Does Barbarian Rage end at -1 HP?

[Ysgarran]

If a Barbarian loses consciousness (i.e. below 0 hit points) does his rage end. I would say no but there is always a chance I missed something.

(The Barbarian I was running on Saturday got Harmed and then hit by a magic missile. A cheap trick but effective...)


Ysgarran.

 

[Wippit Guud]

Heh... I'm worried about a PbP game where I'm a barbarian boar.
Boars get ferocity, so they fight until -10hp... then my rage ends, -20hp. I am sooooo dead.

And yeah, it ends, unless you have the feat that lets you keep going (what's name escapes me at the moment, as I'm at work)

 

[hammymchamham]

As Wippit said. Since their is no mention of the Barbarian continuing to fight at -1, as with the Boar, he would drop... and most likely be dead since his rage ends.

 

[Tar-Edhel]

I asked this question once and the consensus was that it did continue even if the barbarian was below 0hp. There is nothing in the rules specifying otherwise...

Otherwise, Raging would be deadly IMHO.

 

[Wippit Guud]

Rage is a... personality issue with anger management.
If you're knocked out, you're not angry anymore.

 

[gtJormungand]

Rage does not end when the Barbarian falls under 0 HP. It will continue until it expires, thus allowing the Barbarian a few rounds time to be cured before death.

 

[Caliban]

Rage is a... personality issue with anger management.
If you're knocked out, you're not angry anymore.

This is not the way it works in 3e.

The barbarian rage is an effect that ends after (3+con mod) rounds, when the barbarian voluntarily ends it, or when certain spells end it (such as calm emotions).

Being knocked unconcious is not one of the conditions that ends the rage prematurely. Ruling that it does just makes Rage a suicidal tactic at higher levels.

If you want an "in character" rationalization for why it doesn't end, the hormones and adrenaline that fuel the rage are still in your bloodstream and won't dissipate for (3+con mod) rounds.

 

[Tar-Edhel]

This is not the way it works in 3e.

The barbarian rage is an effect that ends after (3+con mod) rounds, when the barbarian voluntarily ends it, or when certain spells end it (such as calm emotions).

Being knocked unconcious is not one of the conditions that ends the rage prematurely. Ruling that it does just makes Rage a suicidal tactic at higher levels.

If you want an "in character" rationalization for why it doesn't end, the hormones and adrenaline that fuel the rage are still in your bloodstream and won't dissipate for (3+con mod) rounds.

Thanks for saying it the way I wasn't able to

 

[Endur]

The Rules Don't Say Rage Ends at -1 hp

The Rules don't say Rage ends at -1 hp.

Since they don't say it ends at -1 hp, it makes sense to not make an extra rule that it ends at -1.

Since the Barbarian is unconscious and most GMs don't want to make a regular habit of killing PCs (the whole reason behind the -10 rule), we generally don't force barbarians to lose their rage as soon as they go -1.

I agree that in theory, it makes no sense to be raging while asleep. On the other hand, being at -1 hp doesn't mean you are asleep. It just means you are incapable of movement or otherwise affecting the battlefield. You might still be lingering, coughing, bleeding, and otherwise preparing to expire.

Tom

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Just tossing in my "me too." The ability says when it ends. Falling unconscious is not in that description. Nor is there any rule about unconsciousness (say, in the condition summary) that would cause the rage to end because of that condition.

Whether that makes sense to a given DM is a separate question, but be aware that you definitely are making it a suicidal ability for higher-level barbarians if you act on your opinion by making a house rule that ends the rage for unconscious barbarians.