I have a druid with the poison ability, that does 1d3 constitution damage a turn. I know this affects the targets max HP, but how do I calculate that in combat?
I have a druid with the poison ability, that does 1d3 constitution damage a turn. I know this affects the targets max HP, but how do I calculate that in combat?
For every two points of damage (round down), the target loses 1 hp/HD.
E.g., an 8 HD creature would lose 8 hit points if it took 2 Con damage, but a 16 HD creature would lose 16.
If it took only 1 Con damage, it would lose nothing but next time you hit, it would be halfway to losing hit points and if you rolled a 3, it would lose 2 hp/HD.
ETA: Fort saves and other Con-bonus-based abilities would also drop at the same rate: 2 damage equates to a -1 on all Con checks.
That's mostly correct, but remember that some creatures/characters may have either and odd or even constitution score. All modifiers increase at even ability scores (12,14,16,18,20 etc). So if a creature has a con of 13, and you deal 1 point of constitution damage it actually does nothing because its constitution hasn't dropped enough to cause a penalty. If it has a con of 12 and it drops by one, then it will drop by 1hp/HD.
That's mostly correct, but remember that some creatures/characters may have either and odd or even constitution score. All modifiers increase at even ability scores (12,14,16,18,20 etc). So if a creature has a con of 13, and you deal 1 point of constitution damage it actually does nothing because its constitution hasn't dropped enough to cause a penalty. If it has a con of 12 and it drops by one, then it will drop by 1hp/HD.
Not in Pathfinder. Orfamay is correct. 1 point of Constitution damage has absolutely no effect on any character. (Unless they only have a constitution of 1 anyway, which would then kill them if they took 1 point of con damage.)
For every 2 points of damage you take to a single ability, apply a –1 penalty to skills and statistics listed with the relevant ability. If the amount of ability damage you have taken equals or exceeds your ability score, you immediately fall unconscious until the damage is less than your ability score. The only exception to this is your Constitution score. If the damage to your Constitution is equal to or greater than your Constitution score, you die. Unless otherwise noted, damage to your ability scores is healed at the rate of 1 per day to each ability score that has been damaged. Ability damage can be healed through the use of spells, such as lesser restoration.
Constitution: Damage to your Constitution score causes you to take penalties on your Fortitude saving throws. In addition, multiply your total Hit Dice by this penalty and subtract that amount from your current and total hit points. Lost hit points are restored when the damage to your Constitution is healed.
Not true.
For every 2 points of damage you take to a single ability, apply a –1 penalty to skills and statistics listed with the relevant ability. If the amount of ability damage you have taken equals or exceeds your ability score, you immediately fall unconscious until the damage is less than your ability score. The only exception to this is your Constitution score. If the damage to your Constitution is equal to or greater than your Constitution score, you die. Unless otherwise noted, damage to your ability scores is healed at the rate of 1 per day to each ability score that has been damaged. Ability damage can be healed through the use of spells, such as lesser restoration .
Constitution : Damage to your Constitution score causes you to take penalties on your Fortitude saving throws. In addition, multiply your total Hit Dice by this penalty and subtract that amount from your current and total hit points . Lost hit points are restored when the damage to your Constitution is healed.
The first reply was correct.
On the other hand, Constitution Drain actually reduces the ability score in question, in which case the effects can be as Claxon describes.
You die sooner because you lose HP when you've been dealt Constitution damage. It does not affect the threshold at which point you die (- CON), because your constitution does not really change.