D&D 5E Hit Point Maximum and Exhaustion

[TheCosmicKid]

Whether or not you regain those HP when your max HP returns to normal is a mystery.

If it doesn't say so, assume it doesn't. Although in most cases your max HP returns to normal when you finish a long rest, so you're regaining your HP anyway.

 

[bid]

Another for #1.

Aid explicitly mention both.

At the end of a long rest, you'd both recover from exhaustion and regain all lost hp. Unless you force the wrong order, you'd get both.

This only leaves greater restoration that only mentions max hp. This one requires further healing.

 

[schnee]

You could also halve the hit points as you halve the maximum.

If you did, that would be your own house rule.

If they wanted you to lower current HP, they would have said so.

 

[aco175]

Now, what would happen if the character with 100hp was damaged to 75hp before taking 4 levels of exhaustion? His HP maximum would be 50, but he is at 75 current. Would the extra 25 disappear, remain until damaged, or be treated as temp HP.

I would be tempted to have them disappear since the exhaustion would most likely come from environmental effects and be from fatigue.

 

[SwivSnapshot]

In the scenario described, definately approach no. 1.

 

[Harzel]

Now, what would happen if the character with 100hp was damaged to 75hp before taking 4 levels of exhaustion? His HP maximum would be 50, but he is at 75 current. Would the extra 25 disappear, remain until damaged, or be treated as temp HP.

I would be tempted to have them disappear since the exhaustion would most likely come from environmental effects and be from fatigue.

RAW current hit points cannot exceed hit point maximum, so they have to disappear unless you wish to house rule otherwise.

 

[Ath-kethin]

Now, what would happen if the character with 100hp was damaged to 75hp before taking 4 levels of exhaustion? His HP maximum would be 50, but he is at 75 current. Would the extra 25 disappear, remain until damaged, or be treated as temp HP.

I would be tempted to have them disappear since the exhaustion would most likely come from environmental effects and be from fatigue.

This very question came up in the same discussion as the one in my original post, and we pretty much agreed on the "temporary hit points" interpretation.

However, we both and forgotten the bit about how current hit points can't exceed maximum hit points. Of course, temporary hit points do just that, so hmm. . .

 

[Li Shenron]

Now, what would happen if the character with 100hp was damaged to 75hp before taking 4 levels of exhaustion? His HP maximum would be 50, but he is at 75 current. Would the extra 25 disappear, remain until damaged, or be treated as temp HP.

I have them disappear, and not regained if exhaustion is removed:

75/100 > exhaustion > 50/50 > exhaustion removed > 50/100

 

[schnee]

I have them disappear, and not regained if exhaustion is removed:

75/100 > exhaustion > 50/50 > exhaustion removed > 50/100

As harsh as that is, I think it's the right interpretation, due to the complexity of bookkeeping of tracking that previous HP amount as a 'hidden variable' behind the temporary exhaustion amount.

It would mean, 'I took 6 more damage, that means I'm at 44 now, 69 after exhaustion lifts'. I'd expect that kind of complication in AD&D, but not in Basic or 5E.

 

[CapnZapp]

There are no mysteries. Only things you *think* should be there, but isn't.

Once you stop looking for what isn't there, the answer becomes obvious.

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app