Extended Dying Rules

New Actions

When a player character gains a level in a class, they learn that class's Downed Actions, Dying Actions, and Final Actions. Despite the name, these are not regular actions as defined in chapter 9 of the Player's Handbook. You can use them even if you cannot take normal actions. And you can take a normal action even if you've used one of these.

However, you cannot use more than one of these actions per turn. You must choose either a Downed Action, or a Dying Action, or a Final Action.

General Actions

In addition to the actions granted by their class, all player characters know the following:

Artificer

Barbarian

Overly Dramatic Death Scene

Downed Action
What's the point of dying if you don't do it theatrically?

Creatures within 15 feet who can see or hear you must make Wisdom saving throw. The DC is equal to your bard spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature is stunned until the beginning of your next turn, or until it takes damage. Pass or fail, the creature is then immune to this ability until you finish a long rest.

Allies who have seen you use this ability before are immune to its effects.

Reprise

Dying Action
Your tale isn't over. Not yet. The big finish is yet to come.

You stop dying, and regain consciousness. Additionally, you count as though you have just completed a long rest, gaining all associated benefits.

However, your role in this tale is drawing to a close. Within the next 30 days, you are fated to either die or leave adventuring forever. At the end of the allotted time, if your character is still alive, it becomes an NPC controlled by the DM, and you must start a new character.

Grand Finale

Final Action
This is it! The big one. One last hurrah!

You regain consciousness and half your maximum hit points. Any negative conditions affecting you immediately end. For the next minute, you have advantage on all skill checks and saving throws. You die when the minute ends, or when you run out of hit points.

Once during this time, after making an attack roll, you may turn the attack into a critical hit. Alternatively, after forcing a creature to make a saving throw, you may force it to fail. Doing so causes the affected creature to take the maximum possible damage (if any), but causes your time to immediately run out.

That's All She Wrote

Final Action
You die as you lived: inspiring those around you. Challenging them to be better.

Each player character present during your death permanently increases one of their ability scores by 1, to a maximum of 20. If three or fewer characters are affected in this way, then they instead increase two of their ability scores by 1.

Divine Guidance

Downed Action
One creature of your choice within 60 feet gains the benefits of the Guidance cantrip. This does not require concentration to maintain.

Additionally, the target gains 1d4 temporary hit points. This increases by 1d4 for every 3 cleric levels beyond 1st (2d4 at 4th level, 3d4 at 7th, etc).

Resurrection

Dying Action
You do indeed die, and your spirit ascends to meet your deity. To your surprise, you learn you are to be sent back; your mission is not yet complete. You reappear in an unoccupied space within 50 feet of where you died, fully healed.

Your meeting with the divine has empowered you, but also weakened your connection with the mortal world. You can use your Channel Divinity one additional time between rests. But you have disadvantage on death saving throws, and your maximum hit points are reduced by your level. Whenever you gain a level, you gain 1 less hit point.

Dying Wish

Final Action
You spend the last of your strength focusing on one final prayer. It is deemed worthy of answering.

You cast the Wish spell, with the following constraints:

• The maximum level of a spell you can duplicate is one level higher than your highest cleric spell slot (up to a maximum of 8th). For example, a level 10 cleric can cast 5th level spells, so their wish could reproduce a 6th level spell.
• If you choose a non-spell effect, and your cleric level is less than 17, then the power of your wish is scaled back proportionally. It will still produce a miraculous event, but it may be smaller in scope or potency.
• Your wish cannot fail, and must be interpreted in the spirit in which it is asked. However, the DM has the final say on what effect it has.
• Your wish cannot save you. It is the act of giving your life which empowers it.

Guardian Angel

Final Action
As your spirit departs your body, it ascends to the heavens, where it continues to keep watch over your friends.

Whenever one of your party members takes damage or fails a saving throw, you may roll a d20. On a 10+, the damage is miraculously avoided, or the failed save turns into a pass. After successfully using this feature, you can't use it again until the target character finishes a long rest.

