Secret Lesson 27

Healing, Dropping to 0 Hit Points, Death Saving Throws, Stabilization, and Temporary Hit Points

You now understand:

  • Hit Points

  • Damage Rolls

  • Critical Hits

  • Damage Types

  • Resistance

  • Vulnerability

  • Immunity

Now we reach the point where combat becomes most dangerous:

0 HIT POINTS

What happens when a character falls?

Do they die immediately?

Can another character save them?

What are Death Saving Throws?

Can healing bring them back into the fight?

And how do:

TEMPORARY HIT POINTS

differ from real Hit Points?

This lesson completes the core Combat section.

PART ONE — HEALING

Damage removes Hit Points.

Healing restores them.

The SRD gives several possible sources of healing, including:

  • magic such as Cure Wounds

  • a Potion of Healing

  • a Short Rest

  • a Long Rest

 

HOW HEALING WORKS

When you receive healing:

ADD THE RESTORED HIT POINTS TO YOUR CURRENT HIT POINTS

But:

YOU CAN'T EXCEED YOUR HIT POINT MAXIMUM

Any healing beyond your maximum is:

LOST

 

EXAMPLE

Current HP:

8

Maximum HP:

20

Healing received:

7

Calculation:

8 + 7 = 15

New HP:

15

EXCESS HEALING

Current HP:

17

Maximum:

20

Healing:

10

You need only:

3 HP

to reach maximum.

Therefore:

NEW HP = 20

The remaining:

7 POINTS OF HEALING ARE LOST

You do not increase your maximum to 27.

SRD EXAMPLE

The SRD gives:

Current HP:

14

Maximum HP:

20

Healing:

8

Only:

6 HP

are restored because that brings the creature to its maximum of 20.

HEALING DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY INCREASE YOUR HIT POINT MAXIMUM

These are two different statistics:

CURRENT HIT POINTS

and:

HIT POINT MAXIMUM

Ordinary healing restores current HP.

It does not raise the maximum unless a rule specifically says otherwise.

PART TWO — DROPPING TO 0 HIT POINTS

When a creature reaches:

0 HP

one of two broad things happens:

IT DIES

or:

IT FALLS UNCONSCIOUS

depending on the circumstances.

INSTANT DEATH

The SRD identifies several major ways a creature can die immediately:

MONSTER DEATH

HIT POINT MAXIMUM REACHES 0

MASSIVE DAMAGE

 

Let's examine each.

1. MONSTER DEATH

The normal rule is:

A MONSTER DIES THE INSTANT IT DROPS TO 0 HP

 

This keeps ordinary monster combat simple.

BUT THE GM CAN MAKE AN EXCEPTION

The SRD explicitly allows the Game Master to ignore that rule for:

AN INDIVIDUAL MONSTER

and instead treat that monster:

LIKE A CHARACTER

 

This can be useful when a particular NPC or important monster should have a chance to survive at 0 HP.

EXAMPLE

A normal hostile monster reaches:

0 HP

Default:

IT DIES IMMEDIATELY

But an important named NPC reaches 0 HP.

The GM decides to treat that NPC like a player character.

It may instead fall Unconscious and use the relevant 0-HP rules.

2. HIT POINT MAXIMUM OF 0

A creature dies if:

ITS HIT POINT MAXIMUM REACHES 0

 

Certain effects can drain life energy and reduce a creature's Hit Point maximum.

If that maximum itself reaches zero:

THE CREATURE DIES

CURRENT HP 0 VS. MAXIMUM HP 0

These are not the same situation.

Current HP = 0

The creature may fall Unconscious and potentially survive.

Maximum HP = 0

THE CREATURE DIES

 

3. MASSIVE DAMAGE

A player character can also die immediately from:

MASSIVE DAMAGE

The rule works like this:

Damage reduces the character to:

0 HP

Then ask:

HOW MUCH DAMAGE REMAINS?

If the remaining damage:

EQUALS OR EXCEEDS THE CHARACTER'S HIT POINT MAXIMUM

the character:

DIES

 

MASSIVE DAMAGE EXAMPLE

Maximum HP:

12

Current HP:

6

Incoming damage:

18

First 6 points reduce the character:

6 → 0 HP

Remaining damage:

12

The character's maximum HP is:

12

Since:

REMAINING DAMAGE ≥ HIT POINT MAXIMUM

the character:

DIES INSTANTLY

This is the SRD's example.

ANOTHER MASSIVE DAMAGE EXAMPLE

Maximum HP:

20

Current HP:

8

Incoming damage:

24

8 damage reduces you to 0.

Remaining damage:

24 − 8 = 16

Compare:

16 < 20

Therefore the Massive Damage rule does:

NOT KILL YOU INSTANTLY

You instead proceed to the normal 0-HP rules.

MASSIVE DAMAGE IS BASED ON THE DAMAGE LEFT AFTER REACHING 0

Do not compare the entire original attack directly with maximum HP.

Example:

Maximum HP:

30

Current HP:

20

Damage:

35

After reaching 0:

15 damage remains

Since:

15 < 30

no instant death from Massive Damage.

CHARACTER DEATH

If a player character dies, the SRD notes that the group may potentially use magical means of revival, such as:

  • Raise Dead

  • other applicable magic

or the player can discuss creating a new character with the GM.

The broader rules for death and revival appear elsewhere in the SRD.

PART THREE — FALLING UNCONSCIOUS

If you reach:

0 HIT POINTS

and you:

DO NOT DIE INSTANTLY

you gain:

THE UNCONSCIOUS CONDITION

until you regain any Hit Points.

You must also begin making:

DEATH SAVING THROWS

 

WHAT DOES UNCONSCIOUS DO?

While Unconscious, you experience several serious effects.

INERT

You have:

INCAPACITATED

and:

PRONE

You also:

DROP WHATEVER YOU ARE HOLDING

When Unconscious ends, you still remain:

PRONE

 

SPEED 0

Your Speed becomes:

0

and can't increase.

ATTACKS AGAINST YOU

Attack Rolls against you have:

ADVANTAGE

 

SAVING THROWS

While Unconscious, you automatically fail:

STRENGTH SAVING THROWS

and:

DEXTERITY SAVING THROWS

 

ATTACKS FROM WITHIN 5 FEET

Any Attack Roll that hits you is a:

CRITICAL HIT

if the attacker is within:

5 FEET

 

This becomes especially dangerous when you are already at 0 HP.

We will see why shortly.

UNAWARE

An Unconscious creature is:

UNAWARE OF ITS SURROUNDINGS

 

PART FOUR — DEATH SAVING THROWS

If you start your turn with:

0 HIT POINTS

you must make:

A DEATH SAVING THROW

 

This determines whether you move closer to:

SURVIVAL

or:

DEATH

DEATH SAVES ARE SPECIAL

Unlike ordinary Saving Throws:

A DEATH SAVING THROW IS NOT TIED TO AN ABILITY SCORE

 

So don't automatically add:

  • Strength

  • Dexterity

  • Constitution

  • Intelligence

  • Wisdom

  • Charisma

to the roll.

BASIC DEATH SAVE

Roll:

1D20

If the result is:

10 OR HIGHER

you score:

ONE SUCCESS

If the result is:

9 OR LOWER

you score:

ONE FAILURE

 

DEATH SAVE TABLE

d20 Result Result
1 Two failures
2–9 One failure
10–19 One success
20 Regain 1 HP

 

ONE SUCCESS DOESN'T WAKE YOU UP

A single Death Save success:

HAS NO EFFECT BY ITSELF

You remain:

  • at 0 HP

  • Unconscious

  • at risk

until something else happens.

ONE FAILURE DOESN'T KILL YOU

Likewise:

ONE FAILURE

doesn't kill you by itself.

You continue tracking successes and failures.

THREE SUCCESSES

When you accumulate:

THREE DEATH SAVE SUCCESSES

you become:

STABLE

 

THREE FAILURES

When you accumulate:

THREE DEATH SAVE FAILURES

you:

DIE

 

SUCCESSES AND FAILURES DON'T NEED TO BE CONSECUTIVE

Example:

Turn 1:

SUCCESS

Turn 2:

FAILURE

Turn 3:

SUCCESS

Turn 4:

FAILURE

You currently have:

2 SUCCESSES

and:

2 FAILURES

Both are tracked simultaneously.

THEY RESET WHEN YOU RECOVER

Both your Death Save successes and failures reset to:

ZERO

when you:

REGAIN ANY HIT POINTS

or:

BECOME STABLE

 

EXAMPLE — THREE SUCCESSES

Round 1:

Roll 14.

SUCCESS 1

Round 2:

Roll 7.

FAILURE 1

Round 3:

Roll 11.

SUCCESS 2

Round 4:

Roll 18.

SUCCESS 3

Result:

STABLE

Both counters then reset to zero.

EXAMPLE — THREE FAILURES

Turn 1:

Roll 4.

Failure 1.

Turn 2:

Roll 17.

Success 1.

Turn 3:

Roll 6.

Failure 2.

Turn 4:

Roll 8.

Failure 3.

Result:

DEATH

NATURAL 1 ON A DEATH SAVE

If the d20 shows:

NATURAL 1

you suffer:

TWO DEATH SAVE FAILURES

 

EXAMPLE

You already have:

ONE FAILURE

You roll:

NATURAL 1

That adds:

TWO MORE FAILURES

Total:

THREE FAILURES

Result:

YOU DIE

NATURAL 20 ON A DEATH SAVE

If the d20 shows:

NATURAL 20

you:

REGAIN 1 HIT POINT

 

Because you now have Hit Points again:

  • you are no longer at 0 HP

  • the Unconscious condition caused by being at 0 HP ends

  • your Death Save successes and failures reset

You remain Prone because the Unconscious condition says you remain Prone when it ends.

NATURAL 20 IS NOT THREE SUCCESSES

This is important.

A natural 20 doesn't merely add enough successes to stabilize you.

It does something better:

YOU REGAIN 1 HP

 

That immediately removes you from the 0-HP state.

PART FIVE — TAKING DAMAGE AT 0 HP

Being at 0 Hit Points is extremely dangerous because additional damage can generate:

DEATH SAVE FAILURES

If you take:

ANY DAMAGE

while at 0 HP:

SUFFER ONE DEATH SAVING THROW FAILURE

 

EXAMPLE

You have:

0 HP

Death Save record:

1 success / 0 failures

You take:

4 DAMAGE

You now have:

1 FAILURE

No Death Saving Throw roll is required for this failure.

The damage itself causes it.

CRITICAL HIT AT 0 HP

If the damage comes from:

A CRITICAL HIT

you suffer:

TWO DEATH SAVE FAILURES

instead of one.

WHY CLOSE MELEE ATTACKS ARE SO DANGEROUS

Remember the Unconscious condition:

Attack Rolls against you have Advantage.

And if an attack from within 5 feet hits:

IT IS A CRITICAL HIT

 

If you are at 0 HP, damage from that Critical Hit causes:

TWO DEATH SAVE FAILURES

 

So an Unconscious character can be extremely vulnerable to nearby attackers.

DAMAGE AT 0 CAN ALSO KILL IMMEDIATELY

If damage taken while you are at 0 HP:

EQUALS OR EXCEEDS YOUR HIT POINT MAXIMUM

you:

DIE

 

EXAMPLE

Maximum HP:

22

Current HP:

0

You take:

22 DAMAGE

Result:

DEATH

because the damage equals your Hit Point maximum.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE

Maximum HP:

22

At 0 HP.

You take:

21 damage

That doesn't trigger this particular instant-death clause.

But you still suffer the applicable:

DEATH SAVE FAILURE

or failures if the damage came from a Critical Hit.

