Fellow DM, How do you handle Hit Point at each new level ?

[Graybeard]

My players either roll in front of me and take what they get or take the average. They nearly always take the average. It usually works out for the best in the long run.

Chuck

 

[ThirdWizard]

For levels 2-5 in my current campaign, I let them roll one lower die and add 2, so the ranger rolled 1d6+2 for hp instead of 1d8. After that, they're above the average so they take what they get.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

Roll to beat the average. If you don't beat average you still get the average.

Me too.

 

[Galethorn]

Average, the way the book says to do it.

That is, at odd levels, they gain the odd 'half' of average (5 on a d8 or d10, 3 on a d4). At even levels, they gain the even 'half' (4 on a d8, 6 on a d10, 2 on a d4).

I much prefer it to rolling. The way I see it, HP is such an abstraction that the fact that two characters of the same level, HD, and Con mod have the same HP isn't any stranger or more 'artificial' than them having the same BAB or saves, or whatever. If you're going to roll something as abstract as HP (and therfore make it uneven between characters), you might as well roll XP randomly.

 

[Woas]

Maybe I got this system from an ENWorlder or maybe WotC boards... I dunno. I've ben using it as the defualt for some time now.

Player and DM roll dice. The die the DM rolled is hidden however. The PC gets to choose their roll or the DMs.

It's lots of fun.

Edit: Forgot to mention. If I (being the DM) notice that both the PC and DM roll a 1, then the PC gets max HP!

 

[Steel_Wind]

I let my players roll em and they tell me what they get.

If they cheat - they do.

Either way - it becomes a known quantity and I adjust encounters accordingly.

 

[haiiro]

For my current campaign, we use this method: Roll and take what you rolled, or half of your max, whichever is higher.

I wanted the PCs in this campaign to have a bit of an edge, and while I personally hate rolling for HP lots of other folks seem to like it. This was the best compromise I could come up with -- I spent a crapload of time looking into fixed-HP methods, and in D&D they all cause more problems than the (generally) slight inequities caused by rolling.

If I could find a solid way around rolling for HP at all, I'd do it.

 

[jgbrowning]

Player and DM roll dice. The die the DM rolled is hidden however. The PC gets to choose their roll or the DMs.

Edit: Forgot to mention. If I (being the DM) notice that both the PC and DM roll a 1, then the PC gets max HP!

That's pretty cool. I think I may use it next time I GM.

joe b.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Max at 1st level, high-average after that.

If I were ever to go back to rolling for hitpoints, I'd have the player roll once for each class they're advancing in (I run Gestalt) and they get the better result.

 

[WayneLigon]

Player and DM roll dice. The die the DM rolled is hidden however. The PC gets to choose their roll or the DMs.

I do this as well. Got is from someone I played under at one point.