D&D 5E where can I find rules on Necrotic damage?

[Degwerks]

What book and page gives me the rules on how Necrotic damage effects a creature?
I kinda looked in the phb and didn't see it, other than the section on damage types.

Is there any tricks with necrotic damaging attacks?

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Necrotic damage is covered by the same rules as all types of damage are. Page 196 of the Player's Handbook.

 

[Shiroiken]

Necrotic means "flesh eating" in medical terms.

In game it has no more mechanical effect than any other damage type, unless the source (such as undead) provide another penalty.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

It's just a damage type, like fire or cold. Deduct the amount from the target's hit point total. Apply resistance or immunity if necessary.

Some monsters do something more distinctive with their necrotic attacks, but that's clearly spelled out in the monster description. If the effect you're reading just says "necrotic damage", it just does necrotic damage.

 

[Degwerks]

Hmmm, my DM told me the other day that my necrotic damage I was doing not only did damage but also lowered the targets max hps that can't be healed until they took a long rest. Basically even if they could heal themselves they could not heal the necrotic dmg I did until the next day. I can't find a source other than him for this rule.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Hmmm, my DM told me the other day that my necrotic damage I was doing not only did damage but also lowered the targets max hps that can't be healed until they took a long rest. Basically even if they could heal themselves they could not heal the necrotic dmg I did until the next day. I can't find a source other than him for this rule.

Sounds like your DM is confused, or has given you a power that is normally only found on potent monsters.

The closest that characters normally get to that ability is that the chill touch cantrip prevents the target from regaining hit points for 1 round, and the death domain of cleric eventually provides an ability that prevents your targets from resisting your necrotic damage.

It isn't an inherent trait of necrotic damage to reduce maximum hit points, it's the other way around - attacks that reduce maximum hit points almost always happen to do necrotic damage.

 

[Degwerks]

I think I figured out where he was confused. A few weeks ago we fought a vampire, I found under their bite attack the info he related to me about the necrotic damage. To my knowledge this was the first instance we dealt with it. I'm assuming now he thinks all necrotic damage is like the vampire ability.

 

[pukunui]

It isn't an inherent trait of necrotic damage to reduce maximum hit points, it's the other way around - attacks that reduce maximum hit points almost always happen to do necrotic damage.

This. There are a bunch of undead creatures in the MM that can reduce a target's hp max with their necrotic damage-dealing attacks, but that doesn't mean that necrotic damage does that inherently.

 

[thalmin]

It's like Poison damage, just a type of damage. Normally, it's just damage. The difference is if something is immune to that damage type, or resistant, or vulnerable. But sometimes, a particular attack will have another effect. In the case of poison, some poison attacks state that the victim suffers from the poisoned condition. Likewise, some Necrotic attacks state that they do damage that is hard to heal.