PART SIX — STABILIZING A CHARACTER

You don't have to wait for an ally to roll three successful Death Saves.

Another creature can try to:

STABILIZE THEM

The SRD uses:

THE HELP ACTION

to attempt this.

STABILIZATION CHECK

Take:

THE HELP ACTION

and make:

DC 10 WISDOM (MEDICINE)

If successful:

THE CREATURE BECOMES STABLE

 

WHAT DOES STABLE MEAN?

A Stable creature:

  • has 0 HP

  • doesn't make Death Saving Throws

 

STABLE DOES NOT MEAN CONSCIOUS

A Stable creature at 0 HP still has:

THE UNCONSCIOUS CONDITION

 

So stabilization stops the immediate Death Save cycle.

It does not automatically:

  • restore Hit Points

  • wake the creature up

  • allow it to act

EXAMPLE

Character:

0 HP

Death Saves:

2 failures

An ally takes the Help action.

Wisdom (Medicine):

DC 10

Roll succeeds.

Result:

STABLE

The character stops making Death Saving Throws.

The previous success/failure counters reset because becoming Stable resets them.

WHAT IF A STABLE CREATURE TAKES DAMAGE?

If a Stable creature takes damage:

IT STOPS BEING STABLE

and:

STARTS MAKING DEATH SAVING THROWS AGAIN

 

The normal rules for damage while at 0 HP also apply.

NATURAL RECOVERY WHILE STABLE

A Stable creature that receives no healing eventually regains:

1 HIT POINT

after:

1D4 HOURS

 

EXAMPLE

A Stable character isn't healed.

Roll:

1D4

Result:

3

After:

3 HOURS

the character regains:

1 HP

TRUE HEALING CAN END THE DANGER IMMEDIATELY

Suppose an Unconscious character at 0 HP receives:

5 HIT POINTS OF HEALING

They now have:

5 HP

They are no longer at 0 HP.

The 0-HP Unconscious state ends.

Their Death Save counters reset.

PART SEVEN — KNOCKING OUT A CREATURE

Not every melee victory has to end in death.

If you would reduce a creature to:

0 HP

with:

A MELEE ATTACK

you may instead choose to reduce it to:

1 HP

and give it:

THE UNCONSCIOUS CONDITION

 

THIS IS SPECIFIC TO A MELEE ATTACK

The SRD specifically states:

WITH A MELEE ATTACK

 

So don't automatically apply this rule to every source of damage.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE KNOCKED-OUT CREATURE?

The creature:

HAS 1 HP

and:

IS UNCONSCIOUS

It begins:

A SHORT REST

 

WHEN DOES THE UNCONSCIOUS CONDITION END?

Normally:

AT THE END OF THAT SHORT REST

But it ends early if:

THE CREATURE REGAINS ANY HIT POINTS

or:

someone takes an Action to administer first aid and succeeds on:

DC 10 WISDOM (MEDICINE)

 

KNOCKOUT EXAMPLE

Enemy:

5 HP

Your melee attack deals:

12 damage

Normally it would fall to 0.

Instead you choose:

KNOCK OUT

Result:

1 HP

UNCONSCIOUS

and it starts a Short Rest.

KNOCKING OUT IS DIFFERENT FROM STABILIZING

These situations are easy to confuse.

Knocked Out

Creature has:

1 HP

and is Unconscious.

Stable

Creature has:

0 HP

and is Unconscious but isn't making Death Saves.

These are mechanically different states.

PART EIGHT — TEMPORARY HIT POINTS

Some spells and effects grant:

TEMPORARY HIT POINTS

These provide:

A BUFFER

against losing your actual Hit Points.

