D&D 5E Anyone granting max HP to PCs by default?

[Todd Roybark]

My house rule for decades has been average HP is the minimum gain per level, with a roll allowed to see if you ‘beat’ average HP.

Rolling a 1 for HP, is The Worst (TM).

With Default Array stats, this has not proven disruptive in 5e. In fact, luck has been on my side and the high HP class players have rolled a little better than Avg HP, while the Sorcerer player has rolled much better than average, which has served to reduce HP variance between players, which is easier to DM.

In my ‘rolled stats’ game, the HP variance from Best to Worst, is huge.
The fighter has 93 HP at 8th level, the bard has 56 HP.

So a failed save on a high damage fireball nearly kills the bard, but the fighter is at half HP.

Meanwhile the lucky wizard that rolled 18 Int and Con, (now 20 in both), and nearly maximum Hit Points at each level has the second highest HP total, at 81 HP.

Fortune favors children, fools, ships named Enterprise, and first time D&D players

 

[ccs]

For the record, it's about worrying, because I haven't actually killed a PC yet.

Slacker.

 

[Stalker0]

All right, got it.

but in case you didn’t, no it’s too many hp

 

[FrogReaver]

As a DM I have long removed any randomness in character creation and level-up, unless the players really want to. I always start by proposing the fixed ability array, but I allow point-buy and rolling for ability scores at your own risk. Similarly, I grant average HP by default when levelling up. I do not recommend players to roll for anything they will be stuck with long-term.

I was wondering recently if I could even take it a step further and grant max HP instead of average when levelling up (as in 1st level). Obviously this means tougher PCs, but then I can always be more mean with monsters if I feel the encounters are too easy. Mainly, the effect would be to make the players less worried about dying in the first encounter of the day or from a single unfortunate trap/attack/spell.

I don't think this is a popular idea at all, but I am curious if any DM out there has used this before and whether it made a difference or not.

Can't hurt.

They will level faster (more XP in each fight)
They will fear death less
Healing and short rests will become less meaningful - pushing players toward shorter adventuring days
Player damage output will drop off as more things to kill each fight means special abilities will be depleted

Honestly you may have came close to solving the 6-8 encounter adventure day problem. Nice work!

I'd also change up and make some monster have more hp/do more damage instead of always just throwing numbers at them.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I played a game with a similar rule. It didn't go well- we have too many hp.

Alternative idea: instead of giving +con mod hp per level, give +con score at first level only. It makes a big difference at level 1 (about 10 more hp) but will actually fall off over time.

 

[aco175]

We now play with standard stat array but roll for HP beyond first level. I let them roll since there is excitement in rolling the dice, but give them half rounded down if they roll low. We ended up with a thief who kept getting 4hp each level for like 6 of the 8 he gained. It became a part of how he acted.

 

[Lanefan]

Roll the dice, roll the dice, random all the way....

 

[JoeyD473]

I have my players roll. I have them roll 4d4s minus the lowest roll and they may reroll any total under 8 if they would like

As for HP They can roll or use average. However my next campaign I cam considering that they roll, and if the roll is less than average they can still take average

 

[TwoSix]

The best system I have ever seen for this, for any version of D&D, was that characters re-roll all of their Hit Dice every time they gain a level-- and then, they either take their new total, or their old total +1, whichever was higher.

It's something I've been playing with a lot. There are a number of ideas I really like, but I can't get them to work together neatly.

I use this as well, except I let them do it every long rest. Not old total +1, it's either replace the old total or keep the new total.

 

[Bitbrain]

I use Max hit points for levels 1-4. After that, you use the die average.

It works really well for me and my table.