D&D 5E First Level Hit Points Need to Increase

[Falling Icicle]

First level HP are just too low right now. I recommend that they be increased to Constitution score + hit die. Right now, it's just too easy for a first level character to be one-shot. I realize that 1st level characters aren't exactly epic heroes, but this is ridiculous. For example, 1st level combat spells do more than enough damage to outright kill a 1st level character with ease. Magic Missile does 3d4+6 (avg. 13.5) damage and always hits. Inflict wounds deals 4d8 (avg. 18) damage. Burning Hands and Thunderwave deal 3d8 (avg. 13.5) damage to an area.

A first level fighter has at most 10-15 hit points. Any of these spells could kill him in a single hit. It's even worse for other classes with smaller hit dice. Even with the change I am suggesting, these spells would still be quite deadly, but not ridiculously so. And it's not just spells. Weapon attacks can easily do damage in the teens. While first level characters should be relatively fragile, I don't think it's too much to ask that they be able to survive one non-critical hit, maybe two, before dropping!

[Edit] Some of you might be thinking, why not just reduce spell damage? No, the damage of 1st level spells is fine right now. If their damage was reduced, they'd be weaker than basic at-will weapon attacks, and that would be ridiculous. They'd also be weaker than cantrips at higher levels. I've suggested that they change cantrip scaling to match cleric and rogue deadly strike (2[W] at 9th level and 3[W] at 19th). If they followed this progression, cantrips would still be a bit weaker than 1st level spells even at 19th level. If you nerf the 1st level spells, cantrips end up getting better, and that's a bit absurd. Even if you did nerf the 1st level spells, it does nothing about regular weapon damage, which can still easily do damage in the teens. The most simple and elegant solution is to give characters more hit points.

 

[1of3]

I hear you. Rolling the first HD normally + Con mod +10 might also do the job. Maximizing the first HD always appeared somewhat arbitrary to me.

 

[jodyjohnson]

There is already a Con + Level buffer. Plus a Cure Minor can pop back characters one per round.

If 0 = Dead it would be different.

 

[El Mahdi]

deleted

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I hear you. Rolling the first HD normally + Con mod +10 might also do the job. Maximizing the first HD always appeared somewhat arbitrary to me.

I've previously advocated for something like this, with the base number being flexible but a default of 4.

 

[Li Shenron]

I realize that 1st level characters aren't exactly epic heroes, but this is ridiculous.

I am with you!

D&DN 1st level characters are already epic heroes, unfortunately for my tastes, since this makes it very hard to run a grim&gritty game; it's always possible to add more stuff on top of a grim&gritty 1st level, or just play a higher level game, but when level 1 is already heroic, it's impossible to turn it down (the best you can do is give scarce magic items).

So given that, it is indeed a bit ridiculous on one side to keep adding more and more stuff to 1st level PCs, and on the other side to keep their hit points low. Personally I think the Con-based solution of the 1st (IIRC) playtest packet was quite good. At least they could bring it back as a Variant/Optional rule in a sidebar.

But all in all, it's also pretty easy to house rule. E.g. an alternative could be to just use (at lv1 only) your full Constitution score in place of the Con bonus.

 

[RangerWickett]

I like wound systems, so I'm thinking of house ruling my own game to grant 10 bonus Wound Points. Once you're out of HP, you have the option to be knocked out and go to negative HP, or to take WP damage but remain conscious and able to fight.

The amount of WP you take determines how serious a wound is. You get a Constitution save (DC 10?) to avoid the wound. Even if you lose a limb or something, the setting will have replacement options.

1 to 4 - Scar.
5 - Sprained limb (penalty to use), lost body part that doesn't actually impair adventuring (ear, nose, finger, nipple, scalp)
6 - Dislocated limb or broken jaw (unable to use), bleeding damage, blinded in one eye (for a few days)
7 - Broken limb (unable to use for weeks), fractured ribs, blinded in both eyes (for a few days)
8 - Severed hand or foot, mangled jaw, lost eye
9 - Severed limb, severed jaw, blinded
10 - Mortal wound

 

[UngeheuerLich]

And wizards HD can go down to d4...

d6 wizards are strange... I see no point in it. I think 10hp+rolling seems like the right choice for 1st level hp. con score could get a little bit too high.

 

[Jester David]

Given they lowered hp after the first package, WotC respond to early feedback that hp was too high.
As I said in the version of this thread on the WotC boards:

I'd rather not. I like first level hitpoints low.

This is a hard debate as there are two camps: ones who want 1st level characters to have low hitpoints and those who want 1st level characters very survivable.
And the difference between the options is huge. 12 hp veruses 18 hp (Con + hp/level) verus 22hp (Con + starting hp) for the fighter w/ 12 Con and for a wizard with the same it's 7hp vs 16hp vs 18hp.

It's also very easy to fix.
Don't want fragile characters? Start at third level. This is simple and requires no house rules.

And there is bound to be a module for this eventually.

As the game should have expected-damage-by-level math for characters, so it's easy to add Hit Dice as well as a flat damage bonus. So they have the expected survivability and damage output of a higher level character but with the simplicity of a first level character, so the PCs can face higher level opponents and not just fight unchallenging goblin hordes that cannot penetrate their massive meaty wall of hp.

I don't see this as being limited to just 3rd level.
If the math is solid, you should be able to add 10 Hit Dice and an equivalent flat damage bonus and have players face much, much higher level threats with the simplicity of first level characters, and continue to advance normally. So if you wanted to play Hercules & Xena and have the characters fight epic monsters and gods but in a level 1-10 campaign, that's how you'd do it.


But there is likely a finite amount it could be increased before other things cause it to break - such as not having expected spells to counter a monster's abilities, and the limited number of daily use powers. So level 10 would likely pushing it, but in theory it's possible.

 

[GX.Sigma]

I think the numbers should be as low as possible. If a 3rd-level Fighter can die to a 1st-level spell, I think that's more a problem with the spell dealing too much damage.