D&D 5E How should hit points be gained? [5E specific]

[Jahydin]

At Level Up: Reroll all your accumulated Hit Dice. If the total is greater than your current (prior to level up) hit points, you have the new hit points. Otherwise, you keep your prior total.

Close to what I do!

Mine is:
At Level Up: Reroll all your accumulated Hit Dice. If the total is greater than your current (prior to level up) hit points, you have the new hit points. Otherwise, add 1 + CON Mod to your total.

That way there is always some progress to be had when gaining levels.

 

[Reynard]

It's worth noting that a lot of 5e DMs may have monsters cast attack spells without adjusting the damage dice (they're balanced for players using them against monsters instead of the other way around), which can result in a skewed perspective of player hit point values.

I'm not sure where you're coming from here. What are the guidelines for monster casters most 5E DMs are missing?

 

[aco175]

I'm not sure where you're coming from here. What are the guidelines for monster casters most 5E DMs are missing?

I was thinking the same thing, but not sure if it should be a new thread? Seems like it could be a bigger discussion.

 

[TwoSix]

At Level Up: Reroll all your accumulated Hit Dice. If the total is greater than your current (prior to level up) hit points, you have the new hit points. Otherwise, you keep your prior total.

This way leveling up doesn't automatically give you more hp. It gives you the chance. And if you rolled crappy for a few levels, this will likely fix it. If you rolled well, you don't lose what you have if you happen to roll lower.

This is my own personal house rule, and I strongly endorse it.

My only additions are that the roller can maximize their lowest roll, which mimics the "max at 1st level" of standard 5e, although my rule is slightly stronger since the lowest die has a greater chance of being a 1 as more Hit Dice are rolled.

 

[Stormonu]

Max 1st level, +Con mod on even levels, +HD on odd levels.

End the bloat.

 

[el-remmen]

In my current games we do maximum at level one, then each following level you roll but if you get less than average rounded down, you get average rounded down (modified by Con of course)

 

[Storyteller Hero]

I'm not sure where you're coming from here. What are the guidelines for monster casters most 5E DMs are missing?

It's the guidelines for monster damage that doesn't line up with the spell damage progression.

Monster HP progression also is not done the same as player HP progression, so the spells in the game logically can not be balanced both ways without having two different sets of damage dice.

As such, when using monsters that cast spells, care needs to be taken to either adjust the damage dice of spells used, or adjust the max level of spells available to the monsters assuming they use any damage-dealing spells.

 

[Reynard]

It's the guidelines for monster damage that doesn't line up with the spell damage progression.

Monster HP progression also is not done the same as player HP progression, so the spells in the game logically can not be balanced both ways without having two different sets of damage dice.

As such, when using monsters that cast spells, care needs to be taken to either adjust the damage dice of spells used, or adjust the max level of spells available to the monsters assuming they use any damage-dealing spells.

Well, the mage is CR 6 and casting fireball is actually low for the range suggested for an average roll and only slightly over for full damage, no save.

 

[Blue]

In one game I'm in, the DM switched from choice to the PHB listed amounts (max at 1st and rounded-up-average each level beyond) when they noticed that every player who opted to roll was at more than 75% possible HPs, including one player who in more two successive campaigns had more HPs then possible for their level. Came up when their rogue had more than the tank fighter really pushing their CON.

Even for players that wouldn't cheat in a session, it seems that the urge to fudge when a low HP roll comes by once a level is too much.

As such, I do the PHB max/average, and want others to do that as well, even if I'm not the DM I will push for it.

 

[Blue]

It's the guidelines for monster damage that doesn't line up with the spell damage progression.

Monster HP progression also is not done the same as player HP progression, so the spells in the game logically can not be balanced both ways without having two different sets of damage dice.

As such, when using monsters that cast spells, care needs to be taken to either adjust the damage dice of spells used, or adjust the max level of spells available to the monsters assuming they use any damage-dealing spells.

I agree with your observations. PC-building rules and monster statblocks are quite different, especially in the (nova) damage to survivability ratio.

But I disagree with your conclusions. 95%+ of combats, a foe dropping means they are out of it. A PC dropping means they might lose an action. 5e puts a large buffer between fear of death and death - and the very start of that buffer, at 0, is where foes die.

In effect, if HPs are a measure of how long a being is effective in combat, PCs have a heck of a lot more HPs than the HPs listed on their sheet. So there is no need to adjust spell damage and it's actually counterproductive in producing tension.