Descriptor (Damage Type)

• Source: Core

"Stun" is a damage descriptor, which indicates than an attack is non-lethal, causing subdual instead of death or destruction.

Stunning damage can come from many sources:

• Organic lifeforms can be stunned with thermal damage; high-frequency microwaves can cause disabling agony in outermost flesh, without causing any permanent damage. Such microwaves can induce current in metal, and would be very effective against droids and vehicles.
• Organic lifeforms can be stunned with kinetic damage; a skilled martial artist can bludgeon a foe to inflict pain, disable limbs, and even cause unconsciousness. Such attacks are of very limited use against inorganic lifeforms, but with enough intensity, might theoretically work.
• Organic and metallic lifeforms alike can be stunned with EM damage; the former is resistant, but the latter is especially vulnerable. "Ion" weapons use highly-charged plasma to induce EM fields which can wreak havoc on electrical systems.
• Organic lifeforms can be stunned using biological agents, such as poison, or even through the simple application of chemicals like carbon monoxide, which can inhibit breathing.

Sometimes you'd rather knock an enemy unconscious than kill him. That's why many weapons have stun settings and why stun batons and stun grenades are popular with law enforcement agencies throughout the galaxy.

Various melee weapons and blasters have a stun setting, and switching a weapon to its stun setting (or resetting it to normal damage) is a swift action. Some stun weapons, such as stun grenades, only have a stun setting. Unless otherwise noted, the stun setting on a blaster weapon has a maximum range of 6 squares (no range penalties).

When you make a successful attack with a weapon that deals stun damage, subtract half of the stun damage from the target's hit points. Additional effects may occur as well, depending on the amount of damage dealt:

• If the stun damage reduces the target's current hit points to 0, the target moves -5 steps on the condition track and is knocked unconscious (see Falling Unconscious).

• If the stun damage (before being halved) equals or exceeds the target's damage threshold, the target moves -2 steps on the condition track.

A creature knocked unconscious by a stunning effect does not die if it rolls a natural 1 on its Constitution check to regain consciousness or if it fails the check by 5 or more points. It simply remains unconscious.