Dying characters in Mournland [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dying characters in Mournland [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Perun
06-07-07, 05:03 AM This came up in our session last night, and I couldn't find a definite answer, so I thought I'd ask here.

Do dying characters (i.e. those between -1 and -9 hp) continue to lose 1 hp/per round until stabilised? I'd say yes, since there's nothing saying against it, and it's a standard D&D rule, but one of my players made a convincing argument about hos no natural decay happens in the Mournland, and this could, in a far-fetched sense, be slumped in the natural decay category :)

Thoughts? Or rules to support either side? ;)

Thanks in advance.
Syltorian
06-07-07, 05:26 AM Do dying characters (i.e. those between -1 and -9 hp) continue to lose 1 hp/per round until stabilised? I'd say yes, since there's nothing saying against it, and it's a standard D&D rule, but one of my players made a convincing argument about hos no natural decay happens in the Mournland, and this could, in a far-fetched sense, be slumped in the natural decay category :)

Losing blood is not the same as decaying: you'll keep doing it as long as there is a wound, external or internal. At least, until the heart stops pumping, after which the discussion is rather pointless. A wound is, after all, simply a hole in the blood vessels, not an ongoing process of decay. Nothing rots. Gentle Repose is not going to stop bleeding either. At the most, he won't die from gangrene.

Actually, natural healing is not also possible in the Mournland. Wounds do not close. So technically, stabilising on one's own is far from automatic, it's impossible. In this case, I'd allow a heal check, though, trying to cauterize the wound or otherwise close it (and hoping it's not too deep or internal, but that's a bit too micromanaged for the game).
Pivotal
06-07-07, 02:42 PM Actually they auto stabilize. Things doesn't only not rot they grow back. If you eat of the corpses the corpses will grow back in 24 hours. Think of mournland as in a state of suspension. Nothing heals and nothing decays.

(mind though that non [healing] healing does work. Like lay on hands or goodberries).
Edymnion
06-07-07, 08:45 PM Thats not entirely true.
SOME bodies don't rot. Some decay at a highly accelerated rate. Sometimes the bodies get up and walk around, sometimes they don't.

There is no set standard in the Mournlands. That would make it predictable, stable. Someone could die in combat, and by the time their collegues finished the fight and turned around, the body could be rotted half way to bone, in just a matter of moments while no one was looking. On the other hand, you could find bodies from the last war that look like they just stopped breathing an instant before you found them.
Perun
06-08-07, 01:26 AM I gather, since noone gave a rules-backed answer, the question is not dealt with in any supplement?

In that case, I think I'll go with Syltorian's answer -- it fits what I had in mind. No natural healing, so no chance to spontaneously stabilise. It's either Heal check or some other healing method that's not Conjuration (Healing) or Psychometabolsim (Healing).

The only question now left is whether spending an action point to stabilise yourself would work in the Mournland. Would that be considered natural healing, or just sheer, dumb luck that overcomes even the way the Mournland works?

Thanks!

Regards.
Syltorian
06-08-07, 05:34 AM The only question now left is whether spending an action point to stabilise yourself would work in the Mournland. Would that be considered natural healing, or just sheer, dumb luck that overcomes even the way the Mournland works?

I'd allow it, but not as mere luck (which is less 'heroic' than great efforts). I'd describe it as something akin to managing to stay conscious long enough, with great force of will, and stop the bloodflow before finally losing consciousness (might be difficult to pull off in real life, but few of us get action points).

By the way, Pivotal, I have not come across the bodies which grow back yet. Can you (or someone else) give me a quote on that? In that case, do you fail to show wounds that killed you after 24 hours? What if you a corpse gets hit by disintegrate? Does it reform after 24 hours?
Perun
06-08-07, 06:05 AM I'd allow it, but not as mere luck (which is less 'heroic' than great efforts). I'd describe it as something akin to managing to stay conscious long enough, with great force of will, and stop the bloodflow before finally losing consciousness (might be difficult to pull off in real life, but few of us get action points).

Interesting take. I might end up using it. Thanks!

By the way, Pivotal, I have not come across the bodies which grow back yet. Can you (or someone else) give me a quote on that? In that case, do you fail to show wounds that killed you after 24 hours? What if you a corpse gets hit by disintegrate? Does it reform after 24 hours?

It's in one published Eberron adventure, so consider this a spoiler warning.
It's in Shadows of the Last War adventure, in the Cannith Whitehearth facility, now in the Mournland. The bodies reform in 1d4 hours if anything happens to them, but they still have whatever wounds they had at the time of their death (if any). That's how a pack of wolves managed to survive for four years closed in the facility.

Regards.
Syltorian
06-08-07, 06:25 AM Interesting. Thanks for the quote, Perun. I don't tend to buy adventures, so that slipped under my radar.

I wonder what the implications are for other objects... as corpses are treated as objects in most cases, in D&D. Does a smashed door also return to normal in a while? Sundered weapons? The Eldritch Machine that you went to so much trouble to destroy?

