Rage, unconciousness, and -HP

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Mind if I ask where this comes from?

Well, Rage is an effect which has a duration (specifically, 3 rounds + Con mod). Following the standard rules for effects with durations, it lasts until its duration has run out or until something specifically ends it.

What specifically ends a rage?

Well, the spell calm emotions can supresses it, but only for the duration of the spell. Also:

A barbarian may prematurely end his rage.

So, to turn the question about, mind if I ask where your belief that being unconscious ends a rage comes from?

It seems to be a pretty commonly-held misunderstanding.

Note that, if you believe that being rendered unconscious automatically ends a rage, any barbarian character of greater than 5th-level automatically dies as soon as he is rendered unconscious.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

Note that, if you believe that being rendered unconscious automatically ends a rage, any barbarian character of greater than 5th-level automatically dies as soon as he is rendered unconscious.

Indeed, that is how we have been playing it. It makes the Endurance/Diehard feat chain well worth getting for a barbarian, as it may one day save his life. Personally I hope we have been doing it wrong, because nearly everyone we game with only goes so far w/barbarian, seeing how to get too far in can be hazardous to your character's survival chances. Actually though, extra hitpoints from rage goes off character level, so I suppose it doesn't matter if they are barb or fighter or whatever levels at that point.

 

[Pinotage]

Well, Rage is an effect which has a duration (specifically, 3 rounds + Con mod). Following the standard rules for effects with durations, it lasts until its duration has run out or until something specifically ends it.

Sorry, I misunderstood. For some reason I thought you were implying that while the rage lasted the barbarian couldn't go unconscious. Silly me!

Pinotage

 

[Lasher Dragon]

Maybe I'm trying to bring too much realism... it just seems weird to me that rage would NOT end when someone is brought to -1 hitpoints and was rendered unconscious. Rage to me seems to be a mental ability, by which one perhaps increases one's adrenaline flow to dangerous levels to accomplish feats not normally viable. Therefore it would follow that when one's mental state is shut down, the rage would end. Like I said though, perhaps I am trying to be too realistic.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

So, when a cleric hears some pissed-off-sounding snoring, he knows that's his cue to heal the barbarian

 

[the Jester]

Lasher Dragon, I respectfully suggest you forget about realism and think about fun in this instance. It's not fun for any barbarian of 5th level or above to be afraid to stick it out in combat. It is fun for the cleric to have to race to save him with enough healing before his rage runs out.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

Oh I agree Jester, I don't know why we have always been playing this way... totally hoses the barbarians - god forbid someone try to play a frenzied berserker!! As I said above, I do hope that we have been doing it wrong, if for no other reason than to give people I play with a reason to take more than a few levels of barbarian. As a matter of fact, I have NEVER seen a high-level barbarian LOL

 

[Lasher Dragon]

Actually, I could see it being incredibly hilarious. Barbarian goes down, still has 4 rounds of rage left, so he's unconscious, but he's foaming at the mouth and twitching and flopping around on the ground, now & then uttering strange bestial sounds.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Maybe I'm trying to bring too much realism... it just seems weird to me that rage would NOT end when someone is brought to -1 hitpoints and was rendered unconscious. Rage to me seems to be a mental ability, by which one perhaps increases one's adrenaline flow to dangerous levels to accomplish feats not normally viable. Therefore it would follow that when one's mental state is shut down, the rage would end. Like I said though, perhaps I am trying to be too realistic.

You can explain Rage remaining after the barb falls unconcious, and still hold on to "realism."

When a barbarian starts his Rage (Ex), he consciously creates an adrenaline surge in his body. At that point, it's not a continuing effort. The adrenaline (a drug) has been released into the bloodstream, and its effects last for 3+con rounds. The barbarian can consciously master himself despite the effects of the adrenaline (voluntarily ending the rage prematurely), but if he does not, then even should he fall unconscious his body is still under the effects of the adrenaline for as long as the drug cycles through his body.

In summary, just because the barbarian goes unconcious, that doesn't remove the adrenaline from his body any more quickly, nor does it change the chemical effects adrenaline has on his metabolism. Only when the adrenaline has run its course does the barb face the possibly lethal consequences.

 

[MarauderX]

So if I read this correctly, a barbarian that is dropped to below 0 has as many rounds as his rage to hang on to those extra HP. For example say Bob the Barbarian (Level=10, Con=16) gets brought down to -1 in his third round of raging. He has 5 rounds left (3+5 for his new Con score), and afterward his Con drops back to 16. Bob will lose his extra 20 HP (+2x10) after those rounds, no matter if he stabilizes or not. So after those 5 rounds Bob would be dead, as he would be at at least -21. If that's correct, it would be a rare barbarian that bled to death.

Now if Bob had the Endurance/Die Hard feats, he would be able to continue raging and waltz his way over to a healer to bring him up to at least 11 to avoid instant death when he stops raging. That way he would be at -9 HP when he lets go of his anger and can immediately become stable (Die Hard).

Is this correct?