Ways to avoid Raging Vitality?

[Crosswind]

The Raging Vitality (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/raging-vitality) feat is viewed as sort of a feat tax for barbarians. Because, sans-raging-vitality, if you drop below 0 HP, you stop raging, lose your constitution bonus, and promptly die.

The rest of the bonus (+2 con while raging) sort of sucks. The hit points aren't super worth it, and barbarians have a million amazing rage powers to pick from.

So, the question: Is there a (cheap) item out there that will save you from dying when you go below 0 HP and out of rage?

-Cross

[Chris Mortika]

Potion of bear's endurance?

[Alexander Kilcoyne]

Its Toughness in all the times it matters, plus +1 to Fort, plus extra death threshold plus no longer instantly dying if you go into negatives when raging.

I personally think its kind of awesome. Plus its a much smaller feat tax than Endurance/Diehard...

[Estragon al'Godot]

Estragon avoids the need for this feat tax by smashing the ever-livin' jeebus out of enemies before they can drop him below 0 hp.

If your barbarian is regularly in danger of dropping below 0, he should try killing more bad guys instead of getting hit by them.

[Indrajit]

If you can persuade your GM there is a trait, optimistic gambler, that allows your morale bonuses to persist an extra 1d4 rounds. Certainly isn't going to be as effective as raging vitality, but it does at least give you the potential to survive.

[Muser]

It's only a feat tax for those Invulnerable Rager types who forsake AC almost completely. In our RotRL campaign, the barbarian player prioritized Constitution over Strength and wore a magical mithril full plate. Did marginally less damage than a all-or-nothing barby, but didn't need to stop watch their combat style to survive.

To each their own, I guess.

Alright alright, it went out of the window once we found APG and he picked Reckless Abandon as a rage power, but for the first 12 levels it worked very well.

[WerePox47]

I personally do not consider a feat that gives +1fort, +1hp/lv, and lets u not die if u drop a feat tax.. i consider it a must for any good barbarian.. Additionally its also a +1 dam at least once u get raging brutality online.. Not a feat tax... Ive seen plenty of people take toughness and it only give +1hp/level...

[Crosswind]

6 replies, 1 answer so far - Optimistic Gambler.

Thanks for that, Indra - nice catch. Any other ways out there?

-Cross

[Lab_Rat]

Don't avoid it. Being able to continue raging while unconscious should have been part of the original class. It is a feat tax but it is an important feat tax if the situation comes up. The +2 con is just gravy.

As far as magic items / other options to replace it. We have:
Determination Enchanted armor - hits you with a breath of life when you go below 0 HP
Guarded Life (And Greater) Rage Power - Converts lvl or 2x lvl of lethal damage to non-lethal when you hit 0 HP. May save your life but probably won't as the Con bonus from raging is greater than the non-lethal converted. You may get lucky though and be at a manageable negative HP and stable.

[Cheapy]

A quick search for "rage" in UE brings up no items that specifically do that.

[Muser]

Yeah, sorry. I kind of forgot the original question when musing about my old campaigns. Anyhow, you are out of luck, I guess.

There's the Aegis of Protection in UE, which gives you a quick remedial health boost, but it's a single use item. Probably not what you are looking for.

Dawnflower Sash is another immediate healing item, does not break upon use, but only gives you a cure light wounds spell.

That's all I got, sadly.

[Crosswind]

Muser wrote:

Yeah, sorry. I kind of forgot the original question when musing about my old campaigns. Anyhow, you are out of luck, I guess.

There's the Aegis of Protection in UE, which gives you a quick remedial health boost, but it's a single use item. Probably not what you are looking for.

Dawnflower Sash is another immediate healing item, does not break upon use, but only gives you a cure light wounds spell.

That's all I got, sadly.

You know, I'm not _opposed_ to a single-use item if it were relatively cheap. This is one of those things where I honestly don't think I'm going to go below 0 with any frequency. My issue is largely this: The following build is a beautiful work of art, and I didn't leave room for Raging Vitality. (Human)

Level 1: Power Attack, Improved Sunder
Level 2: Lesser Beast
Level 3: Extra Rage Power: Superstition
Level 4: Reckless Abandon
Level 5: Extra Rage Power: Witch Hunter
Level 6: Spell Sunder
Level 7: Extra Rage Power: Beast Totem
Level 8: Strength Surge
Level 9: Combat Reflexes
Level 10: Greater Beast Totem
Level 11: Dazing Assault
Level 12: Come and Get Me

At gunpoint, I would sub out Reckless Abandon, at 4, for Raging Vitality. But I dislike paying a constant tax (1 rage power!) to hedge against a relatively rare occurrence (I go unconscious).

I like optimistic gambler. Determined is good, but sort of overkill, also not that good for low-mid levels. What could one do with cheap, 1-off items? Do the magic item creation rules let you build contingencies into items? "If hit points go below 0 HP, this item acts as a cure serious wounds?" - would that even work?

-Cross

[stuart haffenden]

Urban Barbarian: Problem solved.

[Lab_Rat]

Crosswind wrote:

You know, I'm not _opposed_ to a single-use item if it were relatively cheap. This is one of those things where I honestly don't think I'm going to go below 0 with any frequency. My issue is largely this: The following build is a beautiful work of art, and I didn't leave room for Raging Vitality. (Human)

Level 1: Power Attack, Improved Sunder
Level 2: Lesser Beast
Level 3: Extra Rage Power: Superstition
Level 4: Reckless Abandon
Level 5: Extra Rage Power: Witch Hunter
Level 6: Spell Sunder
Level 7: Extra Rage Power: Beast Totem
Level 8: Strength Surge
Level 9: Combat Reflexes
Level 10: Greater Beast Totem
Level 11: Dazing Assault
Level 12: Come and Get Me

At gunpoint, I would sub out Reckless Abandon, at 4, for Raging Vitality. But I dislike paying a constant tax (1 rage power!) to hedge against a relatively rare occurrence (I go unconscious).

I like optimistic gambler. Determined is good, but sort of overkill, also not that good for low-mid levels. What could one do with cheap, 1-off items? Do the magic item creation rules let you build contingencies into items? "If hit points go below 0 HP, this item acts as a cure serious wounds?" - would that even work?

-Cross

Trade Improved Sunder for Raging Vitality, grab a heavy hitting reach weapon (I run with a Lucern hammer), and you have my now lvl 12 PFS Barbarian.

[Valtrax]

Personally. Based on the campaigns my DM runs. We never ever get the time to craft items. And he’s very cheap with the gold so buying items is not a huge thing either… Everybody in my party would kill you if you were to sunder an enemies weapon or armor
That is the only way you’re going to get a magic weapon or armor in the campaigns I play. Take them off the enemy and use them don’t destroy them or you’ll never have them

[Syries]

I mean, personally I wouldn’t discount the extra +2 Con so quickly. Bonus HP when you’re already an HP sponge. It can mean you can shrug off that much more damage in battle.

I like Raging Vitality as a feat. While unchained barbarians don’t really need it, even they can gain the extra HP from that feat. +2 Con from a single feat with the only restriction of being in a rage is pretty good in my opinion.

[avr]

If the OP hadn't last posted 5 years ago, or if the thread weren't 7 years dead, I might point them in the direction of phantom blood. As it is...

[Syries]

Uhg once again I fail to look at OP’s timestamp before posting.