Fast Healing while below zero HPS

[erc1971]

Does Fast healing function while someone is at zero, or below zero hit points?

This came up in our game yesterday, and the DM/GM says it does not, having vaguely remembered something he came across a while ago.

Several of us said it should work below zero hit points - unable to find anything in the PHB or DMG to state otherwise.

If possible, a book and page reference to go along with your answer would be best - our group does have some rules lawyer tendencies sometimes

 

[Infiniti2000]

Does Fast healing function while someone is at zero, or below zero hit points?

Yes.

Several of us said it should work below zero hit points - unable to find anything in the PHB or DMG to state otherwise.

Nothing's needed. It works without restriction to current hit point total as long as you are not dead. Any restriction by the DM is at best arbitrary. He could just as easily say fast healing doesn't work on Tuesdays because that restriction is not in the rules either. Here's the complete description from the SRD. Probably the most important line is the one I bolded.

Fast Healing
A creature with fast healing has the extraordinary ability to regain hit points at an exceptional rate. Except for what is noted here, fast healing is like natural healing.

At the beginning of each of the creature’s turns, it heals a certain number of hit points (defined in its description).

Unlike regeneration, fast healing does not allow a creature to regrow or reattach lost body parts. Unless otherwise stated, it does not allow lost body parts to be reattached.

A creature that has taken both nonlethal and lethal damage heals the nonlethal damage first.

Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation.

Fast healing does not increase the number of hit points regained when a creature polymorphs.

 

[Beckett]

Just looking at the SRD description, Fast Healing works like natural healing, with a few differences. Since natural healing can function at negative HP, Fast Healing would too, unless there's something in the specific creature's description that says otherwise. The half-vampire (from LM), iirc, has fast healing that only functions when the character is below half but above 0.

The text for Mephits is: "Mephits heal 2 points of damage each round, provided they are still alive and certain other conditions are met. See the individual descriptions for details." Negative HP above -10 means the Mephit is still alive, and would still be able to use Fast Healing.

 

[Notmousse]

But natural healing does not work as normal when under 0 HP. When taken to -1 or lower you must make a sability check to see if you continue to take damage. Assuming you make the check you are still losing HP, but at a slower rate. Another check is then required or you lose another HP. It takes a third such check to restart natural healing without aid.

So in theory if you were knocked to negative HP, then sabilized, and had fast healing you'd be fine shortly. But when knocked below 0 HP your natural healing shuts down.

 

[Arnwyn]

But natural healing does not work as normal when under 0 HP. When taken to -1 or lower you must make a sability check to see if you continue to take damage. Assuming you make the check you are still losing HP, but at a slower rate. Another check is then required or you lose another HP. It takes a third such check to restart natural healing without aid.

So in theory if you were knocked to negative HP, then sabilized, and had fast healing you'd be fine shortly. But when knocked below 0 HP your natural healing shuts down.

That's how I've assumed it works.

We've interpreted it that when below 0 hp, one must be stabilized before fast healing works again.

 

[shilsen]

I've always thought fast healing should continue to work below 0 hp. For what it's worth the FAQ agrees. Note that this was the 3.0 FAQ:

A creature with the fast healing quality regains the stated number of hit points each round, so long as it remains alive. Unlike regeneration, fast healing doesn’t keep a creature from dying.

A creature with a hit point total of –1 to –9 is dying, but it’s still alive. Fast healing (and regeneration) restores lost hit points each round at the beginning of the creature’s turn. Whenever a dying creature heals at least 1 point of damage, it becomes stable and eventually regains consciousness, providing it does not suffer any additional damage.

 

[MuL]

So then with the Dragon Shaman's vigor aura you can stabilize and heal your allies up from negatives to half hit points correct?

Because my mean DM says I can't and then when I argued about it he made us fight a Glabrezu with a 31 AC that killed my Cleric and his cohort. They should have a 27 Ac I looked it up in the Monster Manual. He Sucks.

 

[Jack Simth]

So it was an advanced Glazebrou. Or it had a +4 Bracers of Armor. Or a +4 Amulet of Natural Armor. Or a +4 Ring of Deflection. Or it had +6 Gauntlets of Dexterity and one of the others in this list. After all, not all monster's treasure needs to be laying in a useless pile somewhere.

 

[Dross]

Does Fast healing function while someone is at zero, or below zero hit points?

This came up in our game yesterday, and the DM/GM says it does not, having vaguely remembered something he came across a while ago.

Several of us said it should work below zero hit points - unable to find anything in the PHB or DMG to state otherwise.

If possible, a book and page reference to go along with your answer would be best - our group does have some rules lawyer tendencies sometimes

We have playted it like it still functions.

However, is the DM being consistant on this ruling for PCs and NPCs/monsters? from this and other posts it looks like the ruling was against a PC, so if you have fought monsters with FH have they been able to get back up?

If the ruling has changed, I think the DM was lax in not providing that info to the players. If the player got this abilitiy, she should have asked about the situation before it came about.

 

[Legildur]

Why your DM has a problem with the Dragon Shaman I do not know. It's hardly an overpowered character. A reasonable support character, yes, overpowered, no.

Besides, if he is using his fast healing aura, then he is not using another aura, such as +x to melee damage. Yeah, your DM sucks if he threw that Glab against you out of spite.