D&D 5E Spectres, Hit point loss and temp HP

[Noble Kos]

Sure they do.

Let's take an example of a PC with 50 current hit points out of a total of 50 total hit points, 5 temporary hit points, getting hit by the Spectre for 10 points of damage.

With my interpretation, the PC loses 5 temporary hit points, takes 5 points of damage, loses 5 from his current hit points and loses 5 from his total hit points: 45 current hit points, 45 total hit points.
With your interpretation, the PC loses 5 temporary hit points, takes 5 points of damage, loses 5 from his current hit points and loses 10 from his total hit points: 45 current hit points, 40 total hit points.

But wait, a PC cannot have more current hit points than total hit points. Hence with your interpretation, either his total hit points would have to go up to 45, or his current hit points would have to go down to 40. Which is it?

The math does not appear to support your POV.


Don't let the phrase "hit points" inside the phrase "temporary hit points" confuse you. Temporary hit points are not hit points. They are a damage mitigation game mechanic. Just like resistance and Arcane Ward and other game mechanics, they lower "damage applied" to "damage taken".

The temporary hit point section of the rules states that temporary hit points are a buffer against damage. As such, the damage is not actually taken.

Although we do not have an explicit RAW rule on this, the intent of temporary hit points appears to be to mitigate damage and your interpretation is not allowing them to do that. Also, your interpretation has a math issue no matter how you answer the question above.

I think that a solution to this whole problem would be if Life Drain had been written as "The target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken down to their current hit points. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0." That way it will never be reduced more than what the player has left.