SLEEP AND UNCONSCIOUSNESS
A sleeping character is helpless. If an attacker can come up to a sleeping character without waking that character, he can reduce the sleeper's hit point total to 0 minus the weapons max base damage with a single blow of any edged weapon, regardless of the victim's hit points or the attacker's level of skill with weapon. The process of dying begins at that point for a player's character. Note: there are some weapons that do 1d10 or 1d12 base damage. These weapons will kill the player outright since death for any character happens at -10 hit points.
Non-Player characters can be outright killed by coup de gras.
For example: If a thief attacks a sleeping character (6 hit points) with a dagger (4 points max damage) the sleeping character is reduced to 0 hit points (automatic hit) minus the weapons base damage (1d4) for a total of -4 hit points beginning next round.
Attacks on a sleeping character made with other (i.e. blunt) hand to hand weapons automatically hit and cause the stunned effect on target. They are not reduced to below zero points and the damage is normal.
Attacks with ranged weapons automatically hit at short range, and attacks are made against AC10 otherwise and do normal damage.
Any sleeping creature, including one hit by a sleep spell, can be awakened by force, such as a shake, slap, or kick.
Some types of sleep are so heavy that the character will not awaken when disturbed; they are defined with individual spell or combat-result descriptions, and are normally referred to as unconscious. A victim of unconsciousness is much like a sleeper, but will not awaken and cannot resist when being tied up.
<< BACK >>