Becoming immunine to HP damage

[Melcar]

Hellow fellow scribes

So, assuming I have a continues effect of Favor of the Martyr and/or Beastland Ferocity and Delay Death, how would my character act/feel when at -17 HP?

It does not seem completely clear to me, if the person would be conscious...

Would love some input!

Thanks!

[Doctor Despair]

Hellow fellow scribes

So, assuming I have a continues effect of Favor of the Martyr and/or Beastland Ferocity and Delay Death, how would my character act/feel when at -17 HP?

It does not seem completely clear to me, if the person would be conscious...

Would love some input!

Thanks!

Calling upon the saints of your order, you imbue the person in need with the power to resist the dire forces arrayed against you.

You cast the spell and lay your hand upon your ally, and beneath your glowing fingers, give him a mixed gift—the ability to fight on, but at the cost of not knowing when to stop.

I'd imagine you feel similar to a barbarian rage based on the fluff descriptions -- burning with raw, single-minded determination.

[Biggus]

RAW, they would be unconscious, because both the spells specify -1 to -9 HPs. I'd probably allow them to remain conscious though, it seems more in keeping with the intent of the spells.

[Doctor Despair]

RAW, they would be unconscious, because both the spells specify -1 to -9 HPs. I'd probably allow them to remain conscious though, it seems more in keeping with the intent of the spells.


The subject becomes such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying. While between —1 and —9 hit points, the creature gains a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength. If the creature is reduced to —10 hit points, it dies normally.

1. You continue to fight without penalty while disabled or dying.

2. While at -1 - -9, you get buffs.

3. If you hit -10, you die normally.

I don't see any reason a creature wouldn't be conscious if an effect caused them to survive reaching -10hp if this spell was active. They technically wouldn't have the buffs if they went below-9 though.

[Biggus]

1. You continue to fight without penalty while disabled or dying.

2. While at -1 - -9, you get buffs.

3. If you hit -10, you die normally.

I don't see any reason a creature wouldn't be conscious if an effect caused them to survive reaching -10hp if this spell was active. They technically wouldn't have the buffs if they went below-9 though.

Fair point, I didn't take in that the wording of Beastland Ferocity was slightly different. Favor of the Martyr is as I said though.

[AvatarVecna]

Yeah, this is a problem a number of methods have: things allowing you to act below 0 HP tend to specify either that they give some kind of issue with your action economy, or they only work from -1 to -9 (regardless of if they specify you die normally at -10). Delay Death can allow you to be alive at -1 billion HP, but you wanna combine it with something that lets you take normal actions at such HP ranges. Favor Of The Martyr has both those issues. You can get around it with epic autohypnosis:


If reduced to negative hit points but not dead, make a Autohypnosis check. If successful, the character does not go unconscious and can continue taking actions until he or she bleeds to death or stabilizes (the character can also continue making stabilization checks). If healed or stabilized, the character continues to take actions normally.

Allows full normal actions, and doesn't specify it only works for a specific negative HP range.

As for what -17 or -1 billion HP feels like...who knows. The above "endless determination" idea is as good as anything else.

[Beni-Kujaku]

As for what -17 or -1 billion HP feels like...who knows. The above "endless determination" idea is as good as anything else.

I imagine it as something like Funasaka from Petals of Reincarnation (https://mangakakalot.com/chapter/reincarnation_no_kaben/chapter_15), like a freaky looking walking corpse only continuing to fight through sheer determination with all the "Why won't you die!?" energy you can think of.

[Melcar]

Yeah, this is a problem a number of methods have: things allowing you to act below 0 HP tend to specify either that they give some kind of issue with your action economy, or they only work from -1 to -9 (regardless of if they specify you die normally at -10). Delay Death can allow you to be alive at -1 billion HP, but you wanna combine it with something that lets you take normal actions at such HP ranges. Favor Of The Martyr has both those issues. You can get around it with epic autohypnosis:



Allows full normal actions, and doesn't specify it only works for a specific negative HP range.

