Hit Points (HP) represent your ability to endure damage. Damage reduces your HP (which can’t go below 0). When reduced to 0 HP, gain 1 Wound; you also gain the Dying condition until you regain HP. While Dying, actions are limited to 1, Concentration is broken, and you are at risk of further serious harm:
- Attacking/casting spells causes 1 Wound unless you make a DC 10 STR save.
- Taking damage while Dying causes 2 Wounds; a crit causes 3 instead.
Wounds Wounds are serious injuries you’ve taken; they are a long term gauge of how close you are to death. HP can usually be recovered quickly, but Wounds may take many days of resting to fully recover from (usually 1/Safe Rest).
Death You die when you have taken 6 Wounds (unless you have an ability that changes this number). There are ways to revive a hero who has died, but they are rare and often come at a very steep cost.
Temporary HP Some abilities or effects may grant temporary HP (temp HP); these are reduced first when taking damage. Temp HP do not combine: If a hero has temp HP and would gain more, they instead choose which amount to keep. They expire after a Safe Rest.
Gritty Dying Rules Optional rules for a more challenging or “old school” style of game: You can reduce the max number of Wounds heroes have. Anywhere from a max of 5 Wounds for slightly harder, all the way down to 1–2 Wounds for a very lethal game!
You can also have each Wound impose a cumulative –1 penalty to rolls: skill checks, saves, or even ALL rolls! (If you’re a real glutton for punishment.)