Where in the Core Rulebook does it say you get an additional hit die each level?


Rules Questions

Silver Crusade

I recently asked a question on these boards about hit dice, and then I realized that I did not read any were in the core book about getting another hit dice at each level.

Is it in the core book any were?

Silver Crusade

From the beginning of the classes section:
When adding new levels of an existing class or adding levels of a new class (see Multiclassing, below), make sure to take the following steps in order. First, select your new class level. You must be able to qualify for this level before any of the following adjustments are made. Second, apply any ability score increases due to gaining a level. Third, integrate all of the level's class abilities and then roll for additional hit points. Finally, add new skills and feats. For more information on when you gain new feats and ability score increases, see Table: Character Advancement and Level-Dependent Bonuses.

The getting started section defines hit points and hit dice for you.

Silver Crusade

Hit dice, notice the first sentence.

Hit Dice (HD): Hit Dice represent a creature's general level of power and skill. As a creature gains levels, it gains additional Hit Dice. Monsters, on the other hand, gain racial Hit Dice, which represent the monster's general prowess and ability. Hit Dice are represented by the number the creature possesses followed by a type of die, such as “3d8.” This value is used to determine a creature's total hit points. In this example, the creature has 3 Hit Dice. When rolling for this creature's hit points, you would roll a d8 three times and add the results together, along with other modifiers.

Silver Crusade

Where dose is specifically say that, "you get an additional hit dice each level," I can not find it any were.


You might look at page 16, under Constitution:

...Each roll of a Hit Die (though a penalty can never drop a
result below 1—that is, a character always gains at least 1
hit point each time he advances in level)...

And at Page 30, under Advancing your character:

...Adding a level generally gives you new abilities, additional skill points to spend, more hit points, and possibly an ability score increase or additional feat (see Table 3–1). Over time, as your character rises to higher levels, he becomes a truly powerful force in the game world,
capable of ruling nations or bringing them to their knees.
When adding new levels of an existing class or adding levels of a new class (see Multiclassing, below), make sure to take the following steps in order. First, select your new class level. You must be able to qualify for this level before any of the following adjustments are made. Second, apply any ability score increases due to gaining a level. Third, integrate all of the level’s class abilities and then roll for additional hit points.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: Ninja'd.

Dark Archive

Sure, its on the same page as the spot in the book where it says you can no longer take actions when your character dies.

Silver Crusade

ok so we have little tid bits of info all over the book. But know were dose it actually state that your character gets one extra hit dice each level.

At no point is it concisely explained. If I am correct, which I may not be, at first level for example you get 1d6 we will say. 6 hit points. Then at second level of the same class you get to roll 2d6.

The book just dose not seem to make it clear to me.


Triga wrote:

ok so we have little tid bits of info all over the book. But know were dose it actually state that your character gets one extra hit dice each level.

At no point is it concisely explained. If I am correct, which I may not be, at first level for example you get 1d6 we will say. 6 hit points. Then at second level of the same class you get to roll 2d6.

It just dose not seem to make it very clear to me at all.

I havent checked, so maybe it's there somewhere. However, I suspect it's just one of those things which roleplayers (especially from D&D predecessors) all expect to be true and which was therefore not written down explicitly.

I came to Pathfinder with very little 3.5 experience and there are a few places where it takes me a little while to work out exactly how things are supposed to work. I've always assumed that was due to being built on a set of 'obvious' pre-accepted notions.

Silver Crusade

No were dose it say, at second level you get 2 hit dice, at third level you get three hit dice.

And I thought also it was because they made an assumption, maybe with out even knowing it, that we were coming from a role playing back round and just new it.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Triga wrote:
The book just dose not seem to make it clear to me.

I'd be happy to run a 20th level game for you where the PCs only get one HD ever. :)


No. Page 30 of the core book lists the steps of advancing a character. Read through it carefully and slowly if you don't get it.

To paraphrase and restate it in an easier format, when you level, the order of advancement goes:
Step 1. Choose your new class level (such as going with another level of fighter). You must qualify for the class before any of the following adjustments are made (such as qualifying for a Prestige class).

Step 2. Apply any ability score modifiers gained for gaining a level (as in the stat increases at 4th, 8th, 12, 16th, and 20th level).

