Dungeons & Dragons: What Are Death Saving Throws?

Dungeons & Dragons: A Guide to Death, Death Saving Throws, and Resurrection

D&D has a complex relationship with death. It's the ultimate game over, yet the tension of mortality adds excitement, especially at lower levels. However, losing a beloved character, particularly to a bad dice roll, is frustrating. The 5e death saving throw system balances this tension, delaying immediate death but increasing suspense through critical dice rolls.

(Updated January 29, 2025, to reflect the 2024 Player's Handbook)

Understanding Death in D&D

Every creature has hit points (HP), representing their durability. Successful attacks reduce HP; reaching zero HP triggers death or unconsciousness.

Massive Damage vs. Unconsciousness

Reaching zero HP leads to one of two outcomes:

1. Unconsciousness: If remaining damage is less than your maximum HP, you fall unconscious, prone, and begin making death saving throws.
2. Instant Death: If remaining damage exceeds your maximum HP, you die instantly. For example, with a maximum HP of 20, taking 45 damage results in immediate death.

Death Saving Throws

When reduced to zero HP (but not by massive damage), a character falls unconscious. Each turn at zero HP requires a death saving throw – a d20 roll. This isn't ability score-based, though advantage/disadvantage can apply.

How to Make a Death Saving Throw

Roll a d20:

• 10 or higher: Success.
• 1-9: Failure.
• 1: Two failures.
• 20: Instant recovery (1 HP, awake).

Three successes stabilize the character (unconscious for 1d4 hours, then wakes with 1 HP). Three failures mean death. Attacks inflict additional failures (critical hits cause two). The optional "Meat Grinder Mode" (Tomb of Annihilation) increases the DC to 15.

Monsters and Death Saving Throws

Most monsters die instantly at zero HP. However, a DM might allow death saving throws for important NPCs or villains.

Helping a Dying Character

Allies can aid a dying character:

• Healing: Spells (Cure Wounds) or potions instantly revive.
• Stabilization: A successful Medicine check (Help action) within melee range stabilizes, ending death saves. A Healer's Kit or Spare the Dying spell also stabilizes.

Character Death and Resurrection

Death renders a character immobile, unable to act, and effectively out of the game. Resurrection requires spells:

• Revivify: (3rd level) Restores life within one minute of death.
• Raise Dead: (5th level) Restores life within ten days.
• Reincarnate: (5th level) Restores life in a new body.
• Resurrection: (7th level) Full restoration, even after many years.
• Clone: (8th level) Creates a clone; upon death, the soul transfers.
• True Resurrection: (9th level) Full restoration, including curing curses.
• Wish: (9th level) Can reverse recent events, including failed death saving throws.

These spells are costly, difficult, and may have side effects. Resurrection availability depends on the campaign setting.

Spells Affecting Dying or Dead Characters

Spell	Level	Classes	Effect
Spare the Dying	Cantrip		Stabilizes a creature with 0 HP.
Gentle Repose	2		Prevents undeath and extends the time limit for resurrection.
Revivify	3		Restores life within the last minute.
Raise Dead	5		Restores life within the last 10 days.
Reincarnate	5		Restores life in a new body.
Resurrection	7		Full restoration within the last 100 years.
Clone	8		Creates a clone; soul transfers upon death.
True Resurrection	9		Full restoration, including curing curses, within the last 200 years.
Wish	9		Can reverse recent events, including failed death saving throws.

Remember to discuss your DM's approach to character death during Session Zero.

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