I've been having fun playing a bloodrager in PFS at low levels, but am concerned about surviving coming out of rage as the character gets higher level. Right now, this is theory crafting for me, I don't have any experience with raging at 5th level or higher.
In my experience at low levels, a bloodrager is usually the first to be dropped in any battle. This ends the bloodrage, triggering a Con adjustment which can easily cause the character to go from unconscious to dead.
I know of the following methods to help with this on a Bloodrager:
- Phantom Blood spell (maximum of 10 temporary HP with restrictions)
- Aegis of Recovery magical item (assuming that it is applied before death status, may be some table variation)
- Raging Vitality feat (requires Con 15)
In addition, there are Clerical spells such as Blessings of Courage and Life for a swift action CLW.
Of these, Raging Vitality seems the most effective. Provided you still have rounds of rage left you can keep yourself alive.
In practice, how much of a problem is this? I know that is one of the things changed with the Unchained Barbarian, but as I understand it the new Rage mechanic doesn't apply to Bloodrager or Skald.
Do you just do a full withdrawal from combat while still raging if you reach the point where if not for rage you would be unconscious?
What other ways are there for dealing with this?
Protest in front of Paizo HQ for them to allow Unchained Rage for Bloodragers.
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First, you said you don't have experience raging at higher levels. I don't know if you took the community-minded trait but if not maybe consider extra traits feat for it. You should be using this trait to rage cycle and effectively triple your number of rage rounds (you are actually stronger when you aren't truely raging because the AC penalty drops).
Buy the Alchemical item Allnight and eat one every day. You now don't suffer the effects of fatigue for 8 hours. This allows you to effectively use Rage Cycling with the above.
Other than that I think the killing them before they kill you is always the best approach to raging.
It is the same for every barbarians, raging vitality is almost a must.
If not get diehard.
I'm not certain how rage cycling is supposed to fix the problem. Please explain.
Diehard requires Endurance feat but doesn't have a Con prerequisite. It allows a move action, but that will often open up an attack of opportunity just like using a potion would. Seems that in many cases I would still be stuck.
On one of my bloodragers I have the religious trait Magic is Life. Add in one wand of Endure Elements (24 hour duration) and I auto stabilize and get a bonus against death magic. It prevents death via bleeding, but that wasn't my concern.
Any other ways that work for a Bloodrager?
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Raging for a longer duration means you aren't suddenly going to run out of rage and go down. You also now have 2 extra rounds with your morale bonus until you actually lose the CON bonus.
On top of that you mentioned being inexperienced so I brought up a topic which I consider required to more effectively use rage rounds and many people might not know.
but as I understand it the new Rage mechanic doesn't apply to Bloodrager or Skald.
It's a book of house rules, it can apply to bloodrager and skald if your GM agrees.
He said in first post this is for PFS.
I honestly expect them to enable Unchained Rage for any Rager, but who can say when.
It sounds like OP has a handle on the realistic options...
There is another option, Human AltRacial Heart of Wildnerness adds 1/2level HPs to your "Death Point".
Unfortunately, that is a "choose at 1st level" option, so not applicable to your case...
I think there is some other mechanic that does similar, but can't remember off the top of my head.
(Honestly, it seems strange that not much else modifies that mechanic in a similar manner)
If you can get a Familiar that can help heal you, or try an Iron Cobra that injects a Cure Potion into you,
both options don't take your own actions, which is nice.
Honestly, if it "scares" you that much, just treat the Rage HP as if you can't rely on them...
Really, there is no need to add them to your regular HPs, tracks them in a separate pool,
so it is 100% clear how close you are to depending on them to live... When you get close to that mark (and you may want to account for taking 1 hit of enemy damage as well),
then withdraw from combat to chug potions, or probably more usefully,
change your positioning so you are nearby party healer (and tell them you need healing).
Or if the party healer has ranged healing options, you may not need to even do that.
(if you're cautious you may want to consider how they can deliver Breath of Life if need be)
Anyways, withdrawing at that point is no different then if you were a Fighter who didn't gain Rage HPs.
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To the OP read the bloodragers rage power. The Temp hit points you gain while raging come off first. This was changed from the barbarians rage power so you will not die at the end of your rage.
One of the best buff spells a bloodrager can have Ron him is infernal healing. Or greater infernal healing this will auto stabilize you and prevent you dying from bleed damage. Travel with a war priest.
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The Temp hit points you gain while raging come off first. This was changed from the barbarians rage power so you will not die at the end of your rage.
No it wasn't. Still the same.
The increase to Constitution grants the bloodrager 2 hit points per Hit Die, but these disappear when the bloodrage ends and are not lost first like temporary hit points.
As other people have pointed out, this is for PFS so it isn't possible to just change the rules.
The idea of having the familiar help is an interesting one. It would be trivial for the Celestial Bloodrager using the bloodline familiar. In that case, the familiar basically has a Lay on Hands.
I suppose that a Mascot archetype on a familiar could also work if there is a spell casting healer in the group. Have them get a cure spell from the healer and then go into combat to deliver it.
Otherwise I think it would require an improved familiar that can use a wand or other magical device.
I'll have to think more on the familiar option.
Familiars with hands can also feed portions to you
