I am a relativel new DM (although played a little during 3.5) for a group of similarly new players. Tonight my group enountered a large gang of wererats and the figher was sorta feeling useless (grappled and used help a few times) so somone suggested having him take off a sock and fill it full of silver coins and use it as a improvised bludgeoning weapon. I though it was a fun idea and in the spirit of the game so I allowed it. Ive googled it and havent found alot of people posting about doing similar (did see osmone using a sling with silver coins which is fun too). Just thought I would share and wonder if others would allow it too.
I’d allow it. Especially if he was taking a penalty to his attack rolls by not adding proficiency due to improvised weapon rules.
a somewhat related example would be an arcane caster who casts the animate objects spell on silver coins. Objects animated by this spell typically deal mundane damage, and so it’s effectiveness is sharply mitigated by resistance to non magical attacks. Silver coins are often used to try to bypass this for some monsters.
Generally, the silver needs to make contact with the critter to bypass resistance. But honestly, putting coins in a sock is such an amusing and inventive way of dealing with the issue that I'd probably have allowed it myself. "The smelly, threadbare sock reveals enough silver from the coins to allow you to irritate the wererats; the Sock of Coins-For-Your-Witcher deals 1 base damage and allows you to apply your appropriate attack modifier".
Gives them something to do until they find a better solution, while still respecting the wererats' semi-iconic invulnerability to normal weaponry. And also just a cool story of the time when they beat a Horrible Corrupted Monster about the head and shoulders with a ten-silver weighted sock.
I have read books where they actually did this and the author let it work. Personally, I think it should not work - no contact means no effect to me.
My favorite improvised silver weapon came from one of the great Nick Pollotta Bureau 13 books. A vet dug a bullet out of a dying wolf she found and was surprised it was made of silver. Within minutes the wolf was attacking her. So she hit the bullet with an axe hard enough to stick the bullet to the axe, then hit the werewolf. Managed to survive, though she got bit....
I agree with yurei that while I think the silver actually needs to make contact to work, that’s so clever that I’d allow it under rule of cool.
The question would be who’s fault it was the fighter didn’t have something to use. Did you give them hints there would be were-creatures and they failed to prepare, or did you spring it on them and there no way they could have known?
Depending on the answer to that, I’d decide how generous I’d be with how well the improvised solution works.
it sucks to run into a were animal at low levels and not have much that can hurt it. I would absolutely allow the sock full of silver coins in a pinch.
I would 100% without question allow this...player ingenuity should be rewarded, and these are the types of details that make for fun stories. RAF for the win in this situation
You've made the expression "Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick." have a new meaning for me. I'm always traveling with a silver candlestick in my pack from now on. 1d3 is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
i'd allow it for a few hits..no way a sock would stay together when bashing in a baddy's skull. 50% chance each hit the sock tears and the coins go flying. ...maybe the flying coins distract one of the other greedy baddies.
Thanks for the feedback. This was a weird session where a player had a last minute emergency and couldn't make it so I scrambled to throw something together that was not part of our official campaign (this play session was going to be important and wanted everyone to be able to participate), but wanted something for the remainder of the group to do for fun. I sort of intentionally did not tell them what was going on to let it be a learning experience and see what they would do/figure out; but I'll use this a a learning point for myself to find creative ways to lead people when I spring something like this on the group.
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I am a relativel new DM (although played a little during 3.5) for a group of similarly new players. Tonight my group enountered a large gang of wererats and the figher was sorta feeling useless (grappled and used help a few times) so somone suggested having him take off a sock and fill it full of silver coins and use it as a improvised bludgeoning weapon. I though it was a fun idea and in the spirit of the game so I allowed it. Ive googled it and havent found alot of people posting about doing similar (did see osmone using a sling with silver coins which is fun too). Just thought I would share and wonder if others would allow it too.
I’d allow it. Especially if he was taking a penalty to his attack rolls by not adding proficiency due to improvised weapon rules.
a somewhat related example would be an arcane caster who casts the animate objects spell on silver coins. Objects animated by this spell typically deal mundane damage, and so it’s effectiveness is sharply mitigated by resistance to non magical attacks. Silver coins are often used to try to bypass this for some monsters.
Generally, the silver needs to make contact with the critter to bypass resistance. But honestly, putting coins in a sock is such an amusing and inventive way of dealing with the issue that I'd probably have allowed it myself. "The smelly, threadbare sock reveals enough silver from the coins to allow you to irritate the wererats; the Sock of Coins-For-Your-Witcher deals 1 base damage and allows you to apply your appropriate attack modifier".
Gives them something to do until they find a better solution, while still respecting the wererats' semi-iconic invulnerability to normal weaponry. And also just a cool story of the time when they beat a Horrible Corrupted Monster about the head and shoulders with a ten-silver weighted sock.
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I have read books where they actually did this and the author let it work. Personally, I think it should not work - no contact means no effect to me.
My favorite improvised silver weapon came from one of the great Nick Pollotta Bureau 13 books. A vet dug a bullet out of a dying wolf she found and was surprised it was made of silver. Within minutes the wolf was attacking her. So she hit the bullet with an axe hard enough to stick the bullet to the axe, then hit the werewolf. Managed to survive, though she got bit....
I agree with yurei that while I think the silver actually needs to make contact to work, that’s so clever that I’d allow it under rule of cool.
The question would be who’s fault it was the fighter didn’t have something to use. Did you give them hints there would be were-creatures and they failed to prepare, or did you spring it on them and there no way they could have known?
Depending on the answer to that, I’d decide how generous I’d be with how well the improvised solution works.
it sucks to run into a were animal at low levels and not have much that can hurt it. I would absolutely allow the sock full of silver coins in a pinch.
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Moments like this is why I took the Tavern Brawler feat. Kinda wish I had more opportunities to use it in such a fun, impactful way.
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The feat definitely picks up more utility if you resolve to consistently start Tavern Brawls.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
I would 100% without question allow this...player ingenuity should be rewarded, and these are the types of details that make for fun stories. RAF for the win in this situation
You've made the expression "Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick." have a new meaning for me. I'm always traveling with a silver candlestick in my pack from now on. 1d3 is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
i'd allow it for a few hits..no way a sock would stay together when bashing in a baddy's skull. 50% chance each hit the sock tears and the coins go flying. ...maybe the flying coins distract one of the other greedy baddies.
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Thanks for the feedback. This was a weird session where a player had a last minute emergency and couldn't make it so I scrambled to throw something together that was not part of our official campaign (this play session was going to be important and wanted everyone to be able to participate), but wanted something for the remainder of the group to do for fun. I sort of intentionally did not tell them what was going on to let it be a learning experience and see what they would do/figure out; but I'll use this a a learning point for myself to find creative ways to lead people when I spring something like this on the group.