Question About Earthquake

[NeoSeraphi]

Here's a description of the "Pinned Beneath Rubble" section of the Earthquake spell, right from the SRD


Pinned beneath Rubble

Any creature pinned beneath rubble takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per minute while pinned. If a pinned character falls unconscious, he or she must make a DC 15 Constitution check or take 1d6 points of lethal damage each minute thereafter until freed or dead.

I think the language here is a little confusing (at least to me). Does the pinned character who falls unconscious need to make a Constitution check every minute to avoid damage, with successes not preventing more checks, or does the pinned character need to make a single Constitution check the moment he falls unconscious, with success meaning he takes no more damage, and failure meaning he takes 1d6 damage per minute until freed, with no further Constitution checks allowed to resist?

[Diefje]

I think it's the second one. You are merely pinned by rock, not crushed. If you are frail, you might die from it. If not, then you'll die of thirst/hunger/predators/boredom/old age.

[Godskook]

With the lack of commas, I'm inclined to read it as a 'do (x or y) every minute until freed or dead'. Reading it the other way would imply a comma right before the 'or', iirc, which isn't there. Besides, based on the spell's overall description, you're still taking nonlethal every round either way, implying that you actually are being crushed, but 'gently', such that a conscious person can resist to the point of 1d6 nonlethal per minute while an unconscious person can't resist as well, resulting in fortitude checks to stay alive.