You only take the penalty when you are trying to do non-lethal damage with a lethal weapon. If a weapon says it does non-lethal damage, there's no penalty.
Now, you can't do lethal damage with a non-lethal weapon, but all you have to do in this case is switch ammunition.
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You only take the penalty when you are trying to do non-lethal damage with a lethal weapon. If a weapon says it does non-lethal damage, there's no penalty.
Now, you can't do lethal damage with a non-lethal weapon, but all you have to do in this case is switch ammunition.
Actually, someone pointed out to me that in the CRB, there is a poitn on being able to do lethal damage with a non-lethal weapon, for a -4 penalty to hit.
Sauce for the goose and gander, I guess.
Nonlethal damage represents harm to a character that is not life-threatening. Unlike normal damage, nonlethal damage is healed quickly with rest.Dealing Nonlethal Damage: Certain attacks deal nonlethal damage. Other effects, such as heat or being exhausted, also deal nonlethal damage. When you take nonlethal damage, keep a running total of how much you've accumulated. Do not deduct the nonlethal damage number from your current hit points. It is not “real” damage. Instead, when your nonlethal damage equals your current hit points, you're staggered (see below), and when it exceeds your current hit points, you fall unconscious.
Nonlethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals Lethal Damage: You can use a melee weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage instead, but you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll.
Lethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals Nonlethal Damage: You can use a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, including an unarmed strike, to deal lethal damage instead, but you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll.