Do monsters die at 0 HP or do they go to -9 like players? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Do monsters die at 0 HP or do they go to -9 like players? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Cowjuicer
02-23-08, 05:30 PM If the latter is true, I've been doing it wrong the whole time! Oh crap! Possibly.
Holy_Beholder
02-23-08, 05:51 PM Usually they die at -10, 0 is just disabled. But if they don't have a healer, and go into negatives its usually not worth keeping track of it. Undead and constructs die at 0.
Dead_Weasel
02-23-08, 05:51 PM Excepting Undead and Constructs, which are destroyed at 0 hp, all creatures die at -10 hp.
Cowjuicer
02-24-08, 11:46 AM Well, crap. My players will probably react violently to the news that monsters now have an extra 9 hit points. I think that I won't bother and let it stay at "0=death." Maybe I'll just give all monsters 3 extra hit points or something.

In addition, though---who's going to heal an unconscious and dying monster? Better not to bother with it, I guess. Maybe if prisoners are needed or something.
Holy_Beholder
02-24-08, 12:03 PM I was thinking more along the lines of careless area heals, or area heals performed by the monsters. But usually, once they drop to -1, they are as good as dead, so your monsters in essence just have 1 more hit point.
Shaggy_Shaggs
02-24-08, 12:35 PM Well, crap. My players will probably react violently to the news that monsters now have an extra 9 hit points. I think that I won't bother and let it stay at "0=death." Maybe I'll just give all monsters 3 extra hit points or something.

In addition, though---who's going to heal an unconscious and dying monster? Better not to bother with it, I guess. Maybe if prisoners are needed or something.

Try more information-gathering missions. Subduing an enemy and questioning it can be a good way to learn what you need (or enough to do more research) quickly, and your players ought to know it. Once they figure it out, they may do the healing themselves.
TacoClone
02-24-08, 01:36 PM Also note, monsters will most likely die at 0 HP in 4e, so just keep it that way and it's less of a problem.

Plus, then your players will never know. =0
Malchius
02-24-08, 02:17 PM I have monsters die at 0 hp in my games now, this was after a game that more or less ended with a goblin being castrated by a player after they didn't have any knowledge of plans, I did to avoid the unneccesary time spent questioning worthless uninformed peons.

However if I inted someone to be questioned or have important information I give them the -10 but it's never necessary to question them so if they hit -10 they are dead no matter what.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Cowjuicer 02-23-08, 05:30 PM	If the latter is true, I've been doing it wrong the whole time! Oh crap! Possibly.
Holy_Beholder 02-23-08, 05:51 PM	Usually they die at -10, 0 is just disabled. But if they don't have a healer, and go into negatives its usually not worth keeping track of it. Undead and constructs die at 0.
Dead_Weasel 02-23-08, 05:51 PM	Excepting Undead and Constructs, which are destroyed at 0 hp, all creatures die at -10 hp.
Cowjuicer 02-24-08, 11:46 AM	Well, crap. My players will probably react violently to the news that monsters now have an extra 9 hit points. I think that I won't bother and let it stay at "0=death." Maybe I'll just give all monsters 3 extra hit points or something. In addition, though---who's going to heal an unconscious and dying monster? Better not to bother with it, I guess. Maybe if prisoners are needed or something.
Holy_Beholder 02-24-08, 12:03 PM	I was thinking more along the lines of careless area heals, or area heals performed by the monsters. But usually, once they drop to -1, they are as good as dead, so your monsters in essence just have 1 more hit point.
Shaggy_Shaggs 02-24-08, 12:35 PM	Well, crap. My players will probably react violently to the news that monsters now have an extra 9 hit points. I think that I won't bother and let it stay at "0=death." Maybe I'll just give all monsters 3 extra hit points or something. In addition, though---who's going to heal an unconscious and dying monster? Better not to bother with it, I guess. Maybe if prisoners are needed or something. Try more information-gathering missions. Subduing an enemy and questioning it can be a good way to learn what you need (or enough to do more research) quickly, and your players ought to know it. Once they figure it out, they may do the healing themselves.
TacoClone 02-24-08, 01:36 PM	Also note, monsters will most likely die at 0 HP in 4e, so just keep it that way and it's less of a problem. Plus, then your players will never know. =0
Malchius 02-24-08, 02:17 PM	I have monsters die at 0 hp in my games now, this was after a game that more or less ended with a goblin being castrated by a player after they didn't have any knowledge of plans, I did to avoid the unneccesary time spent questioning worthless uninformed peons. However if I inted someone to be questioned or have important information I give them the -10 but it's never necessary to question them so if they hit -10 they are dead no matter what.