Greetings, brethern

my Dusk-bound group is still deep into the swamps and I plan to ambush them with a monster of a constricting snake (dubbed "Devil Phyton") while they are knee deep in the water. The aim is to have a different form of combat. My plans are that the snake always tries to initiate a grabble and if successfull the pc will start to suffocate.

Here, my pain starts. Rules they that a pc in combat can "hold his breath" for a number of turns equal to his double TB. Which will give the other pc enough time to do something about the phyton, even if I take things into account like surprise, "be carefull not to hit your coiled-up friend" and "splashing around in knee deep water".

My question: would you as player think it is strechting believeablity to reduce the number of turns "till suffocation" (see p. 210 core rules) to "round equal to TB" if you are grabbled by a hulking phyton sporting Strength 58 (build with the GM-Kit xenos critter generator) and a GM-fiat "unnatural strenght x2; grabble only". ?

If we would talk about a normal phyton, I would advocate for "double TB" (due to some accounts I read up in the internet) and I know I am tailoring things to match my GM-needs... but you as player, would you be able to stomach something like this "since this a huge apex predator monster of pyhton"?

Thanks for feedback!

P.S: The phyton will not generate any other damage otherwise. As far as I read it, phytons aren´t strong enough to crush bones (although minor fractures might happen in certain situations) but kill through coiling up so tight that the prey cannot inhale and theirby suffocates.

I would reason in a fight there wouldn't be any nice and clean suffocation. You will get a gasp a breath here and there. A super pyton pressing with tons of pressure all over you body isnt just a issue of oxygen. Its about pain, about crushing bones and muscle. I would build a system where the snake deals fatigue. It could be balanced to end up with about the same timeframe (a few rounds).

And would let the players after being relesed fron the snakes grasp pass one thoghness test to regain consiousness, and one more the next round to get up om thier feet with a -20 penalty on all rolls.

Gregorius21778 said:

Why not use the grapple rules instead of suffocation ?

They can deal fatigue from the snakes second turn (pg 190). Since we are talking about a snake, the character would probably need to take control of the grapple, then pass another test to escape.

Then, once the character falls unconscious, switch to the suffocation rules. The character is already unconscious so skip straight to the 1d10 damage per round phase.

Bilateralrope said:

In fact, I plan to use the grapple use as well. In my line of thoughts, the grapple rules mechanic for damage is what I want to use to simulate the "damage" the snake does while coiling around it´s target.

I looked up some material in the interet about phytons and boas and while doing so stumbled about an excerpt (?) of an american tv show "investigationg" dangerous animals. This time: a large constriction snake (I think it was some kind of phyton. What caught was the descript ability of the real world phyton to coil so thight about it´s prey (in the example an deer-like prey animal, forgot the name) was unable to breath any longer. The coil was so thight that everytime breath went out of the lunges, the coil tighten again and the prey animal was hindered from actually inhaling since the belly and ripcage wasn´t able to expand to allow the body to "suck in air".


So, you suggest "normal grabbling until target passes out, then suffocating". Which rate would you suggest? Twice TB (as per standard in a combat situation) or switching straight to "1d10 per round"? Or something different?

Thanks for the input so far!

Gregorius21778 said:

Straight to the 1d10 per round. Or, if you are feeling kind, twice their TB in rounds from when the grapple started and the snake started to prevent their breathing.

I think I am going for "straight to 1d10 after all Fatigue is lost (through grabble damage rules).

To be honest, even a monster snake like this isn´t a real opponent for a group of three armed soon-to-be-acolythes (rank 3).

They will have about 3 fatigue at the start of combat unless I provoke some loss through "might of the GM" (= a little to much pushing, me thinks).

If the devilphyton gets surprise, I guess it will take the remaining (non-grabbled) pc about 3 to 5 rounds to force the snake to flee. This takes into account that they lose one round for surprise, the grabbled will splash into the water with a snake coiling up around him (making attacks either more difficult or pontentiall harmfull to him) AND that the snake is large enough that it´s head and/or tail might be "at large" and able to lash at attackers.

All in all, it is still "bestial". An apex predator with according WP, but a beast. Which is grabbling is thereby easy to attack.

Worst, if I do not take out the psyker, he will simply bio-lighting the beast till it flees (no to-hit-role for the attack = no risk of harm to the grabbled).

So, if the situation is meant to even feel tense, the suffocation needs to kick in a little quicker then after TBx2 (after 6 to 8 rounds).

Thanks for providing a second thought!