HP: how many per level?

[glass]

We roll, we like it that way.

We also roll, but with a minimum of half the HD size. Allows a bit of variability without hamstringing characters with a couple of bad rolls.


glass.

 

[FireLance]

Half hp after first level, round down on even levels and up on odd levels.

Like many of our gaming group conventions, it enables the players to create and modify characters between sessions while maintaining parity between PCs and without requiring a DM to observe rolls.

 

[nittanytbone]

Players roll at every level.

(1) I give a minimum at level 1 (3/4 of the max HD).
(2) They may choose to take the average instead of rolling if they so desire.

Granting max HP instead of average makes CON much less important and strongly favors D12 and D10 HD PCs at the expense of wizards and rogues.

 

[diaglo]

We roll, we like it that way.

ditto. roll for every level

 

[Jhulae]

We have full HP at 1st and 2nd, then 3/4ths (rounded down) each level beyond.

Doesn't stop the game from being just as lethal to us. We end up losing, on average, one PC every 4 sessions or so and last session we had a TPK.

 

[The Human Target]

I'm seeing a lot of people giving the d4 classes not much in the way of a reroll chance, or boost of any kind.

 

[Perun]

I'm seeing a lot of people giving the d4 classes not much in the way of a reroll chance, or boost of any kind.

In my group case, it might be because of the way d4 classes are built. Well, wizards anyways, since we only had one sorcerer ever, so far.

Most of our wizards have high Con, in the 14-16 range. We used to create characters with 35 point buy, and with 18 Int (16 points), that would leave 19 points for other ability scores (for example 16, 12, 10, 10, 9).

It's difficult for other classes to do the same (unless they want some really low numbers in there), so we felt no ned to frther boost the wizard's Con.

Besides, it works for us

 

[Li Shenron]

Players roll at every level.

(1) I give a minimum at level 1 (3/4 of the max HD).
(2) They may choose to take the average instead of rolling if they so desire.

That's interesting... so you actually give LESS hit points on average than the core rules?

Granting max HP instead of average makes CON much less important and strongly favors D12 and D10 HD PCs at the expense of wizards and rogues.

Besides the fact that IMHO making CON less important wasn't bad, granting max compared to rolling means for a Wizard to have 4hp+Con instead of 2.5+Con (avg) per level, and for a Barbarian 12hp+Con instead of 6.5hp+Con (avg). Not counting Con bonus, the Barbarian gets 3x the Wizard's base hit point, while with rolling he would get 2.6x. It doesn't seem to me that it's too much a "strong favor".

 

[airwalkrr]

Odd as it may seem, pretty much the only campaigns I have ever used fixed hp have all crumbled apart after 3 or 4 sessions.

I now make my players roll as a rule. I doubt it is the sole reason my previous campaigns fell apart, but I like randomness anyway.

 

[Li Shenron]

I doubt it is the sole reason my previous campaigns fell apart...

You know, I actually cannot think how could it even have been a reason at all...