Death and Dying
Wounds and Injuries
Death and Dying
When a creature is reduced to 0 hit points and doesn’t instantly die, it begins making Death saving throws, suffering temporary Wounds, less temporary possible Injuries, and possibly dies outright.
Instant Death
When damage reduces you to 0 hit points, and the remaining damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum, you suffer Instant Death and are dead.
For instance, an archon with a maximum of 20 hit points currently has 5 hit points. If they take 25 damage from an attack, they are reduced to 0 hit points, with 20 remaining damage. Because this remaining damage equals their hit point maximum, the archon dies.
Death Saving Throws
Certain features and effects might call for a Death saving throw. As normal, you roll a d20. You also add your Constitution modifier to the result. You do not add your proficiency bonus, even if you are proficient in Fortitude saving throws, unless a feature explicitly says otherwise.
Dying
When damage reduces you to 0 hit points, but doesn’t kill you outright, you instead begin Dying. Dying is measured in four levels, called Wounds. While you have Wounds, you suffer the effects of the current levels well as all lower levels. If you regain at least 1 hit point, you immediately stop Dying, and all of your Wound levels end.
Wounds
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your speed is halved, you have disadvantage on ability tests except against Death saving throws, and creatures have advantage on ability tests against you. |
| 2 | You are Prone and Dazed. |
| 3 | You are Unconscious. |
| 4 | You die. |
Dropping to 0 Hit Points
When you are first reduced to 0 hit points, you must make a Death saving throw (DC equals 10 or half the damage taken, whichever is higher). On a failure, you suffer 1 Wounds level.
Rolling 1 or 20. If you roll a 20 on this saving throw, you immediately gain 1 hit point. If you roll a 1 on this saving throw, you instead suffer an injury, discussed later in this section.
Ending Your Turn at 0 Hit Points
While Dying, whenever you end your turn with 0 hit points, you must make a DC 10 Death saving throw. On a success, your Wounds level decreases by 1, to a minimum of 1 level. On a failure, your Wounds level increases by 1.
Rolling 1 or 20. If you roll a 20 on this saving throw, you immediately gain 1 hit point. If you roll a 1 on this saving throw, it counts as two failures, increasing your Wounds level by 2.
Damage at 0 Hit Points
If you take any damage while dying, your Wounds level increases by 1. If the damage is from a critical hit or a critical failure, your Wounds level instead increases by 2.
Stabilizing a Creature
The best way to save a creature with 0 hit points is to heal it. If healing is unavailable, the creature can at least be Stabilized.
To Stabilize a Dying creature within 5 feet, you can use your action to attempt to stabilize it by making a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check or an Intelligence (Technology) check for a robot or construct. The DC increases by 5 for each Wounds level beyond the first. For instance, stabilizing a creature with two Wounds levels would have a DC of 15, instead of 10.
A Stable creature no longer has to make Death saving throws while Dying, but it still has 0 hit points, and it still has its Wounds levels. If a creature takes any damage while Stable, it stops being Stable and starts making Death saving throws again. A Stable creature that isn't healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.
Monsters and Death
Most GMs have a monster die the instant it drops to 0 hit points, rather than having it go through the process of Dying.
Mighty villains and special nonplayer characters are common exceptions; the GM might have them start Dying, following the same rules as player characters.
Injury
Unlike Wounds, Injuries last for a long time if they’re not permanent. If you would suffer an Injury, roll a d100 and consult the table below to determine what type of Injury you suffer.
Concussion and contusions are temporary, though they last a long time. Other injuries, however, are permanent. These injuries can only be resolved by enhanced means, such as replacing a missing limb with a prosthesis, or high-level magic regenerating a damaged eye.
Scars
Those permanent injuries likely result in visible scars. In addition to the effect from the Injury table, you might also add that the character can neither have advantage on Persuasion checks nor disadvantage on Intimidation checks.
Additional Injuries
You might want to increase the possibility of injuries occurring in your realm by forcing a creature to make a Death saving throw when they take significant damage or otherwise experience a trauma, suffering an injury if they roll a 1.
