HP rolls:reroll < CON MOD

[Pronounced boo-LAY!]

My only consistant house rule between campaigns is this:
Then rolling for hitpoints because you leveled, you reroll up to your constitution modified, up to one-half of your max roll.

Max roll means 4 for a Wizard, 12 for a Barbarian and so on.

I never liked the fact that you can level and only get one hitpoint.

Examples:
Fighter with 17 CON re-rolls ones twos and threes when rolling for hitpoints.
Cleric with 12 CON re-rolls ones...
Wizard with 17 CON re-rolls ones and twos (not threes because it is more than half his max roll)

I had to add the half max roll part because I had a player make a 17 CON Wizard once, and they were re-rolling ones twos and threes, it took the randomness out of the equation, and that is against the spirit of it IMO.

What do you think?

 

[Terath Ninir]

Hmm. Well, actually, I'd let a Wiz with Con 16+ just have max hp every level. Not like that's going to make him *that* much more powerful.

I don't see any problem with this as a house rule. It's only a slight power boost and a lot of people (like me) let players reroll anything under half, which is much more powerful.

 

[Crothian]

I wouldn't have it based off of con modifier. It allows people who are going to already have good HP get even better HP.

 

[Terath Ninir]

I wouldn't have it based off of con modifier. It allows people who are going to already have good HP get even better HP.

Well, yes, but that's life, isn't it?

 

[dvvega]

Actually if you wanted everyone to have a "fair chance" I wouldn't give a +ve CON modifier a benefit, but -ve CON would gain the benefit you suggest in reverse. That is a -1 rereolls 1s etc.

This would give everyone average+ hps based on class.

My own house rule for hit points goes like this:

You roll your hit points. If you are not happy with the roll you can ask the DM (me) to roll them. Then the DM rolls on one die lower than your hit die and adds 1. This ensures you get closer to your class average on the hit die roll. If you're not happy with the second roll, I move down the hit die type again but add 2 etc.

For example ...

Cleric (d8) rolls a 3 and isn't happy. DM rolls (d6+1) ... odds say 4 or 5 as a result. Much better. But just say DM rolls 3 total and you're not happy ... DM rolls (d4 + 2) ... odds of 4 or 5 is more likely on this roll than the d6 roll.

If you're not happy at d4, it becomes a flat 1d2 hp + the modifier. So a Wizard would get 2 or 3 hps from the roll if they didn't want the d4 result, while a Barbarian who went all the way to 1d2 + 5 so would get 6 or 7.

Of course my method ensures you are average at worst.

D

 

[Aethelstan]

As DM I use what I call the "get half, roll half" rule. PCs get 1/2 their Hit Die and then roll their HD halved. Thus a cleric (d8 HD) would automatically get 4 hp (1/2 HD) and then roll 1d4 (HD halved) for the rest. This ensures that players don't get stuck with low hp and generally reduces whining and dice throwing. If PC hp tends to be higher, so what. Just add an extra monster or trap here and there and it balances out.

 

[Eolin]

My players seem to like my system. It is similiar to some of the other ways already mentioned, but both simpler and I keep my hands off the dice.

Quite simply, if you don't like the roll you can always reroll it, just on the next lowest. I've seen a druid get down to a d4, which kind of sucked for him. and I've seen barbarians never need to reroll. It comes down to luck.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Another possibility is to reroll all your hitpoints every time you go up a level. If this is more than your current hit points, fine. If not, you keep your current hit points.

This makes bad/good rolls temporary blips. It also allows lots of rerolling every level, which is fun.

Say you have a 14 Con fighter who rolled poorly a 2 at second level: His hit points are
10 (max) + 2 (rolled) + 4 (Con bonus x2) = 16.

At third level he rolls fantastically:
10 (max) + 9 + 8 (rolled) + 6 (Con bonus x3) = 33.

At fourth level his rolls are mediocre: 10 (max) + 4 + 3 + 6 (rolled) + 8 (Con bonus x4) = 31, which is less than his current total, so he stays at 33 hp.

 

[DaveStebbins]

I've thought about using the min = half die size rule. If you roll less than half the number of sides on the die, you get that figure instead. Minimum roll for a d8 is 4, rolling a 1 or 2 on a d6 gives you a 3 instead, etc. No re-rolls though.

 

[Pronounced boo-LAY!]

Wow, those are some powerful options.

Thanks for all the input.

Bulette