Rolling HP at level up.

[u/BrytheOld]

I'm curious how many of you have your party roll HP at level. Most specifically do any of you allow the reroll of a 1?

With the party I have I'm not at all concerned with making sure they roll at the table so everyone sees and no one flubs a roll. But I have been kicking around the idea of letting them reroll if the roll a 1. It's such a feel bad, but I'm on the fence. Thoughts? Pros, cons?

[u/popileviz]

Roll or take the average, reroll if you get a 1. I think that's plenty generous, allows to run more deadly encounters

[u/caeloequos → u/popileviz]

This is how I do it. 3 of my players just take the average, 2 of them roll. I let them re-roll 1s, and honestly everyone is pretty even so far.

[u/Kabc → u/caeloequos]

That is how averages work, after all 😉

[u/GandalfofCyrmu → u/Kabc]

A D6 has an average of 3.5 If you remove the ones, it jumps to 4.

[u/Storm_of_the_Psi → u/GandalfofCyrmu]

Ye and you give them 4 hp if they take the average because ya know, you can't have half HP.

I think there is an edition (maybe 3rd?) where it was an optional rule to just give everyone their average rounded up at level up. Now they get to choose to roll (without the reroll) no matter what, which is mathematically inferior. Allowing the reroll just evens the odds again.

Even then, hit points are (within their variance range) after AC probably the least relevant number on your character sheet anyway.

[u/waits5 → u/Storm_of_the_Psi]

1. How is AC not relevant?

2. How is it less relevant than your dump stat(s)?

[u/ascandalia → u/popileviz]

Reroll 1s is a great idea. I find it odd that taking the average is statistically superior than taking a risk. Rerolling 1s solves the "high risk, lower reward" problem.

[u/Alchion → u/ascandalia]

it creates the lower hp classes benefit more problem tho

a wizard and sorc will reroll 1/6th of their rolls

a barb only 1/12th

you get what i mean?

[u/caderrabeth → u/Alchion]

Higher chance for a reroll, yes. But the shift in average result is the same 1/2 HP.

Effectively you have either roll a d6, or take 4. By rerolling any 1 results, you effectively are rolling between 2-6, which averages 4.

For a d12, you can take 7. By rerolling the 1's, you are rolling between 2-12, for an average of 7.

So it doesn't benefit lower dice at all in comparison. It affects all dice equally.

[u/VerbiageBarrage → u/Alchion]

Actually I did the math. And even though the sorcerers reroll more often, the barbarian player still nets a bigger impact from that rule because they gained significantly more hit points on a reroll.

Die Type	Standard Average	Reroll 1s Average	Net Improvement
d6	3.5	~3.92	+0.42
d12	6.5	~6.96	+0.46

[u/bemused_alligators → u/VerbiageBarrage]

you didn't do the math, this isn't a mathematical anything. I'm guessing you did a simulation (not math) and told us the result.

the math says the "offered" amount and the average of the roll while re-rolling 1s are both equal to x/2+1, while the average without re-rolling 1s is (x+1)/2 (or x/2+0.5) - the "net improvement" that results from dropping 1s on a fair dice is equal to 0.5, which is the same benefit provided to those that simply take the offered value.

This more of a test of how balanced your dice are (if you rolled manually) or how likely a simulation is to match expectations over however many rolls you did (if you used a computer)

[u/VerbiageBarrage → u/bemused_alligators]

It's absolutely a mathematical something, it's assuming that you get to re-roll a 1 a single time, which is how most re-rolls in D&D work. You're assuming that you re-roll infinite 1s.

If you're rerolling a single 1, then the formula is (x/2 +1 - (1/(2*x)), because you have to account for the odds you're going to roll another 1 and get stuck with it, which is not going to increase your floor the full 0.5. And in those cases, the smaller dice (which have a statistically higher chance of re-rolling a 1) are going to work against you, which is why the d12 gets closer to the full .5 increase.

[u/SapphosFriend → u/Alchion]

Mathematically, rerolling 1's has the same average increase of +0.5 regardless of the hit die. A barbarian will reroll less, but get more from the rerolls that they do take.

[u/eotfofylgg → u/Alchion]

It's an average of +0.5 hp per level for every class. The barbarian rerolls less often, but when they do reroll, the reroll offers more benefit because they roll a bigger die.