Injuries
| d100 | Injury |
|---|---|
| 1 | You lose your head. You die if you can't survive without the lost head. |
| 2 | Your tongue is rendered missing, damaged, or otherwise nonfunctional. You can no longer speak. |
| 3- 4 |
A nose is rendered missing, damaged, or otherwise nonfunctional. If you have more than one nose, determine which nose is injured randomly. If you have one nose remaining, you have disadvantage on ability tests that rely on smell. If you have no noses remaining, you are Anosmic. |
| 5 | Two eyes are rendered missing, damaged, or otherwise nonfunctional. If you have more than two eyes, determine which eyes are injured randomly. If you have one eye remaining, you have disadvantage on ability tests that rely on sight. If you have no eyes remaining, you are Blinded. |
| 6- 7 |
An eye is rendered missing, damaged, or otherwise nonfunctional. If you have more than one eye, determine which eye is injured randomly. If you have one eye remaining, you have disadvantage on ability tests that rely on sight. If you have no eyes remaining, you are Blinded. |
| 8 | Two ears are rendered missing, damaged, or otherwise nonfunctional. If you have more than two ears, determine which ears are injured randomly. If you have one ear remaining, you have disadvantage on ability tests that rely on sound. If you have no ears remaining, you are Deafened. |
| 9- 10 |
An ear is rendered missing, damaged, or otherwise nonfunctional. If you have more than one ear, determine which ear is injured randomly. If you have one ear remaining, you have disadvantage on ability tests that rely on sound. If you have no ears remaining, you are Deafened. |
| 11- 13 |
Two legs are rendered missing, damaged, or otherwise nonfunctional. If you have more than two legs, determine which leg are injured randomly. If you have one leg remaining, your speed is halved, and you have disadvantage on ability tests to avoid being shoved or tripped. If you have no legs remaining, your speed is reduced to 0. |
| 14- 20 |
A leg is rendered missing, damaged, or otherwise nonfunctional. If you have more than one leg, determine which leg is injured randomly. If you have one leg remaining, your speed is halved, and you have disadvantage on ability tests to avoid being shoved or tripped. If you have no legs remaining, your speed is reduced to 5, and you are Prone. |
| 21- 23 |
Two arms are rendered missing, damaged, or otherwise nonfunctional. If you have more than two arms, determine which arms are injured randomly. |
| 24- 30 |
An arm is rendered missing, damaged, or otherwise nonfunctional. If you have more than one arm, determine which arm is injured randomly. |
| 31- 65 |
You suffer a contusion, which lasts 2d10 days. While you have a contusion, you suffer a permanent 1d4 bane die to all physical ability tests. If you suffer another contusion while you have a contusion, this bane die increases by one step (from d4 to d6, d6 to d8, d8 to d10, or d10 to d12), and the duration of the new contusion is added to that of the initial contusion. |
| 66- 100 |
You suffer a concussion, which lasts 2d10 days. While you have a concussion, you suffer a permanent 1d4 bane die to all mental ability tests. If you suffer another concussion while you have a concussion, this bane die increases by one step (from d4 to d6, d6 to d8, d8 to d10, or d10 to d12), and the duration of the new concussion is added to that of the initial concussion. |
Overcoming an Injury
Over the course of 30 days, a creature can learn to adapt to some permanent injuries, provided they spend at least an hour a day working training the injured part. At the end of the 30 days, the creature gains a trait determined by the injury they suffered.
One Disabled Arm and One Functional Arm. While you can't wield items in the disabled arm, you can still use the arm to benefit from items that require two hands.
One Disabled Leg and One Functional Leg. Your speed is reduced by 5, you have disadvantage on ability tests to avoid being shoved or tripped, and if you have tremorsense, the range is halved.
One Disabled Ear and One Functional Ear. You have disadvantage on ability tests that rely on sound that come from your left or right (depending on which ear was damaged) and if you have echolocation, the range is halved.
One Disabled Eye and One Functional Eye. You have disadvantage on ability tests that rely on sight either within 30 feet of you or 30 feet or greater from you (your choice, depending on how your eye was damaged).
Disabled Nose. You have disadvantage on ability tests that rely on smell that are greater than 5 feet from you and if you have aromasight, the range is halved.