Do any conditions persist while/after dying?

[Taed]

I couldn't find the rule for this, but it seems that there should be one somewhere. Basically, do any conditions persist while/after dying (but not dead)? Here's some examples that came up today during a large battle.

The first example is that the character is taking ongoing fire or poison damage. Does the ongoing condition stop once they hit 0 HP, or do they continue to take the damage each round and perform the saves against it? If so, then I assume it would also persist once they're revived. Logically, it seemed to me that the ongoing damage would continue while unconscious (since they're still burning or have poison in them) and that they'd also get saving throws (since it seems that the saving throws reflect the fire burning itself out or poison diluting in the bloodstream, not an action of the PC).

The second example is if the condition is something physical, such as immobilized (such as by a tangler beetle). It certainly seems to me that the immobilized condition would remain and that they wouldn't get saving throws while unconscious, since that save reflects an action of the PC getting itself out of being immobilized.

A third example is a power where the PC is regenerating (such as the Fighter's Boundless Endurance). That one could go any way with me: it could stop permanently once unconscious, it could continue while unconscious (probably bringing them out of unconsciousness even without a death saving throw or heal), or it's just "paused" while unconscious and starts up again once conscious.

Also with Figher's Boundless Endurance, it says "You gain regeneration .. when you are bloodied." I read that as the regeneration can only START when you're bloodied, but can continue until you're at full HP. But it could also be read that it stops regenerating once you're no longer bloodied. And it could also be read that it can turn on and off multiple times during a battle, but only is active while bloodied. And no time limit is mentioned, so it seemed like it should only last during the encounter. How should I read that power?

Thanks for pointing me at the correct rules or just opinious!

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Dying doesn't automatically end conditions that are on you, no. You still get a turn and thus still make saves even when dying and you do a start of turn as well and thus take ongoing damage, etc. Really mechanically dying is just a condition like any other. Note that you ARE bloodied when below 0 as well, so anything that applies there would still be in effect too.

Other effects work pretty much the same, as do stances in general. There are a very few things that actually say they end if you become unconscious or whatnot (dying is also unconscious) but not many. Basically if it doesn't say it ends, then it doesn't end.

Regeneration is a special case. Its covered at the end of the combat chapter in the PHB in the section on healing and dying. You don't regenerate when below 0 hit points, but again regeneration effects themselves don't especially cease, you just don't benefit from them while dying. Usually the same is true with bloodied, if an effect triggers when you first become bloodied then usually it lasts the entire encounter unless it has a specific different duration. Again regeneration might stop working when you are no longer bloodied, but as you stated it could kick in again later.

MOST of the questions you're asking in any case are clarified in the last section of the combat chapter of the PHB.

 

[Aulirophile]

Unless it says it doesn't, everything continues and you get saving throws at the end of each turn. Including vs Immobilized/Slowed/etc.

Regeneration always "turns off" unless you have 1 hp. No regeneration below 0.

Boundless endurance is only while bloodied. It lasts for five minutes (which is true of all dailies that don't specify when they end). Note it can be activated before you are bloodied. If you're going to charge in and do something stupid, you can turn it on, do something stupid, get bloodied, and benefit next turn. If the regeneration makes you unbloodied, it stops until you are bloodied again. Longtooth Shifters racial power works the same way, except it can only be turned on when you are bloodied. And then the regeneration only works when you're bloodied (the +damage is constant though!)

This is all in the PHB and hasn't ever been errata'd, pretty sure it hasn't at least.

 

[Rechan]

Ongoing damage while dying is a rather scary thing. As it, as well as swarm auto damage and the like, can kill you fast.

 

[Stalker0]

Actually i've always wondered if conditions continue even after you die.

This becomes important at epic, when dieing is just par for the course and you instantly come back.

 

[Starfox]

My take is that when dead, you are an object, and not a legal target for most powers that induce conditions. This would end them.

 

[Taed]

Regeneration is a special case. Its covered at the end of the combat chapter in the PHB in the section on healing and dying.

MOST of the questions you're asking in any case are clarified in the last section of the combat chapter of the PHB.

I found the part on regeneration. On page 293 of the PHB is, "If your current hit point total is 0 or lower, you do not regain hit points through regeneration." I missed it since it was inside the bullet text.

It still doesn't give a good clarification on Boundless Endurance, though. Although the phrase "when you are bloodied" is used with both Boundless Endurance and Dragonborn Fury, and the latter logically "turns on and off" only when bloodied, so it makes sense that the former would turn off once you're no longer bloodied. But does it turn off forever (until the daily is used again), or can it turn back on during the encounter? It's a daily power and there's no duration mentioned, so it seems that's just an opinion issue.

I couldn't find any clarification on the rest in "the last section of the combat chapter of the PHB." I assume you mean the "Death and Dying" section. Could you point it out, please?

Thanks!

 

[Taed]

Boundless endurance is only while bloodied. It lasts for five minutes (which is true of all dailies that don't specify when they end).

Could you point out that five-minute daily rule?

I did find this text on page 278 of PHB which isn't specific to dailies: "Unless a description says otherwise, you can sustain a power with a sustained duration for as long as 5 minutes. However, you can't rest while sustaining a power..." So, that boils down to it functionally lasting for the encounter (or 50 rounds).

 

[keterys]

Boundless Endurance is a stance. If you look up the definition for stances, they cap at 5 minutes.

 

[Taed]

Boundless Endurance is a stance. If you look up the definition for stances, they cap at 5 minutes.

I found that on page 55 of the PHB, "Stance: A stance power lasts until the end of the encounter, for 5 minutes, or until you use another stance power."

I didn't know that bit about only one stance, but it makes sense.

Thanks!