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“Death is just another path, one that we all must take,” – DM Gandalf, right before insta-killing Pippin’s Human Ranger build because it was way too OP.
There are plenty of ways to die in Dungeons and Dragons. Nine Hells, two of the reasons are right there in the name.
The high odds of dropping to 0 hp in a D&D 5e campaign is likely what influenced the inclusion of death saving throws way back when, which we all know allow the downed PC the chance to stabilize — or even pop back up with 1 hp — instead of being gone for good.
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The rolls are even weighted in favor of the player when it comes to saves, so odds are that they’ll be alright, even if the Cleric isn’t quick enough with that Healing Word.
…But there are some aspects of D&D and forgo the death saving throw mechanic entirely.
We’re talking about insta-kills.
Massive Damage
One of the likeliest ways that a PC will be killed instantly is by taking a massive amount of damage. According to page 75 of the Player’s Handbook:
Massive damage can kill you instantly. When damage reduces you to 0 hit points and there is damage remaining, you die if the remaining damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum.
For example, a cleric with a maximum of 12 hit points currently has 6 hit points. If she takes 18 damage from an attack, she is reduced to 0 hit points, but 12 damage remains. Because the remaining damage equals her hit point maximum, the cleric dies.
Not so much of an issue at higher levels when your max HP reaches into well over 100, but absolutely deadly at lower levels.
Shadow’s Strength Drain
Yes, the 1/2 challenge rating Shadow has the ability to kill you outright… as many new adventurers in a certain module may know all too well.
The Strength Drain attack will take away 2d6+2 hp, but also has the added effect of reducing the target’s strength score by 1d4.
“The target dies if this reduces its Strength to 0.”
So if you’ve got a Wizard on the backlines with an 8 in Strength, it could take just two unlucky hits to kill them outright — no matter how much temp hp they may have bolstered themselves with.
Power Word Kill
Just because you don’t have to worry (so much) about being killed by massive damage at higher levels doesn’t mean you’re completely out of the woods.
The 9th level Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard spell Power Word Kill is an instantaneous spell that does one single thing: It kills its target outright if they have fewer than 100 hp. There is no saving throw. There won’t be any death saves. You’re simply dead.
A pretty good reason for your spellcasters to keep a counterspell handy, just in case.
Disintegrate
Spellcasters don’t actually need to wait until they have access to 9th level spells to kill things outright, though!
The 6th-level spell Disintegrate can get the job done just as well if your target is low enough on health. If that target fails a Dex saving throw, they’ll take 10d6+40 force damage. “If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, it is disintegrated.”
Nothing but a True Resurrection or a Wish spell can bring them back, seeing as there won’t be a body (or body parts) left for Reincarnate, Revivify, Raise Dead, or Resurrection.
A Beholder’s Disintegration Ray
Much like the spell Disintegrate, if you get hit by this particular eye beam (and dropped to 0 hp) you suffer essentially the same fate.
However there is a note that “if the target is a Huge or larger object or creation of magical force, this ray disintegrates a 10-foot cube of it.”
I’m not entirely sure if a PC can be Huge as far as RAW goes, but I’m just saying you’ve got a chance.
A Beholder’s Death Ray
No wonder so many adventurers are terrified of coming up against a Beholder, hey?
The Death Ray works much as its name suggests: “The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) necrotic damage. The target dies if the ray reduces it to 0 hit points.”
At least you’ll be left with a body to be revivified.
Vampire’s Bite
Keep those necks covered, people!
A Vampire’s bite ability will kill PCs outright if it manages to reduce their HP maximum to 0.
But that’s not to say you’re completely dead…
“A humanoid slain in this way and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire spawn under the vampire’s control.”
More like… undead. This may make things awkward for the Paladin who is trying to Revivify that cold and clammy corpse.
A Drow Inquisitor’s Death Lance
The Drow Inquisitor carries a fatal weapon known as a Death Lance, which can reduce a PC’s hit point maximum much the same as a Vampire’s Bite.
Along those same lines, if a Death Lance manages to reduce a character’s hit point max to 0, that PC will die outright without any death saving throws.
An Intellect Devourer’s Devour Intellect ability
These nasty little creatures target Intelligence Scores, and if the 3d6 rolled by the DM on a Intelligence saving throw fail id higher than the target’s Intelligence score, they become stunned.
One more failed Intelligence content will result in the PC’s brain being instantly consumed.
Which, in other words, means instantly dying.
Will-O’-Wisps
This one’s not actually an instant kill, but it sure feels like it.
Will-O’-Wisps have a Consume Life bonus action that they can use on a character that is at 0 hp. If that PC fails a Con saving throw, they die outright — no matter what their death saving throws were at.
Spectre’s Life Drain
Here’s another attack that whittles away at max HPs, killing a creature outright if their hit point maximum is brought all the way down to 0.
A Constitution save of DC 10 makes it pretty unlikely that you’ll be losing max HP at the same rate you’re losing HP, however, so just make sure that CON isn’t your dump stat and you’ll be fiiiiiiine.
A Mind Flayer’s Extract Brain attack
What’s with all these creatures and brains???
A Mind Flayer, like the Intellect Devourer, will go for that noggin with its Extract Brain ability.
According to its stat block, an incapacitated humanoid who is grappled by the Mind Flayer and successfully hit by the melee attack “takes 55 (10d10) piercing damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the mind flayer kills the target by extracting and devouring its brain.”
Ouch.
A Hag’s Nightmare Haunting
According to a Night Hag’s stat block, these creepy fiends can touch a sleeping humanoid on the Material Plane causing it to have dreadful visions. If the contact and visions last for at least an hour, the humanoid’s HP max is reduced by 5 (1d10).
If that hit point maximum is brought all the way down to 0, the target dies outright. Any evil target has its soul trapped in the hag’s Soul Bag, to add insult to injury.
So don’t go letting a Night Hag get near your camp at night, people!
We’re sure that there are other devices, monsters, and abilities that can kill PCs outright that we may have missed (pretty much anything that can reduce Max HP can kill outright, it seems), so if there’s one you know about let us know in the comments below and we’ll add it to the list.
And if you’ve recently had your PC destroyed by a DM who may have seen this list, pick up a Player’s Handbook and make yourself a newer (and maybe hardier) character!
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