Temp HP Questions

[NecessaryWeevil]

So I was certain I knew how temp HP worked, but tonight the three others players were convinced I'm wrong, so now I'm only...pretty sure.

Temp HP are basically like ablative armour - right? They are lost first when you are injured?
And if you have, say, 20 out of a max 25 HP, and receive 5 temp HP, your HP total is still 20, right? You just have a buffer of 5 HP?
And if you then received healing of 5 HP, you would now have 25 out of 25 HP, plus a buffer of 5 temp HP - right?

[Nagog]

So I was certain I knew how temp HP worked, but tonight the three others players were convinced I'm wrong, so now I'm only...pretty sure.

Temp HP are basically like ablative armour - right? They are lost first when you are injured?
And if you have, say, 20 out of a max 25 HP, and receive 5 temp HP, your HP total is still 20, right? You just have a buffer of 5 HP?
And if you then received healing of 5 HP, you would now have 25 out of 25 HP, plus a buffer of 5 temp HP - right?

You are correct. How did the players think it worked? It is a separate health pool (similar to Shields in games like Borderlands or Warframe)

[NecessaryWeevil]

I'm...not entirely sure. They seemed to think that if, say, you were down 5 hp and recieved 9 temp hp then you would be at full health and have 4 temp hp. Not sure where the 'temporary' comes into it then...

[GentlemanVoodoo]

This sounds like the other players are mistaking temp HP for actual healing unless there is some house rule in effect.. If they need clarification, the actual rules are on pg 198 of the PHB.

[Nagog]

I'm...not entirely sure. They seemed to think that if, say, you were down 5 hp and recieved 9 temp hp then you would be at full health and have 4 temp hp. Not sure where the 'temporary' comes into it then...

So they see it as healing that can over heal them? I mean I can see why they'd think that, but that's not how it is RAW. When presenting that, it may be best to remind them that temp hp typically has a duration, so when the duration goes out they're back to being unhealed. That may then open the can of worms that is HP priority though, so be careful/aware.

Well, the short of it is that it's a separate source of hp that acts as a buffer. A dead man with 10 temp HP is still dead, just... Harder to deal damage to? I guess? Perhaps that's not a great example...

[Randomthom]

You are correct, temporary HP is a separate HP pool that is always lost first.

The only complicated thing about temp HP is that you can only have 1 application of it. If you have cast lvl 1 armour of agathys on yourself you have 5 temp hp (that also deals damage to anyone who hits you in melee). If someone casts false life on you for 6 temp hp, you can choose to keep your 5 or take their 6, you don't have 11.

One interesting interaction specific to the Armour of Agathys spell is that you only have the retaliatory damage while you have "these" temp hp thus if you accept that false life spell then someone hits you in melee, they don't take any damage.

Simplest version:
If your current HP is 6/18 and someone casts false life for 7 temp hp you have 6hp and 7thp. If someone then casts cure wounds on you, healing 5hp, you now have 11hp and 7thp. If you then take 9 points of damage you have 9hp and 0thp.

[EggKookoo]

Well, the short of it is that it's a separate source of hp that acts as a buffer. A dead man with 10 temp HP is still dead, just... Harder to deal damage to? I guess? Perhaps that's not a great example...

This is where the mechanics gets caught up in the more plain language or common sense interpretation of the fiction that the mechanics are meant to represent. A dead man has no hit points, temp or otherwise. Not even zero. He lacks the concept entirely.

[Yunru]

This is where the mechanics gets caught up in the more plain language or common sense interpretation of the fiction that the mechanics are meant to represent. A dead man has no hit points, temp or otherwise. Not even zero. He lacks the concept entirely.

Not exactly; even objects, which a corpse is, have hit points.

[EggKookoo]

Not exactly; even objects, which a corpse is, have hit points.

True. I guess the mechanics are even weirder.

Edit: Although it's weird. I have 20 hit points. You reduce me to 0 HP and I fail my death saves, and I die. I suddenly now have "corpse" hit points? Where did those come from?

[CorporateSlave]

True. I guess the mechanics are even weirder.

Edit: Although it's weird. I have 20 hit points. You reduce me to 0 HP and I fail my death saves, and I die. I suddenly now have "corpse" hit points? Where did those come from?

I think the point being made is that even inanimate objects have "hp," which represents damage they can take before being destroyed. A corpse that has bled out could still be crushed to a pulp or burned to ashes, for example. I don't know that there is any RAW about the "hp" a corpse specifically has, but the general concept is there.

[EggKookoo]

I think the point being made is that even inanimate objects have "hp," which represents damage they can take before being destroyed. A corpse that has bled out could still be crushed to a pulp or burned to ashes, for example. I don't know that there is any RAW about the "hp" a corpse specifically has, but the general concept is there.

Right, it's like there are two kinds of HP. HP-A is the stuff that creatures and other animate entities have, that's partly physical but also has that luck, fighting spirit, experience, and whatever else that the description of HP says. HP-B are more like pure structural integrity points. The rules just call it all "hit points" but there's some difference there. Based on my understanding of it, temporary hit points are a form of HP-A.

It's fine when you have a creature with HP-A and, like, a tree with HP-B. It gets strange when a single thing transitions from HP-A to HP-B, like a creature running out of hit points, dying, and then having hit points as an object.

[EternalPrime]

You are correct about how temp hit points work.
However, many groups get confused over how the Aid spell works.
The hit points gained through Aid are NOT temp hit points, despite the fact that they "go away" when the spell ends.

[stoutstien]

You are correct about how temp hit points work.
However, many groups get confused over how the Aid spell works.
The hit points gained through Aid are NOT temp hit points, despite the fact that they "go away" when the spell ends.

And hero's feast. Both stack with THP and each other. Both increase HP and HP maxes so are unique in that regard.