epithet
Explorer
So, level 6 exhaustion is "death." I'm wondering how best to handle this mechanically, especially in circumstances where an event would drop that last level of exhaustion on the target in an instant.
One possibility is that "death" in this context would mean the exhausted creature's hit point maximum would be 0, but that it could become "stable" as normal. The target would have disadvantage on the death saving throws from the level 3, obviously. An application of the spare the dying cantrip would also apply the stable condition, as would a medicine check or a healer's kit. I suppose any magical healing would also just make the creature stable, since the hit point max would still be 0. After 8 hours, the creature would gain 1 hit point and lose 1 level of exhaustion.
The other possibility is that "death" means no possibility of becoming stable at 0. So, what happens when a revivify spell is cast on the creature? Does he come back with 5 levels of exhaustion?
How does the death ward spell interact with the 6th level of exhaustion? Would it just void out whatever caused it, or should the creature be stable and unconscious at 0 instead of having 1 hit point?
I'm much less interested in an interpretation of "rule as written" than in a mechanical approach that makes sense. I'm tempted to lean on exhaustion as an effect for homebrewed torments to inflict upon my hapless players, so I need clarity on how I want to handle "death" by exhaustion.
One possibility is that "death" in this context would mean the exhausted creature's hit point maximum would be 0, but that it could become "stable" as normal. The target would have disadvantage on the death saving throws from the level 3, obviously. An application of the spare the dying cantrip would also apply the stable condition, as would a medicine check or a healer's kit. I suppose any magical healing would also just make the creature stable, since the hit point max would still be 0. After 8 hours, the creature would gain 1 hit point and lose 1 level of exhaustion.
The other possibility is that "death" means no possibility of becoming stable at 0. So, what happens when a revivify spell is cast on the creature? Does he come back with 5 levels of exhaustion?
How does the death ward spell interact with the 6th level of exhaustion? Would it just void out whatever caused it, or should the creature be stable and unconscious at 0 instead of having 1 hit point?
I'm much less interested in an interpretation of "rule as written" than in a mechanical approach that makes sense. I'm tempted to lean on exhaustion as an effect for homebrewed torments to inflict upon my hapless players, so I need clarity on how I want to handle "death" by exhaustion.