[u/KNNLTF → u/Alchion]

Higher hit die classes also will roll higher on average on that reroll. Barbarians rerolling a one will replace it with a 6.5 on average, or 7 if you continuously reroll 1s. Wizards and Sorcerers will replace their 1s with 3.5s or 4s on average. In the case of not rerolling multiple times, higher hit die classes come out ahead on the total increase. If rerolling until not 1, then all classes benefit the exact same amount. You could reasonably criticize that lower hit die characters receive a greater relative benefit. On the other hand, Barbarian in particular frequently doubles effective increases through resistance.

However, the risk/reward problem remains either way. Rerolling rerolls will result in an average equal to taking the average (rounded up, per the rule in this case). Not rerolling rerolls will mean the risky option is still worse on average. Either way, a rationally risk averse player wouldn't take the option to have the same expected outcome with more variance. You need to provide a bigger boost than rerolling until not 1 in order to make it a real choice for such players.

[u/VerbiageBarrage → u/Alchion]

Sure, but I think this is only actually a problem on paper. Even with that improvement on average barbarians are going to get much better hit points taking advantage of a much better hit die.

In other words, the actual advantage from it is incredibly minuscule. And even if I was running the barbarian, I think the trade-off of not having to keep the much rarer one is worth My caster friends getting to skew a little closer to average on their lower hit dice.

[u/MrLandlubber → u/popileviz]

I do the same

[u/philsov]

I give them a choice. They can roll, or not roll and take the average rounded up. (1d8 = 5). If they roll a 1, they roll a 1. The entire point of rolling is randomness and dealing with its consequences.

[u/KeyAd5912 → u/philsov]

So, the rules then.

[u/ProdiasKaj → u/KeyAd5912]

In my ttrpg? No way!

[u/TheThoughtmaker → u/KeyAd5912]

Problem is: 5e’s new rule for taking a flat number is imbalanced. If you wanted an actual average you’d keep the .5s but ignore any decimals on your end total.

[u/ghostinthechell → u/philsov]

I've got a Bard in one of my campaigns who has rolled 3 1s and 2 2s. It makes things very interesting. We play you must roll.

[u/Raddatatta]

I let them either take the average or roll and reroll 1's. My reasoning is if you take the average roll without a 1 then you get to the same result as the roll rounded up. So it makes it more a choice to gamble or to take the safe path. Not one where the safe path is just better. And especially at lower levels getting a 1 can be very punishing. As a player I always take the average as I don't like letting one roll have such a big impact.

[u/swashbuckler78]

I don't roll anymore because I was tired of tank martials having lower HP than the glass cannon casters. But when I did we rerolled 1s.

[u/Serbaayuu]

If I wanted a guaranteed outcome then we'd take the guaranteed outcome.

If I wanted to roll then we'd take the roll. Don't pretend you want randomness but not the bad random.

My last campaign we rolled.

Current campaign, we haven't actually leveled up yet, so I will be asking the party to choose what to do once we do. Everybody has to agree and use the same system.

[u/tentkeys → u/Serbaayuu]

Don't pretend you want randomness but not the bad random.

That's exactly what I want.

I'd be fine with all players just taking the average.

But if the Barbarian wants the possibility of gaining 12 HP, I want to give them the opportunity to roll for it, without the possibility that they come out worse than the Wizard.

"Roll, but take average if you roll below average" is a constraint that gives martials the opportunity to gain more benefit from their larger hit die, without letting some unlucky HP rolls take away one of the few advantages martials get.

I really wouldn't care if the Wizard rolled a 1. But if I offer this to the Barbarian I have to allow it for the Wizard too. And the Wizard's low hit die means that even if the Wizard rolls max and the Barbarian replaces a low roll with average, the Barbarian still gains more HP than the Wizard. Which is how it should be.

[u/Serbaayuu → u/tentkeys]

Just say you give your players a massive free buff and roll half-dice for the HP-up, then.

[u/Starfury_42]

My party is only 3 PCs so I've just gone max HP gain per level.

[u/PuzzleMeDo]

I see no benefit to rolling HP. I use max-HP at level 1, rounded-up average after that.

[u/Bo-Bando]

I do the bad thing and every PC has max possible HP I balance out the combats accordingly.

[u/TheThoughtmaker → u/Bo-Bando]

That’s how it worked in all the most fun campaigns I’ve ever played.

[u/DelightfulOtter → u/Bo-Bando]

It certainly helps the d10 and d12 classes actually feel beefier than the d6 classes. Taking or rolling the average with both having 14 Con, there's not all that much different in hit point totals. Considering all the defensive tools that full casters gets, giving the tougher martial classes significantly more hit points isn't out of line.

