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Aug 5, 2020 at 21:16 comment added Peter Cordes @SeraphsWrath: Right, thanks; makes sense that just having a free hand isn't enough; the time / skill needed to swing it in a way that could actually cause damage is part of what gives monks the chance to make a bonus action unarmed strike. Revised example of maximum silliness: if you're holding a longsword, your most deadly move against an unconscious foe is to flip it around into an improvised club (a Light weapon), and grab a rock (improvised club or light hammer) so you can make a bonus-action attack on top of your 1 or 2 normal attacks. Instead of jamming the blade into them.
Aug 5, 2020 at 13:20 comment added SeraphsWrath @PeterCordes According to Jeremy Crawford, Unarmed strikes don't (normally) get weapon properties, so you could only punch someone once. twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/1033046570952929280?lang=en
Jul 23, 2020 at 4:32 comment added Peter Cordes @SeraphsWrath: That would work with Unarmed Strike, too, right? So if you're holding a greatsword, the most reliable way to dispatch an opponent who's at 0HP would be to drop your sword and punch them twice, giving you two chances to cause 2 failed death saves each. D&D mechanics don't always make logical sense in corner cases, especially surrounding hit points.
Apr 29, 2018 at 17:03 comment added SeraphsWrath @aramis However, if you attack with a Light Weapon, you can use your Bonus Action to attack with another Light Weapon. Since both are automatically critical-hits if they hit, and since an Unconscious opponent is typically prone, which means you have advantage on the attack roll within 5 feet, this is more than enough to ensure that someone fails their death saves.
Dec 12, 2017 at 11:04 comment added Protonflux @aramis that's what I thought. I was asking because I don't know of any reference to the term "coup-de-grace" in 5e :)
Dec 12, 2017 at 1:00 comment added aramis @Protonflux Prior editions explicitly make Coup de grace an automatic kill. The two failed death saves from a crit are only a kill if the target has failed one already.
Nov 29, 2017 at 10:06 comment added Protonflux @aramis "coup de grace generally would be an autokill" could you ref this in 5e if it exists?
Oct 13, 2014 at 19:45 vote accept Fridaypants
Feb 17, 2015 at 22:12
Oct 13, 2014 at 4:03 comment added aramis Actually, coup de grace generally would be an autokill, which the critical doesn't do. Mind you, if unconscious due to damage, that crit does count as 2 failed saves, so you need to either do more than their Max HP or hit them twice to ensure a kill.
Oct 12, 2014 at 3:02 history edited wax eagle CC BY-SA 3.0
added 3 characters in body
Oct 11, 2014 at 23:51 history answered wax eagle CC BY-SA 3.0