TEMPORARY HP ARE LOST FIRST

If you have Temporary Hit Points and take damage:

LOSE TEMPORARY HIT POINTS FIRST

If the damage exceeds them:

THE LEFTOVER DAMAGE CARRIES OVER TO YOUR ACTUAL HP

 

SRD EXAMPLE

Temporary HP:

5

Damage:

7

First:

5 Temporary HP are lost.

Remaining damage:

2

You then lose:

2 ACTUAL HIT POINTS

 

ANOTHER EXAMPLE

Actual HP:

20

Temporary HP:

8

Damage:

6

Temporary HP:

8 − 6 = 2

Actual HP:

STILL 20

You now have:

20 HP + 2 TEMPORARY HP

BIGGER DAMAGE EXAMPLE

Actual HP:

20

Temporary HP:

8

Damage:

13

Temporary HP absorb:

8

Remaining damage:

5

Actual HP:

20 − 5

=

15

Temporary HP:

0

TEMPORARY HIT POINTS HAVE A DURATION

Temporary HP last until:

THEY ARE DEPLETED

or:

YOU FINISH A LONG REST

 

TEMPORARY HIT POINTS DON'T STACK

This is extremely important.

If you already have Temporary HP and receive another source:

DO NOT ADD THEM TOGETHER

Instead:

CHOOSE WHICH SET TO KEEP

 

SRD EXAMPLE

You currently have:

10 TEMPORARY HP

A spell gives you:

12 TEMPORARY HP

You may choose:

10

or:

12

You cannot have:

22

 

YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE HIGHER NUMBER

The rule says:

YOU DECIDE

whether to keep your existing Temporary HP or gain the new ones.

So although the larger amount will often be preferable, the game doesn't automatically replace the existing amount.

TEMPORARY HP ARE NOT REAL HIT POINTS

The SRD explicitly states:

TEMPORARY HIT POINTS ARE NOT HIT POINTS

They therefore work differently from ordinary HP.

TEMPORARY HP ARE NOT HEALING

Receiving Temporary HP:

DOES NOT COUNT AS HEALING

 

HEALING CANNOT RESTORE TEMPORARY HP

Suppose:

Actual HP:

20

Temporary HP:

3

You lose the 3 Temporary HP.

Later you receive healing.

That healing restores:

ACTUAL HIT POINTS

It doesn't restore your previous Temporary HP.

TEMPORARY HP CAN EXIST ABOVE FULL HP

Because they aren't actual Hit Points:

a creature can be at:

FULL HIT POINTS

and still receive:

TEMPORARY HIT POINTS

 

EXAMPLE

Maximum HP:

30

Current HP:

30

You gain:

8 TEMPORARY HP

You now have:

30 ACTUAL HP

plus:

8 TEMPORARY HP

You do not have a new Hit Point maximum of 38.

TEMPORARY HP AT 0 HIT POINTS

This rule is critical.

If you are at:

0 HP

and receive Temporary Hit Points:

YOU DO NOT REGAIN CONSCIOUSNESS

 

EXAMPLE

Current HP:

0

You receive:

10 TEMPORARY HP

Your actual HP remain:

0

You remain in the 0-HP state.

The Temporary HP can buffer future damage, but they have not healed you.

ONLY TRUE HEALING SAVES YOU FROM THE 0-HP STATE

The SRD explicitly states:

ONLY TRUE HEALING CAN SAVE YOU

in this situation.

Temporary Hit Points are protection.

They are:

NOT RECOVERY

TEMPORARY HP VS. HEALING

Feature Healing Temporary HP
Restores actual HP Yes No
Can exceed maximum HP No Exists separately
Wakes a creature at 0 HP Yes, if HP are restored No
Can itself be restored by healing — No
Multiple amounts stack Healing adds up to maximum No
Lost before actual HP No Yes

 

COMPLETE 0-HP EXAMPLE

Character:

Maximum HP:

24

Current HP:

7

Enemy deals:

11 DAMAGE

The character reaches:

0 HP

Damage remaining:

4

Since:

4 < 24

the Massive Damage rule does not kill the character.

The character:

BECOMES UNCONSCIOUS

and begins making:

DEATH SAVING THROWS

 

NEXT TURN

Death Save:

13

Result:

SUCCESS 1

NEXT TURN

Death Save:

6

Result:

FAILURE 1

BEFORE THE NEXT TURN

An ally heals the character for:

5 HP

The character now has:

5 HP

The Unconscious condition from being at 0 HP ends.

