The Health Bar and Death

The Health Bar measures your current well-being. Damage is usually dealt by an enemy, though some skills like Curses also have a negative effect. Healing skills replenish Health. Your maximum Health is determined by your armor, Runes, items, and current level. Health regenerates when you stop taking damage, and while some spells speed regeneration, others cause it to degenerate. As your level increases, your maximum Health increases as well. Arrows to the right or left of your Health Bar will tell you which way your Health is going, and sometimes it will change color depending on the effect you are suffering. Being struck with a Poison effect, for example, turns the Health Bar a sickly green.

When your Health reaches zero your character dies. Depending on the current mission or adventure, you may be resurrected on the field by your allies, at your base by your priest, or (in solo missions) at the nearest outpost. Each death incurs a death penalty which lowers your maximum Health and Energy. You can work off your death penalty by earning experience points or gaining a Morale bonus by defeating an enemy boss. When the mission ends or you return to a town or outpost, death penalties are removed.

During any battle, keep an eye on your Health Bar and be ready to heal yourself or alert your team before your Health gets too low. A critical hit can reduce your Health by 50% or more all at once, and some Hexes and Conditions can cause Health to degenerate rapidly. If you have any qualms about your party healer being able to reach you in time, consider bringing along a skill such as Healing Signet that can keep you from dying. http://www.guildwars.com/gameplay/combat/stayingalive/