Injury, Death and Dying: Difference between revisions
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[[Category:Epic Path]] | [[Category:Epic Path]] | ||
''Go back to the [[Epic Path]] page.'' | ''Go back to the [[Epic Path]] page.'' | ||
== Health == | == Health == | ||
=== Hit Points === | === Hit Points === | ||
Hit points are the measure of your ability to continue fighting. They are not specifically a measure of how injured you are, in the sense that losing 10% of your hit points does not mean the loss of 10% of your body. Instead, it represents a 10% reduction in your physical resources which permit you to fight, such as how much blood you've lost, how winded you are, etc. At the end of the day, it is a very abstract value, and cannot be converted into a formula to decide how many of the 206 bones in your body (assuming your character is human) are broken at any given time. | Hit points are the measure of your ability to continue fighting. They are not specifically a measure of how injured you are, in the sense that losing 10% of your hit points does not mean the loss of 10% of your body. Instead, it represents a 10% reduction in your physical resources which permit you to fight, such as how much blood you've lost, how winded you are, etc. At the end of the day, it is a very abstract value, and cannot be converted into a formula to decide how many of the 206 bones in your body (assuming your character is human) are broken at any given time. | ||
Of course, once your hit points go below 0, your character is no longer able to fight. | Of course, once your hit points go below 0, your character is no longer able to fight. | ||
=== Temporary Hit Points === | === Temporary Hit Points === | ||
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While temporary hit points may have a duration lasting minutes or even hours, this is only in preparation of combat. Once an initiative roll is made (and combat begins), all temporary hit points currently applied or applied during the fight have their duration reduced to the end of combat (when the initiative order is dismissed) or until they are removed through damage, whichever is sooner. | While temporary hit points may have a duration lasting minutes or even hours, this is only in preparation of combat. Once an initiative roll is made (and combat begins), all temporary hit points currently applied or applied during the fight have their duration reduced to the end of combat (when the initiative order is dismissed) or until they are removed through damage, whichever is sooner. | ||
== Types of Damage == | == Types of Damage == | ||
=== Damage === | === Damage === | ||
Damage is the classic measure of injury, distress or debilitation that has been inflicted upon a creature as a result of some dangerous event or activity, such as getting hit by that heavy thing the troll is swinging around. Damage is an abstract measure, much like hit points, which doesn't correlate to any specific amount of injury, blood loss or structural/skeletal damage to your character's form. However, damage is used to describe the declining ability of your character to continue fighting. | Damage is the classic measure of injury, distress or debilitation that has been inflicted upon a creature as a result of some dangerous event or activity, such as getting hit by that heavy thing the troll is swinging around. Damage is an abstract measure, much like hit points, which doesn't correlate to any specific amount of injury, blood loss or structural/skeletal damage to your character's form. However, damage is used to describe the declining ability of your character to continue fighting. | ||
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Damage can be healed with spells, but also heals naturally with rest. | Damage can be healed with spells, but also heals naturally with rest. | ||
=== Non-Lethal Damage === | === Non-Lethal Damage === | ||
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When your nonlethal damage equals your current hit points, you become [[Staggered]]. You can only take a standard action or a move action in each round (in addition to free, immediate, and swift actions). You cease being staggered when your current hit points once again exceed your nonlethal damage. | When your nonlethal damage equals your current hit points, you become [[Staggered]]. You can only take a standard action or a move action in each round (in addition to free, immediate, and swift actions). You cease being staggered when your current hit points once again exceed your nonlethal damage. | ||
When your nonlethal damage exceeds your current hit points, you fall [[Unconscious | When your nonlethal damage exceeds your current hit points, you fall [[Unconscious]]. | ||
Spellcasters who fall unconscious retain any spellcasting ability they had before going unconscious. | Spellcasters who fall unconscious retain any spellcasting ability they had before going unconscious. | ||
