Healing and Death
Healing
Once a character is wounded, his player will naturally want to get him healed. Characters can heal either by natural or magical means. Natural healing is slow, but it's available to all characters, regardless of class. Magical healing may or may not be available, depending on the presence (or absence) of spellcasters or magical devices.
The only limit to the amount of damage a character can recover through healing is the total hit points the character has. A character cannot exceed this limit until he gains a new level, whereupon another Hit Die (or a set number of points) is added to his total. Healing can never restore more hit points to a character than his maximum hit point total.
Natural Healing
Characters heal naturally at a rate of 1 hit point per day of rest. Rest is defined as low activity--nothing more strenuous than riding a horse or traveling from one place to another. Fighting, running in fear, lifting a heavy boulder, or any other physical activity prevents resting, since it strains old wounds and may even reopen them.
If a character has complete bed rest (doing nothing for an entire day), he can regain 3 hit points for the day. For each complete week of bed rest, the character can add any Constitution hit point bonus he might have to the base of 21 points (3 points per day) he regained during that week.
In both cases above, the character is assumed to be getting adequate food, water, and sleep. If these are lacking, the character does not regain any hit points that day.
Rules
NormalRest
Rate: 1 hit point per day
Definition: Low activity (riding, traveling)
Restrictions:
- Fighting
- Running
- Heavy lifting
- Physical activity
BedRest
Rate: 3 hit points per day
Weekly Bonus: Constitution hit point bonus added to base of 21 points per week
Requirements:
- Adequate food
- Adequate water
- Adequate sleep
Magical Healing
Healing spells, potions, and magical devices can speed the process of healing considerably. The specifics of such magical healing methods are described in the spell descriptions in this book and in the DMG (for magical items). By using these methods, wounds close instantly and vigor is restored. The effects are immediate.
Magical healing is particularly useful in the midst of combat or in preparation for a grievous encounter. Remember, however, that the characters' opponents are just as likely to have access to magical healing as the player characters--an evil high priest is likely to carry healing spells to bestow on his own followers and guards. Healing is not, of itself, a good or evil act.
Remember that under no circumstances can a character be healed to a point greater than his original hit point total. For example, say a character has 30 hit points, but suffers 2 points of damage in a fight. A while later, he takes an additional point of damage, bringing his current hit point total to 27. A spellcaster couldn't restore more than 3 points to him, regardless of the healing method used. Any excess points are lost.
Rules
Sources
Effects
Limitations: Cannot heal beyond character's original hit point total
Herbalism & Healing Proficiencies
Characters can also gain minor healing benefits from those proficient in the arts of herbalism and healing. These talents are explained in Chapter 5.
Rules
Benefits: Minor healing benefits
Source: Characters proficient in herbalism and healing
Reference: Chapter 5
Character Death
When a character reaches 0 hit points, that character is slain. The character is immediately dead and unable to do anything unless some specialized magical effect takes precedence.
Death From Poison
Poison complicates this situation, somewhat. A character who dies as a result of poisoning may still have active venom in his system.
Poisons remain effective for 2d6 hours after the death of the victim. If the character is raised during this time, some method must be found to neutralize the poison before the character is restored to life. If this is not done, then after the character rolls the resurrection survival check as given in "Raising the Dead" later in this chapter (and assuming the roll is successful), he must immediately roll a successful saving throw vs. poison or suffer all the effects of the poison in his body, as per the normal rules. This may only injure some characters, but it may kill other characters seconds after being raised!
Rules
PoisonDuration: 2d6 hours after death
RaisingRequirements: Poison must be neutralized before resurrection
FailureConsequence: Must roll saving throw vs. poison or suffer full poison effects
Death From Massive Damage
In addition to dying when hit points reach 0, a character also runs the risk of dying abruptly when he suffers massive amounts of damage. A character who suffers 50 or more points of damage from a single attack must roll a successful saving throw vs. death, or he dies.
This applies only if the damage was done by a single attack. Multiple attacks totaling 50 points in a single round don't require a saving throw.
For example, a character would be required to make a check if a dragon breathed on him for 72 points of damage. He wouldn't have to do so if eight orcs hit him for a total of 53 points of damage in that round.
If the saving throw is successful, the character remains alive (unless of course the 50-hit-point loss reduced his hit points to 0 or below!). If the saving throw fails, the character immediately dies from the intense shock his body has taken. His hit points are reduced to 0.
The character may still be raised in the normal ways, however.
Rules
DamageThreshold: 50 or more points from a single attack
Requirement: Saving throw vs. death
FailureResult: Character dies immediately, hit points reduced to 0
Restriction: Only applies to single attacks, not multiple attacks in one round
Resurrection: Character may still be raised normally
Inescapable Death
There are occasions when death is unavoidable, no matter how many hit points a character has.
A character could be locked in a room with no exits, with a 50-ton ceiling descending to crush him. He could be trapped in an escape-proof box filled completely with acid. These examples are extreme (and extremely grisly), but they could happen in a fantasy world.
Rules
Description: Certain situations cause unavoidable death regardless of hit points
Examples:
- Being crushed by an inescapable crushing trap
- Being completely immersed in acid with no escape
Raising the Dead
Curative and healing spells have no effect on a dead character--he can only be returned to life with a raise dead or resurrection spell (or a device that accomplishes one of these effects). Each time a character is returned to life, the player must make a resurrection survival roll based on his current Constitution (see Table 3). If the die roll is successful (i.e., the player rolls equal to or less than his resurrection survival percentage), the character is restored to life in whatever condition is specified by the spell or device.
A character restored to life in this way has his Constitution permanently lowered by 1 point. This can affect hit points previously earned. Should the character's Constitution bonus go down, the character's hit point total is reduced by the appropriate number of hit points (the amount of hit point bonus lost is multiplied by the number of levels for which the character gained extra hit points from that bonus). When the character's Constitution drops to 0, that character can no longer be raised. He is permanently removed from play.
Rules
Methods:
- Raise dead spell
- Resurrection spell
- Magical device with similar effect
Requirements
- Roll: Resurrection survival roll based on current Constitution
- Success: Roll equal to or less than resurrection survival percentage
Consequences
- Constitution Loss: Constitution permanently lowered by 1 point
- Hit Point Effect: Hit point total may be reduced if Constitution bonus decreases
- Calculation: Hit point bonus lost × number of levels with that bonus
- Permanent Death: Character cannot be raised when Constitution reaches 0