D&D 5E Hit points -- how do you roll?

[Sunseeker]

Prior to 5e it was fixed hit points per level: 3, 5, or 7 per level (depending on class). This actually included 1st level, except that all characters got a one-off +5 bonus to hit points at that level. (This was done to clean up one of the oddities of the multiclass system. Though in actual play I don't think it ever came up. )

It's worth noting that in the Edition-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named (I'm kidding folks, chill!) those were the average+1 of the typical HD for those classes.

 

[Staccat0]

You can either take half the value of the die or take a chance. We play for laughs so people always roll unless they got a 1 or 2 last time.

 

[Li Shenron]

Usually player's choice, but in my latest (and current) tabletop group it's "gentleman's roll" of roll HP, take average (round-up) if your roll less, which means they have no better choice

 

[delericho]

It's worth noting that in the Edition-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named (I'm kidding folks, chill!) those were the average+1 of the typical HD for those classes.

Ah, but not quite - what I didn't say was that I tied it to BAB, so Rangers effectively "moved up" while Barbarians "moved down" to the same point as Fighters. Which was a feature, not a bug.

 

[delericho]

One option I considered (but ultimately rejected as too complex) was as follows:

Characters start the adventure at the maximum possible for their class (so a 3rd level Fighter would have 30 hit points plus Con bonuses).

If they took a Long Rest while injured, they would then reroll their entire hit dice. If the result was less than or equal to their current total then their maximum would thus be reduced to their current total (and, in effect, they wouldn't heal anything). If the result was greater than or equal to their maximum total, then their maximum would be reduced by 1, and their current would then increase to this new maximum. And if the result was somewhere in between then both the current and maximum would change to that new result.

(The maximum would reset back to "max possible" after a "between adventures" rest - which in-game probably means taking a full week off, or something.)

So if our 3rd level Fighter has a max of 28 and a current total of 15 and takes a long rest, he'd roll 3d10. If the result was 12, he'd stay on 15 but his maximum would also become 15. If the result was 29, his maximum would instead decrease to 27, and his current total would also become 27. And if the result was 22, then both his current and maximum would become 22.

I had thought this would help with the "long rest cures everything" oddity in the game - if the total gradually reduces when characters take a long rest then they would get progressively more beaten up as they went. And, of course, by starting at "max possible" it's not disasterous for balance on average. But it does run into problems if a character is badly injured and then rolls really badly on his hit dice during the long rest.

Ultimately, I discarded it as being too complex to be worth bothering with. But someone might like it, so here it is.

 

[Quartz]

3E: fixed HP: Max (HD) - 2.
Ditto for 5E when I get to play.

 

[Ezequielramone]

My players have to roll and deal with it. I use to be more like point buy system and average HD, but that didn't have "the thing" or "the magic". But they can choose to select the lvl of "rerollness". For example: if your HD is d8 and select lvl 1 you have to re roll 1s and 8s. (Or roll 1d6+1). If you select lvl 2 you re roll 1, 2 , 7, 8. (Or roll 1d4+2). And so on.
You choose each time before rolling.
I have a 4lvl paladin whom roll 1 two times. He swore and dealt with it.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I do better than rhat - keep rolling until upper half. It just means all pcs have above average hp. Very important in a game with slow healing option.

Wouldn't it be more time-efficient to just roll once? E.g. instead of rolling d8, roll d4+4? Or would that just make people who rolled a 1 (=5) feel bad for rolling the minimum?