard as possible, than it does to throw a lazy pumch.