Does Barbarian rage end if Barb goes unconscious?

[Dr_Rictus]

I agree with the RAW here. Also it makes being KO'd a death sentence for Barbs above level 4 which is harsh IMO as rage is their class defining ability.

Yeah, good luck convincing a barbarian to rage when he really needs it under this rule. And therefore, for my money, good luck convincing any sensible person to play one.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Say, come to think of it, is it just me, or is there something strange about being willing to accept that someone could be so angry that they refuse to die (as any barbarian of 6th level or more could be getting enough extra hit points to make the difference between conscious and dead), but not being willing to accept that it's possible for that same person to be that angry while merely unconscious?

How does one of these things make any more sense than the other? With that in mind, the "it just makes sense" argument no longer makes sense to me.

 

[werk]

I am assuming that the rage continues, if for no other reason than that the alternative ruling would give an automatic sentence of death to any barbarian of 5th level or higher that goes unconscious (barring the die hard feat, or something similar).

Assuming the only way he becomes unconcious is to go below negative hp, it raises a good point. I thought there used to be verbage in the rage description that said up to -10hp or something like that, but it's gone now.

So you just let him rage until his rage runs out? Even if it takes him below -10 HP? He could rage until it expires even if he is -300hp?

Assuming you do, how do you get around Disabled/Dying/Dead? They are pretty clear on when they take effect. What conditions would you allow to penetrate rage, paralyze, petrify? Why are these conditions different than disabled/dying/dead?

I guess I always saw the barbar as raging, going down to negative hp, falling unconcious, falling out of rage, and dying... That's not how you play it? How do you play it?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

So you just let him rage until his rage runs out?

Yes.

Even if it takes him below -10 HP? He could rage until it expires even if he is -300hp?

Yes. Of course, once he hits -1 HP, he falls unconscious, and once he hits -10 HP, he's dead. If he got hit and taken to -300HP while raging, he'd be a seriously pissed off smear of blood on the ground.

Assuming you do, how do you get around Disabled/Dying/Dead?

You don't. The only question we're addressing is, "When do the Str and Con bonuses (and thereby the extra hit points) go away?"

The answer to that question is, "When the duration runs out."

The answer to that question is not, "When the duration runs out or when the Bar falls unconscious, whichever happens first."

I guess I always saw the barbar as raging, going down to negative hp, falling unconcious, falling out of rage, and dying... That's not how you play it? How do you play it?

The way I play it (and the way the rules work), barbarians don't die immediately upon falling unconscious. They have the same chance to stabilize as any other character, and the same chance to receive emergency healing.

If his rage should end while he's unconscious and before he gets healed, the barbarian will likely die. It is not a sure thing, however.

 

[werk]

Yes. Of course, once he hits -1 HP, he falls unconscious, and once he hits -10 HP, he's dead. If he got hit and taken to -300HP while raging, he'd be a seriously pissed off smear of blood on the ground.

The way I play it (and the way the rules work), barbarians don't die immediately upon falling unconscious. They have the same chance to stabilize as any other character, and the same chance to receive emergency healing.

I follow now, he still succumbs to unconciousness/disabled/dying, you all were just addressing when the rage modifiers end. For some reason I saw this undroppable freak.

Thanks!

 

[Scion]

I follow now, he still succumbs to unconciousness/disabled/dying, you all were just addressing when the rage modifiers end. For some reason I saw this undroppable freak.

You'll need the frenzied beserker for the 'undroppable freak'

-300 hp? pfft, he is still mad at you!

 

[Endur]

The rules aren't clear on this, so its up to the GM interpretation.

Personally, as long as people aren't playing "GOTCHA", I think it does not matter what the interpretation is. (GOTCHA is when someone comes up with a rules interpretation after an event has happened).

The people above who are saying the "Sky will Fall" if Rage ends when the barbarian is unconscious are wrong.

This can be role-played (remember role-playing anyone?) of how the Mighty Barbarian fought hard, beyond the point of unconsiouness, until he had taken wounds that were more than sufficient to kill him, and finally he fell. i.e. equivalent to Deathless Frenzy from Frenzied Berserker, without any of the game mechanics.

Or the Incredible Hulk transforms into Bruce Banner, and wounds that were severe on the Hulk are mortal injuries to Bruce Banner.

For those who like to Rage while they are asleep, I will point out that the spell Calm Emotions can take someone out of a rage. If a spell can take someone out of rage, being asleep probably can as well.

 

[Caliban]

Yeah, I realise this.... Just means the Barbarian has to be a bit more picky about when he goes into rage, and needs to have the cleric nearby to paste him together before he falls apart...

This seems like punishing barbarians for using their primary class ability.

Do you apply similar risks for other classes when they use their primary class abilities?

 

[Particle_Man]

For those who like to Rage while they are asleep, I will point out that the spell Calm Emotions can take someone out of a rage. If a spell can take someone out of rage, being asleep probably can as well.

Why? The spell Calm Emotions is a magical effect, and thus presumably can warp the very fabric of reality. The state of being asleep is usually not magical, and thus is subject to the laws of physics and biology, which would include the idea that adrenaline does not magically disappear if one is suddenly rendered unconscious.

 

[green slime]

Caliban, and Scion, I think we have had this debate before.

To answer Caliban's question: the point is, Barbarians gain 2 * level = hit points during rage.... At high levels, even more. Without the rage, they would already have been dead from the punishment they recieved, before they even fall unconscious. How is this then punishing them? The glass can be seen to be either half full or half empty. But coming from your position, then yes, my "intepretation" of this aspect of the rules may seem "harsh". That similar risks comment is...not really called for. We were discussing Barbarians, and their rage.

It is not explicitly stated in the rules, although we can infer various things from them. Crothian and Shilsen made the strongest point, and perhaps, by the RAW, they are right.

Dr Rictus,
When it comes to accepting Raging and "refusing to die" I don't see it that way... They are already postponing their submission to injury, by the added hit point buffer they gain. It is an artefact of DnD, that all characters function normally until they reach 0 hit points.