Constitution Loss?? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Constitution Loss?? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Rickenbacker
06-12-04, 06:59 AM Alrighty, apparently, NO one on the PHB board can answer this one, so I'm gonna slap it on 2 other boards....

I'm a bit lost of what happens to HP loss due to CON reduction.
Say you've got 10 HP & a 12 Con. Then the poison of a scorpion knocks your Con down to 10. What happens? How about if it's reduced to 9 or less?

I *think* the "levels" terminology is throwing me off.

Can someone give clear, step-by-step examples?

Thanks a lot!
Seeker95
06-12-04, 08:51 AM What level is the character?

Dropping your Con from 12 to 10 is a decrease of 1 Con modifier. Take 1 * the character level, and that is the amount of hit points the character loses as a result of losing 2 points of Con.

Same goes for "9 or less". For every 2 point shift down in Con, there is a modifier loss of 1. Take the total modifier change time the total character level (or hit dice) of the target losing Con to determine how many hit points are lost.

Losing Con can kill you.
Karui_Kage
06-12-04, 10:17 AM My group and I have a house rule concerning Constitution loss. This may be official, but we didn't find it anywhere and so came up with this.

The rules do say that, as a minimum, even if your Con is 3, you gain at least 1 Hit Point per level. So, what we do is when Con loss comes into question, we look at their current hit points. Then we see what the maximum loss they could have from their current hit points is to get to 1 hit point per level.

Now, when Con loss happens, you lose 1 hit point per con modifier lost per character level.

Here's an example:
Let's say Dogen the level 5 dwarf fighter has 42 Hit Points. He currently is at 36/42. That means he has lost 6 from other means. His Consititution is 18. Now, let's say he fails a poison save that caused him 4 points of Con damage. His Con drops to 14, and he loses 2 modifiers. Now, as it isn't much, he takes 10 damage (2 x level 5) and is now at 26 hit points.

I suppose the Con example comes into play on SERIOUS con damage, when the character has no other damage to his health. Otherwise, the extraneous damage could be what drops him. Let's say Dogen is at full health. However, let's say that (somehow) his con is dropped to 3. 3 is a -4 modifier, compared to a +4 modifier. a total difference of 9 modifiers (don't forget the +0). So, by normal standards, he should lose 45 points of damage from the con loss alone. That would put him at -3 hit points. However, with the rule I mentioned above, the maximum damage that could be done to him via con loss would be 40 points of damage. His level is 5, and as characters have a minimum 1 hp per level, he could only be dropped to 5 hit points from con loss.

Of course, any regular damage he may take could drop him. Its a bit confusing of course, and I do tend to ramble, but that's my example. If you don't want to bother with the whole 'minimum' damage thing, just remember that a character loses hit points = to the modifier of con damage x their character level.

Hope that helps.
Seeker95
06-12-04, 12:05 PM Originally posted by Karui_Kage
The rules do say that, as a minimum, even if your Con is 3, you gain at least 1 Hit Point per level. I use this as well, even in conjunction with Con loss, except...

The initial loss is absolute in my campaign. If this brings you down to "below one hit point per level" during combat, so be it. I attribute that to system shock. Get healed and you will have a maximum hit point total of no less than one hit point per character level. But until you get this healing, the immediate loss can reduce you to below this "minimum hit points".

Losing Con has both immediate and long term effects. Survive the immediate before worrying about the long term.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rickenbacker 06-12-04, 06:59 AM	Alrighty, apparently, NO one on the PHB board can answer this one, so I'm gonna slap it on 2 other boards.... I'm a bit lost of what happens to HP loss due to CON reduction. Say you've got 10 HP & a 12 Con. Then the poison of a scorpion knocks your Con down to 10. What happens? How about if it's reduced to 9 or less? I think the "levels" terminology is throwing me off. Can someone give clear, step-by-step examples? Thanks a lot!
Seeker95 06-12-04, 08:51 AM	What level is the character? Dropping your Con from 12 to 10 is a decrease of 1 Con modifier. Take 1 * the character level, and that is the amount of hit points the character loses as a result of losing 2 points of Con. Same goes for "9 or less". For every 2 point shift down in Con, there is a modifier loss of 1. Take the total modifier change time the total character level (or hit dice) of the target losing Con to determine how many hit points are lost. Losing Con can kill you.
Karui_Kage 06-12-04, 10:17 AM	My group and I have a house rule concerning Constitution loss. This may be official, but we didn't find it anywhere and so came up with this. The rules do say that, as a minimum, even if your Con is 3, you gain at least 1 Hit Point per level. So, what we do is when Con loss comes into question, we look at their current hit points. Then we see what the maximum loss they could have from their current hit points is to get to 1 hit point per level. Now, when Con loss happens, you lose 1 hit point per con modifier lost per character level. Here's an example: Let's say Dogen the level 5 dwarf fighter has 42 Hit Points. He currently is at 36/42. That means he has lost 6 from other means. His Consititution is 18. Now, let's say he fails a poison save that caused him 4 points of Con damage. His Con drops to 14, and he loses 2 modifiers. Now, as it isn't much, he takes 10 damage (2 x level 5) and is now at 26 hit points. I suppose the Con example comes into play on SERIOUS con damage, when the character has no other damage to his health. Otherwise, the extraneous damage could be what drops him. Let's say Dogen is at full health. However, let's say that (somehow) his con is dropped to 3. 3 is a -4 modifier, compared to a +4 modifier. a total difference of 9 modifiers (don't forget the +0). So, by normal standards, he should lose 45 points of damage from the con loss alone. That would put him at -3 hit points. However, with the rule I mentioned above, the maximum damage that could be done to him via con loss would be 40 points of damage. His level is 5, and as characters have a minimum 1 hp per level, he could only be dropped to 5 hit points from con loss. Of course, any regular damage he may take could drop him. Its a bit confusing of course, and I do tend to ramble, but that's my example. If you don't want to bother with the whole 'minimum' damage thing, just remember that a character loses hit points = to the modifier of con damage x their character level. Hope that helps.
Seeker95 06-12-04, 12:05 PM	Originally posted by Karui_Kage The rules do say that, as a minimum, even if your Con is 3, you gain at least 1 Hit Point per level. I use this as well, even in conjunction with Con loss, except... The initial loss is absolute in my campaign. If this brings you down to "below one hit point per level" during combat, so be it. I attribute that to system shock. Get healed and you will have a maximum hit point total of no less than one hit point per character level. But until you get this healing, the immediate loss can reduce you to below this "minimum hit points". Losing Con has both immediate and long term effects. Survive the immediate before worrying about the long term.