Is this HP per level forumla giving the players to much HP? 1 / 2HD + Con + 2 per level.

[Secane]

Hi all,

My group usually uses 1/2HD + Con + 1 per level for level 2 and above. (Lv is Max HD + Con.)

I originally want to change it to Max HD + Con - 2, but felt that it was giving classes with bigger Hit Dices, too much HP. (talked about this on a previous thread.)

So I came up with 1/2HD + Con + 2 per level instead, but I'm wondering if it will unbalance the game.
I'm running a Pathfinder Module soon.

What do you all think?

[erik542]

I prefer 3/4 HD + con because this still gives a good reward for having a higher HD. If you go with 1/2 HD, the difference is really only one con modifier between HD.

[Fake Healer]

Secane wrote:

Hi all,

My group usually uses 1/2HD + Con + 1 per level for level 2 and above. (Lv is Max HD + Con.)

I originally want to change it to Max HD + Con - 2, but felt that it was giving classes with bigger Hit Dices, too much HP. (talked about this on a previous thread.)

So I came up with 1/2HD + Con + 2 per level instead, but I'm wondering if it will unbalance the game.
I'm running a Pathfinder Module soon.

What do you all think?

So d6ers get 5+con, d8ers get 6+con, d10ers get 7+con, and d12ers get 8+con.....only seems like a small difference, each step is +1.

generally PCs roll around with average rolls which are only 1.5 hp per level less than what you purpose.....so 30 hps difference compared to average at level 20.
Doesn't seem like much to me. You shouldn't have a problem besides feeling like you won't need to hold back on them ;P

[Melissa Litwin]

Secane wrote:

Hi all,

My group usually uses 1/2HD + Con + 1 per level for level 2 and above. (Lv is Max HD + Con.)

I originally want to change it to Max HD + Con - 2, but felt that it was giving classes with bigger Hit Dices, too much HP. (talked about this on a previous thread.)

So I came up with 1/2HD + Con + 2 per level instead, but I'm wondering if it will unbalance the game.
I'm running a Pathfinder Module soon.

What do you all think?

I think it should work. It 1/2HD+1 definitely hurts high HD classes the most, but preserves some sort of HP parity within the group. I don't think it'll unbalance the game to do 1/2HD+2 instead of +1, considering 3/4HD is also an option. 1/2HD+2 gives your low HD classes (d6s especially) a boon but prevents your high HD classes from skyrocketing as much. I assume you always add con modifier.

Here's a little chart for comparison sake:
HD, 1/2+1, 1/2+2, 3/4, Full-2
D6, 4, 5, 4, 4
D8, 5, 6, 6, 6
D10, 6, 7, 7, 8
D12, 7, 8, 8, 10

[j b 200]

We do max HD and keep the racial HD from the playtest and we don't really have any problem with that.

[wraithstrike]

1/2 HD(rounded up which should be the same as 1/2 HD+1)+con is normally good enough.

[Secane]

Thanks all for your inputs. I think I will go ahead with the +2 formula. Maybe it will even freak my players out! :P

Melissa Litwin wrote:

Secane wrote:

Hi all,

My group usually uses 1/2HD + Con + 1 per level for level 2 and above. (Lv is Max HD + Con.)

I originally want to change it to Max HD + Con - 2, but felt that it was giving classes with bigger Hit Dices, too much HP. (talked about this on a previous thread.)

So I came up with 1/2HD + Con + 2 per level instead, but I'm wondering if it will unbalance the game.
I'm running a Pathfinder Module soon.

What do you all think?

I think it should work. It 1/2HD+1 definitely hurts high HD classes the most, but preserves some sort of HP parity within the group. I don't think it'll unbalance the game to do 1/2HD+2 instead of +1, considering 3/4HD is also an option. 1/2HD+2 gives your low HD classes (d6s especially) a boon but prevents your high HD classes from skyrocketing as much. I assume you always add con modifier.

Here's a little chart for comparison sake:
HD, 1/2+1, 1/2+2, 3/4, Full-2
D6, 4, 5, 4, 4
D8, 5, 6, 6, 6
D10, 6, 7, 7, 8
D12, 7, 8, 8, 10

Thanks for the breakdown. It helped a lot! :)

[ayronc]

I am also approaching the start of a campaign and was looking for a Hit Dice rule to use

The current campaign that I am playing in uses a system where we roll and can take the result or re-roll with the maximum reduced by 1 until we are "happy"

i.e.

d8 gives 5 (can take 5 result or re-roll)
a. re-roll comes 8 (HP is 7)
b. re-roll comes 3 (can take 3 or re-roll with 6 maximum)

I was thinking of 3/4HD but one of my players was worried that there is then no opportunity for characters to get really lucky and have maximum HP for any given level

My idea is to give them half and then they roll the second half

d6 = 3 + d3
d8 = 4 + d4
d10 = 5 + d5
d12 = 6 + d6
(+ CON of course)

which should give them about 3/4 average, but with the chance for "epic" results on occassion

I don't want them to have too low hp, especially in the early levels, but I won't be so forgiving if a character does die...

Anyone have any thoughts they would like to share?

[Mike Schneider]

Just do it the way PFS and prior Living systems do it: max first, then half-the-hit-die-round-up succeeding levels, + [Level x CON].

Puts everyone on a level playing field, and nobody is hopelessly gimped or uber tough solely on the basis of a miniscule percentage of the dice they're going to roll over the entire campaign.

[TOZ]

I prefer max HD until 10th, then a flat total each level after that, similar to the Conan d20. (+1 for d6, +2 for d8, +3 for d10.)

[Squawk Featherbeak]

I like (1/2 HD+Con+1)Rounded down.

Examples

D6=6,3,4,3,4,...
D8=8,4,5,4,5,...
D10=10,5,6,5,6,...
D12=12,6,7,6,7,...

[Melissa Litwin]

Squawk Featherbeak wrote:

I like (1/2 HD+Con+1)Rounded down.

Examples

D6=6,3,4,3,4,...
D8=8,4,5,4,5,...
D10=10,5,6,5,6,...
D12=12,6,7,6,7,...

That's known as 1/2. So for a d6 HD, you add 3.5 every level but when counting HP, only count full HPs and not partials. So at level 2 you have 9.5 HP (but 9 effective) before Con, and at level 3 you have 13 HP, and so on and so forth.

[Squawk Featherbeak]

basically, yes.

[Cheapy]

We just roll HD and add all relevant modifiers. Works well.

[Lightbulb]

I would do it the pcs way.

The game I play in does max HP which I feel is unbalancing.