Death and Dying

NEAR-DEATH & RECOVERY

Characters do not die immediately at 0 hit points.

A character dies when reduced to negative hit points equal to their level.
Example: A 3rd-level character dies at –3 hp.

While below 0 hp, the character:

Any character reduced to 0 hp or below who survives gains the Near-Death condition.

A Near-Death character suffers:

These effects persist even if magically healed.

The Near-Death condition ends when one of the following occurs:

If Near-Death is suffered again before recovery is complete, penalties increase to –3, and recovery time is doubled.

A character who has suffered the Near-Death condition may choose to forgo recovery time by accepting a lasting injury.

This choice must be made immediately after being stabilized or healed above 0 hp, before rest or shrine recovery.

Instead of enduring the Near-Death penalties and recovery requirements, the player may:

Roll once on the Injury Table.

If they do:

The injury persists until healed or removed.

d8	Injury	Effect
1	Cracked ribs	–2 to Strength-based checks and melee damage
2	Limp	Movement reduced by 25%
3	Mangled hand	–2 to attack rolls with one-handed weapons
4	Head wound	–1 to all saving throws
5	Internal injury	Maximum hp reduced by 25%
6	Scarred nerve	–2 to Dexterity-based checks
7	Concussion	Cannot cast spells above 2nd level
8	Deep scar	No mechanical effect, but unmistakable

An injury lasts until one of the following occurs:

Magical healing of sufficient power (Referee’s discretion, typically Cure Serious Wounds or better)
One full week of rest in a safe settlement or prepared temple
Specific narrative treatment appropriate to the injury

Multiple injuries stack.

A character may only take one injury per Near-Death event
If a character already has an unresolved injury, they must take recovery instead
Injuries cannot be ignored or “worked around”