D&D 5E Negative Hit Points & Dying. I think I may have been playing it wrong. Please help.

[painted_klown]

Ok, I went back and re-read everything with my new found understanding. What I was failing to do, was pay close attention to the wording in the rules. Re-reading, had me questioning prone and standing back up.

Under combat, the rules state you fall unconsious. In the conditions section, the rules state the players fall prone, etc.

If a player is healed while unconsious, are they still laying prone afterwards, or are they automatically standing up again? I would assume they are still prone.

If I am interpreting the rules correctly, when the players stand up, they can still move AND take their action in combat, but they can only move half their normal speed for that round. Is that correct?

 

[Nebulous]

Except you don't accumulate negative HP. You are either in positive HP, 0 HP, or dead. Massive damage (further damage after 0 in any single attack greater than or equal to your HP maximum) will kill you outright.

So, I just want to make this completely clear in my own head:

You have been dropped to zero hit points by an attack. In the same round, on their Initiative, three kittens approach and nibble on your toes for 1 hit point of damage each. That is three immediate failed death saving throws, and the kittens have sent your soul to the Great Beyond.

Is this correct?

 

[Essenti]

So, I just want to make this completely clear in my own head:

You have been dropped to zero hit points by an attack. In the same round, on their Initiative, three kittens approach and nibble on your toes for 1 hit point of damage each. That is three immediate failed death saving throws, and the kittens have sent your soul to the Great Beyond.

Is this correct?

And that is why every pit trap contains no less than three kittens.... In case you were wondering.

 

[Pickles JG]

Any hit on a downed character automatically counts as a Hit, which is ONE FAILED DEATH SAVE.

Note that the Paralyzed condition: Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature, so that's TWO DEATH saves failed if your are hit while down and paralyzed, such as from a ghoul.

You don't need to be paralysed - just being unconscious is enough to make the hits form 5' crits.

As to the kittens. It only takes 2 as their hits automatically crit . One for DM fiat if the situation should arise

A question of my own - if you get hit by a poisoned weapon & the weapon damage is enough to drop you to 0 does subsequent poison damage cause a failed death save or is the damage all rolled in to one? NPC assassin character is pretty lethal with this effect...

 

[DEFCON 1]

So, I just want to make this completely clear in my own head:

You have been dropped to zero hit points by an attack. In the same round, on their Initiative, three kittens approach and nibble on your toes for 1 hit point of damage each. That is three immediate failed death saving throws, and the kittens have sent your soul to the Great Beyond.

Is this correct?

Nope. Cats don't have Bite attacks. If they nibble your toes you take no damage. If you look in the Basic Rules, you'll see that Cats only have Claw attacks for 1 damage each. So the three kittens would need to swat you with their paws with a +0 to their attack roll, and if successful, you take the hits as 3 Failed Death Saves.

 

[Nebulous]

And that is why every pit trap contains no less than three kittens.... In case you were wondering.

 

[Nebulous]

You don't need to be paralysed - just being unconscious is enough to make the hits form 5' crits.

As to the kittens. It only takes 2 as their hits automatically crit . One for DM fiat if the situation should arise

A question of my own - if you get hit by a poisoned weapon & the weapon damage is enough to drop you to 0 does subsequent poison damage cause a failed death save or is the damage all rolled in to one? NPC assassin character is pretty lethal with this effect...

Hmm, so zero hit points = 1 death save, but unconscious = crit = 2 death saves? I guess I always equate zero hit points with BEING unconscious, but maybe they're different. Not sure how though.

 

[Nebulous]

Nope. Cats don't have Bite attacks. If they nibble your toes you take no damage. If you look in the Basic Rules, you'll see that Cats only have Claw attacks for 1 damage each. So the three kittens would need to swat you with their paws with a +0 to their attack roll, and if successful, you take the hits as 3 Failed Death Saves.

Ah, thank you

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Hmm, so zero hit points = 1 death save, but unconscious = crit = 2 death saves? I guess I always equate zero hit points with BEING unconscious, but maybe they're different. Not sure how though.

Zero hit points counts as being unconscious.

 

[Nebulous]

Zero hit points counts as being unconscious.

Damage at 0 Hit Points. If you take any damage while you have 0 hit points, you suffer a death saving throw 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.

Unconscious

• Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.


Ok, so if the attacker is close (5') it's a crit and 2 Death Saving throws, otherwise it's 1.