TechnicleeHow does exhaustion work in the 2024 5e rules?
Every level of Exhaustion takes 2 off each D20 Test you make and 5 feet off your Speed. You die at level 6. Finishing a Long Rest removes one level. That covers the whole condition in the 2024 rules, and it fits on a sticky note next to your character sheet.
A D20 Test is the SRD name for the three rolls that use a d20: ability checks, saving throws and attack rolls. Speed is the distance you can move on your turn. Both numbers drop a little more with each level you gain.
Each level adds the same two penalties
Exhaustion builds up one level at a time. Each time an effect gives you the condition, you gain 1 Exhaustion level. Your d20 roll drops by 2 times your level, and your Speed drops by 5 feet times your level.
| Exhaustion level | D20 Test penalty | Speed reduction |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -2 | 5 feet |
| 2 | -4 | 10 feet |
| 3 | -6 | 15 feet |
| 4 | -8 | 20 feet |
| 5 | -10 | 25 feet |
| 6 | You die | You die |
Here is how that plays out. Take a character with a Speed of 30 feet and 3 Exhaustion levels. They move 15 feet and subtract 6 from every attack roll, saving throw and ability check. Initiative is a Dexterity check, so the penalty lowers your Initiative roll as well.
The penalty is a flat number. You still roll with Advantage or Disadvantage when something gives it to you, then take 2 per level off the result.
Exhaustion is the one condition that stacks
Most conditions in the SRD work like a switch. You either have the Poisoned condition or you are clear of it, and gaining it twice changes nothing. The rules glossary names Exhaustion as the exception to that rule.
So a character at level 2 who fails another save moves to level 3. Track the level as a number on your sheet, so every level shows.
A Long Rest removes one level at a time
Finishing a Long Rest lowers your Exhaustion level by 1. When the level reaches 0, the condition ends. A character at level 4 needs four Long Rests to recover with no other help. You need at least 1 Hit Point to start a Long Rest.
The SRD also gives a few faster ways out:
| Source | What it does |
|---|---|
| Greater Restoration (level 5 spell) | Removes 1 Exhaustion level from the creature you touch. It uses up diamond dust worth 100+ GP. |
| Potion of Vitality (Very Rare potion) | Removes all your Exhaustion levels and ends the Poisoned condition. |
| Ranger level 10, Tireless | Your Exhaustion level drops by 1 whenever you finish a Short Rest. |
| Returning from death | A creature that died with Exhaustion levels comes back with 1 fewer level. |
Greater Restoration appears on the Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin and Ranger spell lists.
Some causes hold their levels until you fix the cause. Exhaustion from dehydration stays until the creature drinks a full day of water. Exhaustion from malnutrition stays until it eats a full day of food. Suffocation works the other way: once a creature can breathe again, it removes every level it gained from suffocating.
Where Exhaustion comes from in the SRD
Most Exhaustion in the SRD comes from hazards in the world around the party. The SRD sets the trigger and the save for each one.
| Hazard | Trigger | Save |
|---|---|---|
| Dehydration | Drinking less than half the water you need in a day | No save. Gain 1 level at the end of the day. |
| Malnutrition | Eating less than half the food you need in a day | DC 10 Constitution save, or gain 1 level at the end of the day |
| Malnutrition (no food at all) | Eating nothing for 5 days | No save. Gain 1 level at the end of day 5 and 1 more each day after. |
| Suffocation | Running out of breath or choking | No save. Gain 1 level at the end of each of your turns. |
| Extended travel | Each hour of travel past 8 hours in a day | Constitution save, DC 10 plus 1 for each hour past 8 |
| Extreme cold | Each hour at 0 degrees Fahrenheit (about -18°C) or lower | DC 10 Constitution save |
| Extreme heat | Each hour at 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38°C) or higher with no drinkable water | Constitution save, DC 5 for the first hour, plus 1 each hour after |
| Frigid water | Each minute in icy water past a number of minutes equal to your Constitution score | DC 10 Constitution save |
| Deep water | Each hour swimming more than 100 feet deep, for a creature with no Swim Speed | DC 10 Constitution save |
Creatures with Resistance or Immunity to Cold damage pass the extreme cold and frigid water saves automatically. So do creatures naturally adapted to ice-cold water, for the frigid water save. Resistance or Immunity to Fire damage does the same for extreme heat. Medium or Heavy armour gives Disadvantage on the extreme heat save.
You can hold your breath for 1 plus your Constitution modifier in minutes, with a minimum of 30 seconds. Suffocation starts after that.
What changed from the 2014 rules
The 2014 rules in SRD 5.1 also used six levels. Each level added a different effect, and you suffered the effects of your level and every level below it. The 2024 rules swap that ladder for one penalty that grows.
| Level | 2014 rules (SRD 5.1) | 2024 rules (SRD 5.2.1) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disadvantage on ability checks | -2 to D20 Tests, Speed -5 feet |
| 2 | Speed halved | -4 to D20 Tests, Speed -10 feet |
| 3 | Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws | -6 to D20 Tests, Speed -15 feet |
| 4 | Hit Point maximum halved | -8 to D20 Tests, Speed -20 feet |
| 5 | Speed reduced to 0 | -10 to D20 Tests, Speed -25 feet |
| 6 | Death | Death |
Three differences stand out. The 2014 version hit hardest at levels 4 and 5, where you lost half your Hit Point maximum or all your movement. The 2024 version keeps your Hit Point maximum the same at every level. A 2014 Long Rest removed a level when the creature had also eaten and drunk something. A 2024 Long Rest removes a level every time.
The 2014 Disadvantage also cancelled out against Advantage. The 2024 penalty is a number taken off the roll, so it applies on top of any Advantage you have.
What I would do tonight
If you are a player with Exhaustion on your character, these four steps keep the maths honest:
- Write your Exhaustion level as a number beside your Speed.
- Lower your Speed by 5 feet for each level.
- Subtract 2 per level from every attack roll, saving throw and ability check, including Initiative.
- Drop the level by 1 after each Long Rest, unless the cause still applies.
If you are the GM, say the trigger and the DC out loud before the party commits to a long march or a cold night. The table can then plan around it.
This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.