Rage, unconciousness, and -HP

[shilsen]

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.

If you're interested in realism (which generally is a bad idea in D&D and usually applied arbitrarily when it is), just remember that the adrenaline in the system doesn't disappear instantly. So even though the barbarian is knocked unconscious, the adrenaline he has already pumped into his system is still doing its job.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

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

...

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.

Correct.

 

[ARandomGod]

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.

What Pendragon said. The rage is not a mental effect that you have to remain conciousness to maintain. And it certainly doesn't have something like duration: Concentration. It's more like a drug that the barb can release into his system, and the drug lasts X rounds before it's effects go away.

Another way to put it, have you ever woke up just frikkin ANGRY? Or scared? Or anything like that... Your body can still experience emotion while asleep/unconcious.

So yea, any barb of fifth level or greater who goes down, his party knows they have a limited amount of time to heal him before he's just dead. More limited than normal.

Now, as for realism, ask yourself... In Eberron, how is it that the Warforged rage? Exactly?

 

[ThirdWizard]

Here's a question my player asked about Rage. If your Con is lowered during a Rage, does the duration decrease? I said no it does not, durations are assigned when an ability is used (or a spell cast) and any changes to the one who initiates it after that are irrelevent. For example, a caster's Mage Armor won't lose an hour because of a Negative Level.

Any obscure rules I'm missing on that, or is it correct?

 

[Pinotage]

Here's a question my player asked about Rage. If your Con is lowered during a Rage, does the duration decrease? I said no it does not, durations are assigned when an ability is used (or a spell cast) and any changes to the one who initiates it after that are irrelevent. For example, a caster's Mage Armor won't lose an hour because of a Negative Level.

Any obscure rules I'm missing on that, or is it correct?

That's the ruling I'd use. Too much paperwork otherwise - I like to keep things simple.

Pinotage

 

[ARandomGod]

Here's a question my player asked about Rage. If your Con is lowered during a Rage, does the duration decrease? I said no it does not, durations are assigned when an ability is used (or a spell cast) and any changes to the one who initiates it after that are irrelevent. For example, a caster's Mage Armor won't lose an hour because of a Negative Level.

Any obscure rules I'm missing on that, or is it correct?

Yea, I'm pretty sure that's how it's played. The effect is set when it's started. Of course, if you try to rage again next encounter and your con is still lower... but it shouldn't effect the duration of the current rage. It will, of course, affect your HP's as normal.