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The old Exhaustion chart could kill you, but the new Exhaustion in the D&D 2024 Player's Handbook makes more sense as it kills you

by: Randy - posted: 10/30/2024 12:00:00 AM
More On: Dungeons & Dragons

 

Pop quiz: Name the effects you get from the six levels of Exhaustion. 

Look, I can't either. Here is the old Dungeons & Dragons 5e Player's Handbook chart:

Level Effect
1 Disadvantage on ability checks
2 Speed halved
3 Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws
4 Hit point maximum halved
5 Speed reduced to 0
6 Death

And here is the new D&D 2024 Player's Handbook Exhaustion chart:

Level d20 Rolls Speed
1 -2 -5 ft.
2 -4 -10 ft.
3 -6 -15 ft.
4 -8 -20 ft.
5 -10 -25 ft.
6 Death Death

See? Much easier, despite having an extra column. 

When looking at the new chart, your d20 dice rolls (called d20 "Tests" for some reason) are affected. When you make a d20 Test—ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws—the roll is reduced by 2 times your Exhaustion level.

And your Speed is affected. Your Speed is reduced by a number of feet equal to 5 times your Exhaustion level.

Now we have an Exhaustion chart with sensible, easy-to-remember progression. The old 5e method had your d20 Tests split up and affected on Exhaustion levels 1 and 3. Your Speed was affected on Exhaustion levels 2 and 5. Out of nowhere your HP max was cut in half at Exhaustion level 4. It's no wonder nobody liked Exhaustion. Not because it isn't a cool concept. Hitting your players with Exhaustion is an excellent way to take them down a peg when nothing else is working. As with all things: Just be fair about it, Dungeon Master.

I still never liked using the old method because the progression was spiked and inconsistent. My players would be like, "Exhaustion level 1? No big deal. As long as I don't have to make any ability checks, I'm still good."

But with this new method? Detrimental effects start now. It's not crazy, but it's hitting your players with math right away. I've already incorporated into my gameplay twice in the past two weeks. Am I overdoing it? Maybe. But it's too simple and effective to not use now. Regardless, Death awaits at Exhaustion level 6. Not unconsciousness. Not death saving throws. Just:

Death.

Exhaustion is now elegant, usable, and still very dangerous. There are 15 conditions altogether.

  • Blinded
  • Charmed
  • Deafened
  • Exhaustion
  • Frightened
  • Grappled
  • Incapacitated
  • Invisible
  • Paralyzed
  • Petrified
  • Poisoned
  • Prone
  • Restrained
  • Stunned
  • Unconscious

Some of those conditions go unchanged since 2014's 5e rules. But Exhaustion, nestled unsuspectingly between Deafened and Frightened, is a big, beautiful change that you should bring back to your table immediately.

The D&D 2024 Player's Handbook launched September 17.