Expanded Rules: Bloodied

In the Expanded Rules feature, we will explore adaptations of existing rules: tweaks or additions to add flavor to your Taluma (or any other) campaign. In this feature we will explore and expand the term/rule: Bloodied.

Bloodied is a definition in 5e: If you have half your Hit Points or fewer, you’re Bloodied, which has no game effect on its own but which might trigger other game effects.

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What are the existing game effects? There are some features and some monsters that have something related to the term. Sometimes this is if a creature becomes Bloodied, or if they cause another creature to become bloodied. Scanning the rules these are the only things you find

• Fighter Champion Level 14 feature: Survivor (Heroic Rally)

• Monsters

• Mortals (Berserker, Gnoll, Troll)

• Oozes (Black Pudding, Ochre Jelly)

• Golems (Clay, Flesh)

• Beasts (Blood Hawk, Boar, Giant Boar, Giant Hyena)

• Swarms (Bats, Crawling Claw, Insects, Piranhas, Rats, Ravens)

We will expand Bloodied to be a Condition. Additional uses will be found throughout the Taluma setting--including Subclasses, Feats and Magic Items--but here is how to expand the use of Bloodied, by turning it into a Condition.

Bloodied [Condition]

A Condition is a temporary game state. The definition of a condition says how it affects its recipient, and various rules define how to end the condition.

If you have half your Hit Points or less you have the Bloodied Condition. The Bloodied Condition ends when your Hit Point total is more than half your Hit Points maximum.  This also removes the Exhaustion level gained from becoming Bloodied.

Any creature that gains the Bloodied Condition automatically gains one level of Exhaustion. By simply adding the effects of one level of Exhaustion (-2 to D20 Tests and -5 Speed), you can simulate that the creature has become weakened due to injury.

In addition, various other rules such as class features and monster abilities may utilize the Bloodied Condition in their definitions.

This can help encourage healers be active in a party. Trying to keep the other characters from becoming bloodied instead of waiting until the are low or even at 0 Hit Points to heal them.