Lethality in 5E D&D

I see a lot of comments from people all over the net than have a hard time excepting the (out of combat) healing rules from 5E. The idea of spending hit die during a rest and other mechanics seem to be a common knee-jerk to house rule. I wrote a little about how even more so in 5E that HP is more a measure of endurance than truly wound points in my first 5E post.



When we first got rolling I didn't like the healing rules much, at least not on paper. I decided to run as written and change later if I didn't like it. The lethality of 5E at low level is staggering.

First ambush the ranger went to two HP, and the druid went to 3 first time he was hit. Next encounter almost the same thing happened. By the third encounter they had to rest 3 times and had to stabilize two different characters.

When a single goblin gets +4 to hit and 1d6+2dmg he can one or two shot the average player (at first or second level) on lucky rolls. Monsters seem to be made like characters are, with proficiency bonuses and ability scores that matter. And they have a LOT more HP that previously.



So much of the new edition is geared to faster combat and quick encounters that it just seems backwards to slow the game down or almost guarantee character death just to make the game "more realistic". Seems the only way to not is make the game VERY reliant on magical healing. Just my opinion.