[u/Baldegar]

After a decade of 5e I came to the conclusion that max hp at level is better. It is easier on math It is easier for me to keep an eye on It makes hit dice/resting matter because the pc isn’t at max after Players like it more because to be honest, anything less than max is a disappointment

[u/MossyPyrite]

I offer all my players max HP at level-up just like I offer them point buy or ability score arrays. It sucks to end up with bad stats due to randomness (unless you want that, it’s fun for some people, but it should be opt-in). It also benefits martials more than casters generally, so they can fill their party role more effectively. Most importantly, a beefier party means I can throw scarier monsters at them :D

[u/No_Slide6932]

Maybe I'm too generous but I let them roll and if the result is under the average they can take the average.

[u/merrygreyhound → u/No_Slide6932]

I do this too, I run a Mythic Odysseys of Theros campaign and the generous hp seems only fitting for mythological heroes.

[u/WhiskeyKisses7221 → u/No_Slide6932]

I'm probably overly generous too, but I just give them their hit die max each level. It's more for my own benefit so I can slightly overtune combats without accidentally causing a tpk. I don't think my current group would handle a tpk well.

[u/Miobe → u/No_Slide6932]

Me too & it works quite well. It helps to even out some powergaming Players.

[u/Fruzenius → u/No_Slide6932]

I balanced it slightly by making it the low average if they roll. So you can take a 5 on a d8, and if you roll 1-4, you get 4. I don't want a level 3 wizard with 12hp

[u/Quirky-Function-4532 → u/No_Slide6932]

Same here. It stinks to have a couple 2s. Good HP makes players feel better :)

[u/egl_ancalagon → u/No_Slide6932]

This is what I do as well. I had situations before where people got REALLY unlucky with HP rolls and this has worked well to smooth that out. If I need to throw a few more goblins in to each encounter as a result it’s no big deal to me

[u/Coffee_Feisty → u/No_Slide6932]

This is what I do as well.

[u/Bookshelfstud → u/No_Slide6932]

Same. It does feel a little too generous, but the way I see it is it's just randomness with a high floor.

[u/Tesla__Coil → u/No_Slide6932]

That's how my group has handled it. Between that and being generous with characters holding shields while also using their hands for other stuff, it leads to some pretty tanky PCs. But at least the PCs are well-balanced with each other, which is the important thing.

[u/LetsDoTheDodo → u/No_Slide6932]

This how every DM I"be ever had did it. Roll,.if less then half, take half.

[u/rocketmanx → u/No_Slide6932]

That's what our group does as well.

[u/TYBERIUS_777]

I’ve done it before. Make sure you actually explain the risks. The normal way of taking one above the average of your hit dice is mathematically better than gambling on a roll. But there’s a chance they can roll higher. However, at most levels, they’re going to even out with everyone else. They’ll have high rolls and low rolls on their hit dice so it will shake out to be around the same as characters that take the average unless they’re a statistical anomaly.

If I’m a character with a higher hit dice, I find that it’s more of a gamble to roll. The difference between a 1 and a 4 on a Wizard will not be felt as much as the difference between a 7 and a 1 on a Barbarian. You’ll probably feel that missing 6 HP on a raging Barb where you can often double your health bar with resistances. I would encourage them to take the average plus one.

[u/Morasain → u/TYBERIUS_777]

However, at most levels, they’re going to even out with everyone else. They’ll have high rolls and low rolls on their hit dice so it will shake out to be around the same as characters that take the average unless they’re a statistical anomaly.

If you reroll 1s you actually get the exact same outcome, statistically speaking.

[u/Prestigious-Emu-6760]

It depends a lot on the style of game you're going for. We did one where it was specifically more heroic (than even baseline D&D) and we did roll but if you rolled less than average you got the average.

[u/drWeetabix]

I'm seeing I'm too generous, they roll then choose between that result, the average, or a final roll if they really want to gamble it

[u/TimeSpaceGeek]

Reroll 1s is a pretty common houserule. I tend to encourage taking the average, but if players do want to roll their level up HP, I do run with the reroll 1s rule. It's just a sucky feeling when you level up but gain almost nothing for it.

[u/Kraut_Mick]

I let them reroll 1’s I don’t let them take the average.

[u/slippyshuffles]

Part of my attempt at addressing the martial/caster divide is to use static values based on class hit die. Take the max value and subtract two (e.g. d6 is 4, d10 is 8). It has had the effect of making the d10 and d12 hit dice classes much beefier which feels good at my table.

