Level Up (A5E) Not Sure How to Implement Fatigue level 5

[plyrs]

There is a level of unclarity about one specific section of Fatigue. Specifically level 5 which states "Hit Dice Halved". This could be interpreted in a number of different ways.

1. Your current number of useable hit dice you have is reduced to half the current number. I have 4 hit dice, but after gaining level 5 fatigue, I now have 2.
2. Your maximum number of hit dice is reduced by half. I am level 6 and normally have 6 hit dice, but my current hit die maximum is now only 3.
3. The amount of healing you receive from spending hit dice is halved. I spend a hit die to heal and rolled 1d8+3 and got a total of 8, but only receive 4 hit points back.
4. Your maximum hit points are reduced as if you had half your number of hit dice. I am level 4 and have d8s and a +1 Con and took the average 9+6+6+6= 27 hp. After gaining level 5 fatigue my max HP is reduced to 9+6= 15. Or perhaps it is just halved to 14.
5. Your maximum hit points are simply reduced by half. Using the above character example, max HP would reduce from 27 to 14.
6. Any or some combination of these things.

I was unable to find any clarification on the intention of what level 5 fatigue actually would mean in play. Perhaps one of the designers could pop in with a design clarification like we got for the Create Water spell? Barring that, how would you implement this during play? I would be tempted to start with 1 and 2.

 

[JLtheking]

On top of figuring out how it works, figuring out what happens when you lose the 5th level of fatigue is yet another barrel of worms.

If they were previously halved, then logically that means they should now be doubled back to their original value. What does doubling hit dice mean? Do you also double your current number of hit dice? Do you track and regain the hit dice that you previously lost? What if you had spent hit dice between the time you gained and lost the 5th level of fatigue?

That’s on the very reasonable assumption that current hit dice are affected by the halving (Interpretation #1), because if they were not, then the 5th level of fatigue basically doesn’t do much at all.

It should work both ways. If “halving” the number of hit dice implies that current hit dice are affected, then undoing the halving likewise also implies that current hit dice are affected.

The provided wording isn’t precise enough to draw a good conclusion.

 

[Davies]

On top of figuring out how it works, figuring out what happens when you lose the 5th level of fatigue is yet another barrel of worms.

If they were previously halved, then logically that means they should now be doubled.

Doesn't follow. Just give back the hit dice that were taken away, so that any that were expended are still gone.

 

[JLtheking]

Doesn't follow. Just give back the hit dice that were taken away, so that any that were expended are still gone.

So instead of keeping track of the current number of hit dice, instead keep track of the number of expended hit dice? That’s indeed a good way to do it.

 

[lichmaster]

There is a level of unclarity about one specific section of Fatigue. Specifically level 5 which states "Hit Dice Halved". This could be interpreted in a number of different ways.

1. Your current number of useable hit dice you have is reduced to half the current number. I have 4 hit dice, but after gaining level 5 fatigue, I now have 2.
2. Your maximum number of hit dice is reduced by half. I am level 6 and normally have 6 hit dice, but my current hit die maximum is now only 3.
3. The amount of healing you receive from spending hit dice is halved. I spend a hit die to heal and rolled 1d8+3 and got a total of 8, but only receive 4 hit points back.
4. Your maximum hit points are reduced as if you had half your number of hit dice. I am level 4 and have d8s and a +1 Con and took the average 9+6+6+6= 27 hp. After gaining level 5 fatigue my max HP is reduced to 9+6= 15. Or perhaps it is just halved to 14.
5. Your maximum hit points are simply reduced by half. Using the above character example, max HP would reduce from 27 to 14.
6. Any or some combination of these things.

I was unable to find any clarification on the intention of what level 5 fatigue actually would mean in play. Perhaps one of the designers could pop in with a design clarification like we got for the Create Water spell? Barring that, how would you implement this during play? I would be tempted to start with 1 and 2.

Until we have an official answer, I'd simply say that the max HD is halved (and if current HD is already below max, nothing happens).
This just means that if you take a short rest and want to spend HD to recover HP, you can roll less dice.
I wouldn't tamper with max HP as this would be spelled out precisely. I also wouldn't halve the result of the hp recovered by rolling th HD as it's just a wacky mechanic whose effect could more simply be obtained by rolling half the dice.

 

[Morrus]

Yes, max HD is halved.

 

[plyrs]

Thanks for weighing in Morrus. I'll run it as a reduction to you maximum number of hit dice as in example 2.