Exhaustion levels
| Level | Effect (cumulative) |
|---|---|
| 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 |
How exhaustion stacks
Exhaustion is unusual among 5e’s status effects because it comes in degrees rather than being on or off. Every level you gain adds its own penalty on top of everything below it, so the effects pile up fast. A character at exhaustion level 4, for example, already has disadvantage on ability checks, moves at half speed, has disadvantage on attacks and saving throws, and now has their hit point maximum cut in half.
That stacking is what makes exhaustion a genuine death spiral. The disadvantage on saving throws at level 3 makes it harder to resist whatever keeps pushing exhaustion higher, and the halved HP maximum at level 4 can knock a wounded character straight to 0.
Where it comes from
Exhaustion is not handed out for ordinary adventuring. It typically comes from specific sources: forced marches, going without food or water, extreme cold or heat, certain spells and monster abilities, and some class features that cost you a level of exhaustion as a price. Because the rules gate it behind these causes, exhaustion tends to be a slow-burn threat rather than a per-combat one.
Recovering from exhaustion
Recovery is deliberately slow. Finishing a long rest reduces your exhaustion by exactly one level, and only if you have had food and drink during the day. There is no faster natural cure, so digging out from level 4 or 5 takes several days of rest unless magic such as the greater restoration spell removes a level outright.
How Adventure Codex handles it
Adventure Codex is built for the moment-to-moment resources that change most during play, HP, temp HP, death saves, spell slots, and consumables. Exhaustion is a slower-moving condition you will usually note by hand, but the app’s long-rest action lines up with the once-per-long-rest recovery pace so it fits naturally into how your table already tracks rests.
Frequently asked questions
How do you remove exhaustion in D&D 5e?
Finishing a long rest reduces your exhaustion by one level, provided you have also had food and drink. There is no way to shed more than one level per long rest through resting alone.
What happens at 6 levels of exhaustion?
Level 6 exhaustion means death. Because the levels stack, a character at that point has already been suffering every lower-level penalty as well.
Is exhaustion cumulative in 5e?
Yes. Each level adds its effect on top of all lower levels, so a character at level 3 has disadvantage on ability checks, halved speed, and disadvantage on attacks and saves all at once.