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If an attack hits, the attacker rolls damage as given for the weapon. Melee attacks apply the Strength bonus or penalty to the damage dice, as do thrown missile weapons such as daggers or spears. Usually, attacks with bows or crossbows do not gain the Strength bonus, but sling bullets or stones do.
Also, magic weapons will add their bonuses to damage (and cursed weapons will apply their penalty). Note that, regardless of any penalties to damage, any successful hit will do at least one point of damage.
As explained elsewhere, a creature or character reduced to 0 hit points is dead.
Attacks made with the “flat of the blade” for non-lethal damage are made at a -4 attack penalty and do half damage. Most weapons can be used this way; only those with penetration or slashing features on all sides cannot.
If a character is reduced to zero hit points who has taken at least some subduing damage, the character becomes unconscious rather than dying. (Any further subduing damage is then considered killing damage, allowing the possibility that someone might be beaten to death.) A character knocked out in this way, but not subsequently killed, will wake up with 1 hit point in 1d4 turns, or can be awakened (with 1 hit point) by someone else after 2d10 rounds.