D&D 5E House rule for fixed HP value at 2/3 HD value

[Skyscraper]

I'm contemplating the following house rule for flat hit points gained per level after the first. I'll ignore the rule that allows to roll HP values for the purposes of this thread, if you like rolling, that's fine - I do to, but I want to try fixed values and see what comes of it.

The rule consists of using a fixed value of HP gained at each level, equal to 2/3 of the Hit Dice. It requires a variation of HP gained in increments of three levels. Depending on class hit die, we would then have hit points gained, at each group of 3 levels starting at level 2:
(hit die = d6): 4/4/4...
(hit die = d8) 6/5/5...
(hit die = d10) 7/7/6...
(hit die = d12) 8/8/8...

This is instead of the flat [half HD value + .5] that is presently the rule.

The flat +.5 rounding up for HP gained at each level, is advantageous to classes with the lower hit dice because .5 HP per level is a greater fraction of their hit die than those classes with the higher hit die. So it closes the gap a bit between classes. With this alternate method, the classes with the higher hit dice get more HP out of their levelling up. Actually, everyone gets a bit more HP at each level, except the classes that have a d6 as their hit dice. So it gives a bit of an advantage to classes with higher hit dice, but I think it's interesting, it emphasizes the resiliency of those classes.

Thoughts?

 

[Baron Opal II]

I've had fixed hp for monsters for a while now. 2/HD frail, 4/HD weak, 6/HD typical, 8/HD strong. That's been pretty conveinient for me.

Back in the day, I tried something similar with characters but the players complained. They like to roll the dice.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Interesting. I don't see anything wrong with it if that is your design goal. But frankly the increase is relatively minor really, benefiting the barbarian with d12 the most, but even that only translates into +1 hp per level.

So, other than boosting a bit the martial classes HP, do you feel PCs don't have enough hit points? Is there an issue this rule is actually trying to fix?

Personally, we went the other direction, removing CON bonus from HP and giving half (round down) if the player doesn't roll.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

This is a "Why not?" for me.
If you feel martial characters need a bit of a boost, that is a possible way to go.
I do think however that alt level 1, the hit die does make the barbarian already a lot more resilient than the wizard and for us it works as it is.
A different Idea could be just replacing hit dice in the following way 1d6+2 instead of d8, 1d6 + 4 instead of d10, 1d6 + 6 instead of d12.
Now you still give 4,5,6,7 hitpoints per level but you increase recovery by a lot.

 

[FrogReaver]

I'm contemplating the following house rule for flat hit points gained per level after the first. I'll ignore the rule that allows to roll HP values for the purposes of this thread, if you like rolling, that's fine - I do to, but I want to try fixed values and see what comes of it.

The rule consists of using a fixed value of HP gained at each level, equal to 2/3 of the Hit Dice. It requires a variation of HP gained in increments of three levels. Depending on class hit die, we would then have hit points gained, at each group of 3 levels starting at level 2:
(hit die = d6): 4/4/4...
(hit die = d8) 6/5/5...
(hit die = d10) 7/7/6...
(hit die = d12) 8/8/8...

This is instead of the flat [half HD value + .5] that is presently the rule.

The flat +.5 rounding up for HP gained at each level, is advantageous to classes with the lower hit dice because .5 HP per level is a greater fraction of their hit die than those classes with the higher hit die. So it closes the gap a bit between classes. With this alternate method, the classes with the higher hit dice get more HP out of their levelling up. Actually, everyone gets a bit more HP at each level, except the classes that have a d6 as their hit dice. So it gives a bit of an advantage to classes with higher hit dice, but I think it's interesting, it emphasizes the resiliency of those classes.

Thoughts?

IMO. Effect is too minor to matter. Nothing is going to change because a PC has on average 1 more hp per level (or 1 more per 3 levels in the case of the d8 classes).

 

[Umbran]

Thoughts?

It is fine, though as others have pointed out, the effect is minor compared to the standard.