How Many Hit Points Do You Like?

RPGPundit · July 12, 2018, 06:40:30 AM

Generally speaking, what amount of hit points would be your ideal at different levels of play in D&D?

Do you like the classic B/X or 1e distributions, which cap at 9th level and then get fixed bonuses?

Do you prefer the 1dx per level, without limit?

Or do you want something more gritty with lower hit points?

Broken Twin · July 12, 2018, 07:41:38 AM

I like a moderate starting pool, so the odds of beginning PCs getting one-shot is rare. Then very slow growth per level, so higher level characters don't have 5 times as many hit points compared to starting characters.

Rough example, making starting hit points equal to Con score (NOT mod), than each level they gain 1/2/3 hit points, based on the class.

I find high hit point totals tend to encourage combat as the first solution to problems, while lower hit points encourage players to avoid combat if possible.

The Exploited. · July 12, 2018, 08:10:13 AM

Personally, I prefer max hp at starting level... To avoid the 'I've tripped on a rock and died' factor. But I like to keep them lowish so they retain a grittier vibe.

My ideal level are between 3-7 for a BX model.

Graewulf · July 12, 2018, 10:35:23 AM

Since you specified "levels of play in D&D", that's a tough question to answer given that D&D is designed around the 'hit point sponge' mentality. If it has to be a form of D&D, it would take more work than its worth adjusting everything in the game to fit lower hit point characters. I'd play something else that's already designed to be played more 'gritty'.

I vastly prefer a more grounded sense of realism and 'grit'. The whole epic, high fantasy super-heroes thing is well-worn and I've played that game a lot over the years, and still do, but that style of game is certainly waning for me.

Ratman_tf · July 12, 2018, 11:25:30 AM

My current 2nd edition house rule is:
Max HP possible at 1st level.
Roll twice for HP at 2nd level, take best result.
3rd+, roll as normal.

I like a bit of a buffer at the low levels. I haven't had to deal with 9th level + characters in a while. I might let them keep rolling, instead of dice cap at 9.

Shawn Driscoll · July 12, 2018, 12:14:12 PM

As long as HP 0 = dead, I'm fine with HP.

S'mon · July 12, 2018, 12:23:47 PM

Where weapon damage averages about a d8 I like 8-10 at 1st, half that on subsequent levels to 9th or 10th.

Toadmaster · July 12, 2018, 12:44:52 PM

Quote from: Graewulf;1048636Since you specified "levels of play in D&D", that's a tough question to answer given that D&D is designed around the 'hit point sponge' mentality. If it has to be a form of D&D, it would take more work than its worth adjusting everything in the game to fit lower hit point characters. I'd play something else that's already designed to be played more 'gritty'.

I vastly prefer a more grounded sense of realism and 'grit'. The whole epic, high fantasy super-heroes thing is well-worn and I've played that game a lot over the years, and still do, but that style of game is certainly waning for me.

An option to large hit point amounts could be smaller HP gains but providing an occasional bonus to damage and AC as levels increase. This would help to maintain the advantage of higher levels but eliminate the image of the hit point sponge.

Zalman · July 12, 2018, 02:06:13 PM

1dx/Level for me.

Steven Mitchell · July 12, 2018, 02:12:31 PM

I don't necessarily have a preferred amount, as long as the weapon damage and spell damages scale properly by level, though I'd prefer the numbers not got big just to stick to some formula. I think, for example, that I'd prefer D&D 5E to drop 1 hit point per level from the standard starting at 5th, another one at 11th, and another one at 17th--with upper end spell and monster damage modified to match. That's a modest decrease of 15 + 10 + 4 = 29 hit points by 20th level, but most of it is concentrated on the upper end. Though an even better fix to the 5E model would have been to return to an earlier set of modifiers, so that the Con modifier to hit points topped out at 18 at +3.

JeremyR · July 12, 2018, 03:20:33 PM

Personally I like the classic range 9 to 11 capped hit dice for most character classes (the monks 17 makes sense, the assassin's 15 a bit less, the bard, not at all), so that fighter characters can approach 100 hp or so.

I use constitution as "wound points", representing actual physical wounds once hit points run out. While popularized in Star Wars d20 and Spycraft, it actually dates back to the 70s in a White Dwarf article.

Rhedyn · July 12, 2018, 06:18:07 PM

I prefer simple wound systems over HP. Find the abstraction saves time and nothing important is lost with the right mitigating mechanics

Skarg · July 12, 2018, 06:32:41 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;1048601Generally speaking, what amount of hit points would be your ideal at different levels of play in D&D?

Do you like the classic B/X or 1e distributions, which cap at 9th level and then get fixed bonuses?

Do you prefer the 1dx per level, without limit?

Or do you want something more gritty with lower hit points?

Of all the reasons I don't play D&D, the largest is probably that it uses abstract hit points and expresses survival ability in terms of piling on hit points.

I like literal wounds and literal risks, and enjoy TFT & GURPS, where their literal hitpoints are about 10-11 average (ranging 8-16 or so for humans) and armor reduces damage but weapon damage ranges approximately 1d for light things, 2d for medium things, 3d for heavy weapons and 4d for quite deadly things. i.e., you try to avoid getting hit as much as possible, and the game provides ways to do that.

S'mon · July 13, 2018, 02:32:42 AM

Quote from: Skarg;1048695I like literal wounds and literal risks

I have a bit of an issue with simulationist systems in that they tend to give ridiculously fast healing; it's a bigger issue in natural healing systems as opposed to super tech or magic based ones. Where in reality it might take weeks to heal fully from a minor wound, and major wounds likely have permanent effects, in most games you heal from major wounds in a few days. I find abstract hp systems tend to give me less cognitive dissonance in practice, even though I like gritty sim in theory.

antiochcow · July 13, 2018, 02:33:43 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;1048601Generally speaking, what amount of hit points would be your ideal at different levels of play in D&D?

Do you like the classic B/X or 1e distributions, which cap at 9th level and then get fixed bonuses?

Do you prefer the 1dx per level, without limit?

Or do you want something more gritty with lower hit points?

I guess x amount based on level, no limit.

But I also prefer it unevenly split so it's a little less abstract, with one pool replenishing fast (the minor injury/exhaustion/combat-skill-evading part) and the other slow (meat point part).

For something grittier I just tweak recovery times and/or amounts for both pools.