Life Drain.Melee Attack Roll: +6, reach 5 ft. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) Necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, its Hit Point maximum decreases by an amount equal to the damage taken.
so in my current game we have a Twighlight cleric. Twighlight cleric gets hit with life drain while having 15 temporary hp and full hp.
i ruled the cleric took 21 damage then their max hp dropped by 21. This of course means the temporary hp was pointless as their hp dropped anyway.
the player obviously didn’t enjoy it. By my understanding of the rules that is how it works though as temporary hp doesn’t negate damage and you can’t have more hp than your max hp.
so first question is whether or not I’m right or did I miss something.
second question is, but is that the way it should be. Should I rule differently going forward despite the rules.
Technically, you were within the rules. Personally, I would rule that an attack with an HP reduction rider like that does not reduce their maximum HP below their current HP. So if they have 15 temp HP and get hit for 21, their current and maximum HP would drop by only 6. Otherwise, their temp hp buff actually INCREASES the damage done by a monster (monster damage effectively went from 21 to 36), which just feels bad for the players.
Technically, you were within the rules. Personally, I would rule that an attack with an HP reduction rider like that does not reduce their maximum HP below their current HP. So if they have 15 temp HP and get hit for 21, their current and maximum HP would drop by only 6. Otherwise, their temp hp buff actually INCREASES the damage done by a monster (monster damage effectively went from 21 to 36), which just feels bad for the players.
It definitely felt bad for the players. But it is also a twilight cleric and if I had to go through temp hp first, the wraiths would never lower the max hp of characters by anything other than 1 or 2. And the only time it matters is when you are at full hp.
but it definitely wasn’t fun. But it feels like the monster is pointless if I rule otherwise.
so first question is whether or not I’m right or did I miss something.
I'd have to agree with the others and say that you were correct in your ruling.
The situation also shows the problem with temp HP and how it interacts with other rules, most of the time it is to the players disadvantage (except of course its main thing of being extra HP). A Druid in the 2024 rules will also hate is as they turned Wild Shape into temp HP.
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So wraiths have an ability that says
Life Drain. Melee Attack Roll: +6, reach 5 ft. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) Necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, its Hit Point maximum decreases by an amount equal to the damage taken.
so in my current game we have a Twighlight cleric. Twighlight cleric gets hit with life drain while having 15 temporary hp and full hp.
i ruled the cleric took 21 damage then their max hp dropped by 21. This of course means the temporary hp was pointless as their hp dropped anyway.
the player obviously didn’t enjoy it. By my understanding of the rules that is how it works though as temporary hp doesn’t negate damage and you can’t have more hp than your max hp.
so first question is whether or not I’m right or did I miss something.
second question is, but is that the way it should be. Should I rule differently going forward despite the rules.
Technically, you were within the rules. Personally, I would rule that an attack with an HP reduction rider like that does not reduce their maximum HP below their current HP. So if they have 15 temp HP and get hit for 21, their current and maximum HP would drop by only 6. Otherwise, their temp hp buff actually INCREASES the damage done by a monster (monster damage effectively went from 21 to 36), which just feels bad for the players.
You were right, the Cleric would see it's maximum and current Hit Point be reduced by 21, loosing Temporary Hit Points first.
Normally your current Hit Points can be any number from that maximum down to 0, thus not exceed your maximum unless DM rule otherwise.
It definitely felt bad for the players. But it is also a twilight cleric and if I had to go through temp hp first, the wraiths would never lower the max hp of characters by anything other than 1 or 2. And the only time it matters is when you are at full hp.
but it definitely wasn’t fun. But it feels like the monster is pointless if I rule otherwise.
I'd have to agree with the others and say that you were correct in your ruling.
The situation also shows the problem with temp HP and how it interacts with other rules, most of the time it is to the players disadvantage (except of course its main thing of being extra HP). A Druid in the 2024 rules will also hate is as they turned Wild Shape into temp HP.