Does granting a creature temporary hit points cause that creature to automatically stabilize if they are dying?
Take the spells stabilize and virtue, for example. One says it automatically stabilizes, the other grants 1 temp hp. If temp hp automatically stabilized a creature, there would be no need for the first spell, would there?
I would say that the answer is no. The things you point out might even be the basis for an argument that a creature in the negatives, can't be granted temporary hit points at all.
I dont think they'd stabilize you, but if you got to 0 hit points or above you'd definitely stop dying.
However, since temporary HP is lost first, a character with the virtue spell could at least counteract the dying until proper healing could be administered.
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Temporary hit points are a separate pool which have no effect on your actual HP and corresponding status EXCEPT that they get removed first when additional damage is incurred.
So, a creature at negative hit points with temporary hit points is treated as if the temporary hit points weren't there... EXCEPT if they take more damage. For example, if they aren't stabilized then the 1 hp per round loss would come out of the temporary hit points.
Temporary hit points are a separate pool which have no effect on your actual HP and corresponding status EXCEPT that they get removed first when additional damage is incurred.
These hit points are in addition to the character's current hit point total and any damage taken by the character is subtracted from these hit points first.
The first half of the rule suggests to me that they do increase the character's effective hit point total and if they took you above 0 HP you'd regain consciousness.
Temporary hit points can't bring someone back from consciousness or keep them from bleeding out (though, as mentioned above, it could potentially delay death).
They are not real hit points, they are not healing, they act merely as a damage soaking buffer.
Benefit: Once per day, a rogue with this ability can gain a number of temporary hit points equal to twice her rogue level. Activating this ability is an immediate action that can be performed only when the rogue is brought to below 0 hit points. This ability can be used to prevent the rogue from dying. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute. If the rogue's hit points drop below 0 due to the loss of these temporary hit points, she falls unconscious and is dying as normal.
So, is this exception or the rule? Because what I understand from this ability is that you gain the temporary hit points, but you are still at 0 hit points or below.
The logic used for the two spells does not work.
Virtue has a range of touch, while Stabilize has a range of close. Even if the temporary hit points did stabilize, the other spell can do it at range.
That said, I agree that Virtue would not automatically stabilize a creature. It could take it out of the staggered condition though.
If we look at the bleed condition, it specifies that you need to perform a Heal check or use a spell that cures hit point damage. Virtue is not a healing spell nor does it cure any damage so it would not be effective.
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The Resiliency talent is an interesting case... but it seems like it could go either way.
For example... it is stated to be an immediate action. Normally an immediate action is resolved before the triggering event... so I'd read this as; you take damage which will reduce you to below 0 hp, you take an immediate action to activate Resiliency, you gain temporary hit points and the damage which WOULD have brought you to negative HP is applied against these temporary HPs first... potentially allowing you to remain above 0 HP and conscious.
Also note that the ability can "prevent the rogue from dying". To me this reinforces the idea that it acts as an 'interupt'... you gain the temporary HP before the damage is applied, so you never hit the point of negative HP equal to your Constitution and you don't die.
The phrase "If the rogue's hit points drop below 0 due to the loss of these temporary hit points" implies that temporary hit points are added to your effective hit point total - otherwise losing temporary HP could not reduce your HP total. The phrase "These hit points are in addition to the character's current hit point total" also implies that that temporary hit points are added to your effective hit point total.
Are there any rules quotes to support the claim that temp HP cannot restore you to consciousness?
Are there any rules quotes to support the claim that temp HP cannot restore you to consciousness?
None that I am aware of. I would expect them to be able to do exactly that. I do not think they would stop any bleeding though.
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Are there any rules quotes to support the claim that temp HP cannot restore you to consciousness?
Sure.
"When your current hit point total drops to exactly 0, you are disabled."
"Healing that raises your hit points above 0 makes you fully functional again, just as if you'd never been reduced to 0 or fewer hit points."
"Any damage in excess of a character's temporary hit points is applied to his current hit points as normal. If the effect that grants the temporary hit points ends or is dispelled, any remaining temporary hit points go away. The damage they sustained is not transferred to the character's current hit points."
To me these seem to clearly differentiate temporary hit points from current hit points... while also saying that current hit points are the ones you look at for various effects (e.g. Disabled, Dying, Dead, impact of Power Word spells, et cetera).
temp HP work as current HP. But granting temp HP isn't healing. If temp HP brings you over 0, you're no longer below 0 and not bleeding or dying. if you were at 0 and got temp HP, you're no longer staggered.
"These hit points are in addition to the character's current hit point total"
Shows that temp HP is added to current, aka count as current hp.