Hit point generation methods

[Haltherrion]

We're generous. For a dN, we use N/2+dN/2. So a d6 is 3+d3. D12 is 6 +d6.

It gives everyone reasonable hitpoints but more importantly, it reduces the variance. As a ref or a player, higher variance is more trouble than a higher average. Higher average with low variance is easily compensated for with a little more challenging battles. But high variance with nominal average means that it is easy to kill some poor PC whose only fault is bad luck on hit dice roles.

I guess I'll have to own up to a little more negative reason for this as well. I've refereed many players over the years. Most are honest. My current batch is quite honest. But in any nominal group of players, there always seems to be at least one who is mysteriously lucky. I don't really believe in long term luck over many die rolls. These folks are fudging. And if they fudge anything, they'll fudge their hit points. The above system, by providing lower variance on that very important stat, hit points, gives the fudgers less of an advantage.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

I've gone through about five methods, none of which I liked, ranging from "one blind reroll" (the player can choose to reroll, but keeps what he gets even if lower) to "choose high average or roll." The former produced hugely inflated totals; the latter was just boring for me and my players.

My latest attempt is a simple minimum, based on HD. d4 and d6 have a minimum of 3, d8 is 4, d10 is 5, and d12 is 6. If you roll less than the minimum, you gain the minimum.

I think this one will work out. It keeps players from getting screwed, but it also doesn't inflate totals nearly as much as rerolling does.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

We do it straight by the book. Roll and take what you get. The interesting thing is that even with low rolls, the players seem to enjoy it. I feel like cutting out the random factor really defeats the point. Might as well make saves and attacks static, too. At first glance, they may not seem to be AS important as HP, but they most definitely are.

And besides...where's the fun without any risk?

 

[Undead Pete]

I keep it nice and simple. Player get max HP. Monsters get Max HP.

 

[The Grackle]

I don't mind all characters of a given class and level having similar HP. I hope characters are defined by more than hit points. They should be defiend by the coolness of their hats.

Yeah, but what hat generating method do you use?


When I DM, I let the players take avg HP if they roll below average. They're just too fragile otherwise.

 

[Darren Ravenshaw]

The method I use is players gain max HP for the first 5 levels(when every point counts), after which players roll the following instead of the listed hit dice.

d4=1d3+1
d6=1d4+2
d8=2d3+2
d10=1d6+4
d12=2d4+4

 

[Thordain]

In my campaign, I'm using assigned averages, rounded up on even levels and down on odd levels. So a d10 fighter would get

lvl 1: 10
lvl 2: 6
lvl 3: 5
lvl 4: 6
lvl 5: 5
etc..

a d4 wizard would get
lvl 1: 4
lvl 2: 3
lvl 3: 2
lvl 4: 3
lvl 5: 2

Seems like the fairest system. Anything involving dice is going to run the risk of under or overpowering, imho.

 

[arscott]

I keep it nice and simple. Player get max HP. Monsters get Max HP.

wouldn't this screw up the spellcasters? More hit points would mean that combat takes longer, which is going to be a problem for your caster types, who can only deal so much damage before they run out of spells.

 

[Li Shenron]

As a DM I don't want to have any characters crippled by random rolls but I also don't want to overinflate (at least by too much statistically).

...

Thoughts? What do you use in your game?

HP is possibly the only random left in character generation nowadays, since it seems to me that more and more groups prefer the buy method for stats rather than rolling...

I have seen used at least the following methods so far:

- regular Hp rolls
- regular Hp rolls (but also 2nd level gets max Hp)
- reroll 1s
- reroll 1s and 2s
- reroll anything below 50%
- roll and use the best between the dice result and 50%
- start with 50% and roll the other half (such as d10 becoming 5+d5)
- always 75% [3, 5, 6, 8, 9]

and I even myself considered to give always 100% at every level one day.

For me (as a DM) Hp aren't a big deal, and if the players are afraid to have too few, I'm always in favour of a boost. The worst that can happen is to have longer combats, which isn't bad at all. I'm definitely less in favour of stats boosts for example.

As a player I prefer not to risk and I would probably choose the average instead of rolling.

 

[Hawken]

The method I use is:

--Max HP at 1st level.
--Each additional level, roll normally, but round up to 1/2 the HD value if result is lower.
--Any classes with D4 HD are automatically bumped up to D6.

This results in a minimum of average HP for the heroes. Well, actually above average at least since all my players tend to have at least a 12 Con. And this is what I prefer, the PCs are supposed to be heroes, exceptional, examples. And nothing kills that impression faster than a 1 or 2 when generating HP. What is so heroic if the knight that is facing the dragon has barely more HP than a peasant?

The rounding up applies only to Core classes. NPC classes and prestige classes generate HP normally. You roll, you take the result. If the heroes want to take a common class, they can get the HP of a common person. This rule also encourages staying in the core classes.

NPC HP are determined randomly. Monsters I generally give 1/2 to 3/4 of the max for their HD and BBG generally get max HP.