Part of an ongoing series of 5e (2014) Rules notes. See the end of the post for notes on 5.5e (2024) rules.
Exhaustion is a special set of escalating conditions that occur when rest or nutritional intake are inadequate, or when environmental conditions (heat, cold) are life-threatening.
Exhaustion consists of 6 levels:
| Level | Effect (Cumulative) |
|---|---|
| 1 | DISADvantage on Ability Checks |
| 2 | Speed halved |
| 3 | DISADvantage on attack rolls and Saves |
| 4 | Hit point maximum halved (HP reduced, if necessary, to the new max) |
| 5 | Speed reduced to 0 |
| 6 | Death |
Yeah, not fun. The term “death spiral” literally fits here, since each level of Exhaustion can make it more difficult to remove oneself from the causes of the Exhaustion.
These effects are cumulative, e.g., a creature at Exhaustion level 2 has its Speed halved and a DISADvantage on Ability Checks.
If a creature that already has a level of Exhaustion suffers another effect that causes Exhaustion, its current level goes up by the number described.
A creature suffers the effect of its current level of exhaustion as well as all lower levels. For example, a creature suffering level 2 exhaustion has its speed halved and has disadvantage on ability checks.
Effects that remove Exhaustion reduce the level as they describe. When Exhaustion drops below 1, the creature is no longer exhausted.
A Long Rest will reduce Exhaustion by 1 level, as long as the resting creature has been able to eat and drink. Being raised from the dead also reduces Exhaustion by 1, though that’s kind of the hard way to do it.
Okay, how does this change in 5.5e?
Though the 5e (2014) rules are pretty simple, 5.5e (2024) makes them even simpler.
Exhaustion is cumulative / stackable. You still die if your Exhaustion level is 6. When you have any level of Exhaustion:
- Your D20 Test rolls are reduced by (2 x elevel).
- Your Speed is reduced by (5′ x elevel).
So, if you are at Exhaustion Level 3, your D20 rolls (attacks, saves, ability checks) are all reduced by 6, and your Speed is reduced by 15 feet per turn.
Exhaustion can be alleviated by finishing a Long Rest, which removes 1 level. When you reach level 0, you are no longer Exhausted.