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If a creature's nonlethal damage is equal to his total maximum hit points (not his current hit points), all further nonlethal damage is treated as lethal damage. This does not apply to creatures with regeneration. Such creatures simply accrue additional nonlethal damage, increasing the amount of time they remain unconscious. | If a creature's nonlethal damage is equal to his total maximum hit points (not his current hit points), all further nonlethal damage is treated as lethal damage. This does not apply to creatures with regeneration. Such creatures simply accrue additional nonlethal damage, increasing the amount of time they remain unconscious. | ||
'''Example:''' A sturdy fighter has 100 hit points. His doughty warlord gives him 50 temporary hit points, and his monk friend playfully begins punching him, doing non-lethal damage, because monks can do that. | |||
Example: A sturdy fighter has 100 hit points. His doughty warlord gives him 50 temporary hit points, and his monk friend playfully begins punching him, doing non-lethal damage, because monks can do that. | |||
The first punch of the monk does 45 points of non-lethal damage. (Ow.) The fighters temp hit points and normal hit points DO NOT CHANGE. The warlord is frustrated, because this is bypassing her best mojo. | The first punch of the monk does 45 points of non-lethal damage. (Ow.) The fighters temp hit points and normal hit points DO NOT CHANGE. The warlord is frustrated, because this is bypassing her best mojo. | ||
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The second punch does 56 points of damage. The fighter now has 101 points of non-lethal damage and drops in his tracks, despite having 100 normal hit points and 50 temporary hit points on top of that. | The second punch does 56 points of damage. The fighter now has 101 points of non-lethal damage and drops in his tracks, despite having 100 normal hit points and 50 temporary hit points on top of that. | ||
Example: The fighter is laying there unconscious. The warlord uses Encouraging Word and heals him for 50 hit points. This healing, like all healing, reduces the amount of temporary damage and leaves the Fighter with 51 points of non-lethal damage. The fighter wakes up, ready to go. | '''Example:''' The fighter is laying there unconscious. The warlord uses Encouraging Word and heals him for 50 hit points. This healing, like all healing, reduces the amount of temporary damage and leaves the Fighter with 51 points of non-lethal damage. The fighter wakes up, ready to go. | ||
Example: The Monk is tired and stops hitting the fighter. The Rogue replaces him. The Rogue doesn't do non-lethal damage, and stabs the hapless fighter for a whopping 80 points of damage. This removes all fifty of the temporary hit points and does 30 hit points of real damage, leaving the fighter with 70 normal hit points and 51 points of non-lethal damage. The fighter is able to continue. | '''Example:''' The Monk is tired and stops hitting the fighter. The Rogue replaces him. The Rogue doesn't do non-lethal damage, and stabs the hapless fighter for a whopping 80 points of damage. This removes all fifty of the temporary hit points and does 30 hit points of real damage, leaving the fighter with 70 normal hit points and 51 points of non-lethal damage. The fighter is able to continue. | ||
Example: The Monk, aghast at the deadly strike of the rogue, hits the fighter again, doing more non-lethal, before the rogue can go again. The monk tanks the roll and does only 20 points of non-lethal. This leaves the Fighter with 71 points of non-lethal damage, but because he only has 70 normal hit points due to the damage the rogue inflicted, down he goes again. It's a hard day to be a Fighter. | '''Example:''' The Monk, aghast at the deadly strike of the rogue, hits the fighter again, doing more non-lethal, before the rogue can go again. The monk tanks the roll and does only 20 points of non-lethal. This leaves the Fighter with 71 points of non-lethal damage, but because he only has 70 normal hit points due to the damage the rogue inflicted, down he goes again. It's a hard day to be a Fighter. | ||
Example: Exasperated, the Warlord uses Encouraging Word again, and cures the Fighter for another 50 hit points. This removes 50 hit points of non-lethal damage, leaving the Fighter with 21 points of Non-lethal, and also heals the Fighters normal hit points by 30, up to his normal maximum of 100. The Fighter wakes up and decides to start using his shield, all this getting hit and waking up is starting to make him woozy.... | '''Example:''' Exasperated, the Warlord uses Encouraging Word again, and cures the Fighter for another 50 hit points. This removes 50 hit points of non-lethal damage, leaving the Fighter with 21 points of Non-lethal, and also heals the Fighters normal hit points by 30, up to his normal maximum of 100. The Fighter wakes up and decides to start using his shield, all this getting hit and waking up is starting to make him woozy.... | ||
====Nonlethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals Lethal Damage==== | |||
