Choking rules

[DWARF]

Since the search function is down, I can't tell if this has been gone over before, sorry...

Alright, I have a rogue character who wants to be able to sneak up behind someone and choke them, to unconsciousness or death. Are there any rules covering this? I personally couldn't find any. Should this be part of a grapple maybe? Perhaps modified...

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I was thinking that if the opponent is unaware and flat-footed, the rogue should make an attack role, forfeiting his sneak attack damage. If he hits, he has got his target in a choke hold. Then, on subsequent rounds, he makes an opposed grapple check against the target, the target getting -4 on his role due to his bad positioning. A garrotte wire would give the attacker a +2 to this opposed roll. Damage would be d3 per round, d4 for garotte wire.

If the target is aware, but is being flanked, It would be similar. The rogue initiates the choke by making an opposed grapple check. If the rogue is successful, it continues like the above example. If the rogue fails the opposed grapple roll for the choke attempt, the target then can make an AoO on the rogue.

You cannot attempt to choke an opponent who is aware and un-flanked.

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Please give me some feedback on these rules, or provide your own, thanks

p.s. - I know there is a choke hold feat in Oriental Adventures, but I do not have that book, and doubt I will in the future. Unless some kind person decided to drop me an e-mail with some info..... heh.

 

[kmdietri]

I think there are rules for a garotte in the Song and Silence book. I'm not sure what they are but they could possibly be used for this situation as well.

 

[Moto Jojo]

I think choking is best handled by grapple rules pretty much directly - really all that's required is to describe the action as choking instead of wrestling about and punching or whatever you normally imagine it as. Someone posted recently asking about rules for people biting in combat, and my answer was pretty much the same.

The garrote rules in Song and Silence are essentially just normal grapple rules, with real damage in place of subdual.

The Choke Hold feat in OA is pretty cool. I think it has a prerequisite of Improved Grapple, also in OA. The idea is that you grapple someone and pin them, and after you've successfully pinned them for a round, they have to make a Fort save (I don't remember the DC), or fall unconscious for a few rounds.

 

[Arkham]

Personally, I despise the garrote rules from
Song and MC, I allow, as a grapple action,
a choke hold, a garrote adds +4 to the check
when the opponent tries to escape the grapple.

But instead of damage, it uses the suffocation
rules in the DMG.

If the character is surprising their target, then
the target is not considered to have had a chance
to hold their breath and go straight to
the Fort saves...