Massive Damage (PSR Supplement)

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Massive damage can defeat you instantly instead of forcing you to lose Hit Dice. When damage reduces you to 0 hit points and there is damage remaining, you are defeated if the remaining damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum.

For example, a mage with a hit point maximum of 9 currently has 6 hit points. If she takes 15 or more damage from a single attack, she is reduced to 0 hit points, but 9 damage remains. Because the remaining damage equals her hit point maximum, the mage is defeated outright.

Similarly if the mage was at 0 hit points and took 9 or more damage at once, she she would be defeated instead of losing a Hit Die.