I am curious which of the four methods for starting hit points everyone is using is their Beta games. Personally, I am using the standard option (max hit points for 1st level plus Con modifier), which is the same way I have done it since 2nd Ed.
we use first level mac plus con plus 6 hp.
6 hp is what a 0-level commoner usually has.We assume 1st level is one up from commoner and everyone would have "at least" the 6 hp of the commoner and THEN the 1st level hp as if they had "leveled"
seems to make more sense to us.
we use first level mac plus con plus 6 hp.
6 hp is what a 0-level commoner usually has.
We assume 1st level is one up from commoner and everyone would have "at least" the 6 hp of the commoner and THEN the 1st level hp as if they had "leveled"
seems to make more sense to us.
Not a method I'd use, but that is a neat way of looking at starting HP.
To the OP, we use the standard option as well.
Neither. I have my own method:
Average HP (rounded up) for every level, including 1st. In addition, you get 5+con bonus HP at first level (which basically amounts to a virtual bonus Humanoid HD).
I am curious which of the four methods for starting hit points everyone is using is their Beta games. Personally, I am using the standard option (max hit points for 1st level plus Con modifier), which is the same way I have done it since 2nd Ed.
I use the same at the moment but I am concerned that this favours characters that multiclass from a large HD class to a small HD class compared to those that multiclass from a small HD class to a large HD class.
Now that the new skill point rules do not favour starting in a high skill point class I think that the starting hit point rules should not favour starting with a large hit dice.
In other words a Ftr1/Rog1 has the same skill points as a Rog1/Ftr1 but the starting hit points rules favour the first combination.
I use the same at the moment but I am concerned that this favours characters that multiclass from a large HD class to a small HD class compared to those that multiclass from a small HD class to a large HD class.
That's why I don't max out any HP, but instead give a bunch of bonus HP on 1st level. Since those HP are always 5 + con bonus, it doesn't matter what class you started with. It also makes characters a bit more resilient (and, depending on what you play, it can be a serious boost at 1st level - wizards and sorcerers gain 3+con compared to standard! Unless con is really low, you'll end up with more than before. But even a barbarian will get a bonus equal to con, and they tend to have decent con scores)
Max HP + Con bonus.
I like KaeYoss's idea a lot, even though I have a little trouble wrapping my head around 1st level wizards with 15-25 starting hit points. :)
I used {max 1st level HP + Con bonus + 6} in the playtest I ran. I agree that it's a bit weird seeing a gnome sorcerer with 16 hp (6 sorcerer + 3 Con + 6 bonus + 1 favored class)!
I like Kaeyoss's suggestion, although I probably wouldn't give the Con bonus twice (e.g. I'd go with something like {avg 1st level HP + con bonus + 6}).
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I used {max 1st level HP + Con bonus + 6} in the playtest I ran. I agree that it's a bit weird seeing a gnome sorcerer with 16 hp (6 sorcerer + 3 Con + 6 bonus + 1 favored class)!
I like Kaeyoss's suggestion, although I probably wouldn't give the Con bonus twice (e.g. I'd go with something like {avg 1st level HP + con bonus + 6}).
I currently am running the same rules as hogarth. I like flat bonus hit points because their relevence decreases sharply over levels, but keeps level 1 fun and allows most characters to take one average hit without dying, though two hits or a critical is still nice and dangerous.
I also like KaeYos's "why should the HD size at first level count" concept - because I agree that the removal of order of class taken being important for skills makes things easier and more elegant. :)
My norm and fave is max+ con mod at 1st roll there after
I have a little trouble wrapping my head around 1st level wizards with 15-25 starting hit points. :)
Hm.... 4 HP from wizards HD + 5 HP from bonus HD + 2x con.
Con 10: 9hp
Con 12: 11hp
Con 14: 13hp
Con 16: 15hp
Con 18: 17hp
Con 20: 19hp
Add to that toughness for 3 + 2 hp (yes, you do get another for toughness, since it counts as an extra HD for HP and HP only), so you could indeed have starting HP equal to 15-24.
