I have a question regarding the 3.5 Spell Compendium spell "Delay Death".
Necromancy
Level: Cleric 4,
Components: V, S, DF,
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
You gesture toward your ally and call upon the power of your beliefs. A soft, golden glow appears on your companion's chest, around his heart.
The subject of this powerful spell is unable to die from hit point damage. While under the protection of this spell, the normal limit of —9 hit points before a character dies is extended without limit. A condition or spell that destroys enough of the subject's body so as to not allow raise dead to work, such as a disintegrate effect, still kills the creature, as does death brought about by ability score damage, level drain, or a death effect.
The spell does not prevent the subject from entering the dying state by dropping to —1 hit points. It merely prevents death as a result of hit point loss.
If the subject has fewer than —9 hit points when the spell's duration expires, it dies instantly.
It is an immediate action. Does that mean if my character has that memorized & she gets hit with an attack that will take her to zero or below, she can activate the spell on herself?
It looks to me like she would be able to activate it on herself.
Thanks for the assistance
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Yes, you can target yourself. However, no matter who you target with it, you can't wait until damage is rolled for the killing blow (as then it will be too late).
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My take on the hit roll and damage roll is that these are separate events at the game table as a matter of game mechanics. They are not separate events in the game world. At the time a creature is hit, it is also damaged, and takes the other possible effects of that hot, and possible effects of the damage.
A character hit into negative HP or death is no longer able to cast a spell.
My experience is that this isn't a particularly popular position, not on the basis of the rationale, but on the basis of not liking the consequences of it. YMMV
My take on the hit roll and damage roll is that these are separate events at the game table as a matter of game mechanics. They are not separate events in the game world. At the time a creature is hit, it is also damaged, and takes the other possible effects of that hot, and possible effects of the damage.
A character hit into negative HP or death is no longer able to cast a spell.
My experience is that this isn't a particularly popular position, not on the basis of the rationale, but on the basis of not liking the consequences of it. YMMV
This is correct. We roll the dice separately in real life because we have to but in the game word the attack and damage are simultaneous.
I remember have a similar debate on the WoTC boards when I was active over there.
So if I am fighting a particularly vicious monster & he might hit me, I can cast the spell as Immediate Action right BEFORE he rolls to hit?
The spell could be a life saver.
Thank you everyone for your assistance!
That would be an... amusing spell to add to Pathfinder. Those optimized level 10 melee characters are doing three hundred damage a round, and the bad guy just isn't dying. Meanwhile the bad guy is thinking, "I'm going to have to cast Heal on myself eight times before this spell expires or I'll die."
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Now that I look at it again, it only delays death, not unconsciousness. You still collapse at -1 HP.
It's hardly fool-proof though. Just 1 single tap of nonlethal damage will technically send you unconscious, though I suppose a DM could rule it otherwise. A disintegrate spell will still dust you, as it only has to bring you to 0 hp. Not a good thing to be hit with when you're at -57.
We have a cleric, druid & witch in the party so someone should be able to assist me (the witch - we added the spell to the Witch spell list) or anyone else who gets hard.
Not fool proof for sure...but we have had 4 PC casualties in the last 2 months so it should help a bit. Damn Hall of the Rainbow Mage! Haha
This is correct. We roll the dice separately in real life because we have to but in the game word the attack and damage are simultaneous.
In fact, when I'm in a hurry I will actually roll both at the same time. Usually depends on the number of dice involved. But rolling them all together and just discarding everything if it's a miss is pretty quick compared to two rolls. Sometimes.
Delay Death was central to one of the peers of Pun-Pun. Delay Death plus something or other that gave +1 to skill rolls for every point of damage taken, plus an infinite damage loop, for infinite Diplomacy and Knowledge checks. That, and a bucket of water to almost-drown in, because drowning rules set your hp score to -1. Crazy stuff.