The Tool Desk
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What happens when you reach 0 Hit Points?
A character who reaches 0 Hit Points either dies outright or falls Unconscious. If they do not die instantly, they begin making Death Saving Throws at the start of each of their turns. These are a special procedure, not ordinary ability saving throws. The rules below are from the 2024 Basic Rules.
Death Saving Throws
Roll 1d20 at the start of each turn while your character is at 0 Hit Points. A result of 10 or higher is a success; a lower result is a failure. The results do not have to be consecutive.
- Three successes make your character Stable.
- Three failures mean your character dies.
- A natural 1 counts as two failures.
- A natural 20 restores 1 Hit Point.
Regaining any Hit Points or becoming Stable resets the success and failure counts.
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Damage while at 0 Hit Points
Taking damage at 0 Hit Points causes one Death Saving Throw failure; a Critical Hit causes two. If a single instance of damage equals or exceeds your Hit Point maximum, your character dies.
When damage causes instant death
Massive damage can bypass death saves: if damage reduces your character to 0 Hit Points and the damage left over is at least their Hit Point maximum, they die outright. The rules also state that a creature dies if its Hit Point maximum reaches 0. The rules for monsters generally say they die at 0 Hit Points, although the DM can make an exception for an individual monster.
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How can allies keep a character from dying?
Stabilize them
An ally can use the Help action to try to stabilize a creature at 0 Hit Points with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check. A Stable character remains Unconscious at 0 Hit Points and stops making Death Saving Throws. If they take damage, they become unstable and the death-save process resumes. Without healing, a Stable character regains 1 Hit Point after 1d4 hours.
Restore Hit Points
Healing that restores any Hit Points ends the death-save situation. The character is no longer at 0 Hit Points and does not continue making Death Saving Throws.
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Can a dead D&D character be brought back?
Under the 2024 spell listings, Raise Dead and Resurrection can return eligible characters, but each requires a capable caster and a consumed diamond of the specified value. They also impose penalties or consequences, and a spell may not be available in a particular campaign. Check which edition your table is using: the 2014 spell text differs from the 2024 listings, including its requirement that the soul be willing and at liberty to return.
| 2024 spell | Who can return and when | What happens and what it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Raise Dead | The target must have been dead no longer than 10 days and must not have been Undead when it died. The spell fails if a vital body part, such as the head, is missing. | Returns the target with 1 Hit Point and neutralizes poisons. It consumes a diamond worth 500+ GP. The target takes a −4 penalty to D20 Tests, reduced by 1 after each Long Rest. |
| Resurrection | The target must have been dead no more than a century, must not have died of old age, and must not have been Undead when it died. | Returns the target with all Hit Points, neutralizes poisons, and restores missing body parts. It consumes a diamond worth 1,000+ GP. The target takes a diminishing −4 penalty to D20 Tests. If the target has been dead at least 365 days, the caster cannot cast spells again until finishing a Long Rest and has Disadvantage on D20 Tests until then. |
See the official 2024 listings for Raise Dead and Resurrection. The 2014 rules are available separately in the 2014 Basic Rules combat section and 2014 spell section; do not mix their spell conditions with the 2024 wording.
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What if your character cannot be revived?
The 2024 Basic Rules suggest talking with the DM about making a new character to join the group. They do not promise that revival will be possible or prescribe exactly how a new character enters the campaign. Work with the DM and group on a fitting introduction and on what the character’s death means for the ongoing story.
Quick Recap
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