Constitution is representative of a body’s healthiness, hardiness, and vitality. It plays a role in stamina and endurance as well as influencing the number of hit points gained by a character.

A high Constitution score is very important to all characters based on it’s relationship to a character’s hit points. Fighters/rangers/paladins have benefits beyond other classes in this regard.

HIT POINT ADJ.

This modifier is added to each hit die (e.g. a ranger with a 17 Con will have 2d8+6 hit points at 1st level). Adjustments in parenthesis apply only to fighters, rangers, paladins or barbarians.

SYSTEM SAVE

This special saving throw is used when experiencing sudden shocks to the body or psyche. e.g. Any type of magical aging will require a System Save. If the result of the percentile dice is over the number listed, the character will fall into a coma lasting 1d10 days. For each day spent in a coma a character will have a 10% non-cumulative chance to suddenly die. The character may be raised or resurrected normally (although another check will be required—see Resurrect Saves below). If a System Save was failed due to magical aging, the coma time period will instead be at least one day per year aged with the same chances for dying while in a coma as above.

RESURRECT SAVE

Each time a character dies, they will permanently lose 1 point of Constitution that cannot be restored although typical means of ability score increase is possible. Each time the character is brought back from the dead (by any means), they must roll a Resurrect Save. If the result of the percentile dice is over the number listed, the character cannot be brought back from the dead.

Note. When the character is created, your starting Constitution score (not including adjustments for age but including racial adjustments if any) is the maximum number of times your character can be brought back from death whether by raise dead, resurrection, or wish-type magic. Increases or decreases to your score will not change this limit.

RACIAL SAVE

Certain races, such as dwarves, gnomes, and halflings gain a racial bonus for all saves versus poison or magic effects (that allow a save) based on their Constitution score. Magic effects are defined by the GM but include spells, magic item effects, and most monster abilities deemed by the GM to be non-natural (not part of the creature's intrinsic physiology). Note. Psionic effects (including spells or effects from items) are not considered magical in this regard.

Legendary Constitution. Some exceptional creatures will possess a Constitution score that is beyond the normal scale. Dwarves, halflings, and half-orcs can achieve a 19 Constitution through age or racial bonuses. Otherwise, PCs or NPCs would require magic attain a Constitution higher than 18.

Those with legendary Constitution have the following bonuses to saves vs. poison effects and, when rolling for hit points, ignore low dice rolls per hit die (rerolling the die).

Note. These legendary poison save adjustments stack with other poison save adjustments including racial save bonuses.