Cutting free from Swallow Whole

[fraserstanton]

OK so scenario is you are a level 3 monk and you are swallowed whole by a Warg (CR 2). Rupture = 9

According to the rules, you can only use a light weapon while trying to cut yourself free and it must be piercing or slashing ...

Quote:

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.

But as a monk, you only have unarmed (bludgeoning).

So you want to carry a weapon so you can cut yourself free when swallowed, but monks can only use simple weapons, which limits you to only d4 weapons (P and S). With only d4+4 (18 str) to damage, unless you crit, it is unlikely you will cut yourself free. Is this how it is meant to be?

Even with martial weapons available, best you can do is d6 (for light and P/S).

I realize that a crit will likely succeed (minimum 10 damage for my monk example), and the target is flat-footed to you, so it will happen, eventually. And I also realize that a monk also has a high chance of escaping, which is probably a better option.

But now what if you are a bard, or a sorcerer with noodle arms and no big plus to damage (e.g. 10 str) ... even a crit can't get you out with a d4 dagger. Hopefully your friends can cut you out.

[Ubertron_X]

fraserstanton wrote:

...

For simple weapons and being a monk that can not use non-bludgeoning attacks (see below) you might be looking at a Katar, which is (1d4+STR)*2 + 1d6 in case of a crit, however this weapon is subject to GM approval.

If you have access to martial weapons you will need a hatchet and a strength of at least 16 to be able to free yourself with a normal attack. Otherwise the light pick seems to yield best results. In case of a crit its damage goes from 1d4+STR to (2d8+STR)*2 which probably is enough to beat said 9 even with a strength of only 10.

And yes, I think that it is not by chance that the rupture value is 9.

On a sidenote:

fraserstanton wrote:

But as a monk, you only have unarmed (bludgeoning).

This statement is not true for all stances. Both Tiger Stance (1d8S) and Wolf Stance (1d8P) have damage types and damage dice that should be more than sufficient to get you out.

Also note that a Warg can only swallow small targets. And while small monks are of course possible I'd consider them a less optimal build because many combat manoeuvres (like grapple, shove or trip, i.e. something that monks usually excel at) have size limits.

[thenobledrake]

fraserstanton wrote:

But now what if you are a bard, or a sorcerer with noodle arms and no big plus to damage (e.g. 10 str) ... even a crit can't get you out with a d4 dagger. Hopefully your friends can cut you out.

In a way, you have answered your own question - the game is played by a team by default, so if you can't cut yourself free the party might still kill the creature that swallowed you and free you that way.

Things you may have overlooked that factor into this scenario: the damage done while swallowed still reduces the creature's HP even if it's not high enough to cut yourself free, and the general rules for swallowing (and the grabbing that goes with it) have been laid out in such a way that no character will have "impossible" odds of getting free, specifically all characters being assured to be Trained or better in unarmed attacks (which you can use your modifier for to do the Escape action) and in all their saving throws (which the monster rolls against a DC derived from to initiate the swallowing/grabbing).

Comparing various ill-equipped characters from a variety of D&D versions when it comes to escaping from the swallow whole attack of various creatures, PF2 gives them the best odds - and provides more ways in which a character could be exceptional at escaping from the guts of some hungry beast.

[Aratorin]

fraserstanton wrote:

OK so scenario is you are a level 3 monk and you are swallowed whole by a Warg (CR 2). Rupture = 9

According to the rules, you can only use a light weapon while trying to cut yourself free and it must be piercing or slashing ...

Quote:

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.

But as a monk, you only have unarmed (bludgeoning).

So you want to carry a weapon so you can cut yourself free when swallowed, but monks can only use simple weapons, which limits you to only d4 weapons (P and S). With only d4+4 (18 str) to damage, unless you crit, it is unlikely you will cut yourself free. Is this how it is meant to be?

Even with martial weapons available, best you can do is d6 (for light and P/S).

I realize that a crit will likely succeed (minimum 10 damage for my monk example), and the target is flat-footed to you, so it will happen, eventually. And I also realize that a monk also has a high chance of escaping, which is probably a better option.

But now what if you are a bard, or a sorcerer with noodle arms and no big plus to damage (e.g. 10 str) ... even a crit can't get you out with a d4 dagger. Hopefully your friends can cut you out.

You could always just make an Escape check, which would use your Unarmed proficiency, which, as a Monk, you are really good at.