[D&D] Non-lethal Coup de Gras?

[Boomlaor]

Is it possible to perform a coup de gras that doesn't kill but instantly knocks the opponent unconscious with a non-lethal weapon such as a sap or with a monk using a nonlethal unarmed strike?

[Doomsmile]

I've asked about just that, and many DMs have said that, no, according to the rules, you can't. I personally think that's stupid, and would allow it in a heartbeat were I running the game, but that may be because I've taken a shine to characters that don't like killing people.

[akiko]

By RAW I believe the only way to do that is to make the persons non-lethal damage equal to or exceed their current HP. So party beats man down to 10 HP. You sap him for 10 and he's out like a light. Though I can't recall for how long.

[Doomsmile]

At least an hour.

[Linklegacy77]

You may make a coupe de grace with a weapon that normally deals nonlethal damage, such as a sap or a merciful weapon.

[Doomsmile]

But it's still a coupe de grace- it still kills the other guy, as opposed to knocking them out, which would be preferable in many circumstances.

[hedgeknight]

Maybe you just need to call the "move to knock someone out" by another name instead of coup de grace.

[Doomsmile]

You could just call it a non-lethal coup de grase. It sould totally be house-ruled into every D&D game. I mean, if there's anything I've learned from James Bond, it's that when someone thumps you in the back of the head with a blackjack, you go out cold, and then wake up in an easily escapable trap while the villain monologues at you.

[Noocytx]

Found this at the Wizards FAQ


{Q}What happens if you attempt a coup de grace with a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, such as a sap or a weapon with the merciful property? Is the coup de grace still automatically a critical hit? Is the target required to make a Fortitude save? If so, what's the DC, and what happens if the target fails? What happens if you use a normally lethal weapon to deal nonlethal damage as a coup de grace?


{A}This question takes us beyond the rules. You could rule that you cannot deliver a coup de grace with nonlethal damage, but if you want rules for using nonlethal damage in such an attack, try these:
When you attempt a coup de grace with a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, you automatically hit and inflict a critical hit. Note that you cannot deliever a coup de grace to a creature that is immune to critical hits. Calculate the nonlethal damage from the resulting critical hit just as you would normally. If the nonlethal damage isn't sufficicent to render the subject unconscious (see page 153 in the Player's Handbook), the subject should make a Fortitude save (DC of 10 + nonlethal damage dealth). If the save fails, the subject is rendered unconscious. The subject immediately suffers enough nonlethal damage to make his current nonlethal damage total equal to his current hit points + 10. For example, you perform a nonlethal coup de grace on a helpless gnoll that currently has 12 hit points. You hit the gnoll and deal 10 points of nonlethal damage, not enough to knock out the gnoll. The gnoll, however, must make a DC 20 Fortitude save. If the gnoll fails the save, its nonlethal damage total immediately rises to 22 (current hit points + 10), and it falls unconscious. This is roughly the equivalent of being killed when you fail your saving throw against a lethal coup de grace, since death occurs at -10 hit points.

[Doomsmile]

Yay! It's semi-official!

[akiko]

And a pretty good rule actually. I like that.