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So I have a few questions about the Invulnerable Rager archetype and its interactions with other new rage abilities/certain feats. I feel I have a fair grasp on the rules, but this seems rather strong to me.
Invulnerable Rager+Diehard+Guarded Life. Awesome, guy stays up forever. His DR is doubled against nonlethal damage. With Guarded Life, whenever he is reduced below 0 an amount of lethal damage equal to his level is converted to nonlethal. The question is, does this continue to happen if he is below 0 and conscious?
If so, being at -1 makes you near invulnerable. Say you're level 6 and you take take 10 points of damage. You shave 3 off the top for your DR/-, and then 6 of the rest gets converted to nonlethal, which is then...negated because you have DR 6/- against nonlethal? Does this really let you triple dip on DR when near death? Has the damage already been reduced by DR so when it's converted it doesn't pass through the "DR filter" again, OR does the damage get converted to nonlethal BEFORE DR is applied? Or, third option, does your DR shave off 3 points of lethal and turn the rest into nonlethal sneaking by your nifty DR 6/- against nonlethal? How does nonlethal interact with Diehard anyway?
My guess is, for balance's sake, that it would be one or the other, but order of operations is not so clearly defined as it would need to be in a computer game.
Has the damage already been reduced by DR so when it's converted it doesn't pass through the "DR filter" again
This. You apply the BEST possible DR (if the target has multiple DR types) to the attack ONCE. Anything that gets past that DR has gotten past DR.
Bump?
In reading "Guarded Life" again, the trigger seems to be "reduced below zero hit points". I read this as starting with a positive number of hit points (or zero) and due to some effect (probably, but not necessarily, an attack) crossing the 0 boundary into negatives. Simply starting a turn already at negative HP, or being reduced from a negative HP total to an even MORE negative total doesn't trigger it.
Using your level 6 barbarian, currently at 6 HP, who takes 10 hp of damage.
10 hp - 3 DR = 7 HP of damage to apply.
6 HP (current total) - 7 HP (incoming damage that got past DR) = - 1 HP
Guarded life triggers: 6 lethal damage ALREADY INCURRED (and thus already subjected to DR) is converted to non-lethal
-1 HP + 6 (converted) HP = 5 HP
6 non-lethal damage HP > 5 HP (current total); barbarian is unconcious despite Diehard