D&D 5E Other Uses for Hit Dice

[Rune]

I like this one and wasn't sure how to implement it. Using the level of exhaustion (5 HD for the 5th level recovered down to the 4th) might work. It would be very taxing, but I like that as I want them to be a real decision if to use it or not.

Is it too taxing, though?

Personally, I don’t think so. But I’d also let Lesser Restoration remove a level if the recipient doesn’t have more than two.

I like that exhaustion gives the DM a way to say, “Some challenges are just bigger than your hit points.” I wouldn’t want to trivialize that by making it too easy to remove.

But, as is, it is so punitive as to be under-utilized, because, without some good way to proactively remove at least some of it, it bogs play down with failed rolls. And that’s assuming that the exhausted characters haven’t become the real liabilities that they’ll be with more exhaustion levels!

Of course, the direction you count matters when you’re figuring the cost. For a more forgiving scale, start at the low end. First removed costs 1 HD, second costs 2, and so on.

Less forgiving: highest levels have to be removed first.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I tend to target HDs with monster's features or exploration challenges. Sometimes Exhaustion levels seem to punishing, so having the players lose HDs (or the HP equivalent if they are out of HDs) is pretty fun.

Also, when I make group challenges ('' at least half the group must succeed or else'') those who failed still ''succeed'' in the fiction, but by putting such a strain on their PC that they lose an HD.

A PC can also spend 1 HD to ignore 1 level of Exhaustion for 1 hour, in my games.

 

[necroblivion]

Check out Recovery Dice Options by Total Party Kill games!

 

[necroblivion]

It has a ton of ideas for using your Hit Dice beyond just getting HP back.