Wild Aid

Downed Action
Lesser plants, animals, and nature spirits come to your defense, harassing your attackers. Make a spell attack roll against a creature of your choice within 30 feet. On a hit, choose one of the following effects to apply:

• The target takes 1d4 piercing damage.
• The target has disadvantage on its next attack roll.
• If the target is medium or smaller, it is pushed 5 feet and knocked prone.

Primal Guardian

Dying Action
In your hour of need, a creature whom you'd previously rescued returns to repay the favor. Choose a beast or plant with a CR less than or equal to half your druid level. It arrives within 30 feet of you. While it is present:

• You are stabilized, and cannot die. The creature protects you from all harm.
• You can receive healing as normal, but remain unconscious.
• You cannot perform Downed Actions. Instead, you control the creature on your turn, effectively replacing your character.

These effects end after 10 minutes. They end early if the creature is slain, if it ends its turn more than 60 feet from your body, or if you choose to end it as a free action. The creature then gives up the last of its life force to restore yours. You regain consciousness and hit points equal to your level, but the creature collapses, and dies soon after.

Return to the Soil

Final Action
As you breathe your last, plants bloom all around you, and a great tree sprouts from your body. A beautiful garden forms, 100 feet in diameter. This counts as difficult terrain to creatures of your choice. Additionally, your tree bears gleaming fruits. Player characters who eat the fruit have their maximum hit points increased by 2d4.

The Hunt

Final Action
At the end of the round, an enormous pack of wild beasts arrive, howling and yammering, thirsting for blood.

Carrying your body aloft, the pack acts on your turn, moving up to 50 feet. The tide of fur and fang is overwhelming; hostile creatures within 20 feet of your body count as being in difficult terrain. Additionally, you can make three spell attacks during your turn, targeting one or more creatures within this area. Each hit deals magical piercing damage equal to 1d8 + half your druid level (rounded up), and the target's speed is reduced by 10 until the end of its next turn.

The pack persists for 10 minutes, or until there are no hostile creatures within 500 feet. At the DM's discretion, attacking or damaging the pack might reduce its time remaining. When the pack disperses, there is no sign of your body.

Gather Your Strength

Downed Action
Requirement: at least 1 hit dice or use of Second Wind remaining.
You've learned how to fall down and get back up again.

You immediately spend one hit dice, and regain hit points equal to the roll plus your Constitution modifier. Alternatively, you can use your Second Wind feature, if you haven't used it yet.

This effort is incredibly taxing. Make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a success, you gain 1 level of exhaustion. On a failure, you gain 2 levels.

Harsh Lesson

Dying Action
You didn't die, but came uncomfortably close. The experience has scarred you for life, but also hardened your resolve.

You immediately regain consciousness, and hit points equal to twice your level. However, your Strength or Dexterity (your choice) is permanently reduced by 2, while your Constitution and maximum Constitution are permanently increased by 2 (to a maximum of 22).

Remember To Keep Your Shield Up...

Final Action
You impart a final piece of wisdom to your friends. Hopefully it's enough to keep them safe.

Each creature in your party gains a permanent +1 bonus to AC. This is applied after all other AC bonuses and modifiers. E.g. if the Mage Armor spell sets your AC to 14, it becomes 15 instead.

They'll Tell Stories About This Day

Final Action
You don't have time to be lying around, dying. If these are your last moments, you're going to make them count.

You immediately take a turn as though you were alive and uninjured, and can use your Action Surge even if you couldn't normally use it. You are immune to all damage and conditions during this turn. You have advantage on all attack rolls and strength checks, and roll three dice instead of two, choosing the best result. Creatures have disadvantage on saving throws you force them to make.

Defeat - johnsonting

https://www.deviantart.com/johnsonting/art/Defeat-381057480

Astral Form

Downed Action
You briefly leave your physical body, entering the astral plane. Until the end of your turn, you can see in both the material and astral planes, and can make a single unarmed attack against a creature on either plane within 20 feet of you. You do not count as being prone during this attack, but neither do you count as unseen to the defender.

Epiphany

Dying Action
As you lie dying, you glimpse a hidden truth about yourself and your place in the universe. Suddenly you understand. You don't have to die here.

You regain consciousness, and hit points equal to twice your level. You also regain all you ki points, and your maximum number of ki points permanently increases by 1.