I guess, though, that your average wizard will have con 14 (getting a really high Int is just too tempting) and not get the toughness feat, which means 13 hp. Sure, that's not bad compared to 6 HP in 3.5, but it does mean that your average wizard now has a decent chance to survive one attack by an attacking orc (two attacks still mean trouble).
the racial hit points in the PFRPG.
Hate that ruling. Just another way to make dwarves even more overpowered. Are Orcs getting a racial attack bonus?
Well, I've used the "flat 6 hp" option once, the "variant hp by race" once and not at all the rest of the time. In my experience, most people also choose the 1 skill point per level (favoured class bonus), rather than 1 hp per level.
I use a flat rate per level based on the hit die type, but at first level I give full con score instead of just mod.
I looooved on VP/WP for a long time when I GM'd. Recently starting up some AoW goodness on Golarion I had the PCs use the Constitution score + HP alternative in the Beta. Some mighty big 1st level HP, but they needed every one of them!
Con score + rolled HD for first level is my personal favorite now.
I like either the Max at 1st +Con Bonus as that is what I have used since 2nd edition anyway. If Piazo is looking to up the HP's at first I like the idea of having a racial die, a class die, and a +Con modifier bonus (Not the +full con). Just my 2CP. :)
I used the max hp at 1st level + the racial mod suggested in the PF book. After that, just traditional hp rolling plus Con mod. Everyone in my game loves it. I like the idea of tough races getting a couple more hp's, but not so many that I have to hit 'em with an ogre in order to make them feel threatened.
We use max HP + con modifier + racial bonus. As we level up we roll the dice to see how many points they gained while leveling up. If the player isn't happy with his roll he gets to re-roll ONCE but he MUST take whatever comes up on the 2nd roll.
In the last game, I used the standard rules (max. hp from hit die + con bonus). For leveling, I let them roll twice and choose the best (if both rolls turn up a "1", I let them reroll). For my next game, I might test the Con Score = starting HP rule, as this seems somewhat logical to me. I don´t like it if the party has to rest after the first fight because they are all near dying. (Beware of strong enemies wielding greataxes - they don´t need a crit to kill a 1st level PC).
Stefan
I am allowing racial+ max hp + con mod for my Cotct pbp.
I am starting to feel as if that's far to much really
That's what I'm currently using, seems a little bit too much especially with the Dwarven barbarian.For my next game I will use max hp + conn bonus + racial bonus.
Yeah it is,
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That's what I'm currently using, seems a little bit too much especially with the Dwarven barbarian.For my next game I will use max hp + conn bonus + racial bonus.
Right now I am doing the same thing. I have a paladin with the toughness feat as well and she got up to 21hp as a human. Decent for a tank. I'd be scared to see a Dwarf barbarian with a 20 Con and the toughness feat <shudder>.
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For first level, I'm using max + CON bonus + racial right now. Our first level barbarian with a 16 CON and toughness had (12 + 3 (Con) + 3 (Toughness) + 1 (Toughness, again) + 1 (favored class) + 6 (racial)) = 26 hps at first level.
This turned out to be handy for keeping the party alive (the extra 6hp helped the sorcerer and cleric even more, but they really tweaked on early on pushing the barbarian into the path of dangers).
For 2nd+, I'm using rounded-up average for the "roll" and then applying all other factors. This was the formula I had been using for NPCs for forever, so having the players use it too seemed to even things out.
I'm OK with the system, and so far I haven't minded that even wimpy 1st level people have 8 or more hps.
I like new ideas especially the racial bonus but in the end we went with Con score + max class at 1st.
Constitution as a HP base just seams more appropriate. The hardier races will probably have higher con's than the frailer ones and who says you can't have exceptions within a race. The player may want a hardy hobbit (opps did i use that word) he can now have some control over that by giving him a higher constitution. Yup, constitution thats the ticket. (IMHO)
I used the +6 hp "kicker" at 1st level in the Beta-test campaign, and it seemed to do really well from my perspective. It was the only alternative asides from 'standard vanilla' that is truly fair. It doesn't favor any particular race, it doesn't care if you have a good CON score or not and it doesn't care if you are a barbarian or a wizard or anywhere in between.
Note that I also assign that bonus to NPCs with player character class levels and/or prestige class levels as well. ^_^ Makes things a mite more interesting, but I tend to use NPC classes from time to time.