Question: Bite + Con Poison = Dead

[daemonslye]

The question is regarding penalties on hit points due to CON damage when poisoned after a bite. The scenario:

1. A 5th level wizard adventuring through a sewer complex
has a "normal" constitution score (10) and 15 HP (Let's
say he rolled 3hp per level)

2. During a combat, a Water Naga bites the character
and inflicts 10pnts of damage and 7 points of CON
damage on the initial poison damage (Wizzy missed
his save)

3. (a.) The character is now at (15hp-10hp)+(-20hp)
or (-15) Hit Points; (bite damage)+(negative CON
modifiers for a 3 CON)

OR

(b.) The character is now at (15hp-10hp)+(-10hp)
or (-5) Hit Points; (bite damage)+(negative CON
modifiers for a 3 CON - with a maximum penalty of
-2 per level because of only having 3pnts per level)

4. In scenario 3b. above, if the character had sustained
at least five hit points of damage before being bitten, the
character would be dead (-10hp).

Please confirm whether 3a or 3b is correct and whether
I am missing anything else (I understand the EL would call
for a possible death, wizards normally stay out of sewers,
etc.).

Thanks!

~D

 

[Darklone]

Guess it's 3b

Simple: After no matter how many con damage assuming that he still has constitution 1 (therefore still alive), he would have at least 5 hitpoints left. (at least 1 hp per level, look at PHB very much at the start the description about attributes)

He took 10 points of damage, therefore he will be at -5 hp, bleeding and dying. Though the bleeding will not matter if that naga things bites again.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

3b.

See DMG, page 72.

 

[Ferret]

Whats he doing fighting a Water naga? Is'e mad?

 

[Someone]

No matter how crappy is your CON, you always get 1 hit point for each hit die. It´s also in the PHB page 8 or 9.

 

[Vanye]

Whats he doing fighting a Water naga? Is'e mad?

Or surprised. Or exploring....PC's, especially lower level PC's, rarely know every opponent they will be facing.

 

[Christian]

Whats he doing fighting a Water naga? Is'e mad?

He forgot to buy the DM some pizza and beer. The fool!

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

I had myself edgucated on this point in another post.

Since the bite and posion happen at once, or the posion imediatly after, he would be dropped the damage from the bite, THEN the CON damage, leaving him at 5 HPs. This is assuming he had more than 5 after the bite, in which the CON damage only effectively lowers his save.

Two points, though...

A second bite will probably kill him, duh.

If he is reduced to 0 CON or less, he dies, despite the fact that he might still have HPs on paper.

 

[0-hr]

Since the bite and posion happen at once, or the posion imediatly after, he would be dropped the damage from the bite, THEN the CON damage, leaving him at 5 HPs.

If you are saying that he would be a +5hp, I'd like to see that other thread. I can't really see how taking CON damage could actually "heal" you of an exisiting wound.

I see it happening like this:

• Wizard(5) has 10CON and 15hp.
• He gets bit for 10 damage and 7CON.
• His hitpoints drop to 5.
• He is now a person with a 15 maximum hp who has suffered 10hp damage.
• He fails his save.
• His CON drops to 3, which lowers his max hp to 5,
• He is now a person with 5 maximum hp who has suffered 10hp damage.
• He falls over, having -5 hp.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Ki Ryn is correct. Your wizard is Naga food.