"Mortally Wounded" - Is that even a thing in 5e?

[Merudo]

In the 5e adaption of "Isle of Dread", there is an event on page 137 where the party meets a native injured by a dimetrodon. The native is said to be "mortally wounded", and he requests to be buried somewhere on the island.

I was wondering, is it possible at all in 5e to be "mortally wounded"? From the rules I would say either the person is dead, or alive & wounded - in the later case, a simple Cure Wound, Healing Word, or Healing Potion would save the person from death.

I guess if vital organs (kidneys, stomach, etc.) were completely destroyed, then the wounded could only be saved by a Regenerate spell. But such high specific injuries would be unlikely to happen by chance or through combat.

[No brains]

Some DMs run what the books called 'death' as 'mortally wounded'. Basically the character can't move or take actions, and can only really blurt some exposition before dying.

The best intersection between mechanics and impeding death might be disease. I think disease is the only thing that can seemingly arbitrarily damage someone while they're sitting around. A bite from a death dog can make someone think they're 'mortally wounded' and 'done for'. In-character they might not know when they've got to roll that last con save.

[DrKerosene]

I suppose a character who will get hit by the damage from Geas before any solution can be reached, is an option.

Ignoring some kind of story crafted poison or disease that will reduce your Constitution enough to hit 0HP soon, maybe there is an official magic item curse that will hurt you periodically and could kill.

Maybe a creature that takes periodic damage when the party is out of magic and mundane healing methods, and all such at Medicine checks, could have a window of probably dying very soon and must monologue.

Otherwise, Mummy Rot without access to a cure is the only option I can think of right now. Just treat it like a “komodo dragon bite” in real lofe.

[LordEntrails]

You're too caught up in trying to read the rules as all-inclusive.

Yes their is no such term as "mortally wounded" in the PHB/DMG. But the books are also very clear that the DM can and should do whatever is needed to make things fun and interesting. So, yes, "mortally wounded" exists. It exists each and every time it is used and it is whatever it needs to be as defined in the source it is used in.

So, in this case it means the guy is going to die unless the DM allows to party to come up with something more than a cure wounds spell etc. Sure, regenerate spell or a 7+th level cure spell might solve it. But in this case mortally wounded is a plot device, so use it as a plot device and alter it as you would any plot device in any published adventure; in other words, change it as needed and desired.

Just make sure you understand why something is what it is and try to understand the impacts before you change it.

[LoneStarNorth]

I'd say "mortally wounded" would be someone who has hit 0 health and failed their death saves. They're dead, some of their parts just haven't stopped moving yet. Revivify could save them, but regular healing wouldn't be enough.

You could even allow PCs to enter this state when they "die", giving them 30-60 real world seconds to say their final words.

[Unoriginal]

Could also be when someone ulus at 0 HP and has to roll death saves. Not dead yet, but wounded enough they risk death.

[Dungeon-noob]

Could also be when someone ulus at 0 HP and has to roll death saves. Not dead yet, but wounded enough they risk death.
^ Unoriginal beat me to it. As far as i know, that's what you're checking with death saves: ARE those injuries going to kill you, or are you going to pull through?

Then there is also the aforementioned plot type "condition", which works however the DM needs it to at that moment.

[BurgerBeast]

I think you’ll get different answers from different DMs, but this is something every DM will want to consider.

Can people in your world be mortally wounded? (And note that the people of the world do not necessarily have to be governed by the same mechanical rules as PCs, however as mentioned it’s important to think it all through in order to be consistent.)

Similar questions might be: can people in your world break bones? Can they die of old age? Can they become terminally ill?

You can supplement each of these questions with: how? And: does this apply to PCs as well?

In the specific case of mortally wounded, I personally have a hard time with this. I interpret “mortally” wounded to mean that death is certain and (generally) inescapable. I think it should be possible to be mortally wounded, because I like my fictitious worlds to be as similar to real-life as possible.

I think that death saving throw mechanics represent something different than “mortally wounded.” I think the saving throws represent uncertainty about whether the wound is mortal or not - whereas a mortal wound is certainly mortal.

But for me, healing magic such as cure wounds can heal mortal wounds. So if an NPC arrives on-scene, “mortally” wounded, at my table this would mean that PCs could heal the NPC, and I would plan accordingly.

[mephnick]

This is why I prefer characters to remain conscious at 0HP. They can talk and drag themselves along the ground but that's it. Then fall unconscious and die at failed death saves.

It adds a window of "Totally fine" to "Oh man, I'm in trouble. Help." to "Out of the game". RAW you just go from "Totally fine" to "Out of the game" with no in between. Narrative-ly it's a train wreck.

[Vogie]

This is why I prefer characters to remain conscious at 0HP. They can talk and drag themselves along the ground but that's it. Then fall unconscious and die at failed death saves.

It adds a window of "Totally fine" to "Oh man, I'm in trouble. Help." to "Out of the game". RAW you just go from "Totally fine" to "Out of the game" with no in between. Narrative-ly it's a train wreck.

I think I'll steal that. My bard player has a tendency to fail saving throws, and has been flattened quickly more than once... this will certainly help her character.

I tend to lean on a more cinematic style of game anyway, so that'll feel right at home

[mephnick]

I tend to lean on a more cinematic style of game anyway, so that'll feel right at home

It has a few effects for me.

