How do you like your HP to increase?

[DragonLancer]

As a player I like max at 1st level and then random at each new level. Keeps it interesting.

As a GM I do max at 1st, and then either (player's choice) of roll or take 50% of the respective hit dice.

 

[delericho]

Fixed amount per level.

I detest rolling hit points, after an absurdly long streak when I failed to roll anything higher than a 1 (that is, years long). It's the one and only die roll I'll cheat on - while playing a character with a weakness can be fun occasionally, playing every character with the same weakness for years on end was a non-starter. It stopped being fun very quickly indeed.

(Edit: And yes, I hate cheating every bit as much as the next DM. I really don't want to be in that position. Hence my preference for simply avoiding the issue.)

 

[JeffB]

Max at first level, roll thereafter. DnD without rolling hit points is as weird to me as DnD with no attack rolls.

 

[Grogg of the North]

Max at first, roll afterwards.

However, as a DM I try to keep track of how my players roll. I had a bard recently that I think didn't roll above a 2 for HP the entire game. I came up with a reason for her to re-roll HP in game so she could catch up to the other characters HP-wise.

 

[delericho]

Max at first, roll afterwards.

However, as a DM I try to keep track of how my players roll. I had a bard recently that I think didn't roll above a 2 for HP the entire game. I came up with a reason for her to re-roll HP in game so she could catch up to the other characters HP-wise.

One house rule I've seen is that each time the character gains a level, you re-roll all the hit dice for the character (including the new die). If the new result is higher than the old, you take the new total; if it's less then you keep your old value.

That would seem to be a reasonable solution to that problem... it's just that I prefer the "fixed hit points" solution myself!

 

[Stormonu]

I do it the complocated way.

Max hp at 1st level. Roll for each level, mimimum 1/2 the die (i.e., fighter with 1d10 gets minimum 5). After 10th, get 1/4 maximum hit points rounded up (wizard gets +1, rogue and cleric get +2 and fighter gets +3) - with no Con bonus.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Fixed amount. For three reasons:

a) Damage is random already - but averages out, hit points don't, rolling low hit points is equivalent to giving all enemies loaded damage dice against you.
b) Hit point rolling is always done with a single dice, meaning the probability is flat... if it was a bell-curve like probability I'd have less problems with it.
c) It's a lot easier to balance a game around a less wildly varying hit point value (where a fighter 3 in one game has 12 hit points in one game and a fighter 2 has 20 hit points in another).

So vast preference for fixed as default option (that players always should have). I don't mind giving people the option to roll though, if they really want to - especially if it's then a "hybrid roll" like 1d4+2 etc.

EDIT: I totally see that as prime material for a module, though. Because if you're going to a long campaign, possibly story-driven, having the potential to cripple a character without making a single bad choice is annoying. If it's a campaign where I'll burn through several characters in a shorter period (e.g. a beer & pretzels dungeon crawl campaign), then the tactical challenge can be interesting - but then mark it as a "hardcore crawl module".

 

[kitsune9]

Roll at 1st level. Roll up to 9th level, get +1 or +2 hp each level thereafter. If life gives you lemons, be the candle that burns the brightest and fastest.

 

[Sunseeker]

One house rule I've seen is that each time the character gains a level, you re-roll all the hit dice for the character (including the new die). If the new result is higher than the old, you take the new total; if it's less then you keep your old value.

That would seem to be a reasonable solution to that problem... it's just that I prefer the "fixed hit points" solution myself!

The problem with rerolling all the dice, is that without any constant stat bonuses(such as adding con) it's possible to roll the same number. While even with rolling one additional die, you are guaranteed to get at least +1 hp.

 

[Chris_Nightwing]

So, for those that don't use one system up to 9th/10th and then switch: do you like a linear progression, or would it be preferred to get more HP at lower levels, steadily levelling off as you reach higher levels?

Also, thoughts on the rate of HP gain? Are the traditional d4-d10 reasonable jumps or would smaller dice, or say d3/d3+1/d3+2/d3+3 be enough progression?