About Rupture and swallowed creatures

[SandersonTavares]

Hi, I have a doubt about the way the Rupture mechanic functions. The game says, about enemies with the Swallow Whole Action:

"If the monster takes piercing or slashing damage equaling or exceeding the listed Rupture value from a single attack or spell, the engulfed creature cuts itself free. A creature that gets free by either Escaping or cutting itself free can immediately breathe and exits the swallowing monster’s space."

Does this mean that the Rupture damage can come from a creature OUTSIDE the creature? The way I read it, it seems like it, but then the game goes on to say:

"If the monster dies, a swallowed creature can be freed by creatures adjacent to the corpse if they spend a combined total of 3 actions cutting the monster open with a weapon or unarmed attack that deals piercing or slashing damage."

So, is this to imply that my first impression was wrong and creatures outside the engulfing creature can only help after it's dead?

Would love some official reply here, thanks!

[thenobledrake]

No, Rupture damage can't come from outside... the sentence you've quoted is in the paragraph that starts with "A swallowed creature can attack the monster that has swallowed it..." and is describing how the details of such an attack work.

[SandersonTavares]

thenobledrake wrote:

No, Rupture damage can't come from outside... the sentence you've quoted is in the paragraph that starts with "A swallowed creature can attack the monster that has swallowed it..." and is describing how the details of such an attack work.

I know, but at no point does the rule say the attack has to come from inside. It just says it needs to come from a single attack or spell. My understanding is the same as yours, btw, I would just love confirmation on the intent of the rules by one of the many very active Devs here.

[CrystalSeas]

Yes, the attack has to be made by a swallowed creature.
"A swallowed creature can attack the monster that has swallowed it..."

Once you are outside, you are no longer swallowed. It is only creatures that are inside the monster ("swallowed") that can attack

[thenobledrake]

SandersonTavares wrote:

I know, but at no point does the rule say the attack has to come from inside.

...that's exactly what "A swallowed creature can attack the monster that has swallowed it" means.

You have to remember the rules work with specific exceptions to general rules. Generally creatures don't swallow you and generally attacks originate from outside the creature and have nothing to do with removing the contents of the creature's stomach.

Specific creatures can swallow you whole, and when they do there are 2 exceptions made to the general rules: one that enables the swallowed creature to attack from inside and possibly rupture and thus escape - and one that says how many actions can be used to free a swallowed creature once the swallowing creature is dead.

They are separate paragraphs because they are separate topics.