hit points

hit points represent a combination of physical and mental durability, the will to live, and luck

creatures with more hit points are more difficult to kill, those with fewer hit points are more fragile

a creature's current hit points (usually just called hit points) can be any number from the creature's hit point maximum down to negative the creature’ hit point maximum

this number changes frequently as a creature takes damage or receives healing

whenever a creature takes damage, that damage is subtracted from its hit points

the loss of hit points has no effect on a creature's capabilities until the creature drops to 0 or less hit points

damage rolls

each weapon, spell, and harmful monster ability specifies the damage it deals

you roll the damage die or dice, add any modifiers, and apply the damage to your target

magic weapons, special abilities, and other factors can grant a bonus to damage

with a penalty, it is possible to deal 0 damage, but never negative damage

when attacking with a weapon, you add your ability modifier — the same modifier used for the attack roll — to the damage

a spell tells you which dice to roll for damage and whether to add any modifiers

if a spell or other effect deals damage to more than one target at the same time, roll the damage once each for each of them

for example, when a wizard casts fireball or a cleric casts flame strike, the spell's damage is rolled once each for all creatures caught in the blast.

critical hits

when you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice for the attack's damage against the target

roll all of the attack's damage dice twice and add them together, then add any relevant modifiers as normal

for example, if you score a critical hit with a dagger, roll 2d4 for the damage, rather than 1d4, and then add your relevant ability modifier

if the attack involves other damage dice, such as from a flame tongue weapon, a rogue's sneak attack feature, a cleric's blessed strikes, a paladin's smite, or a warlock's hex you do not roll those dice twice

critical hits - notes

no doubt this is a big change but for overall play balance the fighters cheer

damage types

damage types have no rules of their own, but other rules, such as damage resistance, rely on the types

acid a corrosive spray or dissolving enzymes

bludgeoning blunt force attacks — hammers, falling, constriction, and the like

cold infernal chill or a frigid blast

fire extreme heat or actual flames

force force is pure magical energy focused into a damaging form

lightning electrical attacks of all kind

necrotic necrotic withers matter and even the soul

piercing puncturing and impaling attacks deal piercing damage

poison venomous stings and the toxic gases deal poison damage.

psychic mental abilities deal psychic damage.

radiant radiant damage sears the flesh and overloads the spirit with power.

slashing swords, axes, and monsters' claws deal slashing damage.

thunder thunder is a concussive burst of sound that deals damage

damage resistance and vulnerability

if a creature or an object has resistance to a damage type, damage of that type is halved against it

if a creature or an object has vulnerability to a damage type, damage of that type is increased by 50% against it

resistance and then vulnerability are applied after all other modifiers to damage.

for example, a creature has resistance to bludgeoning damage and is hit by an attack that deals 25 bludgeoning damage, the creature is also within a magical aura that reduces all damage by 5, the 25 damage is first reduced by 5 and then halved, so the creature takes 10 damage

multiple instances of resistance or vulnerability that affect the same damage count as only one instance

for example, if a creature has resistance to fire damage as well as resistance to all non-magical damage, the damage of a non-magical fire is reduced by half against the creature, not reduced by three-quarter

multiple instances of resistance or vulnerability that effect the same damage type add

for example two fire resistances reduce the damage by half twice to one quarter damage and two fire vulnerability add plus one-hundred percent damage

healing

unless it results in death, damage isn't permanent, even death is reversible through powerful magic

rest can restore a creature's hit dice, and magical methods such as a cure wounds spell or a potion of healing can remove damage in an instant

when a creature receives healing of any kind, hit points regained are added to its current hit points

a creature's hit points can't exceed its hit point maximum, so any hit points regained in excess of this number are lost if they cannot become temporary hit points

a creature that has died can't regain hit points until magic such as the revivify spell has restored it to life.

healing - notes

yes you read that right, healing magic in excess of your hit point maximum becomes temporary hit points

dropping to 0 or less hit points

when you drop to 0 or less hit points, you either die outright or fall unconscious and start dying, as explained in the following sections

instant death

when damage reduces you to 0 or less hit points, you die if the negative damage exceeds your hit point maximum

dying

if damage reduces you to 0 or less hit points but fails to kill you, you fall unconscious and are dying

both the unconsciousness and dying ends if you regain any hit points

death saving throws

whenever you start your turn with 0 hit points or less and are unconscious, and have not been stabilized you are dying and must make a death saving throw

make a DC 10 constitution saving throw every round on your imitative

if you fail you lose 1 hit point

rolling a 1 counts as two failures, rolling a 20 regains you 1 hit point

stabilizing a creature

the best way to save a creature with 0 or less hit points that is dying is to heal it

if healing is unavailable, the creature can at least be stabilized so that it isn't killed by a failed death saving throw

you can use your action to administer first aid to an dying creature and attempt to stabilize it, which requires a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

a stable creature doesn't make death saving throws, even though it has 0 or less hit points, but it does remain unconscious

the creature stops being stable, and must starts dying again, if it takes any damage

a stable creature that isn't healed regains consciousness after 1d4 hours.

knocking a creature out

when an attacker reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a bludgeoning melee attack, the attacker can knock the creature out

the attacker can make this choice the instant the damage is dealt

the creature falls unconscious and is stable

any attack that is not a bludgeoning melee attack is considered a lethal attack

temporary hit points

spells and special abilities confer temporary hit points to a creature

when you have temporary hit points and take damage, the temporary hit points are lost first, and any leftover damage carries over to your normal hit points

for example, if you have 5 temporary hit points and take 7 damage, you lose the 5 temporary hit points and then take 2 damage

because temporary hit points are separate from your actual hit points, together they can exceed your hit point maximum

a character can, therefore, be at full hit points and receive temporary hit points

healing restores temporary hit points if after it heals all damage it has healing power left over

temporary hit points can stack to a maximum value equal to your hit point maximum

if you have 0 or less hit points and are unconscious, receiving temporary hit points doesn't restore you to consciousness or stabilize you, temporary hit points can still absorb damage directed at you while you're in that state, but only true healing can stabilize you

unless a feature that grants you temporary hit points has a duration, they last until they're depleted or you finish a long rest.

temporary hit points - notes

another big change, allowing temporary hit points to stack

the warlocks can quit crying now