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

[jgsugden]

I have the same system as Matt Mercer - although we both came to them independently.

Max at first. Then roll. If you roll a 1, reroll.

Why I like it: You get some variance with highs and lows without it typically being devastating. If you roll low at second level you feel it - which adds personality and challenge. However, the odds a re highly against you rollowing significantly low multiple levels in a row to cause a true problem.

 

[Charlaquin]

I like it. It's pretty similar to my OSE house rules for multiclassing, where you can gain separate levels in multiple classes, but your true "level" and thus maximum number of Hit Dice, is determined by your single highest level in any class.

Haha, I originally came up with it as part of a multiclassing overhaul that was designed to achieve exactly the same goal - treating your level in your highest class as your “true level.” Keeping maximum hit dice equal to your levels in your highest-level class was my hack to achieve this, basically just referring to total hit dice to avoid having to define a concept of “true level” in the rules.

The main difference between my method and your proposed one is that I let people roll all their Hit Dice when they level, and they get to keep the highest X, where X is their highest single class level.

A fighter 5/magic-user 4 would roll 5d8 and 4d4 at level up (or 5d10 and 4d6 in a 5e configuration), and then keep the highest 5 dice rolled as their new HP total.

Makes sense. For some reason I don’t really like the idea of re-rolling all the hit dice at each new level, but this would probably result in more normalized HP totals.

 

[TwoSix]

Makes sense. For some reason I don’t really like the idea of re-rolling all the hit dice at each new level, but this would probably result in more normalized HP totals.

<nod> Anydice doesn't have a built-in function for it (that I found, anyway), but a quick Monte Carlo made it look like it adds about a HP per level, assuming a pure split-level (a 5/5 fighter/mage).

Rerolling every level just makes the inevitable "1" on the Hit Die feel like a temporary challenge, rather than an enduring penalty. And really good rolls give you a nice boost for a level or two but inevitably regress to the mean.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

When PCs get hit points at creation and upon leveling up, what method should be default?

I marked average at all levels, but really I’d prefer none at level up. Your ability to survive increases by virtue of you being better at defending yourself and taking down opponents, and a farmer with a quarterstaff can always, always, take you down with enough luck.

PCs shouldn’t ever become Superman. Full stop.

 

[Shardstone]

In the end, I don't mind just giving max hit points to everyone, every level, and then dogpiling the monsters, traps and lava pits onto the party.

This is exactly what I do.

 

[Shardstone]

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.

What?

 

[Simonb1]

I voted for something else as we use a reroll if you roll less than the average.

 

[Reynard]

I marked average at all levels, but really I’d prefer none at level up. Your ability to survive increases by virtue of you being better at defending yourself and taking down opponents, and a farmer with a quarterstaff can always, always, take you down with enough luck.

PCs shouldn’t ever become Superman. Full stop.

But you can never, ever take down the dragon. Sounds like you've traded being Superman for being Burt Ward Robin.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I always liked you can take the lesser half of the die or roll it and accept the result.

IE if you roll a D8 then you can take 4 or roll it. D10 would be 5 or roll it. Etc.

Surprisingly most people still like to roll.

 

[el-remmen]

I am gonna stick with the stat draft until I have this kind of set up and make stat-rolling a party.