To MAX HP or not to MAX HP

[Rya.Reisender]

I've used Max (HD) -N with some success, where N is usually 2 or 3. So in 5E, if N were 3 a wizard would get 3 HP per level, a fighter would get 7 HP per level, and a barbarian 9 HP per level. If N were 2, the figures would be 4, 8, and 10 respectively. I also have max HP for the first couple of levels, not just the first one.

There's actually an official rule for average HP rather than rolling. That would be 1d4 becomes 3, 1d6 becomes 4, 1d8 becomes 5, 1d10 becomes 6 and 1d12 becomes 7.

 

[Quartz]

No, what you describe is just rounding up. That disadvantages the fighting classes over the wizards.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

No, what you describe is just rounding up. That disadvantages the fighting classes over the wizards.

Yes, it's rounding up, but that's the official rule.
If you check the basic rules for each class you see:

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per cleric level after 1st

As you can see the basic rules allow you to roll 1d8 or take 5.

Also if you play AL, you actually HAVE to take the fixed value defined here, you are not allowed to roll for it:

Hit Points at Higher Levels. Whenever you gain a level, use the fixed hit point value shown in your class entry. You cannot roll your hit points.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

Since the first 2 to 3 character levels of D&D 5e are so fragile, I, as the DM, have the players do the following IF THEY WANT:

Max Hit Points for level 1, 2 & 3. Thereafter, either take the HP listed in the PHB or roll, but they MUST take what is rolled. Which breaks down to Gamble or Not.

I roll for all monsters. It only takes a moment and makes it so the players cannot calculate creature durability by previous combats or turns.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

We find average monster, average player HP totals works well.

As the the dice for damage/monster attacks don't scale with their HP total, the result is they 'hit harder'. And combat is generally quicker (and nastier on a crit) all round, for both player and monster alike.

 

[77IM]

I think max HP would work well if you also used max damage for all damaging effects. That would be crazy awesome.

 

[Coroc]

Max XP at first Level, roll after that a 1 on a roll can be repeated once and stands if the second roll is a one.

That also applies if i start at second Level, which i did once.

Starting third Level for a darksun campaign i would give max hp for the three Levels and rolling afterwards but that be compensated by lack of armor and other factors in DS

 

[mrrockitt]

For pretty much all my 5e games I've just had players use the averaged values from the PHB. It avoids nasty surprises, without messing with the maths.

Wish my DM allowed this! After the level 1 max HP I have rolled a 4, 3 and 2 for my Paladin's next three levels! (Was planning to make him tanky too!)

 

[GlassJaw]

If you want the players to have a bit more survivability but are leery of simply giving max HPs, you can have everyone roll. If they roll less than the average rounded up (per PHB), they get the average. It allows everyone to enjoy a chance to get more HPs but doesn't "break" the system by granting max across the board.

I haven't done this yet but I've thought about it. I like the players having a bit more survivability. It lets me as a DM push the challenge a bit more without a bad roll or two start wiping out the group.

 

[Arilyn]

If you want the players to have a bit more survivability but are leery of simply giving max HPs, you can have everyone roll. If they roll less than the average rounded up (per PHB), they get the average. It allows everyone to enjoy a chance to get more HPs but doesn't "break" the system by granting max across the board.

I haven't done this yet but I've thought about it. I like the players having a bit more survivability. It lets me as a DM push the challenge a bit more without a bad roll or two start wiping out the group.

In 3.5, I had a paladin that rolled 1 hp almost every time we levelled up. The GM felt so bad for me, he handed me some extra hp. The wizard literally had more hp than my poor paladin. After that we adopted your idea exactly. In 5e, we've been doing average hp.