A) Players are less likely to game the system when a fellow player is begging for help.
B) Gives me more justification for finishing off downed characters..which urges the players to help downed characters.
C) Lets an enemy get in the last word before killing a character, or a character a last word before dying.

[Merudo]

So, in this case it means the guy is going to die unless the DM allows to party to come up with something more than a cure wounds spell etc. Sure, regenerate spell or a 7+th level cure spell might solve it. But in this case mortally wounded is a plot device, so use it as a plot device and alter it as you would any plot device in any published adventure; in other words, change it as needed and desired.

I have a big issue with taking away / nullifying a PC's abilities (here, healing spells) as a "plot device" - especially if done in an inconsistent & arbitrary manner.

Not only is that approach robbing PCs of their agencies, it also breaks immersion as well. Characters are no longer bounded by the game mechanics: the DM just appears in a flash of light before the PCs telling them "Nope, your healing spell fails because I say so".



Could also be when someone ulus at 0 HP and has to roll death saves. Not dead yet, but wounded enough they risk death.

I agree this makes a lot of sense, but it doesn't work for the Isle of Dread scenario I mentioned - the intent is clearly for the PCs to bury the corpse of the man, not for them to heal him with a measly level 1 spell.


I'd say "mortally wounded" would be someone who has hit 0 health and failed their death saves. They're dead, some of their parts just haven't stopped moving yet. Revivify could save them, but regular healing wouldn't be enough.

You could even allow PCs to enter this state when they "die", giving them 30-60 real world seconds to say their final words.

The problem is that characters become unconscious at 0HP, so its bizarre to have them wake up & say a few words right before dying.

[Unoriginal]

I have a big issue with taking away / nullifying a PC's abilities (here, healing spells) as a "plot device" - especially if done in an inconsistent & arbitrary manner.

Not only is that approach robbing PCs of their agencies, it also breaks immersion as well. Characters are no longer bounded by the game mechanics: the DM just appears in a flash of light before the PCs telling them "Nope, your healing spell fails because I say so".

[...]

I agree this makes a lot of sense, but it doesn't work for the Isle of Dread scenario I mentioned - the intent is clearly for the PCs to bury the corpse of the man, not for them to heal him with a measly level 1 spell.


If the scenario's intent feels dumb to you, change it.

Now, level 1 healing spells won't make an arm regrow, but I see no reason why they couldn't stop the bleeding. Same thing here.

I would also allow a WIS (Medicine) check to save the guy.

[Willie the Duck]

Short answer: no. There is nothing in the rule structure of 5e (nor any TTRPG I can think of at the moment) where this is feasible.

Rules, in general, are built to support how the PCs interact with the world and, in general, you don't want situations where a character is going to die and nothing can be done about it. If a PC is 'dying,' the presumed response is, "okay, what do we do to save them?" If you don't have any 'healing magic' (or whatever the game has like it) left, you should be making some kind of stabilization checks (and cursing that no one took the right skills or the like), making checks right up until the very end. That's something one generally wants to reserve for plot-important NPCs (to say something vital or inspiring right before they die), and the rules are rarely built around NPC-only mechanics.

As others have said, this does not mean that the DM shouldn't occasionally rules that 'by the rules dead' is, story-wise, merely irrevocably dying so that that last dramatic scene can take place.

[JackPhoenix]

The problem is that characters become unconscious at 0HP, so its bizarre to have them wake up & say a few words right before dying.

It requires a bit of a "creative" reading, but it's not technically true. Characters only become unconscious at 0 hp if the damage didn't killed them outright. That is sort of important, as by strict reading of rules, being dead only prevents you from regaining hp. Other effects of being dead are covered by common sense, not game rules.

Similarily, being unconscious prevents you from taking actions and reactions, but not from talking.

[Man_Over_Game]

It requires a bit of a "creative" reading, but it's not technically true. Characters only become unconscious at 0 hp if the damage didn't killed them outright. That is sort of important, as by strict reading of rules, being dead only prevents you from regaining hp. Other effects of being dead are covered by common sense, not game rules.

Similarily, being unconscious prevents you from taking actions and reactions, but not from talking.

I'd capitalize Unconscious so that we know you're talking about the Condition and not the condition.

Unless you're "talking" in the same way that unconscious (lowercase U) people talk in their sleep.

[evildmguy]

Short answer: no. There is nothing in the rule structure of 5e (nor any TTRPG I can think of at the moment) where this is feasible.

Alternity 1E had the concept of mortal wounds. If you didn't get them healed (it was based on modern, so via surgery) it was only a matter of when you were going to do, and how long you could hold on before you died. I don't know of any other TTRPGs out there that did this.

As to the OP, I'm torn on this. I also agree that if they are dying from hit point loss, then a cure spell, of any level, should save them. Or it could be a disease or poison that is killing them and given them hit points, without an antidote or cure disease, will start them dying again. Or have it be dying from loss of limb and have a leg cut off at knee or arm at elbow and show that a cure spell won't close that massive of a wound? Again, this could set up the idea that they do save the person, who is now miserable and wants to die, either from the pain coming back or not being a whole person anymore.

[Sigreid]

In game mechanics I would interpret this as last words as he fails his last stabilization rule. 0 hp to me needs to mean that you can't take any meaningful action, not necessarily that you have to be unconscious.