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

[novyet]

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.

I'm of the same mind on this. The first front line character I played in 3e was a barbarian/fighter, and I think my hp came out like this until I was killed, 12+2+4+1+3+5+3+14=44 at 7th level. Inicidentally I wasn't killed by damage, but by a hasted cleric using deathblow and hold person. Stupid will save.

 

[hong]

Re: Re: Let's follow your logic ...

Why the h8?

Maybe he's just venting. Like you were, or so you said. If you want people to ignore your venting, maybe you should ignore other people's venting as well. Or something along those lines.

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

In that case, why not do what someone else has already suggested, and assign hit points per level as well? It could be average hp, or 3/4 max, or max, or whatever suits your campaign. This makes the whole deal into a non-issue.

 

[Celtavian]

Re

I despise average anything in a roleplaying game. I don't play RPG's to play myself or my neighbor as an adventurer. I want to be the fantastic hero of legend, not the regular joe who managed to become a hero.

Personally, I let my players roll 2 dice for hit points, rerolling 1's and 2's. This usually gives them a good number of hit points.

I like my PC's to survive in battle and have extraordinary hit points and stats. In my opinion, that is part of what makes them legendary heroes of the land and not just another group of adventurers.

I already know some people like to play gritty games where the heroes use a point buy system. For me, even 32 points wouldn't be enough to make the character I want to be. You can't make a Conan, Aragorn, or Drizzt on 32 points. I hardly understand why anyone would use such a system.

I feel the same way about hit points. Why would anyone want to play a character with low hit points or stats. The reasons are beyond me.

 

[Macbrea]

As to only being able to take on orcs. This weekend my 10th level rogue was killed by an orc with a Great axe.


The critical was 60hps damage.

 

[Codragon]

It's a rule = you roll

First, a bit of restating the obvious:

Isn't it a rule that after first level, you roll for your hit points? Isn't there a reason they call them hit dice? A fighter's hit die is a d10. Note the d. It means you roll a die. Rolling a die generates a random number. Thus it is possible that the random numbers come up low for you. WELL BOO-HOO.

Hit points must be rolled after first level. It's part of the game. Some PCs have low hit points, some have high. Maybe your Mage always rolls a 4 but your friend's fighter always rolls a 1. It can happen. Thus the fighter loses his hit die advantage over the mage. Such is life. Hit points aren't everything. Deal with it.

DMs out there: You must let the hit dice fall where they may. To do otherwise is to sell both your players, and the game itself, short.

 

[Thanatos]

Greetings,

This is assuming your player can obtain those magic items that allow him to get his hit points up to an average level. Perhaps in your campaign, that kind of purchasing power is an option, but it isn't in mine.

He's still playing catchup though, while other characters are buying items that make them effective in the above average range.

You'd have a player retire a character and generate another exactly like it vs. letting him re-roll hit points? I'm sorry, that seems rather silly to me and makes for a higher level of suspension of disbelief. You game though and if that is OK and fun for you and him, go for it.

I let my players roll their own HP. I give them maximum HP for first level and allow them to re-roll hit points if they roll less then average.

I'm pretty generous with stats too though, since average joe stats don't make for legendary hero's and since I know over 60% of the magic items in the DMG they won't ever see, so catchup is not an option.

Really it boils down to: Is everyone having fun? Players? DM's? If your gritty-low-hp campaign is a blast then that is all that matters

I think the perception here is: Play in the style that maximizes the fun for your group, whether that means playing exactly by the books or excessive use of Rule 0.

Though I think that most individuals would rather have at least average hit points to low hit points (not including con bonuses) since D&D is combat oriented and tends to get nastier in the higher levels.

 

[El_Gringo]

Re: It's a rule = you roll

First, a bit of restating the obvious:

Isn't it a rule that after first level, you roll for your hit points? Isn't there a reason they call them hit dice? A fighter's hit die is a d10. Note the d. It means you roll a die. Rolling a die generates a random number. Thus it is possible that the random numbers come up low for you. WELL BOO-HOO.

Hit points must be rolled after first level. It's part of the game. Some PCs have low hit points, some have high. Maybe your Mage always rolls a 4 but your friend's fighter always rolls a 1. It can happen. Thus the fighter loses his hit die advantage over the mage. Such is life. Hit points aren't everything. Deal with it.

DMs out there: You must let the hit dice fall where they may. To do otherwise is to sell both your players, and the game itself, short.

And here I thought the gaming police were disbanded.

 

[fett527]

Is this a Roleplaying or Rollplaying game?

I'm really quite stunned at the amount of posters/players that say they don't roll for hit points but assign hit points instead. Our group has always been of the opinion that survivability is tough at low levels and have always allowed max hit points at the first two levels. After that you roll. As long as the DM is doing the same on his side things should balance out. Also, you should understand the limitations of your party as you work together and gain levels. Out attitude is that this is primarily a Roleplaying game. You do not need high stats in every ability to have fun, unless your intention is to just hack and slash. Use the numbers to aid in defining your character. ForceUser@home you could use your low HP rolls as a Roleplaying aid. Work with the DM, but you could have the start of some degenerative disease or somehow a curse has been placed on you. The DM could work it into the story line, assuming you have one. You could get much more creative than that I just threw out a couple of quick suggestions. We do this constantly, we don't let the dice rule the game we use them to aid us in adding Roleplaying aspects to our characters. We'll have weapons that eventually become magic items because someone rolled a natural 20 9 times our of 10 when attacking Orcs. Orcsbane was born! The dice are there to add randomness to the game and make it interesting. If you take away that randomness then where is the challenge?

 

[hong]

Re: It's a rule = you roll

First, a bit of restating the obvious:

Isn't it a rule that after first level, you roll for your hit points?

Not if the DM says it isn't.

Isn't there a reason they call them hit dice?

The greys made it point 3(a) of their orders to Peter Adkison, as part of their plan to take over the world.

A fighter's hit die is a d10. Note the d.

Ah yes, the differential element.

It means you roll a die.

Actually it means you consider the value of delta as epsilon tends to zero.

Rolling a die generates a random number.

Random numbers are good for generating random replies. Great for many things, but always make sure that check your facts before posting to messageboards. I always do.

Thus it is possible that the random numbers come up low for you.

But next week, they'll be high. Remember the golden rule: reroll low, keep high. It worked for Enron!

WELL BOO-HOO.

Please to stop crying already.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Re: Re: What's wrong with you?

And I'm sorry, but 1,2,3 +3 Con = average, assuming a like-leveled character without a Con bonus, like the game does.

The game doesn't assume Con 10-11, except for peasants. It generally assumes 12-14. This is because the game was tested with the iconic adventurers, who don't all have Con 10 - if indeed any do.