Incredible willpower

[Gamereaper]

Is there a way that I can make a character that can stay at 1 to -9 HP for several rounds?

I'm going to have the party see the leader of their organization (a Crusader) be in this epic fight against a BBEG and a few goons. He holds them off single handedly and then fights the BBEG. He is basically stalling time for the PCs to continue their mission and they rescue him and fight against an exhausted and battle damaged BBEG (half health and exhausted). The BBEG is very prideful and wants to take out the leader in a single blow (which was declared impossible by the leader).

I'm hoping there is a nigh infinite loop out there that lets him maintain his Immortal Fortitude stance (the one that prevents HP death).

I'd like to know the possibilities with and without a caster gestalt build.

[Sacrieur]

Diehard is a thing.

[torrasque666]

Well, one way is to dip a level of warblade. Get the save-replacing maneuvers, since skills are piss-easy to buff and if you need to you can just keep refreshing the maneuvers by not using Strikes. Also, wield the Faithful Avenger, since if you have the stance already, it gives you Temp HP every round equal to your Crusader level at 17th level.

[DrMotives]

I think there's a feat that let's you roll a fort save to autostabilize at -9, I think it also lets you roll a fort save against the "death by massive damage" rule too, can't remember where it's from though.

[Gamereaper]

Diehard is a thing.

Yep, I'm well aware of that. The problem is that the stance ends after 3 rounds. I figured getting a couple luck feats would help too.


I think there's a feat that let's you roll a fort save to autostabilize at -9, I think it also lets you roll a fort save against the "death by massive damage" rule too, can't remember where it's from though.

It's a luck feat called Tempting Fate, but it's usable once per day.

Nope, my mistake. That's not it. I also have Fearless Destiny in the build too.

[Sacrieur]

Yep, I'm well aware of that. The problem is that the stance ends after 3 rounds. I figured getting a couple luck feats would help too.

After three saves*

And just enter it again, even when it's not on your turn. D&D 3.5 doesn't seem to let you to ready swift actions, but you could houserule as much (don't worry, it's not gamebreaking plus your players may be overjoyed at the aspect and imo they should be). Just ready that you enter the stance again when it ends when it's a round you suspect it ending.

Note that you can only ready a swift action if you haven't already taken one. Even in 3.5 it's important that swift actions are limited to 1 per turn.

[Flickerdart]

Is it important not to fall below -9? A combination of delay death (cannot die from HP damage) and beastland ferocity (can fight even when disabled or dying) will keep you truckin' deep into the negatives. Both can be placed by a spellcaster upon another creature.

[jiriku]

Is it important not to fall below -9? A combination of delay death (cannot die from HP damage) and beastland ferocity (can fight even when disabled or dying) will keep you truckin' deep into the negatives. Both can be placed by a spellcaster upon another creature.

A single-use item combining these two effects, or just a divine boon from the gods providing them, would allow him to fight at arbitrarily large negative hp totals until the duration ran out.

[Gamereaper]

Is it important not to fall below -9? A combination of delay death (cannot die from HP damage) and beastland ferocity (can fight even when disabled or dying) will keep you truckin' deep into the negatives. Both can be placed by a spellcaster upon another creature.

I'm not really looking for a caster to do that, but the other half of the gestalt might be able to pull it off. How long are the durations?

[Flickerdart]

I'm not really looking for a caster to do that, but the other half of the gestalt might be able to pull it off. How long are the durations?
Minutes for ferocity, rounds for delay death.

[Fouredged Sword]

Delay Death is also a good spell to make contingent. It's worth it on almost any higher level character.

[Gamereaper]

I figured out some funny RAW shenanigans.

If you're at say -40 and you get in this stance, you could potentially heal to 1 HP if you can make the save.

[Sacrieur]

I figured out some funny RAW shenanigans.

If you're at say -40 and you get in this stance, you could potentially heal to 1 HP if you can make the save.

You have to enter the stance as a swift action. Since you can't do this on anyone else's turn...

Further, you can't do actions while you're dead.

[Gamereaper]

You have to enter the stance as a swift action. Since you can't do this on anyone else's turn...

Further, you can't do actions while you're dead.

If I have Delay Death active I can.

[Sacrieur]

If I have Delay Death active I can.

The stance doesn't apply to already existing wounds so you'd have to punch yourself or something. But yeah, could work.

[HolyDraconus]

Knight class capstone, Loyal Beyond Death.. Can live even when disintegrated below 0 hp, per raw. Expend a challenge per round. Can act as long as your body is intact. Sounds like pretty much exactly what you want.

[Darrin]

The Rageclaws soulmeld (Magic of Incarnum) works like Diehard, but lets you go even further into the negatives if you invest essentia into it. An incarnate with Expanded Soulmeld Capacity could get down to -28, maybe even a little further.

[HolyDraconus]

The Rageclaws soulmeld (Magic of Incarnum) works like Diehard, but lets you go even further into the negatives if you invest essentia into it. An incarnate with Expanded Soulmeld Capacity could get down to -28, maybe even a little further.

And a Knight can literally go negative infinity and still live.

[Necroticplague]

Frenzied Berzerkers can keep standing no matter how much damage they take. They can keep it up for quite a while, especially if they start a new frenzy before their old one ends. Then, they just suddenly drop when their frenzy ends.