There'd still be the possibility that this only affects inanimate things, so bleeding will continue as there is no change. The wound doesn't close, nor does it open further unless more action is taken. Even if the rule from the adventure does apply, it takes several hours... a long time to stabilise. But it might explain why you still don't die from minor wounds and papercuts.
Edymnion
06-08-07, 08:32 AM I gather, since noone gave a rules-backed answer, the question is not dealt with in any supplement?No, because the only actual rules differance in the Mournlands is that you do not heal naturally, and healing subschool magic doesn't work. Aside from that and the flavor text, the Mournlands are no differant than downtown Sharn. All of the rest of it is just fluff to make it sound creepy.It's in one published Eberron adventure, so consider this a spoiler warning.
It's in Shadows of the Last War adventure, in the Cannith Whitehearth facility, now in the Mournland. The bodies reform in 1d4 hours if anything happens to them, but they still have whatever wounds they had at the time of their death (if any). That's how a pack of wolves managed to survive for four years closed in the facility.
But again, thats an adventure location specific, you can't extrapolate that to be the way it is everywhere else. Especially when it honestly looks like it got put in just to avoid the question of "how did these wolves survive in here for this long, wouldn't they have starved to death?"
Perun
06-08-07, 09:26 AM No, because the only actual rules differance in the Mournlands is that you do not heal naturally, and healing subschool magic doesn't work. Aside from that and the flavor text, the Mournlands are no differant than downtown Sharn. All of the rest of it is just fluff to make it sound creepy.

That's what I meant when I said "I gather, since noone gave a rules-backed answer, the question is not dealt with in any supplement?". And 10% chance of stabilising when dying is "natural healing", right?

But again, thats an adventure location specific, you can't extrapolate that to be the way it is everywhere else. Especially when it honestly looks like it got put in just to avoid the question of "how did these wolves survive in here for this long, wouldn't they have starved to death?"

I suppose I should have mentioned that. Especially since there appears to be a number of inconsistencies between SotLW and later Eberron products, as I understood by reading various threads regarding the published adventures. I suppose that's because Shadows of the Last War (and, presumably, Whispers of the Vampire Blade and Grasp of the Emerald Claw) appeared nearly simultaneously with the ECS, and was probably using an earlier version of the CS.

