HP: how many per level?

[kaomera]

So, a few comments on the Build Points thread got me wondering: How may groups use a fixed hit-point system (or a non-standard roll), and how many?

I've seen several references to using maximum hit points per die at every level. Personally, after a bad experience with a Fighter with a 13 Con, Improved Toughness, and 37 hit points total, I've been using "average" hit points per die (rounded up, so a d8 = 5, a d10 = 6, etc.). So far it seems to be going well, but I haven't really had a chance to witness it from a non-DM POV. The only thing close was one game where the DM kept hit points "behind the screen", but where my fifth-level Rogue (with no Con bonus) had over 40 hit points. I suspect he was using the "20 hp kicker" from HackMaster, but it kind of defeated the purpose (or, at least, what I was guessing the purpose was) of keeping hp secret once we found out just what huge amounts of punishment our characters could take...

 

[Nonlethal Force]

I like the 75% of Hit die, round up on odd class levels and down on even class levels.

For example, a Fighter 3 /Rogue 3 would come out looking like this: (Not taking CON into account)

[U]CHAR LEVEL[/U]  [U]HP GAIN[/U]  [U]TOTAL[/U]
F1             10      10
F1/R1           5      15
F2/R1           7      22
F2/R2           4      26
F3/R2           8      34
F3/R3           5      39

Of course, CON would make that total higher. The thing I like about this system is that rounding is based on the individual class level, not the character level. Under this system any class whose HD is divisible by four will have no rounding necessary. If you round based on character level you'll get powergamers who will find a way around it so they never take a level that rounds down. But if you base rounding on class level there is no way around it. Either you are a weak character or you eventually take a 2nd level in something!

 

[Crothian]

We roll, we like it that way.

 

[FEADIN]

We also roll; as a dm: if you roll a 1 you can reroll once, you keep the new result.

 

[RigaMortus2]

As I stated in the post about point buy, we do max HPs every level. Works out fine. Characters last longer, but are still susceptible to death just as they normally are.

 

[Christian]

Last campaign I ran, I used this rule: choose to take one-half the maximum, or roll. Once you roll, whatever came up on the die is what you get.

Average will be higher if you choose to roll your hit points, but you risk the crappy rolls ...

I'm a real bastard DM.

 

[KarinsDad]

The thing I like about this system is that rounding is based on the individual class level, not the character level. Under this system any class whose HD is divisible by four will have no rounding necessary. If you round based on character level you'll get powergamers who will find a way around it so they never take a level that rounds down. But if you base rounding on class level there is no way around it. Either you are a weak character or you eventually take a 2nd level in something!

I fail to see how this is really important. The only (core) classes that round up or down are Bard, Fighter, Paladin, and Rogue. In order to gain hit points with the character level rounding system, one would have to multi-class these classes with other classes and not with each other (or double alternating with each other).


Using character level rounding, a Fighter 10 / Barbarian 10 (where they alternate F / B / F / B) has 4 extra hit points at 20th level. 161 (or 162 if he starts B / F / F / B) instead of 157 (or 158) (pre-Con adds), typically this would be something like 261 instead of 257 with 20 Con.

Note: If he started Fighter first, he rounds up and gains an extra hit point on levels 5, 9, 13, and 17 (compared to class level rounding). If he started Barbarian first (he would go B / F / F /B in order to get the good ratio, which gains one hit point more than starting as a Fighter, +2 at level one, -1 at level 2), he rounds down on level 2, but rounds up on levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20. Again, a +4 net.

At 20th level, 4 extra hit points is not going to be game breaking. And, there are only a few combinations where it makes sense to do this like Fighter / Barbarian or Fighter / Ranger.

Taking Fighter 10 / Cleric 10 is extremely lame for 4 extra hit points. Ditto for Fighter 10 / Monk 10 or Fighter 10 / Sorcerer 10, etc.


I think either system is fine because it really is not going to make much of a difference for most PCs and the few it does with character rounding will be combatant and/or Rogue types where balance-wise it doesn't matter if they get a few extra hit points.

But power gaming is really not a significant issue if someone were to use the character level rounding system. If one were to say that 4 extra hit points is power gaming in DND by 20th level (based on what other abilities PCs can have by 20th level), something is seriously wrong with that thinking.

 

[Nadaka]

average. round up. 1d4 -> 3hp, 1d6 -> 4 hp, 1d8 -> 5hp, 1d10 -> 6hp, 1d12 -> 7hp.

 

[Bad Paper]

We roll our HP.

 

[Rhun]

Depends on the campaign.

Average, round up at every level for typical campaigns.

For higher powered campaigns, I generally use:

d4 = 2+1d2
d6 = 3+1d3
d8 = 4+1d4
d10 = 5+1d5
d12 = 6+1d6