So last night we had a situation come up that was new for me in 5E. A player character who was under the effects of a haste spell, was brought to zero hit points. The character remained in that state for two rounds. After that, the character received healing and was back in action.
Would haste remain in effect, even when the creature is at 0 hit points? The spell description says (emphasis mine):
Choose a willing creature that you can see within range. Until the spell ends, the target's speed is doubled, it gains a +2 bonus to AC, it has advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and it gains an additional action on each of its turns. That action can be used only to take the Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action.
So a literal/close reading of that seems to indicate the spell ends only at the end of its duration, regardless of the state of the recipient.
Secondly, I thought that haste resulted in one level of exhaustion, but I was wrong. I even checked older versions of the PHB, and all it says is:
When the spell ends, the target can't move or take actions until after its next turn, as a wave of lethargy sweeps over it.
Is the level of exhaustion a house rule I picked up somewhere without realizing it? Or was it ever canon? My only reference is the 1E AD&D version of the spell, which required a system shock role.
Unless they were concentrating on the Haste spell on themselves, they would still be hasted even after being knocked unconscious and then revived. A target does not need to be conscious for a spell cast on them to remain in effect. Also, the Exhaustion seems like a house rule that comes from a misunderstanding of the "Wave of Lethargy", although I feel like I've seen a magic item that basically grants the effects of Haste that causes Exhaustion but I might be misremembering.
Haste used to have other negative side effects. Exhaustion is new to this edition, but you are right that there’s pretty much always been something to represent you crashing from the sugar rush of haste.
I think it used to age you by a year, too. Back when there were ability modifiers based on your age, and that kind of thing mattered.
Mechanically, transmorpher has the right of it. Haste is concentration. So if the hasted person had cast it on themself, it would have gone away when they went down. But if someone else cast it, the spell would stay active so long as they were concentrating.
The spell Haste doesn't work on an unconscious creature as it's not willing, but it would remain in effect if it was already cast on it.
I just wonder how being hasted would still confer all the benefits by being faster when you are unconscious and unable to move or act though, it's pretty silly ☺
The spell Haste doesn't work on an unconscious creature as it's not willing, but it would remain in effect if it was already cast on it.
I just wonder how being hasted would still confer all the benefits by being faster when you are unconscious and unable to move or act though, it's pretty silly ☺
It really doesn't help at all while the character is unconscious, but it's more about the fact that they retain the benefits if they're revived before the duration of the spell ends.
EDIT: Actually, I forgot about one thing... RAW, the unconscious character still gains the benefits of the AC boost, just in case the enemy is going in for a finishing blow. It doesn't totally make sense that an unconscious character would have better armor while unable to move, but then again... a character's DEX bonus still applies to their AC while unconscious anyway even though they're laying still on the ground.
It really doesn't help at all while the character is unconscious, but it's more about the fact that they retain the benefits if they're revived before the duration of the spell ends.
EDIT: Actually, I forgot about one thing... RAW, the unconscious character still gains the benefits of the AC boost, just in case the enemy is going in for a finishing blow. It doesn't totally make sense that an unconscious character would have better armor while unable to move, but then again... a character's DEX bonus still applies to their AC while unconscious anyway even though they're laying still on the ground.
Yeah that's where i was going. While Haste remain in effect, you only benefit from the +2 AC until you are conscious again.
I think it used to age you by a year, too. Back when there were ability modifiers based on your age, and that kind of thing mattered.
Yup! All of my DMs made it age Elves by 10 years instead of 1 year as they all felt, rightly so, that 1 year was such a pittance as to be a non-issue for Elves.
As for the OP, as long as the one concentrating on the Haste didn't end their concentration, and the PC that was hasted didn't actually die, then the Haste effect would continue for the remaining duration or until concentration ended.
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So last night we had a situation come up that was new for me in 5E. A player character who was under the effects of a haste spell, was brought to zero hit points. The character remained in that state for two rounds. After that, the character received healing and was back in action.
Would haste remain in effect, even when the creature is at 0 hit points? The spell description says (emphasis mine):
So a literal/close reading of that seems to indicate the spell ends only at the end of its duration, regardless of the state of the recipient.
Secondly, I thought that haste resulted in one level of exhaustion, but I was wrong. I even checked older versions of the PHB, and all it says is:
Is the level of exhaustion a house rule I picked up somewhere without realizing it? Or was it ever canon? My only reference is the 1E AD&D version of the spell, which required a system shock role.
Unless they were concentrating on the Haste spell on themselves, they would still be hasted even after being knocked unconscious and then revived. A target does not need to be conscious for a spell cast on them to remain in effect. Also, the Exhaustion seems like a house rule that comes from a misunderstanding of the "Wave of Lethargy", although I feel like I've seen a magic item that basically grants the effects of Haste that causes Exhaustion but I might be misremembering.
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Haste used to have other negative side effects. Exhaustion is new to this edition, but you are right that there’s pretty much always been something to represent you crashing from the sugar rush of haste.
I think it used to age you by a year, too. Back when there were ability modifiers based on your age, and that kind of thing mattered.
Mechanically, transmorpher has the right of it. Haste is concentration. So if the hasted person had cast it on themself, it would have gone away when they went down. But if someone else cast it, the spell would stay active so long as they were concentrating.
What they said. As long as someone else cast it (or it didn't need concentration like from a potion).
The spell Haste doesn't work on an unconscious creature as it's not willing, but it would remain in effect if it was already cast on it.
I just wonder how being hasted would still confer all the benefits by being faster when you are unconscious and unable to move or act though, it's pretty silly ☺
It really doesn't help at all while the character is unconscious, but it's more about the fact that they retain the benefits if they're revived before the duration of the spell ends.
EDIT: Actually, I forgot about one thing... RAW, the unconscious character still gains the benefits of the AC boost, just in case the enemy is going in for a finishing blow. It doesn't totally make sense that an unconscious character would have better armor while unable to move, but then again... a character's DEX bonus still applies to their AC while unconscious anyway even though they're laying still on the ground.
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Yeah that's where i was going. While Haste remain in effect, you only benefit from the +2 AC until you are conscious again.
Yes it works while unconcious but all but one effect is completely worthless.
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My original post did not make it clear, but the affected creature was NOT the caster.
Yup! All of my DMs made it age Elves by 10 years instead of 1 year as they all felt, rightly so, that 1 year was such a pittance as to be a non-issue for Elves.
As for the OP, as long as the one concentrating on the Haste didn't end their concentration, and the PC that was hasted didn't actually die, then the Haste effect would continue for the remaining duration or until concentration ended.