Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)
One of my campaigns ended recently and we started up a new one. One of the
first barbarian PC's in my games was drafted and the player asked me an odd
question. He wanted to now if a Barbarian could cause non-lethal damage with
their weapon while raging. I dug through the Rage (Ex) section of the PHB
and while the RAW did not diallow it, it seemed to go agaisnt the spirit
one the rules.
Rage (Ex): A barbarian can fly into a screaming blood frenzy a certain
number of times per day. In a rage, a barbarian gains phenomenal strength
and durability but becomes reckless and less able to defend himself. He
temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, and
a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but he takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class.
The increase in Constitution increases the barbarian's hit points by 2
points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the rage when
his Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are
not lost first the way temporary hit points are; see Temporary Hit Points,
page 146.) While raging, a barbarian cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-,
or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate,
and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or
concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require
a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion
(such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except Combat
Expertise, item creation feats, and metamagic feats. A fit of rage lasts for
a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character's (newly improved) Constitution
modifier. A barbarian may prematurely end his rage. At the end of the rage,
the barbarian loses the rage modifiers and restrictions and becomes fatigued
(-2 penalty to Strength, -2 penalty to Dexterity, can't charge or run) for
the duration of the current encounter (unless he is a 17th-level barbarian,
at which point this limitation no longer applies; see below). A barbarian
can fly into a rage only once per encounter. At 1st level he can use his
rage ability once per day. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter,
he can use it one additional time per day (to a maximum of six times per day
at 20th level). Entering a rage takes no time itself, but a barbarian can
do it only during his action (see Initiative, page 136), not in response
to someone else's action. A barbarian can't, for example, fly into a rage
when struck down by an arrow in order to get the extra hit points from the
increased Constitution, although the extra hit points would be of benefit
if he had gone into a rage earlier in the round, before the arrow struck
I am looking for some opinions on the subject.
Jester
One of my campaigns ended recently and we started up a new one. One of the
first barbarian PC's in my games was drafted and the player asked me an odd
question. He wanted to now if a Barbarian could cause non-lethal damage with
their weapon while raging. I dug through the Rage (Ex) section of the PHB
and while the RAW did not diallow it, it seemed to go agaisnt the spirit
one the rules.
Rage (Ex): A barbarian can fly into a screaming blood frenzy a certain
number of times per day. In a rage, a barbarian gains phenomenal strength
and durability but becomes reckless and less able to defend himself. He
temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, and
a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but he takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class.
The increase in Constitution increases the barbarian's hit points by 2
points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the rage when
his Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are
not lost first the way temporary hit points are; see Temporary Hit Points,
page 146.) While raging, a barbarian cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-,
or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate,
and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or
concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require
a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion
(such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except Combat
Expertise, item creation feats, and metamagic feats. A fit of rage lasts for
a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character's (newly improved) Constitution
modifier. A barbarian may prematurely end his rage. At the end of the rage,
the barbarian loses the rage modifiers and restrictions and becomes fatigued
(-2 penalty to Strength, -2 penalty to Dexterity, can't charge or run) for
the duration of the current encounter (unless he is a 17th-level barbarian,
at which point this limitation no longer applies; see below). A barbarian
can fly into a rage only once per encounter. At 1st level he can use his
rage ability once per day. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter,
he can use it one additional time per day (to a maximum of six times per day
at 20th level). Entering a rage takes no time itself, but a barbarian can
do it only during his action (see Initiative, page 136), not in response
to someone else's action. A barbarian can't, for example, fly into a rage
when struck down by an arrow in order to get the extra hit points from the
increased Constitution, although the extra hit points would be of benefit
if he had gone into a rage earlier in the round, before the arrow struck
I am looking for some opinions on the subject.
Jester
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