Exhaustion Is Deadly, But Keeping Track Of How It Works in One D&D Is Easy
Exhaustion adds another dimension to damage in One D&D. Some spells and effects cause it, and it is a handy counter to the game-breaking power of the coffee-lock multi-class Warlock and Sorcerer build. But in past versions of DnD, it was too complicated to implement in most games without having to pause the action to look up rules. And as any reader of Dungeon Matters knows, pausing the action to look up rules goes against the principles of Masterful Dungeon Mastering.
Exhaustion in One D&D tries to fix this and make exhaustion a much easier condition to use. Using the simplified rules for the exhaustion condition in One D&D, Dungeon Masters can easily put this condition into play and keep track of it's effects.
Here's How Exhaustion Works in One DnD
In One D&D a character who suffers the Exhausted Condition (formerly exhaustion) receives a penalty on all d20 Tests (ability checks, attack roles, saving throws). The more exhausted a character is, the higher the penalty that they suffer. You die if you exceed 10 levels of exhaustion.
Each level of exhaustion delivers an additional -1 penalty to D20 checks all the way up to 10 possible levels of exhaustion.
Each time you receive exhaustion you add one level and an additional minus one penalty. If you reach 10 levels of exhaustion, your character dies.
At one level of exhaustion your character has -1 to all D20 Tests and -1 to their Spell Save DC.
At two levels of exhaustion you suffer a -2 penalty to D20 Test and your Spell Save DC.
This penalty accumulates all the way to -10.
If your character reaches 11 levels of exhaustion, you die. Note: This is not the Dying Condition that allows you to make death saves. You are actually dead.
Ways to Remove Exhaustion in One DnD
Every time your character takes a long rest, you remove one level of exhaustion. Spells and magical effects can also end or reduce the condition. The spell Greater Restoration will remove one level of exhaustion and the Vitality potion will also cure exhaustion.
If Your Character Dies from Exhaustion Do You Make Death Saves?
No. In One DnD characters make death saves when the suffer the Dying condition from having their hit points drop to zero. The One DnD rules say that a character that exceeds 10 levels of Exhaustion "die". That means the character is dead and can only be resurrected through magical means.
Using Exhaustion to Enhance the Realism of Game Play
In the previous version of D&D (5e) each level of exhaustion conveyed different effects which were hard to remember and keep track of without constantly referring to the rules.
Instead of unique effects at each level, which are hard for players and DMs to remember, using a simple -1 penalty per level makes it easy to keep track of the effect.
In addition to magical effects that could cause exhausting, DMs could use it to create a sense of doom or struggle. A party being chased by a superior foe could suffer exhaustion after running away for a long period of time. A deadly miasma in a dungeon could exhaust explorers the longer they linger in the caverns.
One of my favorite home-brew rules for exhaustion is to let a player re-roll a failed attack or ability check but take a level of exhaustion as a result.
Other Considerations When Using the Exhaustion Condition
Five levels of exhaustion (-5 penalty) is roughly equivalent to having disadvantage on all d20 roles so the effects can be brutal and long lasting. Because a player can only cure exhaustion one level at a time via a long rest, it can be more of a hindrance than taking damage, which is healed completely after a long rest. This means that over using exhaustion can potentially impact the fun your players are having by slapping them with an effect that could dog them for more than one game sessions.
The exhaustion condition is also an ideal effect for a monster or scenario that is designed to wear players down and create a sense of suspense or impending doom. It's a great weapon for a villain who likes to toy with their victims before the final battle.