Temporary Hit Point Question

[SteveC]

On the heels of my earlier question on Summoned Creatures, I have another one from my current campaign that I hope I can get some RAW or FAQ info on.

Suppose a character has taken damage, and then receives temporary hit points from a spell (such as Aid or False Life). Do the temporary hit points stay in their separate pool, or do they first fill up the characters real hit points and then any that remain after that end up as temporary HP. In effect, if you've taken damage, do temporary hit points work like healing?

I could swear I saw the rules for this, but I am away from my books, and the SRD does not seem to be cooperating.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

--Steve

 

[kreynolds]

Separate pool.

When a character gains temporary hit points, note his current hit point total. When the temporary hit points go away the character’s hit points drop to his current hit point total. If the character’s hit points are below his current hit point total at that time, all the temporary hit points have already been lost and the character’s hit point total does not drop further.

 

[hong]

Good heavens, it's kreynolds!!!11

 

[kreynolds]

How's it going, hong?

 

[SteveC]

Thanks guys!

Again, that's what I thought, but I always like to get some clarification as to alternative interpretations or errata that has come out. I honestly only glance at the FAQ for things that interest me, and some of my players read it religiously, and I've sometimes found that they have some...ahem...creative approaches to them.

--Steve

 

[Darklone]

How's it going, hong?

We know how hong is doing (even if we don't want to know ) but how you are doing???

 

[Kmart Kommando]

A Crusader's delayed damage pool can sort of work like that, but it's actually causing damage to the Crusader when the delayed damage gets shifted from the pool to the hit point total, so the damage can come off the temp hit points first, and the end result is effectively healing with temp hit points.