D&D 5E Do you ever roll for monster HPs in 5E?

[the Jester]

So my questions are, does anyone else roll for monster hit points in 5E? Do you always use average? Do you use some other system for determining hps? For those of you obsessed with encounter challenge and CR, do you think the wide range in how many hps a monster can have effects how challenging they are and how they are rated? For example, a typical bugbear could have as few as 10 hps and as many as 45.

I roll hps for monsters occasionally, but use the average far more often these days. Sometimes I also arbitrarily decide "this guy has more than average (or less than average) hps" or "This guy has an extra +1/die because its Con is two points higher".

The range of hps can absolutely affect CR. After all, effective hps and AC together make up its defensive CR. If I modify hps significantly, I'll take a quick look at the chart in the DMG and re-evaluate its CR; sometimes this is as simple as saying, "this thing is normally CR x, every y hps moves it up or down a column for purposes of determining its defensive CR, which is normally Z, so adjust accordingly." More complex monsters might need a complete reevaluation if they deviate significantly from the average.

 

[Quickleaf]

Crazy idea... I usually find rolling for HP to give poor returns for the time involved rolling & recording... but what if rolling for HP were directly incorporated into other facets of the monster, like its name, its powers, its motivation, or its strategy?

A 5e skeleton, for example, has 2d8+4 hit points. 1d8 of those might determine "Habitual Role from Life it Carries On" and 1d8 of those might determine "Weird Armaments of Bygone Years." Something like that.

I know the idea probably wouldn't work due to 5e's layout standards limiting space & the abundance of Hit Dice that monsters eventually get, but it's a fun thought experiment.

 

[Andvari]

As a DM who uses XP leveling instead of Milestone leveling, I have a question: if you roll for the monsters’ HP, do you adjust the CR* up or down if it strays too far from the average? A monster with minimum HP is a much different challenge than a monster with maximum HP.

*I know CR itself is problematic, but that’s a story for another thread.

Back when I rolled HP for monsters, I didn't change the XP awards. While you could argue it ends up with individual monsters giving too little or too much XP, it quickly evens out.

 

[el-remmen]

Crazy idea... I usually find rolling for HP to give poor returns for the time involved rolling & recording... but what if rolling for HP were directly incorporated into other facets of the monster, like its name, its powers, its motivation, or its strategy?

A 5e skeleton, for example, has 2d8+4 hit points. 1d8 of those might determine "Habitual Role from Life it Carries On" and 1d8 of those might determine "Weird Armaments of Bygone Years." Something like that.

I know the idea probably wouldn't work due to 5e's layout standards limiting space & the abundance of Hit Dice that monsters eventually get, but it's a fun thought experiment.

This seems in line with an aspect of my original post which few people have discussed, which is that the HP result might help a DM determine something about the specific instance of a monster. If I roll a total of 7 hps for a skeleton, maybe it has been in a fight before and shows the cracks and scores of weapons on its bones. If I roll 19 hit points, maybe I decide there is a nearby source of necrotic energy that slowly but consistently "healing" or bolstering undead. Those are just off the cuff examples, but one thing I like about randomness in my D&D is how it can inspire me to include lore and/or crunch that makes it a more bespoke experience.

 

[Quickleaf]

This seems in line with an aspect of my original post which few people have discussed, which is that the HP result might help a DM determine something about the specific instance of a monster. If I roll a total of 7 hps for a skeleton, maybe it has been in a fight before and shows the cracks and scores of weapons on its bones. If I roll 19 hit points, maybe I decide there is a nearby source of necrotic energy that slowly but consistently "healing" or bolstering undead. Those are just off the cuff examples, but one thing I like about randomness in my D&D is how it can inspire me to include lore and/or crunch that makes it a more bespoke experience.

Yeah, absolutely, I like how you were inspired by that realization! Randomness is great for shaking things up.

I've been in the habit of modulating monster HP during my prep sine 2e, so it's instinctual for me, without needing to roll dice necessarily, "one of these goblins is the weaker one that gets picked on", "these wights are shambling and have half hit points", "the hobgoblins second in command has more hp than average", etc.

The issue for me personally is that random elements have to earn their weight. If I have 12 gnolls (avg hp 22) encountered nears ruins (until recently held by overzealous trappers/hunters) that overlooks rolling hills and a lake, rolling 5d8 twelve times and recording those results... it's not giving me enough back creatively for even that minimal effort to roll and record. If I were to...randomly rolling, one minute... get 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 28, 30, 31, and 36... for me personally that's not saying much I wouldn't arrive at on my own.

For example, without any of these rolls, I might decide one of the gnolls is at half hp (11) due to stepping in a hunter's trap, nursing its wound while the others cackle at its suffering. And I might decide the leader of the pack has maximum hp (40), with a wheezy advisor who has 75% max hp (30) and the ability to cast augury by examining the entrails of a fresh kill. Ok.

Whereas, if we take those HP rolls, I might interpret them as... TWO gnolls (17, 18) are wounded due to stepping in hunter's traps... TWO gnolls (28, 28) are bodyguards for the leader equipped with battered bloody shields... one gnoll (30 hp) is the wheezy advisor... one gnoll (31 hp) is the ambitious second-in-command... and the leader has 36 hp.

The difference is slight enough that it's not really worth it (to me) to go through the exercise of rolling. I want randomness to influence BIGGER design moves upstream of the fiddly bits, if that makes sense.

Anyhow, that was my thought process behind my crazy suggestion to tie Hit Point rolls to other features of the monster - basically make the creativity well deeper.

 

[Maxperson]

Damage rolls provide randomness anyway. Although I suppose stuff like power word: kill could make random hit points more relevant at higher levels.

That doesn't mean that 10,000 5th level fighters with a 14 con should all have exactly 44 hit points. There should be variation and that's where rolling comes in. The same applies to monsters. All Lamias should not have exactly 97 hit points.

 

[payn]

That doesn't mean that 10,000 5th level fighters with a 14 con should all have exactly 44 hit points. There should be variation and that's where rolling comes in. The same applies to monsters. All Lamias should not have exactly 97 hit points.

Will you notice the difference between 88, 92, 97, 99, 103?

 

[Maxperson]

I feel that HP are abstract enough, and "damage" is random enough. No need to roll HP. Sometimes I lower HP and buff damage output to make encounters faster, though!

DM: "So guys, I had this idea to make combat faster. The dragon coming at you only has 1 hit point, but boy howdy you guys had best win initiative!"
Players: "...."

 

[Maxperson]

Will you notice the difference between 88, 92, 97, 99, 103?

As the DM, yes. Sometimes the difference matters a lot. A monster getting an extra round of combat can be huge. This is especially true when you roll really high had have a super healthy one with say 120 hit points, or a sickly one where you rolled like 75 or something. Rolling well makes the challenge harder, while rolling poorly means that the party lucked out and this encounter won't be as hard as they thought it would be.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

That doesn't mean that 10,000 5th level fighters with a 14 con should all have exactly 44 hit points. There should be variation and that's where rolling comes in. The same applies to monsters. All Lamias should not have exactly 97 hit points.

No, it means exactly that. They should all have the same hit points. We don't randomise whether you get other class features as you level up either, it is crazy to randomise the HP.