-10 to Die for monsters? [Archive] - Wizards Community

-10 to Die for monsters? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Bobalu
03-26-07, 11:21 AM Does a monster have to be brought down to -10 to die? Or, is this just for PC's. What about NPC's?
mvincent
03-26-07, 11:34 AM Does a monster have to be brought down to -10 to die? Or, is this just for PC's. What about NPC's?The rule applies equally to all (it's just that there is usually no reason to keep track of it for the PC's opponents).
olshanski_home
03-26-07, 12:01 PM Correct. Theoretically, most monsters and NPCs don't die until they are at -10 hp.

Some exceptions include constructs and undead, neither of which is truly "alive" to begin with, and both of which are destroyed at 0 hp.
Millennium
03-26-07, 12:06 PM The general rule of thumb is that if you've got a Constitution score, you don't die until you're at -10 (or CON 0). If you don't have a Constitution score then you "die" immediately at 0 HP.
Frugal
03-26-07, 01:05 PM Usually there's not too much of a difference. Unless someone on the opposing side is capable of healing (or the creature has fast healing or regeneration) they're likely not going to be getting back up. In my group we usually just assume they're down and anything that's simply unconscious is taken care of during the body looting.
jadehawk
03-26-07, 01:21 PM Right, do pay attention to creatures with regenerative type abilities, because if the characters don't out right kill them, the creatures will heal back to conscious level hit points and can then continue the fight (and if they are crafty can feint death for a while until healed up).

Otherwise, note that characters do not gain experience for killing creatures, they only have to defeat them. So if your party drives a bunch of orcs down to -2 and some of them stabilize but don't get back up during the encounter then they are still defeated.
Frugal
03-26-07, 01:43 PM Otherwise, note that characters do not gain experience for killing creatures, they only have to defeat them. So if your party drives a bunch of orcs down to -2 and some of them stabilize but don't get back up during the encounter then they are still defeated.

For that matter, maybe they foil the BBEG's plan but he slips away after being nearly knocked out, I'd award full XP for that if they don't encounter him again until he's back up to full strength. Now if they gave pursuit and caught up to him later on the same day before he'd had much of a chance to heal (or recover spells) then it'd only be the one batch of XP for defeating the BBEG.
Krusk
03-26-07, 06:39 PM Yeah, thats true. They do pass out at 0 or -1 though, so its not a huge issue.

Its usually pretty fun to give common enemies diehard and endurance. Imagine a kobold who can take more than one hit? suprises many a metagaming PC.

Or the kobold who is hit falls prone, and then sneaks away to warn the king about the invasion of their mine.
primemover003
03-26-07, 09:53 PM For that matter, maybe they foil the BBEG's plan but he slips away after being nearly knocked out, I'd award full XP for that if they don't encounter him again until he's back up to full strength. Now if they gave pursuit and caught up to him later on the same day before he'd had much of a chance to heal (or recover spells) then it'd only be the one batch of XP for defeating the BBEG.
They'd get XP for each encounter with him if he's at full strength. You can adjucate as you will but if the BBEG's at full health and regained spells it's a whole new encounter.
Frugal
03-26-07, 10:21 PM They'd get XP for each encounter with him if he's at full strength. You can adjucate as you will but if the BBEG's at full health and regained spells it's a whole new encounter.

Yep, I mean there's really no difference between fighting the same BBEG (at full health and regained spells) twice and fighting 2 identical opponents in separate encounters. I was simply saying that if it was under other circumstances where he hadn't healed and/or hadn't regained spells then I'd be likely to not give full XP for the 2nd encounter, how much I would give would depend on the circumstances.
Bobalu
03-27-07, 06:05 PM Alrighty then, Thank you all for your input. This really cleared somethings up.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bobalu 03-26-07, 11:21 AM	Does a monster have to be brought down to -10 to die? Or, is this just for PC's. What about NPC's?
mvincent 03-26-07, 11:34 AM	Does a monster have to be brought down to -10 to die? Or, is this just for PC's. What about NPC's?The rule applies equally to all (it's just that there is usually no reason to keep track of it for the PC's opponents).
olshanski_home 03-26-07, 12:01 PM	Correct. Theoretically, most monsters and NPCs don't die until they are at -10 hp. Some exceptions include constructs and undead, neither of which is truly "alive" to begin with, and both of which are destroyed at 0 hp.
Millennium 03-26-07, 12:06 PM	The general rule of thumb is that if you've got a Constitution score, you don't die until you're at -10 (or CON 0). If you don't have a Constitution score then you "die" immediately at 0 HP.
Frugal 03-26-07, 01:05 PM	Usually there's not too much of a difference. Unless someone on the opposing side is capable of healing (or the creature has fast healing or regeneration) they're likely not going to be getting back up. In my group we usually just assume they're down and anything that's simply unconscious is taken care of during the body looting.
jadehawk 03-26-07, 01:21 PM	Right, do pay attention to creatures with regenerative type abilities, because if the characters don't out right kill them, the creatures will heal back to conscious level hit points and can then continue the fight (and if they are crafty can feint death for a while until healed up). Otherwise, note that characters do not gain experience for killing creatures, they only have to defeat them. So if your party drives a bunch of orcs down to -2 and some of them stabilize but don't get back up during the encounter then they are still defeated.
Frugal 03-26-07, 01:43 PM	Otherwise, note that characters do not gain experience for killing creatures, they only have to defeat them. So if your party drives a bunch of orcs down to -2 and some of them stabilize but don't get back up during the encounter then they are still defeated. For that matter, maybe they foil the BBEG's plan but he slips away after being nearly knocked out, I'd award full XP for that if they don't encounter him again until he's back up to full strength. Now if they gave pursuit and caught up to him later on the same day before he'd had much of a chance to heal (or recover spells) then it'd only be the one batch of XP for defeating the BBEG.
Krusk 03-26-07, 06:39 PM	Yeah, thats true. They do pass out at 0 or -1 though, so its not a huge issue. Its usually pretty fun to give common enemies diehard and endurance. Imagine a kobold who can take more than one hit? suprises many a metagaming PC. Or the kobold who is hit falls prone, and then sneaks away to warn the king about the invasion of their mine.
primemover003 03-26-07, 09:53 PM	For that matter, maybe they foil the BBEG's plan but he slips away after being nearly knocked out, I'd award full XP for that if they don't encounter him again until he's back up to full strength. Now if they gave pursuit and caught up to him later on the same day before he'd had much of a chance to heal (or recover spells) then it'd only be the one batch of XP for defeating the BBEG. They'd get XP for each encounter with him if he's at full strength. You can adjucate as you will but if the BBEG's at full health and regained spells it's a whole new encounter.
Frugal 03-26-07, 10:21 PM	They'd get XP for each encounter with him if he's at full strength. You can adjucate as you will but if the BBEG's at full health and regained spells it's a whole new encounter. Yep, I mean there's really no difference between fighting the same BBEG (at full health and regained spells) twice and fighting 2 identical opponents in separate encounters. I was simply saying that if it was under other circumstances where he hadn't healed and/or hadn't regained spells then I'd be likely to not give full XP for the 2nd encounter, how much I would give would depend on the circumstances.
Bobalu 03-27-07, 06:05 PM	Alrighty then, Thank you all for your input. This really cleared somethings up.