Hit Points (HP) represent the physical durability, stamina, and overall vitality of a creature, be it a character or a monster. They are a numerical value that indicates how much damage a creature can endure before it falls unconscious or dies. In essence, hit points are a measure of a creature’s ability to keep fighting and survive harm, whether from physical attacks, magical effects, or environmental dangers.

How Hit Points Work

Every creature has a certain number of hit points, determined by a combination of factors such as its species, class, size, and Constitution modifier. The number of hit points a creature starts with is referred to as its maximum hit points, which can increase or decrease over time due to leveling, magical effects, or injuries.

• When Hit Points Drop to 0: If a creature’s hit points are reduced to 0, it is typically incapacitated, falling unconscious. In the case of player characters, they begin making death saving throws to determine if they stabilize or succumb to their injuries. For monsters, reaching 0 hit points usually results in death or incapacitation, depending on the nature of the creature.
• Damage and Recovery: When a creature takes damage, that damage is subtracted from its current hit points. A creature’s hit points can be restored through healing spells, abilities, rest, or other recovery methods. Magical effects and items can also temporarily increase or reduce a creature's hit points.

Maximum Hit Points

A creature’s maximum hit points is the upper limit of its health at full strength. This number can fluctuate during gameplay due to magical effects, diseases, or other conditions, either increasing or reducing the amount of hit points a creature can have at any one time.

Hit Points and Constitution

A creature's Constitution modifier plays a critical role in determining its hit points. For most creatures, higher Constitution scores mean more hit points, making them tougher and harder to defeat. When a creature’s Constitution changes, its hit points adjust accordingly.

• For Characters: Player characters increase their hit points as they level up, adding a fixed number of hit points or rolling hit dice, with the bonus coming from their Constitution modifier.
• For Monsters: Monster hit points are typically predetermined based on their size, species, and role in the world. These hit points often include a range to reflect the variability of creatures within the same species. For example, a monster's hit points may be expressed as a dice roll like "5d8 + 10," which allows for variation between individual monsters of the same type.

Temporary Hit Points

Some magical effects or abilities grant temporary hit points, which act as a buffer of extra health. These hit points are lost first when the creature takes damage and do not stack with other temporary hit points. Once lost, temporary hit points cannot be recovered by normal healing means.

Critical Hits and Massive Damage

Certain effects can dramatically alter hit point loss. A critical hit can deal extra damage, significantly reducing a creature's hit points in a single blow. Similarly, receiving damage in an amount equal to or greater than a creature's maximum hit points can result in instant death, skipping the unconsciousness and death saving throw stages.

Hit Points in Combat

Hit points serve as a direct representation of how close a creature is to defeat. As a creature takes damage, its ability to fight effectively and withstand further harm decreases. Creatures with high hit points can endure longer battles, while those with low hit points must be more cautious, as a single powerful strike could incapacitate them.

In summary, hit points are a vital mechanic representing a creature’s life force, dictating how much punishment it can take before falling. They provide a clear and direct way to gauge a creature's survivability and endurance in combat and other perilous situations.