Barbarian Rage and Unconsciousness?

[Aluvial]

When a Barbarian rages she gets a bonus in HP based on the constitution increase and a bonus to Strength...

You take from the bonus (rage) HP first when subtracting out damage...

What happens to a Barbarian who is knocked unconscious?

Do they immediately stop raging and lose the HP (in effect killing the Barbarian if he gained more than 10 a the start of the rage)?

Or does something else occur?


Aluvial

 

[Grundle]

What happens to a Barbarian who is knocked unconscious?

I don't know of any official ruling on this, but it's pretty harsh to kill off a PC under this line of thinking.

IMHO, Barbarian Rage shouldn't end until the barbarian conciously decides to end it (or it has exceeded its maximum number of rounds).

Most importantly, such a ruling doesn't unbalance the game or screw the PCs (or your NPCS). Secondly, having rage continue during unconciousness is not totally without real-world precedent.

 

[Kraedin]

Rage ends when the barbairan decides it does, or its duration runs out. That is all.

 

[Aluvial]

Ok, say the rage runs out while he is still in the negatives (and assuming that he can rage while knocked out, which is a stretch)... then it kills him, correct?

I'm pretty sure the rule is straight forward but I'm having difficulty buying it....

Aluvial

 

[Darklone]

Yes he dies. I saw more than one barbarian going down like this...

 

[Aluvial]

This seems really harsh... I am going to have to house rule this.

Essentially a Barbarian who drops to unconscious level shouldn't slip into death because his rage ends...

There should be some limit to how fatigued a character can get.

(I'm thinking of something like half the distance to the goal-line when unconscious.)

Fatigued persons sometimes die, but not because of their fatigue, usually it is some complication of a lowered immune system and the death is long and drawn out.

Fantasy-magical-unrealistic gaming world aside, I've never heard of someone who just dies from fatigue.

Aluvial

 

[Darklone]

Sorry, I meant: When the rage ends while he is unconscious and his hitpoints drop to -10... then he dies.

But that's a real common death for barbarians.

 

[hammymchamham]

which makes the feat "remain concious" (spelling?) nice

 

[Aluvial]

which makes the feat "remain conscious" (spelling fixed) nice

Where is this feat detailed at? It seems self explanatory but I would like to see it.

Aluvial

 

[Berk]

This seems really harsh... I am going to have to house rule this.

Why?

Essentially a Barbarian who drops to unconscious level shouldn't slip into death because his rage ends...

They might, if the reduction of the constitution from the rage ending would drop their total hp below -10.

There should be some limit to how fatigued a character can get.

I'm pretty sure there is in the DMG.

Fatigued persons sometimes die, but not because of their fatigue, usually it is some complication of a lowered immune system and the death is long and drawn out.

Which is all caused by fatigue. =o)

I don't really see any reason to rule0 barbarians rage just because it can kill them if they aren't carefull. Raging doesn't mean you are mindless. Think of a barbarian's rage as a shock to the system in a way. It is just a pump of adrenalyne and endorphines being pushed out through your body. You become hardier and more tolerent towards pain. (this is represented by the increase of constitution) You become stronger. (the increase of str). You even become fatigued after the rage ends which is the stress your body has gone through. If you have ever broken a bone or been badly hurt in some physical way you will know what I'm talking about. I was thrown over the handlebars of my mountain bike one day and flew, yes flew, shoulder first into a parked car. I picked myself up, looked at the dent in the car, laughed, got back on my bike and as soon as I stood up on my pedals to continue on my way I noticed my humorous was broke. Didn't feel a thing. Atleast not until the doctor had to set it, piece of my bone was sideways in my arm. Anyways, off on a tangent there, I personally can't see any reason why the barbarian's rage would have to be rule0 for any reason.