Capture of Non-Player Monsters: Morale dice can cause a man or intelligent monster to attempt to surrender or become subdued. When this happens an offer of service can be made (assuming that communication is possible) as outlined above. Subdued monsters will obey for a time without need to check their reactions, and such monsters are salable (see Volume II).It's a little odd that the passage begins by suggesting that subduing a creature is a function of morale, but then directs you to the rules for subduing dragons. Also, this passage suggests that many monsters can be subdued, but only dragons can be subdued in Volume II. It's my instinct expand the subduing rules to other creatures, but still keep it limited. I'd reconcile the above contradiction by specifying two groups:
- humanoids, and other men and intelligent monsters who tend to fight in organized groups, are subdued when their morale indicates surrender.
- fantastic beasts, such as dragons but also others of at least animal intelligence, don't become subdued by mere morale failure, but must be explicitly attacked to subdue.
Edit: per Zornhau's comment, I should make it clear that "total" means "cumulative total". If you do total cumulative damage equal to maximum possible hit points, success is automatic. This does mean that you sometimes need to do more damage than the creature's hit points, if it did not have the maximum possible (6 hp per hit die.)
So, not cumulative then?
ReplyDeleteShouldn't the creature's actions have an effect? E.g. at least half the party must be still standing in order for a creature to be subdued.
No, definitely cumulative. I perhaps should have changed the word "total" in "1/6th the total [of] the damage done".
ReplyDeleteWhether the creature's actions have an effect is up to the GM. By the book, it doesn't matter how many of the party is still standing, and that's the way I'd play it. But it's certainly a reasonable house rule.