Unconscious

Unconscious

You are no longer capable of taking actions, and pass out. You fall Prone and become Helpless. Unconsciousness can result from having negative hit points, or from non-lethal damage in excess of current hit points. Unconscious includes all the penalties of Helpless and Prone, including susceptibility to coup-de-grace attacks. Unconscious characters cannot take any actions except some free actions (such as saving throws), though some free actions are simply not possible (such as speaking). The GM is the final arbiter of which free actions are permitted.

Generally, monsters die upon reaching negative hit points, rather than becoming unconscious. PC's die when their negative hit points exceed their level plus their CON score (not modifier).