This revelation has a lasting affect on you. Like a leaf floating on a river, you are content to take things as they come, unconcerned for your personal wellbeing. Your AC is permanently reduced by 1.

Strength Of A Thousand

Final Action
The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long. Your own flame is about to be snuffed. Far better, then, to go out in a blaze of glory.

You stand up, regaining half your maximum hit points and ki points. You life ends after 1 minute, or when your hit points reach 0.

You move so fast you seem to be in several places at once, a blur of striking limbs and parried blows. On each of your turns you can take either a second action or a second bonus action. Additionally, you can move through enemies' spaces, and cannot be hit by opportunity attacks.

Transcendence

Final Action
You have mastered your fear of death, and leave behind your mortal form willingly. As you ascend, you reach out and touch the souls of those around you, unlocking their true potential.

Each player character present gains 1 ki point. These can be spent to use one of the monk class features Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, or Step of the Wind. When a character uses Flurry of Blows this way, they may choose to deal 1d4 + their Strength or Dexterity modifier, instead of their normal unarmed damage.

Spent ki points are recovered at the end of a long or short rest.

Martial Fervor

Downed Action
Holy wrath fills your companions. Once before the start of your next turn, you can choose to bolster an attack made within 30 feet of you. You and the attacker both roll to hit, using the attacker's stats. If you both hit, the attack deals an extra 1d8 radiant damage. If you hit but the attacker misses, you turn the miss into a regular hit.

Avenging Angel

Dying Action
An agent of your faith appears to defend you, striking awe and terror into your foes.

You duplicate the effects of the Summon Celestial spell. It is cast as though with a spell slot equal to half your paladin level (rounded up). There is no minimum level spell slot required to cast the spell this way, and you do not need to maintain concentration to sustain it.

While the celestial is present:

• You are stabilized, and cannot die. The celestial protects you from all harm.
• You can receive healing as normal, but remain unconscious.
• You cannot perform Downed Actions. Instead, you control the celestial on your turn, effectively replacing your character.

The spell lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if the celestial is reduced to 0 hit points, if it ends its turn more than 60 feet from your body, or if you end it as a free action. If you have any hit points when the spell ends then you regain consciousness.

Armageddon

Final Action
Calling on your divine powers one last time, your body fills with holy energies. Glowing with a blinding light, you stand up and move up to twice your speed. Then you unleash the smite to end all smites.

All creatures within 30 feet must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. A creature takes 2d8 radiant damage per paladin level on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

When the light fades and the dust settles, there is no sign of your body.

Eternal Guardian

Final Action
By striking you down, they have made you more powerful than they can possibly imagine.

As a Downed Action, an ally may call upon you. When they do, a ghostly specter of your former self appears in the unoccupied space nearest to them. The player can direct this specter to move and take a single action, as though controlling a normal character. It is armed with a single melee weapon it used in life, dealing 2d8 radiant damage, plus 1d8 for every 3 levels the ally has.

After using this Downed Action, it cannot be used again by anyone until the person who used it completes a long rest.

Survivalist

Downed Action
Requirement: you have 0 hit points.
You know to keep moving, even on the brink of death.

Apply the effects of the Walking Wounded Downed Action. If you pass its Constitution saving throw, then your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks until the end of your turn. If you fail the saving throw, you can crawl up to 15 feet instead of 10.

Nemesis

Dying Action
You underestimated your prey. Never again.

You regain consciousness, and hit points equal to twice your level. Due to the severity of your injuries, your Constitution is permanently reduced by 2.

When you next complete a long rest, the DM selects one living creature which was responsible for your injuries, at least in part. This could be the creature who reduced you to 0 hit points, or the one who gave that creature its orders, or the one who built the trap which injured you, etc. That creature becomes your nemesis.

You have advantage on attack rolls against your nemesis, and all skill checks related to it, e.g. tracking or hiding from it. If you manage to land the killing blow on your nemesis, your Constitution is restored.

From Hell's Heart I Stab At Thee

Final Action
You move up to your speed, and then make a single weapon attack against a large or bigger creature in range. You have advantage on this attack, and may draw or pick up weapons and ammunition as part of the move.

