Why am I bleeding?!? Question about Temporary HP

[Raven Helcat]

I do not know if there is a RAW answer to this, but any input would be great!
So, here it goes...

Phillip the fighter has all 20 of his hit points. The cautious cleric Cletis casts Aid on Phillip. Phillip now has 28 hit points. Orrf the orc gets a lucky shot on Phillips bare arm with a long sword, for 8 points of damage. Phillip is now back to his normal maximum hit points (20).

The questions: Does his arm bleed? Does his arm hurt?

Thank you all in advance!

[AstralFire]

I do not know if there is a RAW answer to this, but any input would be great!
So, here it goes...

Phillip the fighter has all 20 of his hit points. The cautious cleric Cletis casts Aid on Phillip. Phillip now has 28 hit points. Orrf the orc gets a lucky shot on Phillips bare arm with a long sword, for 8 points of damage. Phillip is now back to his normal maximum hit points (20).

The questions: Does his arm bleed? Does his arm hurt?

Thank you all in advance!

"Whatever you feel like."

Hit Points are an extremely vague concept in D&D, to the point that they encapsulate raw damage, dodging, parrying, near-misses, toughing it out, and being demoralized.

I would say that it's merely a flesh wound which reminds him he's not as invincible as he thought he was, but it's really up to you or the player entirely.

[true_shinken]

Hit points are abstract.
i'd say the blow just glanced of the Fighter's armor, though he felt the strenght behind it.
If it was a poisoned dagger, it would have just scratched his skin enough for the poison to seep in.

[Raven Helcat]

I tend to agree with you, AstralFire. I think it should be a case by case basis on how each character sees the temp HP working.

Examples:

Wizard=Hooray for my invisible mystic shield!
Cleric=Praise Peylor for protecting me!
Druid/Barbarian= HA! Barely a scratch, I'm so tuff!
ect, ect...

Would still love to hear if anyone has a different spin on it, though.

[Raven Helcat]

Hmmm... Hadn't thought of that. Poison would get through, even though you were not really damaged? (If so, not arguing, just really didn't know that)

[The Glyphstone]

You were damaged, just not permanently - for whatever reason, the damage dealt by the attack did nothing towards eventually imparing your fighting ability (the temp HP), but you still took a hit, so the poison can reach you.

[Saph]

Here's a simple way of looking at it:

When you cast a spell like Aid which gives temp HP, you're giving the character a boost of positive energy which stays in their system. It's like pre-loading them with a cure effect. So if they get stabbed, it still hurts, and any poison on the weapon still gets into the body, but the wound heals immediately as the positive energy discharges.

[AshDesert]

Here's a simple way of looking at it:

When you cast a spell like Aid which gives temp HP, you're giving the character a boost of positive energy which stays in their system. It's like pre-loading them with a cure effect. So if they get stabbed, it still hurts, and any poison on the weapon still gets into the body, but the wound heals immediately as the positive energy discharges.

This is pretty much how I handle temp HP in most situations. It's just mystical aid of some sort (whether psionic or divine) that sticks around waiting to be used and dissipates after a certain amount of time.

[Greenish]

This is pretty much how I handle temp HP in most situations. It's just mystical aid of some sort (whether psionic or divine) that sticks around waiting to be used and dissipates after a certain amount of time.

Or, in certain cases, explodes.

[Raven Helcat]

@ Saph:
I really like the preemptive healing idea. With that, I believe there are no unanswered questions.

Yes, you do bleed. (if only for a nano second) so poison does effect you.
Yes, it does hurt. (so you DO have to make a concentration check) -Sad day-
No, you don't bruise or scar*(so you stay pretty)

* My DM is a bit of a scar-nazi, so...meh.

[Psyren]

Or, in certain cases, explodes.

I see what you did there

* My DM is a bit of a scar-nazi, so...meh.

I would roll up something that doesn't care about the scars (Dwarf, Warforged) or that can just wipe them away (Changeling, Shifter)

[Susano-wo]

I like the positie energy explanataion...for Magical temp HP, which is most if not all of it. I there are some corner cases like ToB (not sure if any of the Devoted SPirit maneuvers grant temp HP) you might need a different explanation, but it suffices quite nicely normally

[Jallorn]

Other than magically granted temp hit points, I consider them to be like adrenaline. People are honestly harder to hurt when in the midst of adrenaline.

[Dr Gunsforhands]

I always percieved the extra hit points given by a Vampiric Touch spell as a cloud of red mist that follows you around. When you get wounded, the cloud gets less opaque as the liquid flows into our wounds and closes them.

If it's some other holy magic, like aid, I usually describe the sword wound bleeding silvery blood and then closing.

With other non arcane/divine hit points, I usually just treat it like regeneration or describe it the same way that cutting out of a creature with swallow whole doesn't have a gaping wound in it's stomach, the opening is closed by muscular action.

[ericgrau]

Between aid, false life and vampiric touch, temporary hit points seem to be made of raw life force. Fluffing it like cure or the ability to shrug off and bounce back from wounds both seem to fit well enough.

[Keld Denar]

My dwarven sorcadin always cracks his neck audibly when he gains temp HP from Minor Shapeshift. Keerrrraackkkkk keeeerrrrrraaackkkkk!