A small question about ability damage. My character is poisoned and is losing strength fast. One of my fellow players say that if I get under 3 Str he dies. Is this true? I saw something say that at 1 he's unconscious and helpless.
At 0, not 1.
If any ability score drops to 0 you become helpless except CON; if that hits 0 you're dead.
Technically, at 0 STR you are unconscious.
At 1 STR you are still able to move around and do things, even fight if you can. You're about as strong as a bat or toad. Of course, you might be terribly encumbered by even simple things like clothing and such, while armor and weapons are probably right of the question.
See this page in the SRD.
Thanks DM Blake. Just needed clarification from outside our group. I had a Str of 20 and I've lost 12 points so far. We postponed our game in the middle of a battle so its still possible to lose more. Thanks again.
I'm glad it was poison instead of shadows. You'd be 60% of the way to becoming a brand new shadow and turning on your former friends...
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Do note that in Pathfinder, ability damage does not reduce your score in any way. It just gives penalties. You fall unconscious (or die, if it is constitution) when you have an amount of ability damage equal or greater than your score.
At 0 strength, basically what happens is that your muscles are so atrophied that you can't even move.
Actually, temp ability damage does not effectively reduce your scores, it only gives you relevant penalties.
Do note that in Pathfinder, ability damage does not reduce your score in any way. It just gives penalties. You fall unconscious (or die, if it is constitution) when you have an amount of ability damage equal or greater than your score.
That's a good point. I was thinking of drain.
If this is only damage (which as a poison it should only be damage) then you still have a 20 STR; it hasn't gone down at all. You can still carry 400 pounds.
You currently have a -6 penalty to attack and damage rolls as well as to your CMB and CMD, and to all your Skill Checks for any skill based on STR (like Climb or Swim) and all other STR-based checks (like bashing down a door or Aid Another when STR is involved).
However, if that damage gets up to 20 STR damage, that would still make you unconscious.