Set Swords to Stun: Difference between revisions

** 2nd edition featured an optional rule that allowed standard weapons to do nonlethal damage (normally the province of unarmed combat and a few particular weapons) in exchange for an attack penalty, since you're purposely using your weapon wrong in order to ''not'' seriously harm your enemy.

** 3rd edition made the optional rule a normal one, included a magic property that let any enchanted weapon do it without penalty (and deal extra damage) and topped that by including feats that allowed casters to do non-lethal damage with their spells, allowing them to knock out enemies with fire, showers of blades, or contortions of gravity. [[Justified Trope|Justified]] because, y'know... [[A Wizard Did It|magic]].

*** The sole spinoffs to do away with it were the ''[[Star Wars]]'' based ones, since that universe has plenty of dedicated less-lethal stun weapons and stun settings on most (but not all) blasters. Rather than a reduced to-hit chance and easier healing, stun damage does reduced damage but inflict greater penalties for (temporary) injuries inflicted.

** 4th edition finally simplified it all by allowing a player to declare whether a monster is killed or unconscious when reducing its hit points to zero. [[MST3K Mantra|Just let the players make up a reason for why it works]]. 5th edition maintains this change.