Hit points at level-up

[Umbran]

I generally award XP in "downtime". While I only sometimes apply "training" rules, I don't think characters ought to be spontaneously manifesting new powers, spells, and suchlike as they walk down a corridor, or something. It just isn't tidy that way. I prefer that they have to at least settle into a period of relative calm to digest their experiences before those experiences have meaning. So, they're at full HP when they go up a level, and the question doesn't arise.

 

[Obscure]

Just a quick note on ratios (sorry, I'm an astrophysicist-in-training and these little math foibles bug me):

When you add new HP to a PC's max and current HP, that doesn't maintain the ratio -- it increases it. For example, if a PC has 5 of 10 HP, he's at 50% health. If he then gains 5 HP from levelling up to go 10 of 15, his health ratio is now at 67%. So adding HP to current HP always "heals" a PC in terms of percentage health, or ratio of current to max. Of course, the number of HP down from max stays the same.

 

[Obscure]

In reply to those who don't allow levelling "on the fly" so to speak, I can understand your point of view. On the other hand, what are the new abilities that PCs gain upon levelling up? Most of the time, it amounts to little more than a +1 to hit and on a saving throw, plus a class ability which may not even get used for another day. Characters shouldn't be gaining spells instantly because they're supposed to rest and get spells at a specified time.

I find my group needs to level on the fly, partially due to the tough campaign we're playing (Age of Worms), and also since they're novice-type players who need all the help they can get. But I understand how it isn't always "neat."

 

[babomb]

Well, normally I don't allow levelling until downtime, which typically means everyone gets healed to full HP anyway. Of course, I've played in a game where leveling up meant you got full HP, no matter what you had before. So you're in the middle of a dungeon, you get attacked by orcs who bring you down to single-digit HP, then you kill the last one and POOF! You're completely healed for no apparent reason. Yeah... I didn't like that much.

If I were letting PCs level on the fly, I'd probably add the number to both max and current HP...AFTER he regained consciousness. Actually, I'd rather have the PC keep the same percentage of HP (as nearly as possible) but I'm lazy and it doesn't make THAT much of a difference anyway.

Characters shouldn't be gaining spells instantly because they're supposed to rest and get spells at a specified time.

That's true for clerics, wizards, paladins and rangers. What about bards and sorcerers? They get new spells known. Even if you don't give them the new spell slots until they rest, they might still have slots left. Can't they cast the new spells in those slots?

 

[WayneLigon]

I've always played in campaigns where leveling occured during some form of downtime, so it's never been a problem. The only time I've ever not done that was at a critical juncture in a game. One PC had gone to -13, and ressurection simply wasn't available to them. Now, they had been right on the edge of a level before the session started and they had already had seven or eight tough encounters so it was not unreasonable that he would have leveled before that point; he got his 8 HP from the level and was suddenly at -5. Yeah, cheesy, but it prevented a major hiccup in the session and the campaign at the time.

I'd give everyone but wizards their new spells right away. Wizards generally have to have some quiet time to write their new 'realizations' in their spell books. The divine casters would generally have to wait for downtime before really realizing they could do this, but if they were in extermis, they'd suddenly know that they had an extra spell and it probably would be what they needed at the time. One of the little perks of being divine caster in my campagn is that, rarely, you'll do your prayers and preperations and such... and suddenly be struck with the insight that you really, really should take, say, Detect Undead.

 

[Yair]

I have two "modes". In the "super heroic" mode I allow level in mid-adventure and then, yes, the bonus hit points are added to both maximum and current HP. This saved the party's bacon a few times.
In the "standard" mode levels is only done with training in the downtime, so it's not an issue.
In both cases I allow the players to either choose the average hp (true average, keeping the 0.5 but only to the extent that they add to a +1 on even levels), or roll (once, no rerolls).

 

[tetsujin28]

Roll, with a minimum of half.

 

[Thanee]

How do you determine a PC's hit points when they level up? Do you have them add the newly gained HP to both the max HP and current HP, or just max?

Both.

What if the PC is at negative HP at the time of level up? Can they regain consciousness due to levelling up? Or do they not level up until after regaining consciousness?

We don't do instant level ups, so that doesn't really happen.

Bye
Thanee

 

[RichGreen]

Hi,

I award xp at the end of each session and generally only allow levelling up during downtime (or a rest period when everyone's on full hp anyway). However, I would allow it to be added to both.

Cheers


Richard

 

[jdrakeh]

I generally only allow levelling up during downtime, and during downtime you're usually healed up anyway. So, not a big problem for me.

That's basically what I do, except that I use a d20-ised version of The Fantasy Trip's rules for downtime risk based on occupation in the campaign world.