Step 3. Integrate all of the level's class abilities and roll for additional hit points. (So for example, a fighter reaching level 2 would gain Bravery, and roll 1d10 and add his Constitution modifier to determine how many hit points he gained.)

Step 4. Finally, add new skills and feats.

You do not reroll your total hit dice upon every level. You just roll a single dice of the appropriate size (d6, d8, d10, or d12), add in your Constitution modifier, and add the total to your total hit points from the level(s) before, which were figured using the same formula.

For players and NPCs of core races, your level = your "hit dice" for purposes of effects. The size of those hit dice is determined by your class, but the total number scales on a 1:1 with your level.


Player characters earn one hit die per level. If this is not explicitly stated it is assumed as a standard that has been with the game since 1st edition.

A specific hit die is listed for each class. I think this makes it pretty clear on what to roll when a new level has been achieved.

As someone that didn't play much 3.x before Pathfinder I will agree that the rules sometimes miss little details that experienced 3.x players
already picked up.


Your Hit Dice are the same number as your level.

At level 1, you have 1 HD.

At level 3, you have 3 HD. Total.

Silver Crusade

SunsetPsychosis wrote:

You do not reroll your total hit dice upon every level. You just roll a single dice of the appropriate size (d6, d8, d10, or d12), add in your Constitution modifier, and add the total to your total hit points from the level(s) before, which were figured using the same formula.

Ahhh, see i had miss under stood how you add hit points. I thought that say at 2nd level if your hit die was 1d8 you would roll 2 d8 and add that to your hit point total.

Forgive me gentlemen I am still rereading the core book and have yet to get to play a game.

Liberty's Edge

Page 12:
Hit Dice (HD): Hit Dice represent a creature’s general level of power and skill. As a creature gains levels, it gains additional Hit Dice. Monsters, on the other hand, gain racial Hit Dice, which represent the monster’s general prowess and ability. Hit Dice are represented by the number the creature possesses followed by a type of die, such as “3d8.” This value is used to determine a creature’s total hit points. In this example, the creature has 3 Hit Dice. When rolling for this creature’s hit points, you would roll a d8 three times and add the results together, along with other modifiers.


You have to connect the dots again:

Hit Dice (HD): Hit Dice represent a creature's general level of power and skill. As a creature gains levels, it gains additional Hit Dice. Monsters, on the other hand, gain racial Hit Dice, which represent the monster's general prowess and ability. Hit Dice are represented by the number the creature possesses followed by a type of die, such as “3d8.” This value is used to determine a creature's total hit points. In this example, the creature has 3 Hit Dice. When rolling for this creature's hit points, you would roll a d8 three times and add the results together, along with other modifiers.

========================================================
Barbarian
Alignment: Any nonlawful.
Hit Die: d12

Bard
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.

Cleric
Alignment: A cleric's alignment must be within one step of her deity's, along either the law/chaos axis or the good/evil axis (see Additional Rules).
Hit Die: d8.

Etc etc etc


Everyone's explanations here are all well and good, and they seem to have cleared up a genuine misunderstanding. However, many seem to be missing a point; that the Core Rulebook really does not clearly explain how you add hit points. It explains it in three (plus) locations, but not clearly.

I noticed a long time ago, the only place the book states that you get max hit points at 1st level seems to be in the "common terms" section under hit points. It's very casual, as if you already know it. I have to agree with the OP that the book is not clear, and assumes the reader has D&D knowledge.

From the 3.5 PH under Class Descriptions; Game Rule Information (explanation of terms):

Hit Die: The type of Hit Die used by characters of the class determines the number of hit points gained per level.

[table of hit die by class] <omitted>

A character rolls one Hit Die each time he or she gains a new level, then applies any Constitution modifier to the roll and adds the result to his or her hit point total. Thus, a character has the same number of Hit Dice as levels. For his or her first Hit Die, a 1st-level character gets the maximum hit points rather than rolling (although Constitution modifiers, positive or negative, still apply).

For example......etc.

This is what's missing. Admittedly, this bit is not in the SRD and so couldn't be included verbatim. However, Paizo really could have done a better job with little "known rules" like this that they had to rewrite themselves.

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