Stabalize


Rules Questions

Sovereign Court

It states

Upon casting this spell, you target a living creature that has –1 or fewer hit points. That creature is automatically stabilized and does not lose any further hit points. If the creature later takes damage, it continues dying normally.

Does this imply that when I slit a persons throat and immediately cast this spell they would be fine?

Logistically damage is immediate but you dont die instantly if I you get stabbed in the throat, so would this just make them unconscious with negative hitpoints?

Grand Lodge

Xiphose wrote:

It states

I would interpret the "slit a persons throat" as a Coup de grace [Players Handbook pg 197], which may kill them instantly regardless of damage.


Depends whether slitting the throat is a normal attack or coup de grace.

Stabilize works only on creatures that have the condition dying. It is entirelely possible to kill a creature instantly, with it going instantly from stable to dead, skipping the dying part.

If damage dealt with a single attack is enough to get the creature to more negative hp than their constitution score, it dies instantly. There are also some death effects that are able to kill instantly. Last but not least, there is coup de grace - even if damage doesn't kill the creature, it still needs to make a fortitude check or die instantly.

If damage is massive enough to kill instantly, stabilize won't help. If damage is big enough, to drop the creature below 0 hp, but not below their minus constitution score, it gains the dying condidtion and can be stabilized.


Technically, you can cast stabilize on any living creature with -1 or fewer hit points, but it won't really do anything unless that creature is dying. That's a pretty minor quibble, though.

As mentioned above, you can't cast it on a dead creature, such as one who just failed their Fortitude save and died form having their throat slit.


Also, "Stabalize" sounds like a good name for a thrash metal band.

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