Of Killer Rats, Dire Rats and Rodents of All Colour and Size

[Heero]

Well whatever, I keep forgetting this is DnD where our characters have no problem (apprently) traveling 50 miles in a day on foot or horseback, but can still be killed by a single rodent that snuck into a crack in someone's basement.

[paazin]

Well whatever, I keep forgetting this is DnD where our characters have no problem (apprently) traveling 50 miles in a day on foot or horseback, but can still be killed by a single rodent that snuck into a crack in someone's basement.

it's a peculiar type of invincibility

[t-ice]

Well whatever, I keep forgetting this is DnD where our characters have no problem (apprently) traveling 50 miles in a day on foot or horseback, but can still be killed by a single rodent that snuck into a crack in someone's basement.

Champion ultra-distance runners certainly don't look particularly strong and beefy, now do they.

[Heero]

Champion ultra-distance runners certainly don't look particularly strong and beefy, now do they.

I suppose you are right. I imagine the likelihood of one of those Kenyans that are always beating me (by literally hours) when I run would be much more easily defeated and killed by a rat. I think their chance of defeating said rat encounter would be about 50/50 whereas I probably only have a 25% chance of being killed by a rodent. So its fair, I think. You can cover 50 miles in a day in DnD, no problem, but your chances of being slain by a rodents are near 50%.

Either way, my luck is running out. I hope I dont encounter any rodents today.

[Blindhamsterman]

not quite... our rats are simply broken.... a rat should be:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/rat.htm

note that it has 1hp and can do a max of 1hp damage (2 on a critical) though technically wouldn't 1d3-4 = max of 0 damage?

ac of 14 shouldnt be too hard for a warrior type to hit and you only need to hit once... a spellcaster or ranged character should have it even easier!

now DIRE RATS... they'll munch on low levels quite happily

[Zelknolf]

note that it has 1hp and can do a max of 1hp damage (2 on a critical) though technically wouldn't 1d3-4 = max of 0 damage?

Technically it should be 1 damage on both, as any successful attack does at least 1 damage before DR is applied. (that is, 2*(1d3-4) < 1, therefore treat as 1). I believe NWN2 will math that damage to be 2. The side effect is (as we see, and as Heero notes) that the very-rare instances of small and physically weak animals (like rats and kittens) killing humans are a whole lot more plausible in D&D land.

[Blindhamsterman]

/me wonders if we could make such small beasties do subdual instead... while not correct per RAW it is much more realisitc

[kid]

ok. can someone please close this thread and open a new ones on rats killing heero?!

[I-KP]

I support rats killing Heero.

Next subject.

[Brokenbone]

Audit your rats, DM crews!

It is probably somewhat of a good use of time for low level PC survivability, and new PCs do indeed roll up all the time.

Per SRD, "Rats usually run away. They bite only as a last resort. "

I know I've seen critters who run in utter terror once combat begins. Baldur's Gate has bunny rabbits for instance who do that.

Per SRD, you'll also have seen the 1hp, 1d3-4 (minimum 1), but also the weapon finesse they get with their bite which means a pretty healthy chance to hit. None of this +1 or -1 or whatever, it could be +4!

Then again, per SRD, they might also travel in groups of 10-100, ha ha. A plague of rats!

Seriously though, the occasional "critter audit" of commonly used creatures can be good. If maybe your current DM crew vehemently disagrees with a prior building crew's "max hp" business on mobs, and your team is more the "average hp" cheerleaders, change away, there's a button to set avg or set max when editing critters. If you have unusually beefy mobs, or unusually weak mobs, or unusually poor mobs, or unusually rich mobs... mix it up, re-spec things to your own best judgment!

If you start anywhere though, start with chumps / mooks, they're a pure D&D staple that anyone high or low can encounter.

If you want volunteers to try fixing things (with clear instructions), ask. If someone gave me an erf of "here's all the goblins, make sure they all have these scripts selected and built to SRD", with any other tips on dropping things or not dropping them and letting a different script figure that out, sure, I'd take them and turn them around, at least giving them a shot!

[hollyfant]

Weren't we supposed to have a Grand Unified Monster Palette?

[Brokenbone]

HF, you may be thinking of ABR critters. I am sure many were made, and put into use.

But things diverge over time, too.

[paazin]

We (sort of) have this. Creatures are available on the DM FTP for general use.

[paazin]

We can integrate them into a new hak of blueprints and associated content, if people are interested.

[Galadorn]

Methinks 1st level (even 2nd...3rd?) PCs... are super green.

Should go in packs always, or just plain don't go in dangerous places.

Even if the player who plays them is bored and wants to "adventure".

If an NPC has a problem in his cellar... and HE doesn't want to risk going down there himself... a 1st level PC should also worry about it. We might know it's a low level static designed for new PCs to "do something" for a little extra XP and gold, etc, but if you go down there... it's not supposed to be 100% success rate.... how else will Creslyn get to lewt phat corpses if every static is automatic success??

Low level PCs (even lvl 3!) should worry about rats... they are wild, disease ridden, starving, sharp toothed vermin! and most times do come in groups... so RP that single rat in the game, that kills you, as "10 rats", and your death will be much more epic!


We're not actually playing PnP ... it's still a video game without 100% DM time/intervention and rarely (if ever) well rounded parties. I know ya hate me for this Heero, but patience is a virtue in this setting.

Or... go get em! (and maybe die)... or wait it out, get help, or take yer RPXP-increments when you're alone... and live a little longer. No, it's not perfect. But for those of us who play when no one else is around. The RPXP at least lets us plod along slowly and get a little advancement every now and then. I gotta get up at 2:30am every day "before" work, to be able to login and see others around. Otherwise, I don't risk it. Luckily for me my current PC is a very wise PC, so it's also IC to not go out and risk life and limb.

Heero, you probably don't believe me, but I too love to adventure in D&D.
No really!
But I value a long term PC survival, and RP relationship building type of play, much more in THIS medium ALFA. But still find opportunities to head out and slay many demons! yeehaw!


Oh yea, ...the rats! Ya just can't beat an animal.


It's a game engine we must work with . If the rats are set to "hostile", then they will attack. RP it with common sense, the reason they are attacking is they are threatened or hungry or both(?).


50 miles in a day? We chat about this stuff all the time... if you would rather the servers include literally to-scale 50-100 (500?) miles of road PCs should travel on foot, or hop a caravan, and the caravan ride take 2 hours real time........ i doubt it. So we all accept to let the "travel time" be RP'd. This will forever be the RP vs. playtime vs. realistic problem we all just face while at the same time trying to RP realistically. Especially when people server hop back and forth between 3 servers and all the way back again in 1 week. Never be solved. Just shrug it off and fire up another campfire.


game on!