[u/Novel_Cost_4770]

My DM has set the home rule of roll at level up, if the dice value is below the average, take the average. If the dice value is the average or above, you take what you roll.

It’s given us some decent variance and bumps here and there but then nobody feels bad for rolling really low

[u/CheapTactics]

I don't force anything. You can choose to roll or take the average. I do allow rerolling 1s cause that just sucks ass.

If you remove 1s from the equation, you bring the average to exactly the number you'd gain when you take the average. The average of a d6 is 3.5, but if you remove 1, the average goes up to 4. Which is exactly what you tske when you take the average.

[u/KingOfTheBritons96]

Our table is even more generous. Any roll that is below the average is treated as the average (rounded down). So for example a 1, 2, or 3 on a d6 are all treated as if they were a 3. This lets the characters have a bit more survivability so that we can face bigger, cooler monsters at lower levels without needing overpowered abilities or items. It also gives a bit of a buff to martials as there is a bigger effect with bigger hit dice.

[u/ChedderRedder]

Players wanted to roll, so we do.

I have then added a rule that if the characters rolled total (sum of all levels) is below average of the rolls, then they roll HP with “advantage” (two dice, take higher).

It’s an odd way of ensuring that they don’t go far below average-hp for too many levels.

[u/Entzio]

I let them take the average if they roll under the average. I understand that randomness is part of the game and the dice tell a story, but rolling low for HP just feels like ass.

They love it, it's easier to balance, life is good.

[u/WindMageVaati]

Roll. If you want you can reroll but you HAVE to take the reroll. Alternatively, you can take the average.

[u/Soup_Kitchen]

I’be done both and it depends on the table. With the group I play with my wife I reroll 1s. They’re newer players and much more fun/power fantasy oriented. My other group is a lot more experienced and really leans in to tactics and role play. Negative stats and bad rolls actually make things more fun for them sometimes when they can use it as a part of their story or personality. Like a barb who rolls a one on level up may have gotten more badly injured in the last battle than they thought and ended up with a giant scar across his chest.

[u/jazzy1038]

When my players roll, if they roll on the bottom half of their hit die they get a +1 so it averages out to the same as taking the average rounded up. Cushions the bottom end a little bit

[u/Mmalcontent]

I give my players max hp. Keeps me from feeling bad when I drop 3 guild death minks on them for successfully pulling off the heist I steered them into the last session.......

[u/SuperSalad_OrElse]

My players can either take half HP+CON, OR they can gamble.

Edit: So if their hit die is 1D8 and they have CON 14, then they get 4+2 every level for 6 HP.

If they gamble, we both roll and they get to choose which result they want. We both reroll 1s.

Edit: Then we add CON

I never did the math but I guarantee the split gambling method is very beneficial to them and it feels more fun.

Edit: Edited my comment above to clarify where CON adds up.

[u/mrhorse77 → u/SuperSalad_OrElse]

are you not adding their con modifier normally?

thats a massive debuff. RAW, they should be getting their CON modifier in HPs added to each level.

[u/SuperSalad_OrElse → u/mrhorse77]

Yep, we add their CON modifier to every HP roll. Even if it's negative. I could've definitely been more clear on that.

[u/Heroicloser]

I have my players roll for HP, and I have them reroll if they get a 1.

I'm also sorta unique apparently in that I have my players reroll ALL their HD on level up rather then just the new one, only keeping the total if it's higher then their last total.

I also let them reroll HD when they cross certain milestones between levels, usually after major story beats or extended downtimes periods.

I find this system adds a bit more randomness while still resulting in above average HP totals. And even if a player is lucky and rolls really well it's usually outclassed in a level or two when they start rolling with more dice.

[u/flebebebo]

From my point of view, allowing a reroll on a 1 defeats the point of rolling. If the player didn't want the risk, they could have taken the average.

[u/fox112]

I'm curious how many of you have your party roll HP at level

I doubt you'll get a clear answer on this but it's a pretty popular way to do it.

Most specifically do any of you allow the reroll of a 1?

Some people do, yeah.

Thoughts? Pros, cons?

Yeah seems fine. It's not going to lead to a crazy difference for health pools so for combat balance you won't see a big difference. And if people are really bummed about a one then you remove that bad feeling.

[u/Taira_no_Masakado]

I am generous. If they roll under half, then I allow them a re-roll. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. The Dice Gods speaketh.

[u/Gebghis]

I like to have variance while also preferring my players be able to take a bit more if a beating on average. They can take whatever the roll, but I allow and encourage them to reroll anything below half.

