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In tonight's game my 3rd level War Priest with CON 14 and 27 HP was ambushed by some cultists and 9 stirge. I ended up taking 13 CON damage. Then I got knocked unconscious by the cultists and I woke up naked in a cage. The DM insists that I am still alive but we argued around the table a bit about my current statistics. So I'm pretty sure my CON is still a 14 and I can technically go to -14 before I die. Is that right? Then what would my total max hit points be at this stage of the game? The rule says "multiply your total Hit Dice by the Ability Damage penalty and subtract that amount from your current and total hit points." Is it -6 x 3 = -18 and thus 9? Please advise. This happened in Feast of Ravenmore and I guess the end of the module is near so no days will pass and I'll have to finish out the module with whatever I'm left with as no one can cast restore. The only thing I am certain of is that the DM is a prick, ha ha.
If you've taken 13 Con damage, then your Con is currently 1. You can go to -1 before dying. Penalty for a 1 Con is -5. That's 7 less than your normal, so -7*3=-21, which puts you at 6 hit points. I suggest you don't get hit, and hope your party members plan an excellent rescue mission.
"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."
"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. A character with a Constitution score of 0 is dead."
So, you've taken 13 Con damage.
What this means is you take a -6 penalty to Fort saves, and HP per level. ONLY.
Ability Damage does NOT actually change your ability score, merely applies penalties based on it.
So, you still die at -14, not -1.
If you had been Ability DRAINED the matter would be as your DM says: "Ability drain actually reduces the relevant ability score. Modify all skills and statistics related to that ability. This might cause you to lose skill points, hit points, and other bonuses. Ability drain can be healed through the use of spells such as restoration."
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Rynjin is right.
@Meisenheim you determine your hp subtracting 3 from the result of you hp die roll for the level, with a minimum of 1 at each level.
I think (but I haven't checked all the rules about that), that you would add the favorite class bonus and the toughness bonus after that (similarly to how skill work for humans with 7 intelligence).
Determining HP is really simple.
Penalty (-6) times Hit Dice (your level, which is 3) = 18, which you then subtract from your total HP.
Doesn't matter in what order you add FCB or Toughness or anything else. It's just a simple multiplication then subtraction.
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Determining HP is really simple.
Penalty (-6) times Hit Dice (your level, which is 3) = 18, which you then subtract from your total HP.
Doesn't matter in what order you add FCB or Toughness or anything else. It's just a simple multiplication then subtraction.
There are two conflicting rules:
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.
Constitution (Con)
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You apply your character's Constitution modifier to:
• Each roll of a Hit Die (though a penalty can never drop a result below 1—that is, a character always gains at least 1 hit point each time he advances in level).
Here it clearly states that you apply your constitution modifier to the hit die only.
Let's make an example with a class with a d4 for hp:
First level 4+2 (constitution) +1 (preferred class)
Second level 3+2(constitution) +1 (preferred class)
Third level 3+2 (constitution) +1 (preferred class)
for a total of 19 hp
The straight -6 level for 13 points of constitution damage remove 18 hp from the maximum and set it at 1.
If instead it was 13 points of constitution drain it would be:
First level 4-5 (constitution)= 1 +1 (preferred class)
Second level 4-5(constitution) = 1 +1 (preferred class)
Third level 4-5 (constitution) = 1 +1 (preferred class)
Maximum hp 6.
RAW is the first version, RAI almost certainly the second. Loss or damage to your constitution should never reduce your rolled hp to less than 1/level.
As I read it, it work like the human skill bonus. You always get at least 1 skill point/level from your class and the human bonus is added to that, so regardless of his intelligence a human always get at least 2 skill point level.
For hit point you always get at least 1 h/level from your rolled dice (even if your constitution is extremely low) and abilities that increase that value add their bonus after that base amount has been determined.
What this means is you take a -6 penalty to Fort saves, and HP per level. ONLY.you at least gains 1 hp per level.
Correct. But you're not leveling up (or down) when taking ability damage, so that's probably not relevant.
Unless the intent of that rule is that a PC always has at least 1HP per level.|
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What this means is you take a -6 penalty to Fort saves, and HP per level. ONLY.you at least gains 1 hp per level.Correct. But you're not leveling up (or down) when taking ability damage, so that's probably not relevant.
Unless the intent of that rule is that a PC always has at least 1HP per level.
I think that that is the RAI as long as the constitution is >0.
I don't think that the RAI for a 20th level character with d6 HD and a starting constitution of 10 is it to have a maximum of -18 hp if he has suffered 9 points of constitution damage.
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You're over complicating things for some reason I can't tell.
That second bit never comes into it. Con Damage doesn't change your score. It applies a penalty to your Fort saves and HP.
If you take 2 Con damage, you take -1 HP per level. No minimum HP.
If you're 6th level and take 12 Con damage, you take -36 HP. If that kills you...that kills you.
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I find it odd that, despite only decreasing your "effective" Con score, Con damage equal to your Con score will outright kill you. You'd think that, even with a Con score of 14 and 14 Con damage, you'd just be KO'ed. But if Con score damage also affects how many negative HP you can accrue before death, it makes sense because your effective Con score is 0 meaning you die at 0 HP. I suspect that the same logic that applies to temporary ability score bonuses (FAQ says they apply to all the same things as permanent bonuses) also applies to ability score damage.
Con damage specify that it don't change your Con value. On the other hand having Con damage equal to your starting score kill you. It is the equivalent of being killed by any disease.
If you survive them most disease allow full recover with enough time, so it is temporary damage, but they can kill you. Same thing in game. Temporary damage to your constitution can kill you.