How to figure PC HP's

[Lady Starhawk]

I am about to DM for the first time in 3rd edition, and I just had something brought to my attention from one of my players.

In the past I have always rolled for HP's when you level...but I have a player who, if he doesn't roll high enough, will get his character killed in order to try again. (For that reason I am using point-buy for ability scores).

I am starting them at level 5 (one shot adventure) but don't know how to determine how many hit points they start with.

If anyone can help me with an alternate version, let me know, the game is on Friday and I have to make a ruling on it soon.

Thanks,
Lady Starhawk

 

[hong]

I suppose kicking the player out of the game, and/or beating them with a stick, is out of the question?

What I do is assign 3/4 max HD at each level, rounded down, plus bonuses. Thus d4 = 3, d6 = 4, d8 = 6, etc. Saves all that bother about rerolling and removes any temptation to fudge the numbers.

 

[Crothian]

There is a Varient in the DMG that gives people half their HD so a d10 HD would get 5 a level. I've seen people use that, or that +1.

However, one think I would do is make punish him more for dieing. After he dies, make a really cool encounter he can;t participate in and so he loses out on even more XP. If it heppens enough he will be many levels lower then the other PCs. Or you could make it harder to be brought back to life. They are only 5th level, so it shouldn'tr be too easy to begin with.

 

[dcollins]

In the past I have always rolled for HP's when you level...but I have a player who, if he doesn't roll high enough, will get his character killed in order to try again. (For that reason I am using point-buy for ability scores).

I see... so the ill PC dies and this player makes up a brand new PC at that point.

The important thing here is to not let the player make a PC at the same level as the rest of the party, so there is an incentive to not die. My campaign has new PCs appear with 3/4 of the existing party's average XP (this after some significant trial and negotiation), which is about 1 level back for a 5th level party.

Other alternatives are to just have a floor, such as all new PCs enter at 5th level, regardless of how far the rest of the party has advanced (heck, once upon a time all new AD&D characters were 1st level no matter what). That would get this player's attention, fast (at least once anyone else has levelled up).

One other problem with disposable, re-created PCs: they create an influx of magic and equipment left to the surviving party for free. I've never found a perfect fix for that one.

 

[Jens]

Why not just use fixed HPs? How about this house rule: "At 1st character level, a character gets maximum hit points for his hit die. At each subsequent level, a character gets the average number of hit points for his hit die, rounded up at even levels and rounded down at odd levels." It's a variant on the DMG's suggestion, giving the expected number og HPs except for 1st level. Imo, this is the most fair and balanced way to do it.

 

[Drawmack]

I like to give the players options so here is how I do it.

a) roll the die if it is in the lowest 1/4 of the range for that die you can roll again.

[color=yellow]
Roll again table:
d  r#
4  1
6  1
8  2
10 2
12 3
[/color]

b) Buy half die as per DMG

c) Buy half and add upto 1/4 sides of HD for the cost of 100 xp per point purchased, you must have the xp to spare after leveling and you cannot put off leveling to take this option.

Hope that helps.

 

[0-hr]

In my campaign you get maximum hit points for level one, and then the average (rounded up) each level after that. It is strictly against the rules to roll your hit points (or your abilitity scores for that matter).

 

[Storminator]

I let characters choose if they want half HD round down, or a roll each level. Of course you have to choose before you roll.

I also have a hybrid stat gen method. I let them roll, but if they don't like their stats they use a point buy, with 24 +1d8 points.

PS

 

[The Souljourner]

So... the guy dies... to what end? Have the rest of the party get together and cast Raise Dead on him. Take the money for it from his character. He comes back one level lower.

The way to do hitpoints, officially, is to get maximum at first level, and just roll for the rest. If you want to change that, you can, but I've been in over half a dozen 3e campaigns and it's never been a problem.

-The Souljourner

 

[Dimwhit]

We have a way of handling HPs that works well in our campaign. After 1st level (max hp, of course), you roll once. You can either take the result of your roll, or you can choose to have the DM roll. You have to take his roll no matter what. Makes it more interesting. We've had people roll, say, a 3 on a d6, choose to have the DM roll, and get stuck with a 1. On the other hand, we've also had opposite results. Anyway, nobody complains about the way to do it, it averages out well, and no one tries to die because they roll a '1'.

As for that, I would just tell the player he has to bring in a new character a few levels below party average. If that doesn't cure him of his habit, then he'll just have to get used to having a low-level character.