You can use a melee weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage instead, but you take a -4 penalty on your attack roll. | You can use a melee weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage instead, but you take a -4 penalty on your attack roll. | ||
====Lethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals Nonlethal Damage==== | |||
You can use a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, including an unarmed strike, to deal lethal damage instead, but you take a -4 penalty on your attack roll. | You can use a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, including an unarmed strike, to deal lethal damage instead, but you take a -4 penalty on your attack roll. | ||
====Healing Nonlethal Damage==== | |||
Unlike normal damage, nonlethal damage is healed quickly with rest. You heal nonlethal damage at the rate of 1 hit point per hour per character level. When a spell or ability cures hit point damage, it also removes an equal amount of nonlethal damage. | Unlike normal damage, nonlethal damage is healed quickly with rest. You heal nonlethal damage at the rate of 1 hit point per hour per character level. When a spell or ability cures hit point damage, it also removes an equal amount of nonlethal damage. | ||
=== Ability Damage === | === Ability Damage === | ||
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:; Charisma | :; Charisma | ||
: Damage to your Charisma score causes you to take penalties on Charisma-based skill checks. This penalty also applies to any spell DCs based off Charisma and the DC to resist your channeled energy. A character with a Charisma score of 0 is not able to exert himself in any way and is unconscious. | : Damage to your Charisma score causes you to take penalties on Charisma-based skill checks. This penalty also applies to any spell DCs based off Charisma and the DC to resist your channeled energy. A character with a Charisma score of 0 is not able to exert himself in any way and is unconscious. | ||
====Ability Score Penalties==== | ====Ability Score Penalties==== | ||
Some spells and abilities cause you to take an ability penalty for a limited amount of time. While in effect, these penalties function just like ability damage, but they cannot cause you to fall unconscious or die. In essence, penalties cannot decrease your ability score to less than 1. | Some spells and abilities cause you to take an ability penalty for a limited amount of time. While in effect, these penalties function just like ability damage, but they cannot cause you to fall unconscious or die. In essence, penalties cannot decrease your ability score to less than 1. | ||
====Ability Drain==== | ====Ability Drain==== | ||
Ability drain actually reduces the relevant ability score. Modify all skills and statistics related to that ability. This might cause you to lose skill points, hit points, and other bonuses. Ability drain can be healed through the use of spells such as Restoration. | Ability drain actually reduces the relevant ability score. Modify all skills and statistics related to that ability. This might cause you to lose skill points, hit points, and other bonuses. Ability drain can be healed through the use of spells such as Restoration. | ||
=== Energy Damage (Level Drain) === | === Energy Damage (Level Drain) === | ||
This attack saps a living opponent's vital energy and happens automatically when a melee or ranged attack hits. Each successful energy drain bestows one or more negative levels (the creature's description specifies how many). If an attack that includes an energy drain scores a critical hit, it bestows twice the listed number of negative levels. Unless otherwise specified in the creature's description, a draining creature gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level it bestows on an opponent. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour. Negative levels remain until 24 hours have passed or until they are removed with a spell such as restoration. If a negative level is not removed before 24 hours have passed, the affected creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the draining creature's racial HD + the draining creature's Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature's descriptive text). On a success, the negative level goes away with no harm to the creature. On a failure, the negative level becomes permanent. A separate saving throw is required for each negative level. | This attack saps a living opponent's vital energy and happens automatically when a melee or ranged attack hits. Each successful energy drain bestows one or more negative levels (the creature's description specifies how many). If an attack that includes an energy drain scores a critical hit, it bestows twice the listed number of negative levels. Unless otherwise specified in the creature's description, a draining creature gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level it bestows on an opponent. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour. Negative levels remain until 24 hours have passed or until they are removed with a spell such as restoration. If a negative level is not removed before 24 hours have passed, the affected creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the draining creature's racial HD + the draining creature's Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature's descriptive text). On a success, the negative level goes away with no harm to the creature. On a failure, the negative level becomes permanent. A separate saving throw is required for each negative level. | ||
