Dying!

[revolver7]

Hello everyone! first post!

our playgroup is starting our first pathfinder campaign this weekend and we all weren't on the same page about Stabilize checks.

The rulebook says:
On the character's next turn, after being reduced to negative hit points (but not dead), and on all subsequent turns, the character must make a DC 10 Constitution check to become stable. The character takes a penalty on this roll equal to his negative hit point total. A character that is stable does not need to make this check.

I believe this means that if a character's hp is below 0, during their next turn and until they stabilize, they will:

Roll 1d20
ADD their Constitution Modifier
Take a penalty equal to their neg hit points

and that total must be 10 or greater, or else you don't stabilize and you lose another hp.

is this correct?

[deusvult]

yes.

Just don't read too much into 'penalty' and 'negative'.

Think in absolute values. -5hp means a 5 pip penalty.

And welcome to Pathfinder!

[Dosgamer]

Yes. For example, Tiny the barbarian with a 14 CON is hit and falls to -5 hp. On his next turn he rolls 1d20 (result = 11) and adds his +2 bonus for CON to it resulting in a 13, but subtracts his negative hps for a result of 8. That is below 10 so he is dying and loses another hp. Rinse and repeat until he either stabilizes himself or someone else stabilizes him (DC 15 heal check or healing him of damage).

[Adamantine Dragon]

So, each successive round the save is 1 point higher, or 5% less likely to succeed.

[DeivonDrago]

Dosgamer wrote:

(DC 15 heal check or healing him of damage).

Or the Stabilize spell (if for some reason the party is tapped out on healing spells/channels but have loaded the orison).