Damage, Healing, & Dying
This chapter is the health-and-danger layer of play: how damage is applied, how healing works, what temporary hit points actually do, and what happens when a creature drops to 0 hit points.
Subtract damage from hit points after applying resistance, vulnerability, immunity, and any temporary hit points.
Healing restores lost hit points, but never above maximum. It does not erase every condition or consequence automatically.
A damage buffer, not true healing. They do not stack and normally disappear on a Long Rest if still unused.
At 0 hit points, a character can fall unconscious and begin making death saving throws until stabilized or restored.
At 0 hit points, the fight changes. A creature at 0 is no longer just “low.” It is in immediate danger of dying if not helped.
Death saving throws track a clock. Three successes usually stabilize the character, while three failures mean death. Natural extremes matter more here than in many other parts of the game.
Taking damage while down is brutal. The rules become much less forgiving once a creature at 0 hit points continues taking hits.
Stabilized is not recovered. A stabilized creature has not been fully restored to action. It has merely stopped getting worse for the moment.
Do temporary hit points stack?
No. You keep the better buffer rather than piling separate pools together.
Can healing exceed the maximum?
No. Excess healing is simply wasted unless a specific rule says otherwise.
What if maximum hit points are reduced?
That is a separate threat from ordinary damage and often changes whether rest or healing is enough to make the party safe again.
When does dying become urgent?
Immediately. Once a character is down, every round and every hit matters much more than it did a turn earlier.