On a hit, if the target has fewer hit points remaining than 10 times your ranger level, it is slain. On a miss, or if the target is not slain, then your attack becomes a regular critical hit instead.

You'll Always Be Our Guide

Final Action
You can't be there to guide them anymore. But they'll always remember the advice you left them.

Each player character who journeyed with you selects a skill that you have proficiency in. They permanently gain proficiency with that skill.

Old Rusty Broken Sword - momma-kuku

https://www.deviantart.com/momma-kuku/art/Old-Rusty-Broken-Sword-620169842

Rogue

Lying In Wait

Downed Action
They should have finished you off when they had the chance...

You gain the effects of the Inspire Heroism Downed Action. Additionally, you have advantage on the first attack you make before the end of your next turn.

The Old Switcheroo

Dying Action
Works every time.

You switch places with a creature of similar shape and size. Almost any medium humanoid will usually do. The creature must have been within 50 feet of you when you were reduced to 0 hit points or killed. You may choose to swap places with an ally, if they give consent, or an enemy, in which case the GM chooses which creature you swap with (usually a lesser minion).

The damage or effect which killed you or reduced you to 0 hit points is undone, bringing you back to life. It is then applied to the new creature instead. Additionally, all creatures are so surprised by your reappearance that they cannot take hostile actions against you until the end of their next turn. You have advantage on attacks against these creatures until the effect ends for them.

The Long Con

Final Action
You've done it. You've fooled them all into thinking you're dead. Even your companions. Funny, you think you might actually miss them...

Your character escapes, alive and well and completely undetected. However, he will now be supporting the party in a way he couldn't while he was with them, pulling strings from the shadows. The character becomes a secretive NPC controlled by the DM, though they are still your ally.

You must start a new character. This character gains the Lucky feat. Almost as if some mysterious benefactor was helping them out... Additionally, at any later point, you may declare that your rogue character suddenly reappears, ready to save the day. How they do so is up to the DM, though they have have significant resources at their disposal. They can only help out this way once. After they do so, your new character loses the Lucky feat.

Yippee Ki-Yay

Final Action
You have one final sneak attack up your sleeve. Saved the best for last.

You stand up and move your speed, then choose a creature you can see within 30 feet. It takes magical piercing damage equal to four times your sneak attack dice. For example, if your sneak attack normally deals 3d6 bonus damage, the creature takes 12d6 piercing damage.

Alternatively, you may choose to target all creatures within 10 feet. They each take piercing damage equal to twice your sneak attack dice.

Magic Surge

Downed Action
Even while incapacitated, your magic continues to flow with a will of its own.

Randomly select a cantrip you know. You cast it as though you were conscious and not incapacitated. If the cantrip requires you to target a creature, you instead select either hostile or non-hostile creatures. The cantrip is then cast on a random viable target in range which is part of the selected group. Any other decisions required are similarly left up to chance.

Transference

Dying Action
Your magic has a will of its own. Even as its host dies, it works to create a new vessel for itself.

You gain a new body, as per the Reincarnate spell. You are no long unconscious, and regain all of your hit points. However, your magic is completely spent. You cannot cast cantrips until you complete a short rest, and cannot cast other spells until you complete a long rest.

Power Overwhelming

Final Action
You finally cut loose, letting your magic run wild. So much power! You can do anything! You're invincible!

You regain consciousness, and can no longer be harmed or incapacitated. Additionally, you recover all your spell slots and sorcery points, and you gain a fly speed of 20 feet.

At the end of each of your turns, roll a d4. On a 1, you lose control of your magic and are consumed by it. You die, and are replaced by a vortex of power, following the rules for the Storm Sphere spell. It is cast as if with your highest level spell slot (minimum 4th), and does not require concentration. On your initiative, it emits a lightning bolt as if you had spent a bonus action, but the target is selected randomly.

Power, Controlled

Final Action
For the first time, you manage to completely control your magic. Too late to save you, but you can save your friends.