Death Save successes and failures reset:

0 / 0

 

COMPLETE STABILIZATION EXAMPLE

Character:

0 HP

Death Saves:

1 SUCCESS / 2 FAILURES

An ally fears that one more failed save will kill them.

The ally takes:

HELP

and makes:

DC 10 WISDOM (MEDICINE)

Result:

14

Success.

The character is:

STABLE

They remain:

UNCONSCIOUS AT 0 HP

but stop making Death Saving Throws.

COMPLETE TEMPORARY HP EXAMPLE

Character:

Actual HP:

12

Temporary HP:

7

Incoming damage:

10

First remove:

7 TEMPORARY HP

Remaining:

3 DAMAGE

Actual HP becomes:

12 − 3

=

9 HP

DEATH-SAVE FLOW

When you reach 0 HP:

DID YOU DIE INSTANTLY?

If yes:

DEAD

If no:

↓

UNCONSCIOUS

↓

At the start of each turn:

DEATH SAVING THROW

↓

Natural 20

REGAIN 1 HP

10–19

ONE SUCCESS

2–9

ONE FAILURE

Natural 1

TWO FAILURES

↓

THREE SUCCESSES?

Become:

STABLE

THREE FAILURES?

DIE

 

SURVIVAL FLOW

A character at 0 HP can escape the Death Save cycle through several routes:

REGAIN ANY HIT POINTS

or:

BECOME STABLE THROUGH THREE SUCCESSES

or:

BE STABILIZED WITH HELP + DC 10 WISDOM (MEDICINE)

A Stable creature that remains unhealed eventually regains:

1 HP AFTER 1D4 HOURS

 

COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES

MISTAKE 1 — THINKING EVERY CREATURE AUTOMATICALLY MAKES DEATH SAVES

By default:

MONSTERS DIE AT 0 HP

The GM can choose to treat an individual monster like a character instead.

MISTAKE 2 — LETTING MASSIVE DAMAGE GO NEGATIVE WITHOUT CHECKING FOR DEATH

When damage reduces a character to 0 and enough damage remains to equal or exceed the Hit Point maximum:

THE CHARACTER DIES

 

MISTAKE 3 — ADDING CONSTITUTION TO A DEATH SAVE

Death Saves are not tied to an Ability Score.

MISTAKE 4 — THINKING A DEATH SAVE SUCCESS RESTORES HP

A normal success merely moves you toward:

THREE SUCCESSES

It doesn't restore Hit Points by itself.

MISTAKE 5 — THINKING THREE SUCCESSES MEANS YOU WAKE UP

Three successes make you:

STABLE

You still have:

0 HP

and remain:

UNCONSCIOUS

 

MISTAKE 6 — TREATING NATURAL 1 AS ONE FAILURE

Natural 1:

TWO FAILURES

 

MISTAKE 7 — TREATING NATURAL 20 AS TWO SUCCESSES

Natural 20:

REGAIN 1 HIT POINT

 

MISTAKE 8 — FORGETTING DAMAGE AT 0 HP

Any damage while at 0 HP causes:

ONE DEATH SAVE FAILURE

Critical Hit:

TWO FAILURES

 

MISTAKE 9 — FORGETTING WHY NEARBY ATTACKERS ARE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS

An Unconscious creature is attacked with Advantage, and a hit from within 5 feet is a Critical Hit.

At 0 HP, damage from that Critical Hit causes:

TWO DEATH SAVE FAILURES

MISTAKE 10 — THINKING STABLE MEANS HEALED

Stable means:

0 HP + NO DEATH SAVES REQUIRED

It does not mean the creature has regained Hit Points.

