Hit Points (HP) is the character stat that determines the amount of damage a character can sustain before succumbing to death.
Introduction[]
The number of hit points that a character gains per level depends on their Hit Dice, which in turn, depends on their class. The Constitution ability score also determines the number of additional/bonus hit points that a character gains per level, hence temporary or permanent bonuses or penalties to the Constitution score of a character cause a retroactive increase or decrease respectively to their total number of hit points. Certain spells can also cause an increase or decrease of a character's total hit points without altering their Constitution score.
When a character receives any amount of damage from any source, that value of damage is subtracted from the character's total HP pool. When a character's current HP reaches 0, they die. A character's current HP value can be increased by healing or regenerative effects, while their total HP value can be increased by a diverse array of methods, starting from equipping enchanted items to using certain potions and spells.