Do monsters the DM controls die at their negative CON score hp like PCs do, or do they die at 0 hit points?
Same question for pet druid companions and wizard familiars?
Thanks everyone, hopefully it's an easy question and just an oversight on my part.
0 hit points is disabled, not dead/dying.
Technically, critters don't die until negative con score, although many DMs have them die at -1 or lower to avoid bookkeeping and prisoner interrogations.
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It depends. Most mosters are disabled at 0 hp and die at -CON score. There are a few exceptions.
*Undead are destroyed at 0 hp.
*Constructs are destroyed at 0 hp.
*Summon creatures are effectively "unsummoned" at 0 hp.
However, things that are alive and not summoned pretty much always are disabled at 0 hp, unconscious and dying at -1 or less hp, and dead at -CON score hp.
We tend to assume that any monsters KO'd and of no use for interrogation or the like are finished off or left to bleed out.
I believe, however, that 0hp is disabled for monsters as well as PCs, the same rules apply. Most GMs will likely handwave disabled monsters into dead ones, however.
Thanks everyone for the answers!
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Channel Energy tends to be one of the biggest reasons I've found to track a monster's hit points below 0, especially at lower levels before the Cleric might have picked up Selective Channel.
I tend not to bother with stabilization rolls for unnamed NPCs (monsters, etc) unless there is a specific reason to. However, I don't auto-declare them dead at -1 HP, either. Instead, it's assumed around the table that some enemies will stabilize and some might even recover. The PCs know it's something they need to deal with, but I don't track it religiously, and tend to just make these decisions on my own. I will roll for named or otherwise important NPCs, however.
I once actually built an NPC antagonist out of a goblin that survived one of the first encounters one of my parties had. I decided he recovered, looted his dead friends of what gear and food the PCs left behind, and dedicated his life to getting revenge. Several levels later he showed up with a few ranger levels and a band of recruits and mercenaries to challenge the PCs. It was hilarious watching them try to figure out who the hell this goblin was and what beef he had with them.
Also, for what its worth, I don't always describe negative hitpoints as nice, clean unconsciousness, or swift death. I'll often describe downed enemies as moaning or screaming in pain, maybe lapsing in and out of consciousness, twitching or writhing around, or just doubled over trying to hold their guts in while they die. I don't necessarily make a big, gory show of it, but it is what it is. Combat is messy stuff, and death is rarely clean.
I've always felt that the system needs a larger "on death's door" buffer zone between 1 HP and fighting at 100% efficiency and -1 HP and unconscious. But that's another thread. ^__^
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0 hit points is disabled, not dead/dying.
Technically, critters don't die until negative con score, although many DMs have them die at -1 or lower to avoid bookkeeping and prisoner interrogations.
This.
It also really just depends on if your DM feels like dealing with the extra math upkeep too. I had a DM for RotRL and he was on and off about keeping track of that part. It makes combat more interesting for the players, but when it comes to 8+ of his creations he must keep track of, I could see that as less than fun at that point.
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Monsters in my game die when they hit -1 unless they are a named creature/npc in which case the standard rules apply. This just cuts back on the prisoner/interrogation thing.
That said, if the players are specifically attempting to capture a mook to gain info from then they will die via the standard rules to give the party a chance to do it.
Usually it's the same for our game as stabbald and thejeff, unless special effort is made or special ability, mooks die at negative hps. Our DM forgot about orc ferocity for a round or two in a recent session. A mook suddenly tore into our barbarian and almost killed her when we thought the orc was dead.
In most games I have been a part of, once the creature is below 0 HP, they die.
And as an off-topic, it is nice to see the word "mook" being used to describe random/inconsequential creatures, instead of the MMO term "trash".
I'd say that it depends on your group and play style.
In one game I play, the DM has stuff die at 0 unless we express the desire to keep it alive (rarely).
In my game, I track HP below 0, because I like the world to be a little more rounded (even though its flat), and want players to consider such situations as having now-helpless non-evil foes slowly dying, be cautious about their Channel Energy, and occasionally get surprised by the unconscious character with fast healing popping back up.
I feel like it also gives characters a chance to demonstrate their alignment and motivations a bit: who heals the dying foe? Who performs a coup de grace? Who stabilizes them, ties them up, and brings them to face the authorities?
As an aside, I've gotten in the habit of giving most mooks names. These come up usually when one guy is directing or calling out to another in combat. I feel like this keeps the players on their toes a bit, by not making it quite so easy to differentiate between important/tough NPCs, and fodder, while also making it a little bit more difficult for them to just consider most antagonistic NPCs as pointy speedbumps with XP.
