Temporary Hit Points

Some powers and special abilities confer temporary hit points to a creature. Temporary hit points aren't actual hit points; they are a buffer against damage, a pool of hit points that protect you from injury.

When you have temporary hit points and take damage, the temporary hit points are lost first, and any leftover damage carries over to your normal hit points. For example, if you have 5 temporary hit points and take 7 damage, you lose the temporary hit points and then take 2 damage.

Because temporary hit points are separate from your actual hit points, they can exceed your hit point maximum. A character can, therefore, be at full hit points and receive temporary hit points.

Healing can't restore temporary hit points, and they can't be added together. If you have temporary hit points and receive more of them, you decide whether to keep the ones you have or to gain the new ones. For example, if a power grants you 12 temporary hit points when you already have 10, you can have 12 or 10, not 22.

If you have 0 hit points, receiving temporary hit points doesn't restore you to consciousness or stabilize you. They can still absorb damage directed at you while you're in that state, but only true healing can save you.

Unless a feature that grants you temporary hit points has a duration, they last until they're depleted or you finish a long rest.

Temporary Force and Tech Points

Similar to temporary hit points, some powers, abilities, or features grant temporary force or tech points to a creature. When you would expend force or tech points—whether through a power, ability, or feature—the temporary points are spent first.

You can only have one source of temporary force or tech points. If you have temporary force or tech points and receive more of them, you decide whether to keep the ones you have or gain the new ones.

Unless a feature that grants you temporary force or tech points has a duration, they last until they're depleted or you finish a long rest.