Death Points

Death Points
Epic level player characters receive a total of 3 death points at each level, which they can use to avoid death as a result of hit point loss and/or a spell or effect that results in instant death. These points do not carry over, so if a character fails to use all of their death points before they level, any remaining death points are lost. Note: Epic level nonplayer characters do not normally receive death points, though they may choose to take the Cheat Death feat to gain access to them (see below).

Death points can be used in one of three ways. Characters can expend 1 death point to avoid death and instead fall unconscious at -1 hit points and stabilized. By expending 2 death points, a character can choose to take half their remaining hit points in damage in order to avoid death. Finally, by expending 3 death points, a character can choose to negate any damage or effect that would normally result in death.

Players can only use death points if their characters are conscious before the effect takes place. So for example, a character could use death points to avoid dying as a result of a slay living spell, but could not use death points to avoid dying as a result of a coup de grace, or death knell spell.

CHEAT DEATH [EPIC]*
Your intimate experience with death has made you more capable of avoiding it.
Benefit: You gain 2 additional death points each level that can be used to avoid death.
Special: You can gain this feat up to three times. Its effects stack.
*New feat.