Regards.
Edymnion
06-08-07, 12:15 PM That's what I meant when I said "I gather, since noone gave a rules-backed answer, the question is not dealt with in any supplement?". And 10% chance of stabilising when dying is "natural healing", right?Not that I know of. Its just the stopping of additional damage, it doesn't actually heal anything.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Perun 06-07-07, 05:03 AM	This came up in our session last night, and I couldn't find a definite answer, so I thought I'd ask here. Do dying characters (i.e. those between -1 and -9 hp) continue to lose 1 hp/per round until stabilised? I'd say yes, since there's nothing saying against it, and it's a standard D&D rule, but one of my players made a convincing argument about hos no natural decay happens in the Mournland, and this could, in a far-fetched sense, be slumped in the natural decay category :) Thoughts? Or rules to support either side? ;) Thanks in advance.
Syltorian 06-07-07, 05:26 AM	Do dying characters (i.e. those between -1 and -9 hp) continue to lose 1 hp/per round until stabilised? I'd say yes, since there's nothing saying against it, and it's a standard D&D rule, but one of my players made a convincing argument about hos no natural decay happens in the Mournland, and this could, in a far-fetched sense, be slumped in the natural decay category :) Losing blood is not the same as decaying: you'll keep doing it as long as there is a wound, external or internal. At least, until the heart stops pumping, after which the discussion is rather pointless. A wound is, after all, simply a hole in the blood vessels, not an ongoing process of decay. Nothing rots. Gentle Repose is not going to stop bleeding either. At the most, he won't die from gangrene. Actually, natural healing is not also possible in the Mournland. Wounds do not close. So technically, stabilising on one's own is far from automatic, it's impossible. In this case, I'd allow a heal check, though, trying to cauterize the wound or otherwise close it (and hoping it's not too deep or internal, but that's a bit too micromanaged for the game).
Pivotal 06-07-07, 02:42 PM	Actually they auto stabilize. Things doesn't only not rot they grow back. If you eat of the corpses the corpses will grow back in 24 hours. Think of mournland as in a state of suspension. Nothing heals and nothing decays. (mind though that non [healing] healing does work. Like lay on hands or goodberries).
Edymnion 06-07-07, 08:45 PM	Thats not entirely true. SOME bodies don't rot. Some decay at a highly accelerated rate. Sometimes the bodies get up and walk around, sometimes they don't. There is no set standard in the Mournlands. That would make it predictable, stable. Someone could die in combat, and by the time their collegues finished the fight and turned around, the body could be rotted half way to bone, in just a matter of moments while no one was looking. On the other hand, you could find bodies from the last war that look like they just stopped breathing an instant before you found them.
Perun 06-08-07, 01:26 AM	I gather, since noone gave a rules-backed answer, the question is not dealt with in any supplement? In that case, I think I'll go with Syltorian's answer -- it fits what I had in mind. No natural healing, so no chance to spontaneously stabilise. It's either Heal check or some other healing method that's not Conjuration (Healing) or Psychometabolsim (Healing). The only question now left is whether spending an action point to stabilise yourself would work in the Mournland. Would that be considered natural healing, or just sheer, dumb luck that overcomes even the way the Mournland works? Thanks! Regards.
Syltorian 06-08-07, 05:34 AM	The only question now left is whether spending an action point to stabilise yourself would work in the Mournland. Would that be considered natural healing, or just sheer, dumb luck that overcomes even the way the Mournland works? I'd allow it, but not as mere luck (which is less 'heroic' than great efforts). I'd describe it as something akin to managing to stay conscious long enough, with great force of will, and stop the bloodflow before finally losing consciousness (might be difficult to pull off in real life, but few of us get action points). By the way, Pivotal, I have not come across the bodies which grow back yet. Can you (or someone else) give me a quote on that? In that case, do you fail to show wounds that killed you after 24 hours? What if you a corpse gets hit by disintegrate? Does it reform after 24 hours?
Perun 06-08-07, 06:05 AM	I'd allow it, but not as mere luck (which is less 'heroic' than great efforts). I'd describe it as something akin to managing to stay conscious long enough, with great force of will, and stop the bloodflow before finally losing consciousness (might be difficult to pull off in real life, but few of us get action points). Interesting take. I might end up using it. Thanks! By the way, Pivotal, I have not come across the bodies which grow back yet. Can you (or someone else) give me a quote on that? In that case, do you fail to show wounds that killed you after 24 hours? What if you a corpse gets hit by disintegrate? Does it reform after 24 hours? It's in one published Eberron adventure, so consider this a spoiler warning. It's in Shadows of the Last War adventure, in the Cannith Whitehearth facility, now in the Mournland. The bodies reform in 1d4 hours if anything happens to them, but they still have whatever wounds they had at the time of their death (if any). That's how a pack of wolves managed to survive for four years closed in the facility. Regards.
Syltorian 06-08-07, 06:25 AM	Interesting. Thanks for the quote, Perun. I don't tend to buy adventures, so that slipped under my radar. I wonder what the implications are for other objects... as corpses are treated as objects in most cases, in D&D. Does a smashed door also return to normal in a while? Sundered weapons? The Eldritch Machine that you went to so much trouble to destroy? There'd still be the possibility that this only affects inanimate things, so bleeding will continue as there is no change. The wound doesn't close, nor does it open further unless more action is taken. Even if the rule from the adventure does apply, it takes several hours... a long time to stabilise. But it might explain why you still don't die from minor wounds and papercuts.
Edymnion 06-08-07, 08:32 AM	I gather, since noone gave a rules-backed answer, the question is not dealt with in any supplement?No, because the only actual rules differance in the Mournlands is that you do not heal naturally, and healing subschool magic doesn't work. Aside from that and the flavor text, the Mournlands are no differant than downtown Sharn. All of the rest of it is just fluff to make it sound creepy.It's in one published Eberron adventure, so consider this a spoiler warning. It's in Shadows of the Last War adventure, in the Cannith Whitehearth facility, now in the Mournland. The bodies reform in 1d4 hours if anything happens to them, but they still have whatever wounds they had at the time of their death (if any). That's how a pack of wolves managed to survive for four years closed in the facility. But again, thats an adventure location specific, you can't extrapolate that to be the way it is everywhere else. Especially when it honestly looks like it got put in just to avoid the question of "how did these wolves survive in here for this long, wouldn't they have starved to death?"
Perun 06-08-07, 09:26 AM	No, because the only actual rules differance in the Mournlands is that you do not heal naturally, and healing subschool magic doesn't work. Aside from that and the flavor text, the Mournlands are no differant than downtown Sharn. All of the rest of it is just fluff to make it sound creepy. That's what I meant when I said "I gather, since noone gave a rules-backed answer, the question is not dealt with in any supplement?". And 10% chance of stabilising when dying is "natural healing", right? But again, thats an adventure location specific, you can't extrapolate that to be the way it is everywhere else. Especially when it honestly looks like it got put in just to avoid the question of "how did these wolves survive in here for this long, wouldn't they have starved to death?" I suppose I should have mentioned that. Especially since there appears to be a number of inconsistencies between SotLW and later Eberron products, as I understood by reading various threads regarding the published adventures. I suppose that's because Shadows of the Last War (and, presumably, Whispers of the Vampire Blade and Grasp of the Emerald Claw) appeared nearly simultaneously with the ECS, and was probably using an earlier version of the CS. Regards.
Edymnion 06-08-07, 12:15 PM	That's what I meant when I said "I gather, since noone gave a rules-backed answer, the question is not dealt with in any supplement?". And 10% chance of stabilising when dying is "natural healing", right?Not that I know of. Its just the stopping of additional damage, it doesn't actually heal anything.