Death & Dying

Negative Hit Points

With this variant, characters keep track of hit points below zero and there is no limit to the amount of negative hit points (however this effects their FORT save; see below).

The Fortitude Save

When a character's hit points are reduced to 0, he must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10, +2 per 10 points of damage dealt by the attack or effect). Success means the character is disabled; failure indicates that he is dying. Failure by 10 or more means the character is dead. (If the character rolls a natural 1, he is dying. Calculate the numeric result; if he missed the DC by 10 or more, he is dead.) The possible results of the save are as follows.
Disabled: A disabled character is conscious, but can only take a single move or standard action each turn (but not both, nor can she take full-round actions). She moves at half speed. Taking move actions doesn't risk further injury, but if a disabled character takes any standard action (or any other action the DM deems strenuous, including some free actions such as casting a quickened spell), she must succeed on a Fortitude save (against the same DC as the save made when reduced to 0 hit points) to remain disabled; otherwise, she becomes dying after she completes the action.
If a disabled character takes any lethal damage, she must make a new Fortitude save (DC 10, +2 per 10 points of damage dealt by the attack or effect), but any result other than dead means the character is now dying. A disabled character who is dealt (or who is currently suffering from) any nonlethal damage becomes unconscious (since the character's nonlethal damage now exceeds his hit points) but does not begin dying.
Dying: A dying character is unconscious and near death. Each round on his turn, a dying character must make a Fortitude save (DC 10, +1 per turn after the first) to become stable. If the character fails the save, he dies. If the character succeeds on the save by less than 5, he does not die but does not improve. He is still dying and must continue to make Fortitude saves every round.
If the character succeeds on the save by 5 or more but by less than 10, he becomes stable but remains unconscious. If the character succeeds on the save by 10 or more, he becomes conscious and disabled. Another character can make a dying character stable by succeeding on a DC 15 Heal check as a standard action (which provokes attacks of opportunity).
Stable: A stable character is unconscious. Every hour, a stable character must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10, +1 per hour after the first) to remain stable. If the character fails the save, he becomes dying. If the character succeeds on the save by less than 5, he does not get any worse, but does not improve. He is still stable and unconscious, and must continue to make Fortitude saves every hour.
If the character succeeds on the save by 5 or more, he becomes conscious and has 1 hit point. Another character can grant a stable character a +2 bonus on his Fortitude saves to remain stable by tending to him for at least 10 minutes during the hour between saves and by making a DC 15 Heal check.
Dead: A dead character's soul immediately departs the body, and getting it back into the body is a major hassle. Unless you have access to powerful divine magic, you can't do much with a dead character except go through his pockets for loose gold pieces.