They die at -Con, just like anything else.
But I don't usually track it below 0 either. They're out of the fight at that point, and so don't really matter unless healing magic is in play, or the PCs want to keep them alive for whatever reason. And in the latter case I can just eyeball if they would've passed their save to stabilize and such.
I generally assume at the end of every fight the PCs are going to just coup de grace everything still twitching unless they say they want them alive.
As an aside, I've gotten in the habit of giving most mooks names. These come up usually when one guy is directing or calling out to another in combat. I feel like this keeps the players on their toes a bit, by not making it quite so easy to differentiate between important/tough NPCs, and fodder, while also making it a little bit more difficult for them to just consider most antagonistic NPCs as pointy speedbumps with XP.
I do this too sometimes, just for shiggles. It pays off on some occasions because the PCs will try to recruit them or something (as in Skull and Shackles, some of the captives from the Man's Promise surrendered to them, and eventually became friendly. Though one got shanked by a grindylow and the other eaten by a lacedon so...oops).
Channel Energy tends to be one of the biggest reasons I've found to track a monster's hit points below 0, especially at lower levels before the Cleric might have picked up Selective Channel.
SO MUCH THIS! Nothing is better than a "dead" bugbear rising back up and attacking the party all over again.
Selective Channel....don't leave home without it.
In one campaign I'm in... I keep track. My Life Oracle/Barbarian doesn't have Selective Channel... so I need to be very careful when I use it... else enemies are getting up too. Because the GM very much also keeps track. And most things only die at -con.
He fights with a scythe though, so the coup de grace after the fight are always a fun way to end combat. >.> Only then do people get their aoe heals. ^.^
FINISH HIM!
As a player, I tend to want to make sure an opponent is not getting back up. As a GM l keep track by noting ahead of time what the actual "dead point" is. A badly planned healing a burst adds that bit of drama if it brings an intelligent opponent back above 0 when no one is aware.
It depends. Most mosters are disabled at 0 hp and die at -CON score. There are a few exceptions.
*Undead are destroyed at 0 hp.
*Constructs are destroyed at 0 hp.
*Summon creatures are effectively "unsummoned" at 0 hp.However, things that are alive and not summoned pretty much always are disabled at 0 hp, unconscious and dying at -1 or less hp, and dead at -CON score hp.
Some summoned monsters might get ferocity. At least those should stay until they can't fight any more. Else the ability/feat that gives summoned creatures ferocity would be useless.
Sadly I do not remember if it was some class ability or feat which did that.
It depends. Most mosters are disabled at 0 hp and die at -CON score. There are a few exceptions.
*Undead are destroyed at 0 hp.
*Constructs are destroyed at 0 hp.
*Summon creatures are effectively "unsummoned" at 0 hp.However, things that are alive and not summoned pretty much always are disabled at 0 hp, unconscious and dying at -1 or less hp, and dead at -CON score hp.
Some summoned monsters might get ferocity. At least those should stay until they can't fight any more. Else the ability/feat that gives summoned creatures ferocity would be useless.
Sadly I do not remember if it was some class ability or feat which did that.
Ferocious Summons feat from the ARG.
it's not the first feat that does absolutely nothing. Ferocious summons or no, your summoned creatures return to their home plane at 0 hp.
What feats do absolutely nothing, again? I know there are a lot of feats that can be incredibly weak and\or are highly situational, but I'm not aware of any feats that are completely useless.
The intent of Ferocious Summons is rather clearly that it allows the summoned creature to remain on the summoner's plane and continue fighting until it reaches -CON.
I have monsters die at zero just to spare the PCs the distasteful act of walking around finishing them off 'for sure'. If they want to take one alive, there's nonlethal damage and a crapton of magical ways to do it.
Do monsters the DM controls die at their negative CON score hp like PCs do, or do they die at 0 hit points?
Same question for pet druid companions and wizard familiars?
Thanks everyone, hopefully it's an easy question and just an oversight on my part.
Unless the enemy has a reason to stay up (Orcs) after they hit negative hit points I have them die. At 0 they're just knock out for role play sake.
It also depends on how many monsters there are. 20 Kobolds: They might die at 1 hit point. 2 Otyughs, and a source of healing: dead at negative con.
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it's not the first feat that does absolutely nothing. Ferocious summons or no, your summoned creatures return to their home plane at 0 hp.
You are incorrect, and need to read the FAQ.
Feats that do nothing tend to be mistakes, and get fixed when possible.