Dying

Dying

Any time your hit points are at a negative number, but you are not instantly slain (i.e. your hit points are below zero, but not less than a negative total equal to your CON score (not modifier) + your character level), you are Dying. You gain the Unconscious condition and can take no actions. While dying, you must make a death check at the end of each of your turns, as a free action, to determine whether you continue to bleed out, or stabilize. A death check is resolved as follows:

Death Check: d20 (no modifiers*) vs. a DC of 12

* – rare modifiers to this check exist, such as from the Diehard feat.

If you succeed on the roll, you remain unconscious, but you stabilize and are no longer dying. If you fail the check three times in a row (over the course of three rounds), you die.

If you reach a negative hit point total of your CON stat (not stat mod) plus your level, you die. Most NPC's die when their hit points go below zero, but some NPC's only die when they reach negative their CON stat (not modifier) plus Level. NPC's cannot stabilize without some special ability such as regeneration or assistance from an ally.