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<blockquote data-quote="Gargoyle" data-source="post: 272575" data-attributes="member: 529">I don't use many house rules, but I do for hit points.I give max hit points to all player characters and major villains at each level, and use average hit points for monsters and minor NPCs.&nbsp; The way I see it is this:&nbsp; - I want a more cinematic game where the PC's are heroes and a cut above most others, so I want them to survive longer.&nbsp; I also want my major villains to survive a fight or two before getting their comeuppance.&nbsp; I feel like this makes the game more fun for everybody.&nbsp;&nbsp; (PC's still die from regular damage ocassionally btw, even those with lots of hit points)- Damage rolls are random, so the way you determine hit points shouldn't be.&nbsp; In other words, there is already a random factor that determines when characters will die (the damage roll), so why add a second random factor? (the hit die roll)&nbsp; Having the hit point progression fixed means I know how many hit points everyone starts with.&nbsp; - I don't have to witness dice rolls for hit points or have to worry about cheating.&nbsp; My players aren't cheaters, and I trust them, but locks keep honest people honest.&nbsp; This is one less temptation for them.&nbsp; This is a minor point.- It's faster and simpler than rolling.&nbsp; Another minor point.The disadvantage of max hit points is that it's possible that at higher levels there will be such a disparity between classes that encounters will become too deadly for wizards and sorcerers or not challenging enough for the barbarian and fighter types.&nbsp; So far that hasn't proven to be the case, but it's too early to tell (they're only 6-7th level as we tend to stop the campaign to playtest stuff).&nbsp; I've had three deaths so far:&nbsp; One barbarian, one fighter, and one sorcerer, all from damage taken.&nbsp;&nbsp; I've noticed that having a lot of hit points sometimes gives them a false sense of confidence.&nbsp; The fighter died from a crit about 10 minutes after bragging about his 90+ hp.&nbsp; The encounter was not adjusted to be more difficult because of this house rule, either.&nbsp; D&amp;D 3rd edition is just dangerous sometimes...which is good as long as PCs aren't dying off too often.&nbsp; I'm not saying this is the best system for everyone, but it works well for me.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Gargoyle, post: 272575, member: 529"] I don't use many house rules, but I do for hit points. I give max hit points to all player characters and major villains at each level, and use average hit points for monsters and minor NPCs. The way I see it is this: - I want a more cinematic game where the PC's are heroes and a cut above most others, so I want them to survive longer. I also want my major villains to survive a fight or two before getting their comeuppance. I feel like this makes the game more fun for everybody. (PC's still die from regular damage ocassionally btw, even those with lots of hit points) - Damage rolls are random, so the way you determine hit points shouldn't be. In other words, there is already a random factor that determines when characters will die (the damage roll), so why add a second random factor? (the hit die roll) Having the hit point progression fixed means I know how many hit points everyone starts with. - I don't have to witness dice rolls for hit points or have to worry about cheating. My players aren't cheaters, and I trust them, but locks keep honest people honest. This is one less temptation for them. This is a minor point. - It's faster and simpler than rolling. Another minor point. The disadvantage of max hit points is that it's possible that at higher levels there will be such a disparity between classes that encounters will become too deadly for wizards and sorcerers or not challenging enough for the barbarian and fighter types. So far that hasn't proven to be the case, but it's too early to tell (they're only 6-7th level as we tend to stop the campaign to playtest stuff). I've had three deaths so far: One barbarian, one fighter, and one sorcerer, all from damage taken. I've noticed that having a lot of hit points sometimes gives them a false sense of confidence. The fighter died from a crit about 10 minutes after bragging about his 90+ hp. The encounter was not adjusted to be more difficult because of this house rule, either. D&D 3rd edition is just dangerous sometimes...which is good as long as PCs aren't dying off too often. I'm not saying this is the best system for everyone, but it works well for me. [/QUOTE]

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