Death Saving Throw: Roll 20 or higher, spend surge then?

[bryanlo]

So I was wondering, what happens when someone makes a death saving throw, hits 20 or above and spends a surge? Does he get actions, and if so, which actions? I have previously ruled that just getting up again expends all your energy for that round and thus no actions can be taken. Are there rules covering this, and if not, how have you ruled it?

 

[Holy Bovine]

So I was wondering, what happens when someone makes a death saving throw, hits 20 or above and spends a surge? Does he get actions, and if so, which actions? I have previously ruled that just getting up again expends all your energy for that round and thus no actions can be taken. Are there rules covering this, and if not, how have you ruled it?

Saving throws (which is what death saving throws are) take place at the end of a creatures turn so I don't think you get any actions by RAW. Maybe you could spend an action point? Not a 100% on that as most people aren't willing to blow an action point to just stand up (pretty much 100% of the time a death save is called for the PC is prone).

 

[bryanlo]

Oh ok thanks, I totally forgot about that caveat of saving throws, that it's an end of turn thing. Great, thanks again!

 

[jbear]

I don't think so.

You can't make your saving throws against other conditions at the end of your turn and then spend an action point to take another action.

So I think the same applies to death saving throws.

End of turn is the end of turn.

 

[Jack99]

I don't think so.

You can't make your saving throws against other conditions at the end of your turn and then spend an action point to take another action.

So I think the same applies to death saving throws.

End of turn is the end of turn.

Correct

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Jbear and Jack99 are correct about the RAW, but I think letting players spend an action point might be more fun. I haven't played at high-levels, so it may not work well then, but at heroic tier, I don't think it would make much balance difference--20+ on saving throws on your turn are rare (basically a natural 20, plus occasionally a race bonus or something that lets you do it on a 19), and getting to pull forward an action via an action point isn't huge. (For saves granted off your turn, which would be a strange thing to use to try to trigger a death save, bonuses are more common, but clearly becoming conscious on someone else's turn doesn't allow you to spend an action point.) Plus, when a player has just lost their whole turn, getting to spend an action point to take one action is a nice "doesn't suck so much." So I'd be inclined to allow it, even though it's not technically possible.

 

[Ahrimon]

Next time that I DM I think that I'll have it where once you make a death save, your still unconcious until your turn comes around again. Or unless someone else gives you an action.

But that could be because I'm too used to DM's dogpiling every creature possible on the weakest link. I've seen where you wake up with a death save/heal and get gang banged before your turn rolls around happen way too often for my tastes.

 

[Mapache]

Next time that I DM I think that I'll have it where once you make a death save, your still unconcious until your turn comes around again. Or unless someone else gives you an action.

But that could be because I'm too used to DM's dogpiling every creature possible on the weakest link. I've seen where you wake up with a death save/heal and get gang banged before your turn rolls around happen way too often for my tastes.

I avoid that by just ruling that monsters in the thick of battle can't tell the difference between someone who's down and bleeding out and someone who went down and has been healed, but hasn't caught their breath and sprung back into battle yet. As long as you're still lying around prone, they'll ignore you.

 

[Dausuul]

I avoid that by just ruling that monsters in the thick of battle can't tell the difference between someone who's down and bleeding out and someone who went down and has been healed, but hasn't caught their breath and sprung back into battle yet. As long as you're still lying around prone, they'll ignore you.

I generally let people make a Bluff check to "play dead."

 

[erleni]

IIRC there's at least one feat that lets you roll saving throws at both the beginning and the end of your turn, but I would need to check if it applies to DSTs.