Hit point generation methods

[soulcat]

My players roll hp once, in front of me, and if they get a bad result they have to learn to roleplay.

Harsh? maybe. But I always make sure there is a way out of every combat for them if they want to take it, and I award xp's for good roleplay, and avoiding conflict.

If you take max HP at first level (which I think everyone does) that already skews the average in your favour for your starting levels.

 

[noffham]

For best general survivability without undue hit point inflation at higher levels, I've used this: HP= CON at level one (no roll or adjustments) and then normal rolling after that.

This provides a survival kicker when most needed, but leaves PCs with a more "normal" hit point curve after that.

Although I do see the benefit to using one of the lower variance methods discussed here also.

Cheers!

 

[Felonious Ntent]

Last game I was in was max HP for eveyone monsters, npc's, characters.
Worked well.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

I use the 1d4+(max)-4 method mentioned above. I think that a good hit die is a class feature, and it should pay off like any other class feature without being subject to the vagaries of the dice. Barbarians IMC are hit point machines, wizards less so...

Also, I like to have tough encounters, so the party meat shields had better be up to the task.

 

[Squire James]

I do the "normal roll, take 1/2 max if better" method. This doesn't distort HP all that much, and everyone gets decent results. Some statistics for a few methods:

"Take 1/2 max if better"
d4 average result is 2.75 (+0.25)
d6 average result is 4 (+0.5)
d8 average result is 5.25 (+0.75)
d10 average result is 6.5 (+1)
d12 average result is 7.75 (+1.25)

"Reroll if below 1/2 max, gotta take the result"
d4 average result is 2.875 (+0.375)
d6 average result is 4.25 (+0.75)
d8 average result is 5.625 (+1.125)
d10 average result is 7 (+1.5)
d12 average result is 8.375 (+1.875)

"Reroll if below 1/2 max, repeat as necessary"
d4 average result is 3 (+0.5)
d6 average result is 4.5 (+1)
d8 average result is 6 (+1.5)
d10 average result is 7.5 (+2)
d12 average result is 9 (+2.5)

 

[Blue Sky]

IMC, I allow people to either roll or take 75% hp, chosen at each level. If they roll, then any number lower than half max is considered to be half max. After a gestalt game where the barbarian/fighter got less hit points than the rogue/wizard, I felt that low rolls hurt more than high rolls help.

In the game I play in, we roll, reroll if less than half. Works out pretty well.

 

[billd91]

I guess I'm a bit of a strict constructionist for stats and hit points. I let the dice fall where they may (for PCs and major NPCs... mooks and wandering monsters get avg hit points).

For hp, max for 1st level (as in rules) and the dice determine all other levels, one roll, no rerolls. As characters advance in levels and get more HD, they regress toward the mean and that's fine with me. If they can't figure out how to get out of the firing line when they have relatively low hp, they'll get to try again with the next character.

 

[JoeGKushner]

This will sound strange but...it's either maximum, 80%, 75%, or the odd-off one found in the DMG. I usually go with maximum.

For me, hit dice, unlike some games, are part of the benefit of your character class. In some games like GURPS and Hero, your hit points have nothing to do with your profession. In others like Rolemaster, while hit points are important, you still get the same hit dice as everyone else, just maybe not as many.

I've seen too many barbarian and other good hit dice types crippled by bad rolls or even averages. What's the point in being a warmain when the akeshik has more hit points than you (true story).

 

[Quickbeam]

I play and DM in two different groups. Each group has its own HP system, but both involve the possibility of the random generation problems you mention in your post Cordo.

In one group, two methods for determining HP's are used depending on the DM at the time. One method has players roll their appropriate die in the open while the DM rolls behind his screen. Without knowing the DM's roll result, players must choose to take their roll or that of the DM. The other method has players make an HP roll, after which they may choose to re-roll that result one time. A second roll is final. Neither method above allows for 1's to be re-rolled, which mitigates the bias towards characters with lower hit dice per level you described.

In my other group players also have two choices. Upon gaining a new level they may choose to accept the average HP for their chosen class with no rolls necessary. However, they may also elect to roll knowing that the result is final, with the exception being that an initial 1 is re-rolled.

I prefer the methods used by my first group overall, and for my part I enjoy the randomness involved in HP generation...same as I do for ability score generation. It's just part of the fun for me, good and bad results alike.