Fighting FAQ
How do damage, critical hits, resistance, and vulnerability work?
When an attack hits or an effect deals damage, roll the damage specified by that attack or effect and apply relevant modifiers. A 2014 critical hit rolls all of the attack's damage dice twice, then adds fixed modifiers normally. Resistance halves qualifying damage, vulnerability doubles it, and multiple instances of the same resistance or vulnerability do not stack with themselves.
Damage comes from the effect that hit
Weapons, spells, class features, hazards and monster abilities each specify their own damage dice, modifiers and damage types. Do not assume every attack adds the same ability modifier or every spell adds a spellcasting modifier.
Critical hits double damage dice, not every number
On a critical hit, roll the attack's damage dice twice. Relevant fixed modifiers are then added normally. Additional dice that are part of the attack, such as Sneak Attack dice, are also rolled twice under the 2014 rule.
Resistance halves qualifying damage
If a creature has resistance to a damage type, damage of that type is halved after the earlier damage modifiers described by the rule.
Vulnerability doubles qualifying damage
If a creature has vulnerability to a damage type, damage of that type is doubled.
Resistance and vulnerability do not multiply repeatedly
Two sources of fire resistance do not reduce fire damage to one quarter. Multiple instances applying to the same damage type count as one instance. The same principle applies to vulnerability.
Mixed damage types are handled separately
If an attack deals more than one damage type, apply resistance, vulnerability and immunity to the relevant portions separately.
Immunity is different from resistance
Immunity normally prevents the specified damage or condition entirely rather than halving it. A feature that ignores resistance does not automatically bypass immunity unless it explicitly says so.
Damage can trigger additional rules
Taking damage may cause concentration saves, death saving throw failures at 0 hit points, Rage-maintenance interactions, reactions, monster traits or other feature-specific consequences.