You regain your three highest level spell slots, and immediately use them to cast up to 3 different spells. They must have a casting time of 1 action or 1 bonus action. You ignore any required components. The selected spells can be any from the sorcerer spell list, though their level cannot be higher than the slot you cast them with. Only one of them may be a primarily offensive spell, such as Fireball or Spirit Guardians. Spells with a range of self may be cast on a willing creature you can see within 30 feet.

You die immediately after casting these spells. If any of them require concentration, you count as concentrating on them for their full duration, up to 24 hours.

This One's Mine

Downed Action
An aura of menace settles over your body. Once before the start of your next turn, when a creature attacks you, moves next to you, or ends its turn next to you, you can inflict 1d10 necrotic damage to it. This damage increases to 2d10 at 5th level, 3d10 at 11th level, and 4d10 at 17th level.

With your DM's permission, you may change the damage type to better suit your patron.

Protect Me, Lord!

Dying Action
You implore your patron to give you a second chance. They oblige... for now.

You regain consciousness, and hit points equal to your level. For the next two rounds, you are immune to all damage and succeed on all saving throws.

However, your relationship with your patron has soured. Whenever you cast a warlock spell, roll a d20. On a 1, the spell fails, and you take psychic damage equal to your warlock level. Your patron ends this punishment when you have provided a significant service or sacrifice, as determined by your DM.

Chain Of The Pact

Final Action
Tired of your failures, your patron punishes you by transforming you into a wretched little familiar.

You must make a new character. This character gains the warlock Pact of the Chain feature. The familiar summoned by this feature is your previous warlock character, trapped in a new body. They retain their memories and personality, but replace their previous abilities and attributes with their new form's.

With your DM's permission, you may choose a different form for the familiar to take. This must be appropriate for your patron, such as a fairy for The Archfey, or a crawling claw for The Great Old One. Its size must be tiny.

My Death Is Only The Beginning

Final Action
Death is but a door. Time is but a window. You'll be back.

Your physical body is destroyed. But traces of your spirit still linger about your allies. Conduits from which your power can manifest.

When an allied player character damages a creature, you may mark the creature with an aura of doom. For the next minute, if its hit points are ever less than or equal to twice the triggering character's level, then a phantasmal apparition of your warlock appears. It tears out the creature's life force, slaying it instantly, before returning to whatever horrible dimension it came from.

After marking a creature this way, you can't mark a creature again until the triggering character finishes a long rest.

Gather Focus

Downed Action
Through years of training, your subconscious mind continues to ready threads of magic even while you're incapacitated.

Select a spell you have prepared with a casting time of 1 action. Until the start of your next turn, you may cast it as a reaction to your incapacitated condition ending. You may pick up any dropped material components or foci within 5 feet of you as part of this reaction.

Humbled

Dying Action
It turns out there are some lessons you can't learn from musty old tomes. You are just fortunate to have survived the learning.

You regain hit points equal to your level, and regain your highest level expended spell slot. Additionally, you resolve to spend more time listening to the advice of others. Your maximum hit points are increased by your level, and you gain 1 additional hit point every time you level up. This comes at a slight cost to your studies (though well worth it, in your opinion) - you permanently have one less 1st level spell slot. This increases to two less at 7th level, three less at 13th, and four less at 19th.

Death Curse

Final Action
You use your own life force as fuel for one final spell. Select a spell from the wizard spell list with a casting time of 1 action or 1 bonus action. It must be no more than 2 levels higher than your highest known spell.

The spell must be used in a directly offensive manner. For example, Haste or Wall of Stone would not normally qualify, but using Wall of Stone to trap a creature in a fire would.

You cast the spell immediately, as though you were conscious, and ignore any component requirements. It is cast using a spell slot 2 levels higher than your highest spell slot. Though you die in the process of casting it, you count as maintaining concentration for its full duration.

Mentor's Wisdom

Final Action
The time has come to leave your friends. But you leave them better off than when you found them.

Each player character you've journeyed with increases their Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma ability score - whichever is lowest - by 2, to a maximum of 20. In the event of a tie, the player chooses between the lowest ability scores.

Ayja - Dallas-Williams

https://www.deviantart.com/dallas-williams/art/Ayja-536468944