Is all of the damage nonlethal? Assuming it is used against good-aligned, human enemies it would do 1d3+3+4d6 nonlethal?
Thanks!
RAW can be interpreted both ways, depending on the GM: Special properties list "extra" damage, so it would be fair to say that if the weapon is dealing non-lethal damage, then this extra damage is also non-lethal. It would also be completely fair to say that since the special properties are delivering an aligned or energy punch as well, that extra damage is lethal.
Personally, I would allow the extra damage to be lethal.
Thank you for the responses. I actually hope that the damage is nonlethal for this particular build, but I was unsure of how to rule on it.
It would seem weird to me to have a mix of lethal and nonlethal damage from the same blow, so I was curious if someone had a rule that would settle it one way or the other. Thanks!
Since this is one of those slightly ambiguous situations, and considering that non-lethal damage is (generally) less effective than lethal damage, talk to your GM. If one of my players wanted to have their "extra" damage as non-lethal by design, I'd let them (I'd probably insist that the elemental energy types be lethal, though).
Thank you for the responses. I actually hope that the damage is nonlethal for this particular build, but I was unsure of how to rule on it.
If you're the GM, the ruling is whatever you want it to be.
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The base and the +1 damage would be nonlethal, the bane and unholy damage would be lethal. If you wanted it to be totally nonlethal, you'd have to put the merciful enchant in there somewhere. Although thematically, a merciful unholy bane weapon makes absolutely no sense.
I've got a character who uses a merciful bane weapon. It does a nice chunk of damage and allows him to take down evildoers quickly without worrying if lethal force is warranted until after the situation is contained.
The unholy aspect is a little more strange, but a merciful unholy humanbane whip could easily be a slaver's weapon.
I am the DM in this case, but wanted to use RAW if possible. I just wasn't sure if there was a rule on how to apply the additional damage to a weapon that deals nonlethal.
Bane just says it deals additional damage so I would rule that it is nonlethal on a whip.
Unholy also says it deals additional damage (not negative energy surprisingly) so I would rule that it is nonlethal on a whip.
If it were flaming it would deal fire damage which I would rule as lethal, but the whip in this case (it is for an npc) is not flaming.
Thanks again!