[Hit Points - Minor Rant] How few is too few?

[ForceUser@Home]

Re: Let's follow your logic ...

Let's use your logic here for a moment...

<Begin Quote>

What I'm saying here is the game is set up to allow for these things. Why not play the game as written?

<End Quote>

The game also allows you to roll a character who has a 3 in every stat. Do you still defend the idea that since the game allows this it should be played as written? Using your logic a character like this is just as playable and fun as any other!

If the player in the original example continued to roll poorly (no better than a 2 or 3) for the next few levels he would approach 10th level with around 50 HP. That number of hit points at that level would preclude him from engaging in combat with any of the creatures that he would normally encounter. Combine that with the Fighters low number of skill points and nearly non-existant class skill list and you have the definition of useless.

Here's a question for you! If you are so into playing challenging characters then why don't you voluntarily use the character that I described above? Just put a 3 in for every stat and 'roleplay' to your hearts content!

Why the h8?

We don't roll stats, we use point-buy. Thanks for your insight.

 

[Number47]

lol, no, see, you've got it backwards. The number's aren't what's important...that's my point! But anyway, I can see I'm in the minority here. I'm not going to force anyone to play a character with low hit points, I just wish players wouldn't concentrate on the numbers so much.

You mistake me. I am yelling at all the people yelling at you.

 

[ForceUser@Home]

You mistake me. I am yelling at all the people yelling at you.

Doh, self-ownage

Thanks

 

[Ilen]

I don't know the exact circumstances, but I would be a bit disappointed if I created a character who is supposed to be a Big Tough Dude who can wade through a bar fight with out much worry and I rolled below average rolls... consistently.

It's hard to role-play somebody who is a tough tenacious bastard if a 4 year old with a Popsicle stick can dispatch you without much trouble.

 

[dagger]

Well he might not be crippled right now, but he will be at higher level. He wont survive the 1st round of combat against a giant with out the DM fudging combat rolls.


ONE good thing, it will be pretty easy too heal him all the way up. We have a 18th level barbarian who is pretty much NEVER at full HPS just because he has so freaking many. Around or over 200 at this point I think....

 

[TBoarder]

So take a third of your 6th level wealth there and buy a +2 Con item for 4000 gp. Or have a party member who took Craft Wondrous Item make it for 2000 gp. The option is there.

There's aproblem with this line of thinking though. While your low hit-point character is spending his money on magic items to bring himself up to simply average hit points, he's losing out on items that are becoming more and more necessary at that level... +2 weapons, +2 armor, a cool miscellaneous item that would help him stand out from the crowd. Instead he's playing catch-up to keep himself alive, while still being crippled if he now can't afford weapons to penetrate damage resistance that can be found on creatures of his CR.

I'm not saying playing a character with low hit points is bad, but the system really doesn't handle it like you say it does.

 

[Broken Fang]

My party happens to be a bit on the slow side when it comes to planning...so I had to implement the max HP's at every level rule. This gives them a chance to survive. Right now they are 4th level and there are 7 of them.

Recently (they were 3rd level for this) they took on an orc keep. Poor planning alerted the orcs. In the first round of combat the Ftr 2/Ranger 1 went down to -9 from a great axe crit...rolled a 12+STR mod!! This was one of their 3 front liners! Later as the party ran around like chickens with their heads cut off the second front liner played dead ( a half-orc barbarian...yeah ok and was bound). Finally as the party decided to flee the thrid and final front liner went down...hold person (paladin with great saves).

3rd ed is lethal at all levels and with soem good rolls (and I roll in front of the players...no fudging) it can be way lethal! Look at a Fire Giants max damage with a crit! This way I don't have to worry about crappy rolls and they know not to bitch when it gets down and dirty.

 

[S'mon]

While a barbarian or tank-type fighter with low hp is a crappy meat shield and thus not much use, a Ranger is much more than that - IMC Rangers take the forward scout. Spot/Hide role of the Rogue, with good bow-related feats they can be very handy. That said, if your players can't bear to roll low hp, make them use the optional average-hp rule from the DMG. I always give my players the choice of taking the average or rolling - at low levels, many take the average, at higher levels ir matters less. I think you have some problem players if they refuse to do this.

 

[Johno]

Fighter with those hp rolls?

Methinks you troll...

 

[arwink]

If suddenly finding myself playing a fighter who had rolled minimum hitpoints for the past six levels?

Well, I wouldn't be spending a third of my wealth on HP buffing items. It'd be going on better defences and a really, really good bow.

Everyone has a weakness, but sometimes it's better to accept the weakness for what it is and start capitalising on your strengths.