MISTAKE 11 — USING THE WRONG ACTION TO STABILIZE

The SRD specifies:

HELP ACTION

plus:

DC 10 WISDOM (MEDICINE)

 

MISTAKE 12 — THINKING A KNOCKED-OUT CREATURE HAS 0 HP

Using the melee knockout rule leaves the creature at:

1 HP

and gives it:

UNCONSCIOUS

 

MISTAKE 13 — ADDING TEMPORARY HP TOGETHER

Temporary Hit Points:

DON'T STACK

Choose the old amount or the new amount.

MISTAKE 14 — TREATING TEMPORARY HP AS HEALING

Temporary HP:

ARE NOT HEALING

and:

ARE NOT ACTUAL HIT POINTS

 

MISTAKE 15 — USING TEMPORARY HP TO WAKE SOMEONE AT 0 HP

Temporary HP do:

NOT RESTORE CONSCIOUSNESS AT 0 HP

Only restoring actual Hit Points ends that 0-HP state.

LESSON 27 — KEY TAKEAWAYS

HEALING

Adds restored Hit Points to current HP.

You cannot exceed:

HIT POINT MAXIMUM

 

AT 0 HP

A creature either:

DIES

or:

FALLS UNCONSCIOUS

 

DEFAULT MONSTER RULE

MONSTER DIES AT 0 HP

unless the GM decides to treat that particular monster like a character.

MASSIVE DAMAGE

If damage reduces a character to 0 HP and the remaining damage:

EQUALS OR EXCEEDS MAXIMUM HP

INSTANT DEATH

 

DEATH SAVES

At the start of your turn with 0 HP:

ROLL 1D20

10–19

Success.

2–9

Failure.

Natural 1

Two failures.

Natural 20

Regain 1 HP.

 

THREE SUCCESSES

STABLE

THREE FAILURES

DEAD

DAMAGE AT 0 HP

Normal damage:

ONE FAILURE

Critical Hit:

TWO FAILURES

Damage equal to or exceeding maximum HP:

DEATH

 

STABILIZATION

HELP ACTION

plus:

DC 10 WISDOM (MEDICINE)

A Stable creature remains at 0 HP and Unconscious but stops making Death Saves.

STABLE NATURAL RECOVERY

Without healing:

REGAIN 1 HP AFTER 1D4 HOURS

 

KNOCKING OUT A CREATURE

With a melee attack that would reduce a creature to 0:

you may instead leave it at:

1 HP

and:

UNCONSCIOUS

 

TEMPORARY HIT POINTS

ABSORB DAMAGE BEFORE ACTUAL HP

LAST UNTIL DEPLETED OR A LONG REST

DON'T STACK

AREN'T HEALING

CAN'T BE RESTORED BY HEALING

DON'T WAKE A CREATURE AT 0 HP

 

COMBAT SECTION COMPLETE

With Lesson 27, you have completed the dedicated:

COMBAT

section of the course.

You now understand the complete foundational sequence:

INITIATIVE

↓

MOVEMENT

↓

ATTACKS

↓

DAMAGE

↓

RESISTANCE / VULNERABILITY / IMMUNITY

↓

HIT POINT LOSS

↓

0 HP

↓

DEATH SAVES, STABILIZATION, HEALING, OR DEATH

Now we can begin creating the heroes who actually use all of these rules.

NEXT LESSON

LESSON 28 — THE CHARACTER SHEET AND THE COMPLETE CHARACTER CREATION PROCESS

Lesson 28 begins:

CHARACTER CREATION AND ADVANCEMENT

We will learn:

  • how the character sheet is organized

  • the complete character-creation sequence

  • choosing a Class

  • determining character Origin

  • Background

  • Species

  • Languages

  • generating Ability Scores

  • Alignment

  • character details

  • starting equipment

  • calculating Armor Class

  • calculating Hit Points

  • Attack Bonuses

  • Saving Throws

  • Skills

  • Spellcasting information where applicable

  • the final steps required to make a playable level 1 character

After Lesson 28 provides the full overview, Lessons 29–38 will examine every part of character creation individually and in depth.

SRD 5.2.1 ATTRIBUTION

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.