Author Topic: Dragonchain and Stone Dragon  (Read 1835 times)

Offline Tonymitsu

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Dragonchain and Stone Dragon
« on: January 22, 2017, 02:39:32 PM »
There's a weapon introduced in the second appendix of the Red Hand of Doom adventure book called a "Dragonchain"

It is a bludgeoning/trip/disarm weapon that has text which states that if you enter a grapple, you can wrap the chain around your opponent and deal automatic constrict damage on a successful grapple check to the tune of 1d8+Str*1.5

What happens if you have constrict from another source? Like if a Warblade has this weapon and is in the Crushing Weight of the Mountain stance, which says you deal 2d6+Str*1.5 damage on a successful check?

Do they stack, or do you only use the bigger source?
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Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Dragonchain and Stone Dragon
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2017, 06:47:53 PM »
Typically Abilities don't stack and only highest applies. Further, into the specifics, CWotM's Constrict deals damage to grappled opponents for a successful grapple check, Dragonchain's Constrict is based on successfully grappling while wielding the chain so you can cross them over.

So my guess would be you could use the 2d6 base from CWotM while using the Dragonchain.

Offline Tonymitsu

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Re: Dragonchain and Stone Dragon
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2017, 04:55:44 PM »
So do you think a fair interpretation would be to just allow the dice to stack? So 1d8+2d6+Str*1.5 for the damage roll?
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Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Dragonchain and Stone Dragon
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2017, 05:57:29 PM »
So do you think a fair interpretation would be to just allow the dice to stack?
No, typically Abilities don't stack and only highest applies. And as noted they actually reference Constrict over merely describing them selves as bonus damage which is a pretty strong case to use the standard stacking rules.

But to play with your words there, it might be a fair interpretation to allow them to stack in your game since monsters have better success rates and higher damage for grappling then PCs typically do. Depends on your campaign's main enemies through, but if you do I'd use you formula (1d8+2d6+str) opposed to using both abilities at once (ie 1d8+str+2d6+str).
« Last Edit: January 25, 2017, 05:59:01 PM by SorO_Lost »

Offline phaedrusxy

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Re: Dragonchain and Stone Dragon
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2017, 09:20:46 PM »
Damn... that's a badassed weapon. Constrict normally adds damage on top of your normal grapple damage. Since these are both Constrict... I'd say they wouldn't stack with each other, but you would still add the bigger one on top of whatever you normally do in a grapple.
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