As for what -17 or -1 billion HP feels like...who knows. The above "endless determination" idea is as good as anything else.

Right… let’s assume the character had delay death on, gets hit by a enhanced, intensified, twinned orb of acid for 2x300 dam. The character goes down to -300, if that character was wearing a ring of rapid healing I assume he would be back up in 100 rounds?

[AvatarVecna]

Right… let’s assume the character had delay death on, gets hit by a enhanced, intensified, twinned orb of acid for 2x300 dam. The character goes down to -300, if that character was wearing a ring of rapid healing I assume he would be back up in 100 rounds?

I think so yeah. Oh and there is something you have to worry about with this setup: if you go negative, disintegrate becomes a potential instant death since it auto kills and dusts you if it bring you to a negative HP value. How much damage it deals doesn't matter - Full damage or only 5d6, it'll still dust you. They have to hit touch AC and beat SR to get it, but the saving throw stops mattering until you're back to positive HP.

[Melcar]

I think so yeah. Oh and there is something you have to worry about with this setup: if you go negative, disintegrate becomes a potential instant death since it auto kills and dusts you if it bring you to a negative HP value. How much damage it deals doesn't matter - Full damage or only 5d6, it'll still dust you. They have to hit touch AC and beat SR to get it, but the saving throw stops mattering until you're back to positive HP.

But isn’t a fortitude save? That is not affected by consciousness is it?

[Doctor Despair]

But isn’t a fortitude save? That is not affected by consciousness is it?

The saving throw is to reduce the damage to 5d6. If the 5d6 reduces you or the object to 0 or fewer HP, you are dusted. Delay Death actually addresses disintegrate to specify that it does dust you (as it's not normally a SoD).


A condition or spell that destroys enough of the subject's body so as to not allow raise dead to work, such as a disintegrate effect, still kills the creature, as does death brought about by ability score damage, level drain, or a death effect.

Also of concern: you may be free to stay conscious while at -9999hp, but if you take even ONE point of nonlethal damage, you will be unconscious until that nonlethal damage heals. You're still not going to die as long as Delay Death is active, but once you're unconscious, there's nothing to stop them from just stacking nonlethal damage to keep you down until it runs out.

[AvatarVecna]

But isn’t a fortitude save? That is not affected by consciousness is it?

DD has it correct. It's not a matter of "unconscious people don't get to make saving throws". It's a matter of "if disintegrate deals damage, and that damage takes you to a negatively HP value, it auto-kills you". The saving throw normally matters because it reduces whatever the damage was to a mere 5d6 if you make it...but if any amount of damage means disintegrate takes you to a negative HP total, then the saving throw no longer matters.

[Melcar]

The saving throw is to reduce the damage to 5d6. If the 5d6 reduces you or the object to 0 or fewer HP, you are dusted. Delay Death actually addresses disintegrate to specify that it does dust you (as it's not normally a SoD).



Also of concern: you may be free to stay conscious while at -9999hp, but if you take even ONE point of nonlethal damage, you will be unconscious until that nonlethal damage heals. You're still not going to die as long as Delay Death is active, but once you're unconscious, there's nothing to stop them from just stacking nonlethal damage to keep you down until it runs out.


DD has it correct. It's not a matter of "unconscious people don't get to make saving throws". It's a matter of "if disintegrate deals damage, and that damage takes you to a negatively HP value, it auto-kills you". The saving throw normally matters because it reduces whatever the damage was to a mere 5d6 if you make it...but if any amount of damage means disintegrate takes you to a negative HP total, then the saving throw no longer matters.

Ahh yes, I see that now.

[Gruftzwerg]

If you are looking for options to become immune to dmg, there are a few.

Most known trick is to get Regeneration and Immunity to Nonlethal Damage.

Have a look at my Iron Chef entry which is based around the idea:

The Irrefragable Double-Agent (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24889086&postcount=117)