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Has anyone ever contemplated tickling mechanics for D&D?

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Recently I've started DMing a 3.5 group, and it made me wonder what tickling mechanics would be like. I know this idea has been tossed around before, but I usually see it more focused on roleplaying. Me, I'm more of a gamer, so I'd rather see/make actual game mechanics involving it.

I haven't gotten too far yet, although I want to some day have enough material for an entire tickling themed book. You know, like something with new spells, feats, classes, monsters, races, items, etc.

For now, I just thought I'd throw this out there and see if anyone else had similar interests.
 
Not a bad idea--though I don't really have gaming friends who are into the whole scene!

I'd personally start with what existing mechanics would be involved, like saving throws. Any one of them could potentially help resist the action--save reflex if the victim were helpless. Of course, you could always put conditional modifiers on it. Like Will for the less ticklish spots that still work and fortitude to deal with the real weak points... just throwing out ideas.

For those real hard-core tabletop gamer nerds, anyone ever imagine that the spell "Tasha's Hideous Laughter" was actually the result of magical tickling?
 
The DMG advises you to take ideas from rules already in place, so I tried to do that at first.

I was thinking something like an initial will save, to avoid laughing for a set amount of time according to the check results (like maybe a mere 1 or two rounds, if not immediately), after that, you'd be prone for a -5 (I was thinking one more than the usual prone state, because tickling has a slightly stronger "distracting" effect than just laughing).

Then (here's where I'd probably end up altering an epic level Hideous Laughter a little), for every minute (10 turns), you'd make another will save to avoid losing your composure. If you succeed, the DC is harder the next minute, and so on. Once you fail, the next minute, you'd have to start making fortitude saves instead. The save DCs get harder each minute, and when you start failing, you take more and more nonlethal damage for each fail, maybe 1 point, then start up with d3s, etc.

Usually not a big factor in combat, but the idea would be, in like an out of combat torture scene, tickle trap, or if you're pinned in combat or something, you could start taking enough nonlethal damage to pass out (unless I make some mechanic about a special state that nonlethal tickling damage induces when it's over HP)

Then of course reflex saves would get you out of tickle traps in the first place. The idea here being I want to make all saves play a factor, since, if I'm introducing a big element, I don't want to rely on just one number.
 
You know, it's funny. I had a little side project and I had successfully programmed dice rolls and dice roll battles into it. It's not completely DnD but more along the lines of adventure gamebooks. It was never completed past even 1 chapter but the code is still there.
 
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Some disorganized thoughts on the matter:

Potentially relevant mechanics: will saves, concentration checks.

Avoid opposed skill checks for it. Saves and attack rolls scale "for free" with level. Skills take deliberate investment.

Something like BaB + dex modifier to make a touch attack and initiate it. If you consider worn and natural armor as getting in the way, maybe it should be a regular attack roll, but having strength modify the attack roll doesn't feel right. Some other consideration may be necessary.

Seems like knowledge(anatomy) or knowledge(relevant type to target) might grant a +2 circumstance bonus if 5 ranks or more are present, if you like skill synergies. I don't really like the option, as they weren't kept for Pathfinder, which a lot of former 3.5 players migrated to.

It might be relevant to consider how tickling interacts when grappling. Grapple rules are kind of a nightmare, though.
 
AnimeWatcher said:
If you haven't, look around on forums about d&d and tickling. Some people have asked questions about this, even had a few custom monsters made like the Tickler Demon.

Also, something that might interest you is an ACTUAL monster created for Pathfinder called the Nightgaunt. Take a look at what its known for.

http://www.archivesofnethys.com/MonsterDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Nightgaunt
Click to expand...

Oh, interesting. That is kinda what I was thinking for monsters (except the nauseated stuff, that part's kinda werid), like they'd initiate a grapple, and after they have the opponent pinned, (or if they have some special grappling ability, just on a grapple) they could start tickling. It may or may not warrant a general penalty for the player escaping the grapple, not sure.

Lurk said:
Something like BaB + dex modifier to make a touch attack and initiate it. If you consider worn and natural armor as getting in the way, maybe it should be a regular attack roll, but having strength modify the attack roll doesn't feel right. Some other consideration may be necessary.

Seems like knowledge(anatomy) or knowledge(relevant type to target) might grant a +2 circumstance bonus if 5 ranks or more are present, if you like skill synergies. I don't really like the option, as they weren't kept for Pathfinder, which a lot of former 3.5 players migrated to.

It might be relevant to consider how tickling interacts when grappling. Grapple rules are kind of a nightmare, though.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea for a tickling maneuver. It probably would just be like a touch attack, dex. I mostly just thought of it as a grappling technique when in combat so far. Grappling rules are a little complex, but I'm definitely used to them by now.
 
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AnimeWatcher said:
If you haven't, look around on forums about d&d and tickling. Some people have asked questions about this, even had a few custom monsters made like the Tickler Demon.

Also, something that might interest you is an ACTUAL monster created for Pathfinder called the Nightgaunt. Take a look at what its known for.

http://www.archivesofnethys.com/MonsterDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Nightgaunt
Click to expand...


Damn it all Pathfinder!!!! Stop making me regret that I can't get any of my friends to come off of DnD to give you a try!!!!!
 
My friend is going to run a Pathfinder campaign soon, so I'll have to start learning all the differences.

I'm thinking when I make tickling "books" maybe I could translate them to both Pathfinder and 3.5.
 
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Lurk said:
You can safely design spells, classes, class abilities, and feats for 3.5 and then follow the free Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Conversion Guide (OGL) PDF for adapting them to Pathfinder.

Be aware of Pathfinder's combat maneuvers (new rules for grapple & co) and concentration now being d20+CasterLv+abilityModifier instead of a skill check.

There are many other differences, most of which are small; Pathfinder is still very, very similar to 3.5E.
Click to expand...

Oh awesome. Thanks for the links. Those will help a lot. A conversion guide will probably save me a lot of time.
 
TickleWizard said:
Damn it all Pathfinder!!!! Stop making me regret that I can't get any of my friends to come off of DnD to give you a try!!!!!
Click to expand...

Off topic, but I just have to opine.

Pathfinder is D&D. After 4.0 the current group who holds the rights truly lost any claim to the mantle. Pathfinder is D&D just under another name. I'm old school from the late 70's on this matter, so I do have standing.

Anyway, there are some fascinating thoughts on the topic. A thing to consider is the type of tickling that you are trying to accomplish.

It should be more of a skill check with modifiers. Making it an attack, figuring armor and all that would make it too cumbersome. What are trying to do... simply distract, playful tickling, total paralysis, torture/interrogation, disrupting spells. There are many factors to consider. Certainly a will save is involved and a stamina check to endure. This is not really a HP issue, just standard stamina.
 
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