This stat determines if your character lives or dies after being shot in the chest, or takes other types of damage. Your current and maximum hit points are shown on the character screen, and the interface bar shows you your current HP, since it is such an important stat to see. When your character takes damage, you will see a message in the display window. For example, "You are hit for 16 points of damage. Ouch." If you had 30 HP when that message came up, you now have 14 HP. See that message again and you are dead unless you healed some HP damage. Skills, such as First Aid and Doctor, or healing items, like Stimpaks, can reduce the amount of HP damage your character has sustained. You can never "heal" more damage than your maximum HP total.