Familiar with 0 hp, what happens?

[Extra Anchovies]

So the PHB says that an arcane spellcaster's familiar has one-half its master's HP, rounded down. What if the master has only 1 HP (1st-level character with a through-the-floor Constitution)? Would the familiar have 1 HP as well? Would it have 0 HP but be able to act normally, with any damage knocking it into the negatives? Or would it be constantly disabled?

[The Insaniac]

IIRC your familiar has the same number of HD as you do and since all creatures have at minimum 1hp/HD, your familiar would have 1 hp.

[Jormengand]

So the PHB says that an arcane spellcaster's familiar has one-half its master's HP, rounded down. What if the master has only 1 HP (1st-level character with a through-the-floor Constitution)? Would the familiar have 1 HP as well? Would it have 0 HP but be able to act normally, with any damage knocking it into the negatives? Or would it be constantly disabled?

It would be constantly disabled. There is nothing in the rules to suggest that the normal rules for creatures with 0 hit points are not followed.

[Extra Anchovies]

IIRC your familiar has the same number of HD as you do and since all creatures have at minimum 1hp/HD, your familiar would have 1 hp.

The PHB (in the Familiar sidebar accompanying the Sorcerer class description) states that "The familiar has one-half the master’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice." Because of that last clause, I think that the 1-hp per HD minimum is ignored here.

The "combat" chapter and the glossary both refer to "disabled" as having 0 total or 0 current hit points, making no mention of requiring that a character's hit points must be reduced to 0 before being disabled, so I think I agree with Jormengand here.

[Swaoeaeieu]

the wizard in question would just have a cat familliar who is in a constant coma because of it's 0 hp.
No one would question it because no one thinks twice about a sleeping cat

[StoneCipher]

As said before, it would have 1HP.

However, if you have literally a -3 con modifier (I'm assuming you've got a d4 HD), you should probably reconsider that con score. You're one mild poison away from instant death.

[Erik Vale]

That is... It works perfectly.

[Jormengand]

As said before, it would have 1HP.

No, it would not.


The familiar has one-half the master’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice.

[Studoku]

Get a parrot familiar. If anyone asks, say it's just pining for the fjords.

[nedz]

No, it would not.

Sounds dysfunctional to me — I'll add it to the thread.

[StoneCipher]

Sounds dysfunctional to me — I'll add it to the thread.

Apparently in researching this in detail, you can even have a massive amount of negative HP as your max health.

http://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/24406/how-can-i-get-a-character-with-the-lowest-hit-points-possible

Although, I cannot imagine a level headed DM forcing your familiar to have 0 HP in this instance...unless that was your goal.

[nedz]

Although, I cannot imagine a level headed DM forcing your familiar to have 0 HP in this instance...unless that was your goal.

One of the definitions of a Dysfunctional rule is one which will attract a Houserule.

[No brains]

Obviously the only way solve this would be taking the frail flaw that reduces hp gained by 1. That way the wiz/sor will have 0 hp and their familiar will have a mathematically impossible half of zero. Because their hp can't mathematically interact with damage, the familiar is invincible. Probe-elm salved.

[jiriku]

0/2 = 0. Not mathematically impossible at all. But I would like to see someone play a character who starts the game with 0 hp and is permanently disabled. That would own.

[KillianHawkeye]

I would like to see someone play a character who starts the game with 0 hp and is permanently disabled. That would own.

Not only that, but the character would likely remain at zero hp for the entire game (provided they actually survive long enough to gain levels) unless they multiclassed to something with a higher HD. Talk about a glass cannon! :smallamused:

[Elkad]

I can't find it now, but I was sure I'd seen a reference in one of the alternate familiar rules (Improved or Dragon or something) that said "Use half the master's HP, or the familiar's own, whichever is higher". Applying that to all familiars seems reasonable, even if not RAW. So your bat would always get at least 1hp.

Edit: Aha, Stitched Flesh Familiar is one, there may be more.
Edit2: Yup, Dragon Familiar too.

[StoneCipher]

Not only that, but the character would likely remain at zero hp for the entire game (provided they actually survive long enough to gain levels) unless they multiclassed to something with a higher HD. Talk about a glass cannon! :smallamused:

Just get a cleric to DMM Persist Aid on them and they're good to go.

[Story]

The solution is to have a Druid (or Archivist or Spirit Shaman) in the party and have them cast Beastland Ferocity on you. You can fight X minutes per day and are in a coma the rest of the time.

But hey, at least drowning won't change your HP.

Edit: Now I want to see a build with Berserker Strength + Deathless Frenzy + negative max HP.

[Erik Vale]

Constructs are only destroyed if reduced to 0 and below HP, not if their HP is bellow 0.
Therefore, play said wizard, then be polymorphed into a construct and... Try not to get hit I suppose.

[Extra Anchovies]

I can't find it now, but I was sure I'd seen a reference in one of the alternate familiar rules (Improved or Dragon or something) that said "Use half the master's HP, or the familiar's own, whichever is higher". Applying that to all familiars seems reasonable, even if not RAW. So your bat would always get at least 1hp.

Edit: Aha, Stitched Flesh Familiar is one, there may be more.
Edit2: Yup, Dragon Familiar too.

The way that I've read those feats and the accompanying rules, I think that only unusual familiars can use their own hp. It makes sense that they'd add that rule for dragons and undead, because they both have d12 hit dice and are thus quite likely to have a hit point total greater than half that of the master.