When true polymorphed creature dies, does it revert to its original form?

Question

The True Polymorph description says:

Creature into Creature.
The transformation lasts for the duration, or until the target drops to 0 hit points or dies. If you concentrate on this spell for the full duration, the transformation lasts until it is dispelled.

Does the second sentence imply the creature won't revert to its normal form, even being killed? (providing the caster were concentrating on the spell for the full duration)

If so, isn't "until the target drops to 0 hit points" enough? Why the "...or dies" addition? A creature can't die having more that 0 hit points, can it?

Answer 1

Specific Beats General - A permanently polymorphed creature will stay morphed if it dies

In 5e, you always apply a general rule unless there is a specific exception. That is exactly what is happening in this case. Generally, the target will revert after the full duration, upon the target reaching 0 hp, or upon dying. However, there is a specific exception for when the caster concentrated on the spell for the whole duration. In that case, the change lasts until dispelled, full stop. The first sentence no longer applies in this case, because the second is an exception to it. As a result even if the conditions in the first sentence are met, the creature stays transformed because of the second sentence.

"Until the target drops to 0 hit points..." isn't enough because of effects that can instantly kill a creature without affecting hit points. These effects are usually high level magic like the 9th level Power Word: Kill and the 7th level Divine Word both of which can instantly kill a creature without changing their hit points at all, as long as the creature's current hit points are within a certain threshold. In these cases, you do not drop to 0 hp; instead you just immediately die.

Answer 2

• I parse this as implying that the creature won't revert to its normal form, even if killed. The "lasts until it is dispelled" phrase is on a separate line from the other exceptions, and I see no indication that those previously listed exceptions would apply to the latter situation. Otherwise, the effect would also go away anytime say, a transformed PC dropped to 0 HP (which doesn't seem intended).

• It is possible to die without dropping to 0 HP (via say, Exhaustion, age, or a similar death effect), and I don't see a rule indicating that remaining HP (if any) drop to zero on death.

Answer 3

Yes, it will revert back at 0 HP

The clause for true polymorph ending is:

The transformation lasts for the duration, or until the target drops to 0 hit points or dies.

Since the duration is now lasts until dispelled due to concentrating on the spell for the full duration, it won't revert after one hour. The duration part has been resolved.

But it doesn't remove the clause regarding target dropping to 0HP or death. That still remains as there is nothing that specifically overrides that.

The only piece overriden is the one hour duration.

Because of that, once the creature who was under the spell effect (but long past one hour) gets to 0HP or dies, they will revert back.

Answer 4

The spell ends when the new form drops to 0hp

True Polymorph says:

Choose one creature or nonmagical object that you can see within range.

This specifies the targeting of the spell; the original creature is a target of the spell.

You transform the creature into a different creature, the creature into a nonmagical object, or the object into a creature (the object must be neither worn nor carried by another creature).

This describes the effect of the spell; both the original creature and the new creature it became are now under the effect of the spell (the sustained transformation).

The spell lasts for the duration, or until the target drops to 0 hit points or dies. If you concentrate on this spell for the full duration, the spell lasts until it is dispelled.
This spell has no effect on a shapechanger or a creature with 0 hit points. An unwilling creature can make a Wisdom saving throw, and if it succeeds, it isn’t affected by this spell.

This describes all the various ending conditions of the spell (expired duration, invalid subject of the spell effect, unwilling target that successfully saves).

Regardless of whether concentrating throughout the entire duration replaces the "or until the target drops to 0 hit points or dies" part of the duration, there is a more general end condition; "This spell has no effect on a shapechanger or a creature with 0 hit points." That is, as soon as any creature affected by the spell has 0hp, the spell ends, and the new creature transforms back to the old.

This end condition could be mistaken for a targeting condition, saying simply that you cannot cast the spell on a creature currently at 0hp. However, this is not a targeting condition; it is an end condition. If it was a targeting condition, it would be placed with the other targeting information (choose one creature or nonmagical object that you can see within range) before the spell effect was described. Instead, it is placed after the spell duration information. It is placed in its own paragraph, showing that it is an over-riding end condition independent of the duration of the spell. Yes, if you attempt to cast the spell on a creature with 0hp, it simply fails at the outset. But if you successfully cast it and create a new creature, the spell ends at any point when the new creature reaches 0hp.

If the new creature takes damage, the spell would normally end before the new creature dies, because the spell ends when the new creature reaches 0hp, regardless of whether the caster managed to concentrate for the initial hour or not.

_{Note: While this interpretation can be justified entirely based on examining the spell text RAW, it is also supported by a JC tweet}