Persistent Damage

Persistent damage is a special type of damage that continues to affect a creature over multiple turns. It does NOT end automatically — the creature must succeed on a flat check to remove it.

How Persistent Damage Works:

1. When you gain persistent damage (e.g., persistent fire damage 2d6), you take that damage at the end of each of your turns.
2. After taking the persistent damage, you make a DC 15 flat check (no modifiers). On a success, the persistent damage ends. On a failure, it continues.
3. Multiple instances of the same damage type do not stack — only the highest value applies. Different types (e.g., persistent fire AND persistent bleed) apply separately.

Reducing the DC:

• Assisted recovery: An ally can spend actions to help you (e.g., patting out flames, applying pressure to a wound). This typically grants a bonus to the flat check or reduces the DC to 10.
• Specific actions: Some actions end persistent damage without a check (e.g., full immersion in water ends persistent fire damage immediately).

Common Sources of Persistent Damage:

• Bleed: From slashing critical hits (sword weapon group critical specialization), certain spells, and abilities.
• Fire: From fire spells (Produce Flame critical hit), alchemist bombs, environmental hazards.
• Acid: From acid spells and alchemical items.
• Poison: From venomous creatures and poisoned weapons.

Key Distinction: Persistent damage is NOT regular damage applied repeatedly — it is a condition. Resistances and immunities apply each time the damage is dealt. Healing does not remove persistent damage (only the flat check or specific actions do).

Unconscious Creatures: Persistent damage continues even when unconscious. If persistent damage reduces a creature to 0 HP, they gain the Dying condition as normal.