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In both the Medicine skill, and in the Medical Expert feat, there is mention of treating deadly wounds.

However, "deadly wounds" doesn't seem to be defined anywhere. Is this just when someone has been reduced to 0 hit points? Is it hit point damage in general (meaning you can use the skill and feat to heal HP damage) or is it strictly from some sort of critical effect (like Wound / Severe Wound)?

I'm not asking about the utility of the skill or feat - that's been asked before in various way, I'm trying to understand the definition of Deadly Wounds is all. Thanks!

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Deadly wounds are hit point damage

The term (Treat Deadly Wounds) is used simply to describe that specific use of the Medicine skill to heal hit points, instead of poisons and diseases, or stabilizing a dying character. The description makes it clear what it's purpose is:

You can use Medicine to restore Hit Points to a living, wounded creature.

Its written that way so whenever another rule mentions Treat Deadly Wounds again, you should recognize it as being part of the Medicine skill.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks! So, a "deadly wound" is, therefore, defined as any given hit point damage? In other words, a character has taken a "deadly wound" if it has taken even 1 single hit point's worth of damage? Just want to be sure I understand correctly. \$\endgroup\$
    – Carnix
    May 21, 2018 at 16:02
  • \$\begingroup\$ No. He took damage, or even hit point damage. "Deadly wound" is not actually a game term. But "Treat Deadly Wound" is a game term, its that specific use of the Medicine skill. \$\endgroup\$
    – ShadowKras
    May 21, 2018 at 16:28
  • \$\begingroup\$ Well... right, that's why I was looking for a definition because the term "deadly wounds" is used also in the Medical Expert feat description. I think that's semantics though. In game terms, a "deadly wound" is a wound that does hit point damage (as opposed to stamina damage). That means, for the purposes of the skill and feat, even a single point of hit point damage is a "deadly wound," whereas stamina damage (or any other sort of condition such as poison, disease, etc) is not. I think you answered my question though - thanks! \$\endgroup\$
    – Carnix
    May 21, 2018 at 16:32
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    \$\begingroup\$ No, the term used is Treat Deadly Wounds, that is one of the medicine skill uses, both the skill and the feat are talking about that specific rule. You are confusing a game mechanic with a game term. You dont need a definition of Opportunities to understand the rules for Attacks of Opportunity. The designer separated the skill uses into those sub-mechanic so they can be easier referenced later on. Whenever you see Treat Deadly Wounds (and it must be capitalized), you will know its talking about Medicine. \$\endgroup\$
    – ShadowKras
    May 21, 2018 at 18:00
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    \$\begingroup\$ Ok, fair enough... the feat says "...or sprayflesh to treat deadly wounds as a full action" using treat as a verb rather than a noun, meaning "deadly wounds" does take on a meaning here. If it were otherwise, that would need to be worded something sort of like "... or sprayflesh to use the Treat Deadly Wounds feature of the Medicine skill as a full action" (there abouts). Again - semantics, my questions good and answered :) \$\endgroup\$
    – Carnix
    May 22, 2018 at 18:37
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The phrase 'Deadly Wounds' is not a game term. The term 'Treat Deadly Wounds' is the name of a task able to be performed by someone trained in the Medicine skill. Despite the descriptive name, the wounds treated by this task may not actually be deadly. The task does exactly what the description says, and nothing more. The first line of the task says

You can use Medicine to restore Hit Points to a living, wounded creature.

That's it - you can restore Hit Points to a living, wounded creature.

Note that the name of this task is inherited from Pathfinder. In Pathfinder, wounds are deadly by default, and called out as nonlethal when not. This may have informed the choice of the name.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks! Not sure why someone downvoted without comment, but this is also a valid answer: deadly wounds = hit points. \$\endgroup\$
    – Carnix
    May 22, 2018 at 18:38

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