Hit points at level-up

[genshou]

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.

Ugh, that's so Diablo-esque that I want to vomit...

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Ugh, that's so Diablo-esque that I want to vomit...

Anyone else read that as, "Ugh, that's so Diaglo-esque that I want to vomit ..."?

 

[Beale Knight]

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? Do their current HP increase just enough to keep their "percentage health" the same?

I have them roll the appropriate hit die and addthe Con bonus. If the die roll comes up with a 1, I let them re-roll (if a second 1 comes up, they're stuck with it). If they aren't at full hit points when they level up, the new points are added to their current total. So they're effectively "suddenly feeling much healthier."

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?

I make the characters in my campaign take a day off to level up. It's a day spent just in training, so they must be conscious for it.

 

[Kid Socrates]

Did the battle end and then XP was handed out before his party members got him back up on his feet? I know it's group XP, otherwise I'd be asking how he managed to level up while unconscious.

"The orc is getting away! Shoot him!"
"I'm out of arrows!"
"Quick! To the bridge! We'll drop Jim's body on him as he runs under it!"
*shuffleshuffleshuffleTHUD*
"Woohoo!"

I'd give him the HP both to his current and his max. I'd hate to think getting stronger makes you weaker (assuming that 17 out of 51 is stronger than 17 out of 58, for example).

 

[Arnwyn]

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?

For us, we add them just to the max, not current.

 

[genshou]

Anyone else read that as, "Ugh, that's so Diaglo-esque that I want to vomit ..."?

Hopefully, only if you're dyslexic or tired. I like diaglo; he's funny...

 

[tetsujin28]

I allow them to add to their current and max. Why not? I'm not out to screw the players.

 

[DragonLancer]

I've never really thought about it and its never reared its head, but I have always assumed that the max HP goes up but the current doesn't.