Constitution

Hitpoints (also known as 'health' or 'HP') represents a player's health. If it reaches 0, then the player will die.

Fighting
While fighting, both the opponent and the player will have a bar on top of them. This bar represents their HP.

There are two colours on the bar: green and red. The green part of the bar represents how much HP the player and opponent has left. The red part of the bar represents how much damage has been taken away from their HP. This allows easy guesses of how much health you have left and how much damage you have sustained. So if a player has only 5 HP left, assuming that they have 30+ maximum HP, then the bar on top of them would be mostly red, meaning they are near death. Players often refer to "being redbarred" when barely escaping or only just getting a kill.

Poison
A player may become poisoned during a fight, which will continue to reduce hitpoints once the fight is over.

For instance, if a player is hit by another player wielding a poisoned dagger, they would be hit for 4 damage every minute (four times), then 3 damage every minute (four times), then 2 damage every minute (four times), then 1 damage every minute (four times), and then the poison would be gone.

Death
When a player's HP reaches 0, then they will die. Fortunately, the player will respawn. There are three places where a player could respawn - Lumbridge, Falador, and Camelot. However, a player will only keep 3 of their highest valued (according to Jagex, not street prices) items. If a player dies with the prayer Protect Item activated, he/she can keep an additional item.

Fortunately, if a player is in Pest Control, Castle Wars, in a player-owned house or dueling another player, when they die they will not lose any of their items.

Also, a Ring of Life, an item craftable by players or as a drop can also teleport the player safely back to the chosen respawn point automatically upon reaching 10% or below their max HP. There are three exceptions, either the player was hit for more than 10%, they are beyond level 30 in the deep wilderness or they are in a safe mini-game with no danger of losing one's items.

In addition, if a player has recently attacked another player in the Wilderness or has used the Abyss for runecrafting, they are given a skull that appears over their head. If a player dies of any circumstances while being "skulled" they lose ALL of their items carried at the time, rather than the usual keeping three. However, if a skulled player dies while the "Protect Item" Prayer is on, they keep ONE item (one more than the usual, which is zero if the player is skulled). Fortunately, if a player who has a skull does NOT attack a player again in the Wilderness or does not enter the Abyss within twenty minutes of recieving the skull, the skull vanishes.

Respawning
When a player dies, they will respawn, meaning they will live again.
 * For free players, they will always respawn in Lumbridge, as it is set as their home town.
 * For members, they will initially respawn in Lumbridge, as it is the default home town.
 * Members who have completed the Recruitment Drive quest have the option of changing their respawn location to Falador instead.
 * Members who have completed the King's Ransom quest and the Knight Waves Training Grounds have the option of changing their respawn location to Camelot instead.

Earning experience
To earn xp in hitpoints, a player has to fight or do a quest which rewards hitpoints xp.

When fighting, whether it be by melee, ranging, or magic, a player will always earn hitpoints xp. There is a formula which is used to determine how much hitpoints xp a player will receive.

When a player deals damage to an opponent, they receive some hitpoints xp. If a player hits the opponent, whatever damage they deal is multiplied by 1.33 and given to the player's hitpoints.

Recovering HP
A player can heal to restore their HP back to its maximum. There are a number of ways to do this.


 * Let it recharge on its own. A player will naturally heal one hitpoint about every minute. However, this is very slow, although the prayer 'Rapid Heal' doubles hit point recovery rate. This is not reccomended unless you have no food, or don't want to get killed by whatever monster/PKer/NPC happens to be there. Also, a lunar spell, Dream, triples hitpoint recovery.
 * Eat food. Players can eat foods to heal their HP. The best foods that heal a lot are the ones that can be cooked by a player. This is the recommended way a player heal themselves.
 * The monks at the Monastery will heal players if they ask them. They heal 10% of the player's Health level.
 * The nurses at the infirmary north of Al-Kharid Duel Arena will heal players if asked.
 * Two lunar spells can be cast to heal a player or a group of players : Heal Other level 92 and Heal Group level 95
 * Die. When a player dies, they respawn at full health and full energy. This is not recommended unless the player has banked all items and wants to go to an area near their respawn point.

Temporary boosts

 * Saradomin brew - Made using the herblore skill. Drinking this brew raises defence by 20% and hitpoints by 15%+2 even above maximum if a player's HP is 99, though all other combat skills decrease by 10%.


 * Altar of Elidinis - this altar in Nardah will heal you and raise your total HP, and will also refill your prayer. Players need to have completed Spirits of the Elid.


 * Skill Cape of Hitpoints - Owners of a Hitpoint Cape can boost their hitpoints by 1 every minute, by operating the cape or re-equipping it. The cape is one of the Capes of Achievement, and can be bought and equipped by players with 99 hitpoints only.


 * Guthix rest - Guthix rest, if drunk when at full hitpoints, will boost your maximum hitpoints by 5

Trivia

 * When RuneScape 2 (as it was then known) was released, the experience required for level 10 in any skill was slightly raised. This meant that characters with no extra Hitpoints experience in RuneScape Classic were brought to RuneScape 2 with only 9 Hitpoints. The minimum combat level is still 3 for those players.
 * Hitpoints is the only skill where you don't start at level 1, you start at level 10.
 * The monster with the least amount of hitpoints is a multiple-way tie between Weakened Delrith, Carnivorous chinchompa, Miscellanian citizens and guards, and the Chinchompa, all with 1 Hitpoint.