Say you captured a savage barbarian and were holding him for questioning. You tie him up with rope and proceed to interrogate him. Unfortunately, a business acquaintance pulls you away momentarily and so you take a knife and jam it through his foot, telling him to "stick around." (Or you ham string him or something.)
You come back a few minutes later and find the barbarian gone, apparently having burst his bonds and run off.
Well, no worries right? He couldn't have made it far with a knife in his foot. However, your GM shrugs and says "hp damage has never slowed anyone down before" why should it now?"
Would you be upset about this? Do you feel that the guy should basically be dragging himself, or hopping, or something else that slows him down, not sprinting away like he didn't have a gaping hole in his foot?
This is a discussion on rules versus verisimilitude.
If it was done specifically to keep him from running away easily, I would be a bit upset. If it was done just because someone felt like doing it to be mean to the guy, then that's fine. Either way, I would expect a trail of blood to track if the barbarian didn't take the time to bandage it.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
You could use the Called Shot rules for this type of thing
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Yeah, I would be upset. Verisimilitude should win over rules as long as it makes the game more fun.
The situation doesn't break verisimilitude for me. He's a barbarian, which means he's tough. It's hardly unbelievable that he could overcome the physical pain of a wounded foot to make his escape.
I don't think he'd be dragging himself, or hopping or limping. He's a savage barbarian.
Next time, invest in some iron manacles.
The only thing that would upset me would be if there weren't a blood trail to follow.
I mean, sure, he could ignore the pain well enough to run off at nearly regular speed. Barbarian and all. But he'd still be leaking.
Though if you cut certain muscles he can't walk, regardless of how 'tough' he is.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
If the stabbing was done specifically to injure the foot to slow the guy down, I would have treated the barbarian as though he had stepped on a caltrop.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
If the stabbing was done specifically to injure the foot to slow the guy down, I would have treated the barbarian as though he had stepped on a caltrop.
I like this ruling. Simple, balanced, and easily fixed under the right circumstances.
If the stabbing was done specifically to injure the foot to slow the guy down, I would have treated the barbarian as though he had stepped on a caltrop.
This was exactly what I was thinking.
|
If the stabbing was done specifically to injure the foot to slow the guy down, I would have treated the barbarian as though he had stepped on a caltrop.
Yeah, that is a pretty slick idea. Gonna put this one away for future reference.
If the stabbing was done specifically to injure the foot to slow the guy down, I would have treated the barbarian as though he had stepped on a caltrop.
This is what I was going to respond with. A stab to the foot for purposes of slowing them down should behave like this.
If the stabbing was done specifically to injure the foot to slow the guy down, I would have treated the barbarian as though he had stepped on a caltrop.I like this ruling. Simple, balanced, and easily fixed under the right circumstances.
this sounds like a good start,
however if i was GM I would obviously had understood your intent.
and taken it one step farther.
being as you COULD coup de gras him if you wanted to, I would rule, alternatively you could apply a condition to him instead:
sickened/nauseated? Make a heal check to inflict and an imtimdation check to establish a DC to over come.
Entangled? Heal check plus a CMB roll, if successful his bonds are anchored and hes going nowhere.
alternatively, since hes already helpless in his bonds, I might just rule nailing him down like that makes him paralyzed (with good enough rolls)
Of course I wouldnt tell you if you rolls were successful, as there would still be a chance for him to pull something off.
But I wouldnt rule you had just done HP damage and call it good.
even then, when/if he did escape, there would still be the caltrop rules to follow.
Say you captured a savage barbarian and were holding him for questioning. You tie him up with rope and proceed to interrogate him. Unfortunately, a business acquaintance pulls you away momentarily and so you take a knife and jam it through his foot, telling him to "stick around." (Or you ham string him or something.)
I think sticking a knife through his foot would do almost nothing to slow him down. Damage to the foot doesn't really affect how the foot functions (the important parts are between ankle and knee), it just makes it painful to walk. Any character, especially a martial character is going to laugh that off.
Sticking a knife through his foot serves a different purpose then cutting a hamstring or tendon or muscle or whatever. Knife through the foot keeps him from hopping the chair around or using that foot to kick the chair or whatever. Hamstring makes it so if he does get out of the chair, he can only move at 5' or perhaps half speed.
"stick around." - snicker snicker
I think sticking a knife through his foot would do almost nothing to slow him down. Damage to the foot doesn't really affect how the foot functions (the important parts are between ankle and knee), it just makes it painful to walk. Any character, especially a martial character is going to laugh that off.
Between the ankle and knee? I'd like to see someone try to run with recently removed toes.
I think sticking a knife through his foot would do almost nothing to slow him down. Damage to the foot doesn't really affect how the foot functions (the important parts are between ankle and knee), it just makes it painful to walk. Any character, especially a martial character is going to laugh that off.Between the ankle and knee? I'd like to see someone try to run with recently removed toes.
Just threaten to cut off something else, they'll run. :P
I think sticking a knife through his foot would do almost nothing to slow him down. Damage to the foot doesn't really affect how the foot functions (the important parts are between ankle and knee), it just makes it painful to walk. Any character, especially a martial character is going to laugh that off.Between the ankle and knee? I'd like to see someone try to run with recently removed toes.
Big toe would do it. It's crucial for balance. And I don't care how "martial" you are, a knife through the foot will cause damage to muscles, tendons and, perhaps, bone. It will inhibit you're movement. The phrase "finding your footing" is used metaphorically but the fact is your foots ability to pivot and stabilize is important. If it fails you fall down. The faster you move the more difficult it is to do.
If the stabbing was done specifically to injure the foot to slow the guy down, I would have treated the barbarian as though he had stepped on a caltrop.I agree with this. I like taking an already written rule and using it for something else, than just coming up with something.
As with others, I like this ruling. I'd say it sounds to me like the larger problem here though was communication. It's possible the DM misunderstood the intent of your action - a common problem in any game. Stabbing him for a moment of cool is a lot different than doing it was the full intent of trying to hobble him. One of many reasons it's always a good idea to take that extra second to communicate fully your intent.
Last week in my Saturday night game I was using a spell for an unusual purpose against an unusual foe, somewhat outside of the normal uses. I think had I not spoken to the DM as to my intent it might have been ruled differently. Instead, knowing exactly what I was going for he had it play out as I'd hoped.
So yeah, communication.