NPC hit points

[CCamfield]

Forgive the rather basic question, but I'm still pretty damn new at GMing here (and it's midnight and I'm supposed to have another session's worth of adventure ready for my players tomorrow).

When creating NPCs of non-adventuring classes, do they automatically get full HPs for their hit die at first level? My impression is that you don't for warriors, since the monster writeups for elves, dwarves, etc use average hit point values.

What about adventuring classes? Right now I'm trying to stat up a fighter (the commander of a galley) and some grunts (warriors) serving with him.

 

[Mahali]

Totally up to you.
Most DMs I know give full HP for 1st level. Of the three I play with regularly they use:
full HP for everything
max 1st roll everything else
80% max HP.

 

[Hygric]

As a DM, I never give full HP automatically at 1st level for any NPC, it's all part of the "PC's are heroes" thing for me.

 

[Kraedin]

I always roll hit points, including the first die.

This has resulted in some very strange NPCs, though. Just the other day, my PCs fought a 8th level orc adept with 18 hp.

 

[Darkness]

As a DM, I never give full HP automatically at 1st level for any NPC, it's all part of the "PC's are heroes" thing for me.

For me, the PCs are not any better (stat- or hp-wise) than other non-average characters of the basic classes; rather, they are heroes (or not) because of their actions.

That said, I usually use average hps (and max hp at 1st level) for PCs and "heroic" NPCs, rounded up, for each level above 1st. Everyone else (NPC class characters, non-classed creatures) just gets average hps.
Sometimes, I vary it a bit for my NPCs - whether "heroic" or not.

PS - the sample NPCs in the DMG have maximum hp at 1st level.

Hope it helps.

 

[Fenes 2]

I give the NPCs max hit points at first level and roll the rest, usually.

 

[CCamfield]

PS - the sample NPCs in the DMG have maximum hp at 1st level.

True but those are all adevnturing class NPCs, right? I didn't see any writeups of commoners from 1st to 20th level.

Anyhow, thanks for all the input, everyone.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

This is what I do:

NPCs the PCs are expected to fight. These get treatment similar to PCs. Nine times out of ten, they'll get max hit points at level one and 50%+1 of each hit die (d4=3, d6=4, d8=5, d10=6, d12=7, etc) from the rest of their hit dice. If that looks too low, I might go as high as giving them 75% hit points (round up).

NPCs that the PCs aren't expected to fight get hit points based on the concept of the NPC. A village strong man might get max hit points. The weedy scholar that the PCs are supposed to be protecting probably rolled quite low on his hit dice and may only have 12 or 15 hit points despite being a 5th or 7th level expert.

 

[Li Shenron]

"Elite" characters get full HP at 1st level and roll 4d6 (discard lower) for stats. "Normal" characters always roll HP, and 3d6 for stats.

Whatever character is "Elite" or "Normal" depends on the DM; default is that PCs are "Elite", while NPCs and Monsters are "Normal" (as per they appear in MM).
I am ot sure 100% on NPCs, and actually in our games the important NPCs (the ones which use PC classes) are always "elite", while only the ones with strictly NPCs classes (such as commoner) are non-elite.

The DM is always free to make an elite monster or even elite commoner, if he likes it, as well non-elite PCs (but I guess none would like it).