Coup de grace

[slaughterj]

Anybody ever use it (much) in Conan? As in, ever need the rules for it? It seems that anybody at the PCs' mercy or bound after surrendering from a fight is just "dispatched," i.e., no need for a game mechanic for it. Paralysis seems VERY rare (Gelid's Bones and maybe some rare poison), so wouldn't come up much. When does unconscious come up other than negative HP, and therefore no need to coup de grace anyway? The only case with some frequency might be for sneaking up on sleeping enemies, so the Pirate ability and the Shemite damage bonus seem pretty much not exciting.

 

[quigs]

My group uses it sometimes, especially the scholar who sacrifices bad guys who pass out due to failed terror checks to get back his power points.

We use a variant in our campaign where the scholar loses the defensive blast ability, but instead if he successfully uses a spell or alchemical item on a target, all enemies within short range of him need to make a terror check.

Other than that it generally doesn't happen too much.

 

[slaughterj]

Sounds like an interesting variant, but under it shouldn't *anybody* who uses a alchemical item on someone trigger a Terror check?

 

[Sutek]

That was brought up in numerous other threads, mostly to do with Deffensive Blast, slaughterj. Personally, I think it's a cool idea, using the character's Magic Attack Bonus as a modifier so as he goes up levels he becomes more "resistant" to the effects of Terror caused by magic.

In regards to the coups de grace, we get hits that deal Massive Damage saves more often, quite honestly. CDG is, as you mention, only something that seems to come up once a foe is already down, and then I just say "Alright...you slit his throat." (lol)

Now, using it in conjunction with Grappling/Pinning seems to be the ideal moment to use it. Check that out...

 

[Strom]

CDG is, as you mention, only something that seems to come up once a foe is already down, and then I just say "Alright...you slit his throat." (lol)

That's when we have used it as well. Priest in a trance, prisoner tied up, etc. Players seem to enjoy saying "I coop de gracey him!"

 

[jadrax]

I use it all the time, Mind i'm a pirate with "Stealy Gaze"

 

[slaughterj]

I use it all the time, Mind i'm a pirate with "Stealy Gaze"

I hope you mean your character, not you

 

[slaughterj]

In regards to the coups de grace, we get hits that deal Massive Damage saves more often, quite honestly. CDG is, as you mention, only something that seems to come up once a foe is already down, and then I just say "Alright...you slit his throat." (lol)

I wouldn't be surprised.

Now, using it in conjunction with Grappling/Pinning seems to be the ideal moment to use it. Check that out...

I can see that, depending on how much grappling you get into, which probably depends on the campaign and the characters.

 

[Foxworthy]

In two Conan campaign's I've played in we've had about four pc's been coup de grace and over three dozen opponents. The one time was when the players snuck through a soldiers barrack and coup de graced about two dozen sleeping soldiers. My character was later coup de grace'd that adventure while my character was dying.

As I think of it we may have had about six PC's coup de grace'd...

A couple survived the attack though and awoke to fight.

 

[Voltumna]

The only case with some frequency might be for sneaking up on sleeping enemies, so the Pirate ability and the Shemite damage bonus seem pretty much not exciting.

And that is the only case I think we have ever used it in our game. My thief sneaked into a tent full of sleeping enemies, and he almost slayed them all in their sleep, but the last one remaining, who made his listen check, and then fighting followed.

Appart from that I think it is only cool for pirates showing off. The helpless condition makes it kind of useless IMO, unless you need to worry against creatures that regenerate quickly. Unless you want to make sure a guy is really dead, which you probably do, because if he lives he will come after you, why worry taking a standard action to CDG that will prevent you from many other things taht round? It all depends on the situation: you drop the guy when you should be already getting out of there, or if the sorcerer really needs the PPs right now, and things like that.

 

[Jakusotsu]

You can also use a coup de grace on a pinned opponent. My group has used this several times.

 

[Foxworthy]

You can also use a coup de grace on a pinned opponent. My group has used this several times.

Actually you can't since pin specficly says that your not helpless which is what is required for coup de grace.

 

[Sutek]

All, CDG functions as is a means to insure that someone Left For Dead never gets up again. Quite honestly, LFD is pretty hard to survive unless the individual has a pretty substantial FORT save and fairly decent survival conditions. LFD is really so PCs can claw thier way back from the brink of death, and most grunts or other more important NPCs can come back moch more easily through GM fiat.

Now, sorcerers making sacrifices and what not can benefit from it a lot, but that all depends on how evil you let your campaign go. I like to keep the evil stuff like that down to NPC villains, but it makes dispatching those virgin sacrifices to demonic masters quick and easy...