A single hit dealing enough damage in one blow is a Major Wound, forcing a CON roll or unconsciousness. Hit Points at 0 mean death.

Summary

A single hit dealing enough damage in one blow is a Major Wound, forcing a CON roll or unconsciousness. Hit Points at 0 mean death.

body

Hit Points represent physical durability, derived from Constitution and Size. Any single hit that deals a large fraction of an investigator's maximum Hit Points in one blow (commonly half or more) is a Major Wound: the investigator must succeed at a CON roll or fall unconscious from shock, and a Major Wound to the body generally requires professional medical attention to avoid long-term complications. An investigator reduced to 0 Hit Points dies. Combat in Call of Cthulhu is deliberately dangerous — investigators are ordinary people, not action heroes, and violence should feel like a last resort.