Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- damage [2020/03/18 15:03] – [Death and Injury] andrew
+++ damage [2020/07/05 17:52] (current) – dave
@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 Any combatant that reaches 0 hit points
-is incapacitated and unable to act. They begin to make [[damage#death and injury|death checks]].
+is incapacitated and unable to act. They begin to bleed out [[damage#death and injury|bleeding out]].
@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 ===== Death and Injury =====
-Whenever you start your turn with 0 hit points, you must make a special check, called a death check, to determine whether you creep closer to death or hang onto life. Unlike other checks, this one isn’t tied to any ability score. You are in the hands of fate now, aided only by spells and features that improve your chances of succeeding on a generic check.
+Whenever you reach 0 hit points, you enter the death countdown.  You tick off one box on the character sheet for each round that passes, and when you have reached -10 points, you have bled out and are now dead.  To avoid bleeding out, you must be stabilized by another's action.
-Roll a d20. If the roll is 11 or higher, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail. A success or failure has no effect by itself. On your third success, you become stable and must roll on the injury table (see below). On your third failure, you die. The successes and failures don't need to be consecutive; keep track of both until you collect three of a kind. The number of both is reset to zero when you regain any hit points or become stable.
-Rolling 1 or 20\\
+  * **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 so that it isn't killed by bleeding out. You can use your action to administer first aid to an unconscious creature and attempt to stabilize it, which requires a successful Medicine check. Once a creature is stable it has no further danger of death by bleeding out, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain unconscious and must roll on the [[damage#injury_table|Injury Table]] below. The creature stops being stable, and must start making death checks again, if it takes any damage. A stable creature that isn't healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours and becomes conscious once again.
-When you make a death check and roll a 1 on the d20, it counts as two failures. If you roll a 20 on the d20, you regain 1 hit point and you do not have to make a roll on the injury table.
-Damage at 0 Hit Points\\
+  * **Monsters and Death**: Most GMs have monsters and NPCs die the instant it drops to 0 hit points, rather than having it fall unconscious and make death checks. Mighty villains and special NPCs are common exceptions. The GM might have them fall unconscious and follow the same rules as player characters.
-If you take any damage while you have 0 hit points, you suffer a death check failure. If the damage is from a critical hit, you suffer two failures instead. If the damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum, you suffer instant death.
-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 so that it isn't killed by a failed death check.
-You can use your action to administer first aid to an unconscious creature and attempt to stabilize it, which requires a successful Medicine check.
-A stable creature doesn't make death checks, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain unconscious. The creature stops being stable, and must start making death checks again, if it takes any damage. A stable creature that isn't healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.
-Monsters and Death\\
-Most DMs have a monster die the instant it drops to 0 hit points, rather than having it fall unconscious and make death checks.
-Mighty villains and special nonplayer characters are common exceptions; the DM might have them fall unconscious and follow the same rules as player characters.
 See also [[healing|Healing and Injury]] for stabilization and recovery rules.
@@ Line 72: / Line 57: @@
 ==== Injury Table ====
-Once a character is stabilized, roll on this table to determine any lasting wounds were inflicted by the blows that knocked them to zero hit points.
+Once a character is stabilized, roll on this table to determine any lasting wounds were inflicted by the blows that knocked them to zero hit points. These effects last until they are mitigated using the rules found in the  [[healing|recovery rules]].
 ^d20^Description^Effect^