D&D 5E Playing with Hit Dice

[Boarstorm]

Due to a recent thread about energy drain, I've been toying with the idea of using Hit Dice as more of a resource. To be clear, I'm not talking about changing hit point totals with these ideas -- just the Hit Dice used for recovery during rests.

Certain monsters (or diseases) could lower your maximum Hit Dice (and thus slow your daily healing). A well of rejuvenation could give you more Hit Dice in the place of healing/etc.

Powerful weapons and staves may have abilities that suck your life force (in the form of burning a hit dice) to trigger.

Any other ideas on how we could "spruce up" this new resource? D&D is all about making fun choices. So how can we use the mechanics to introduce more of those choices?

 

[Astrosicebear]

I like this. Its a way of sucking out CON without touching ability scores.

Since HD are a naturally refreshing resource, it can be controlled.

I like the idea of life drain taking away HD, and maybe dealing some damage based on the # of HD removed.... target loses 1d4 HD and takes 1d4 points of damage per HD lost this way.

Powerful or cursed weapons or armor are a great start. A weapon that allows you to spend HD to empower the damage. Armor that grants a resistance type with the expense of HD.

Could even lead to like a Blood Magus sorcerer sub class that utilizes HD to power spell slots, empower spells, etc.

 

[ranger69]

Yes, I also like Boarstorm's idea, also Astrosicebear's extension to the idea. Causing damage to or improving HD is very nice.
Perhaps healing spells come available that means you get maximum HPs when you use a HD on a short rest. Then the spell scales by level much as other some other spells do.
If somebody becomes diseased it may also affect HD, reducing the number available and/or reducing the size of the dice one step at a time. Some days the victim rolls well on the HD and seems somewhat recovered. Other days rolls badly and is sinking. If the HD are reduced to zero then starts lowering CON. Naturally a cure is possible, but needs some heroes to go on a quest for rare/magical ingredients.

 

[Skyscraper]

I'm not sure I'd make this currency too frequent, but I like the idea of rare instances where HD would be targetted for example by vampires. This could even be a permanent loss for the PC.

 

[MoutonRustique]

Having "energy/life drain" target HD could very cool indeed. I'd keep it simple and say that a target that looses more HD than he has suffer those HD as non-reduce-able necrotic (or psychic - see below) damage.

This could also be used to good effect on more "long term" damage - for traveling and exploration. If you're comfortable with the hp =/= meat paradigm, HD could also be a good way to invoke "interaction" damage : loss of hope, traumatizing revelations, etc.

 

[fuindordm]

Undead permanently draining your HD? Nasty!

Take a page from Earthdawn--some powerful magic items require you to power them with your own life force. Lose N HD from your pool while attuned to the item.

 

[Nebulous]

Yes, i like the idea of hit dice draining monsters. In fact, any undead that did this would TERRIFY a party and have them scrambling for the hills, which they rarely do if the enemy just does "normal range claw/bite" damage.

 

[Razuur]

I think I would not make it permanent. I would allow it to be restored one HD each week or month depending on the campaign style. Still enough to significantly impact a current adventure, but ultimately recoverable.

YMMV.

 

[Astrosicebear]

I think I would not make it permanent. I would allow it to be restored one HD each week or month depending on the campaign style. Still enough to significantly impact a current adventure, but ultimately recoverable.

YMMV.

For those in favor of permanent loss, magic is always the fix.

 

[77IM]

I've toyed with the idea that instead of failing 3 death saves to die, each death save drains a hit die and if you don't have any left then a failed death save kills you. So adventuring on full HP but with zero hit dice becomes a somewhat risky proposition. In such a system hit points represent your ability to stay conscious, and hit dice might represent actual wounds.