====Negative Levels==== | ====Negative Levels==== | ||
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Some abilities and spells (such as raise dead) bestow permanent level drain on a creature. These are treated just like temporary negative levels, but they do not allow a new save each day to remove them. Level drain can be removed through spells like Restoration. Permanent negative levels remain after a dead creature is restored to life. A creature whose permanent negative levels equal its Hit Dice cannot be brought back to life through spells like raise dead and resurrection without also receiving a restoration spell, cast the round after it is restored to life. | Some abilities and spells (such as raise dead) bestow permanent level drain on a creature. These are treated just like temporary negative levels, but they do not allow a new save each day to remove them. Level drain can be removed through spells like Restoration. Permanent negative levels remain after a dead creature is restored to life. A creature whose permanent negative levels equal its Hit Dice cannot be brought back to life through spells like raise dead and resurrection without also receiving a restoration spell, cast the round after it is restored to life. | ||
== Injury and Death == | == Injury and Death == | ||
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:; Stabilized | :; Stabilized | ||
: Can occur at any hit point value of 0 or less. A stabilized character is no longer dying. A stabilized character with negative hit points is still unconscious and cannot take any actions. A stabilized character at 0 hit points has the Disabled condition (see above). The stabilized condition can be achieved via a a successful CON check when dying, a First Aid check (Heal skill with DC 15), or via magical healing. See "Stabilizing the Dying" for more details. | : Can occur at any hit point value of 0 or less. A stabilized character is no longer dying. A stabilized character with negative hit points is still unconscious and cannot take any actions. A stabilized character at 0 hit points has the Disabled condition (see above). The stabilized condition can be achieved via a a successful CON check when dying, a First Aid check (Heal skill with DC 15), or via magical healing. See "Stabilizing the Dying" for more details. | ||
=== Stabilizing the Dying === | === Stabilizing the Dying === | ||
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If magical healing (e.g. a spell, scroll, potion, etc.) is used on a dying character instead of First Aid, damage is restored from whatever negative value the character is currently at, but the character replaces the 'dying' status with the 'stabilized' status. While less efficient than performing First Aid first, magical healing is a dice-free way to stop a character from losing 1 hit point per round and potentially bleeding out. | If magical healing (e.g. a spell, scroll, potion, etc.) is used on a dying character instead of First Aid, damage is restored from whatever negative value the character is currently at, but the character replaces the 'dying' status with the 'stabilized' status. While less efficient than performing First Aid first, magical healing is a dice-free way to stop a character from losing 1 hit point per round and potentially bleeding out. | ||
=== Recovering Without Help === | === Recovering Without Help === | ||
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==Types of Healing== | ==Types of Healing== | ||
=== Instantaneous Healing === | === Instantaneous Healing === | ||
Various abilities and spells can restore hit points. Spells which result in an instant influx of hit points to the target creature are deemed Instantaneous Healing. This does not refer to how long the spell takes to cast, only to the fact that the healing effect of the spell expends all of its beneficial effects on the target creature immediately upon the completion of casting. Examples include Cure Light Wounds, Heal, Goodberries, etc. | Various abilities and spells can restore hit points. Spells which result in an instant influx of hit points to the target creature are deemed Instantaneous Healing. This does not refer to how long the spell takes to cast, only to the fact that the healing effect of the spell expends all of its beneficial effects on the target creature immediately upon the completion of casting. Examples include Cure Light Wounds, Heal, Goodberries, etc. | ||