Hit Points, Hit Points, Hit Points

[ShawnLStroud]

I don't give them anything. They have the choice to take their own roll, or mine. I roll the dice in the open, so they don't always improve their lot. I've noticed that the players will definitely take my roll on a 1 or 2 of their own.

 

[Squire James]

I have my players roll normally, but take half the hit die (2 for d4, 3 for d6, etc.) if the roll is worse. Stops the "skunky rolls" while still allowing a variety of HP values.

If I was forbidden to use this method for some reason, I'd probably go with hong's method. Lucky rollers have enough advantages during gameplay (ANOTHER crit on a Smite Evil with Power Attack?!) that they probably shouldn't have superior characters too!

 

[Terwox]

I make them roll. And I make them keep ones! The horror!

I dunno. It works. Stinks for unlucky people with d8 or higher, but at mid-levels, statistically most people should be around average. It's only a problem at lower levels, where rolling those two ones is somewhat probable, and also really hurts you because you don't have any other good rolls.

 

[The_Gneech]

Well, speaking as somebody who CAN'T ROLL DICE (*cry*), while I would certainly be happy to take a "what you roll or 1/2 the die, whichever is better" system, I have always played and DMed using straight rolls.

One DM I had did something I thought was really odd -- he had everybody roll their hit points anew at the beginning of every session. I've still never figured out where he got that idea, nor what the point was.

-The Gneech

 

[WizarDru]

First level: max hit points.

All other levels: Roll 'em. Get a '1', you get one chance to reroll. Get another '1', then the dice have spoken. Suck it down.


Gneech, did that DM have you consult a biorythm chart or something?

 

[Vymair]

I allowed rerolls in my current campaign for especially low #s through the first 10 levels. Next time, maximum hps at 1st and 2nd, roll from there on ...

 

[nsruf]

One DM I had did something I thought was really odd -- he had everybody roll their hit points anew at the beginning of every session. I've still never figured out where he got that idea, nor what the point was.

I heard a rumor once that this was an idea Gygax and Arneson had during the early stages of developing D&D 1E. I think it is an interesting idea, i.e. hp not being a constant ability but representing how you feel on a day-to-day basis. If you have a bad-hp day, better stay home