D&D 4E Should hit points continue to be generated randomly in 4e?

[Doug McCrae]

The question is not whether 4E should have either fixed or random PC HP. The first question is whether 4E continues with the same mechanics or makes the entire argument pointless.

We know there will be hit points in 4e from the sample combat with the dragon.

 

[SpiderMonkey]

Everybody seems into non-random stats, hp and even substituting 2d10 for the D20 these days. So here's my innovation:...

The Slippery Slope is a fallacy in which a person asserts that some event must inevitably follow from another without any argument for the inevitability of the event in question. In most cases, there are a series of steps or gradations between one event and the one in question and no reason is given as to why the intervening steps or gradations will simply be bypassed.

I mean, it's amusing, but a little tired.

No randomness in character generation. Put it in the DMG as an alternative. Point buy should be the standard ability generation, and fixed HP should be standard ability score generation.

The randomness comes in at the game table. I always liked how non-random character generation allows people to create their characters at home without supervision.

QFT

 

[Korgoth]

I mean, it's amusing, but a little tired.

a. It was meant to be a bit amusing. Tough room I guess.
b. I'm aware of the "slippery slope" argument and was not trying to say that "diceless" follows of necessity from nonrandom hp.

 

[Talaeden_Denthiir]

Hit Points (HP)
All Characters get max HP for their first level, and get a set amount after that according to the following chart (formula = Max HP /2 +1):
1d4 = 3
1d6 = 4
1d8 = 5
1d10 = 6
1d12 = 7

At first I thought the Random thing was good when combined with a set amount (ala ten-sided HD = 2 + 1d8), but that still leaves room for players to cheat... and the healthy barbarian to have less HP then the weak Wizard

In my system you could still have a Barbarian with a 6 Con get 5 HP every time he levels up after 1st level (7 - 2 = 5 HP) and a Wizard with an 18 Con get 7 HP every time she levels up (3 + 4 = 7 HP), but at least you don't have the Barbarian with and 18 Con rolling all 1's for 5 HP per Level and the Wizard with 18 Con rolling all 4's to get 8 HP every Level!! Why should a Wizard with the same Con have more HP then the Barabarian?! WT?!

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Why should a Wizard with the same Con have more HP then the Barabarian?! WT?!

"Because not everyone's the same"

I pity the people who think they need to make characters different by making hit points and ability scores random. There should be some sort of self-help group where past victims tell the newbloods how they found the wonderful possibilities of making characters different with race, class, skills, feats, different spells and abilities, and good old character.

 

[Lord Rasputin]

Fixed, of course, which should be clear if there is a desire to make high-level characters easier to create.

I'm not a fan of random attributes, but I can see their place. Random hit points, OTOH, makes the game unnecessarily more complicated.

 

[DarkKestral]

I'm against it, because I often roll poorly, so times when a single roll affects me for the rest of that character's career usually hurt me more than help, and my often poor in-game rolls mean that without good stats, I am basically a heal magnet and nothing else. And most of the time, it means that I am a net drain on the party. Especially since I've been the guy that only had one use for the party, because other players could do my schticks better, despite my being focused in a schtick. And when that's happened, my one use was "plot enabler". I was essentially best used as a McGuffin to explain why the party got from point A to point B. Honestly, when I see THAT during character creation, I'm rarely inspired to greatness.

Don't get me wrong, I've had some great moments in the spotlight with some of these weak characters. But they still ARE outnumbered by the times I've been like.. "go do the heroic thing. I'll just stay here in back so I don't get killed/seriously injured before the climactic fight." And even those 'spotlight' times rarely coincided with me doing something cool in combat. They were often when a minor ability from my character sheet showed up to make me actually useful for once, because it was so unimportant that no one had any reason to take it in character creation other than for flavor and it happened I wanted that particular flavor for my character.

Among the holy beef I want to see cooked and on my plate come 4th ed., I want random factors in character generation the most. I suppose if REAL MEN roll, I don't want to be a REAL MAN. I'd just rather be happy and useful. I don't mind if rolling is a DMG 'standard option', but I would like to assume that if I'm playing a 'default' game, I can be happy without being what is unusually lucky for me.

I may not mind the TDA system, because it does start you off with a equivalent baseline, despite being a random system.

BTW, I like your system, Souljourner. It seems pretty interesting, and provides a useful reason for having an odd Con, and does help balance out the rogue1/fighter1 vs. fighter1/rogue1. The main difficulty then is skills.. Unless perhaps you have a HR that all characters get a bonus number of skill ranks at 1st level that replaces the bonus skill points from RAW?

 

[Captain Thark]

I'd say both.
Every level the PC gets to choose whether they get half their hit die or roll. Leave it up to the player.

 

[Stalker0]

Fixed standard, random as an option.

Its one roll people. Its one small momentary burst of excitement that could lead to weeks of disappointment as you realize your playing a fighter that can't take a couple of hits. Or perhaps you rolled so well that now you are a cut an above the rest of your party, I'm sure they are having tons of fun watching you slaughter everything.

There are plenty of ways to make a character different in 4e just from what we know. Classes, skills, heck even weapons and manuevers!! And of course, an infinite number of nonmechanical ways, an accent, a certain mannerism, a special family fighting style, etc. How is one random roll going to really highlight different characters?

Let roleplaying determine the difference, but I like a little standardization in my rollplaying.

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

i like random so i'll keep them how ever they do em