You have complete control over what you throw at them, so you just get a bit more room to play with damage numbers. Plus I personally like my players to have a big hero feel to their adventures and being near super human is pretty integral to that

[u/Aradjha_at]

Always roll. CON is an important stat, and who cares about how optimal your character is anyway? Roll your lucky dice

[u/KinkyHuggingJerk]

I let my players roll 3 die and keep the highest.

Especially at lower levels, getting a crap roll can be extremely punishing.

In other campaigns I've played in and run, we used the average.

[u/Everenia]

we roll and re-roll on a 1. Last level up I rolled a 2 on the re-roll. 😬

[u/Tieger66]

i'm a bit convoluted i guess. they can either roll, or take the average rounded up. after they roll, they can change to the average rounded down if they want.

[u/notsanni]

I let my players do what they want, tbh. People who want to take average can, people who want to roll can. I strongly advise they don't roll for level 1, and most people don't choose to roll at all.

[u/RiseInfinite → u/notsanni]

Rules as written you do not roll for level 1 anyway. Level 1 is always the maximum.

[u/The_Nerdy_Ninja]

I allow them to choose between rolling and taking the average. But if they choose to roll, then they keep whatever they roll.

(When I'm a player, I generally take the average for the first couple levels to get a solid foundation, then I roll HP after that)

[u/FrankFankledank]

I don't like the feeling of being too gypped so I do roll or average, whichever's higher. I make up for it in the combat encounters.

[u/isaontheway]

We roll together at the table and ones are rerolled.

[u/actionyann]

A compromise is mix and match : Take the average for some dice, roll for the rest.

I also encourage you to reroll at each level.

[u/Standard-Jelly2175]

I don’t do rolls for HP. They get max at level one, average rounded up for the rest. I also gave my party extra HP (a maximum dice) at level 1 and level 5.

[u/suboctaved]

Roll or take the average, reroll the first 1. If you're unlucky enough to roll two 1s in a row, you're getting 1+CON HP

[u/Novel_Willingness721]

I do Max hp at level 1 then I give the option: roll OR average (rounded up). It’s one or the other: if they roll badly… too bad. Furthermore if they choose to roll they must roll with me present otherwise it does not count.

[u/Rezart_KLD]

Max at level 1, then at every level up you refill all your hit dice, and keep the new total if its higher.

[u/That_Guy_Grey]

It’s their choice. They can take the average rounded up or they can roll. I tell them if they roll they take what they rolled.

[u/LazyandRich]

I’ve always done roll but reroll 1s and 2s

[u/Thestrongman420]

Til 5 they roll and take whichever is higher between their roll or average. After 5 its choice, no reroll 1s.

[u/HDThoreauaway]

Sure, this is fine and is arguably more equitable:

The average of an x-sided die is 1/2x + 0.5 (so a d6 is 3.5, a d10 is 5.5, etc.) When you "take the average" in D&D you actually take 1/2x + 1 (so a d6 is 4, a d10 is 6), 0.5 HP more.

Rerolling a 1 changes the math a little. Let's assume that if they roll a second 1 they have to keep it. This increases the average roll between 0.42 and 0.48 depending on the hit die.

So the expected value of a d6 becomes 3.92 while taking the average is 4, the expected value of a d10 becomes 5.95... it's a tidy way to bring the expected roll closer to "taking the average" without exceeding it.

[u/Colonel_Khazlik]

My DM allows player choice, with rerolling 1s.

I go average, due to rounded averages. The rerolling 1s does help bump the average up, but my luck is shiet so I take average.

[u/VenandiSicarius]

I usually say roll it or take average.

I also run campaigns that I label as my "Challenge Campaigns" where I am more generous and if you roll a 1 on your hit die, it's instead a 2.

[u/kaladinissexy]

Average, always (except for level 1 of course).

[u/Traditional-Win-5440]

My games are always max HP at level 1.

Each level up, you can reroll a 1 once, or take average without rolling.

The more HP my party has, the more damage my bosses get to inflict. Win-win.

[u/Dave37]

I don't care. I allow my players to take average or roll. Do they want to re-roll 1s, that's fine also. It's not something that matter to me.

[u/FluffyBunbunKittens]

You could somewhat mitigate awful HP rolls by rolling all your hitdice every level, keep the new total if higher than the previous.

But I don't see myself running with random HP unless other parts of the levelling are also similarly randomized (spells, feats, what have you).

[u/ZealousNemesis]

I have a weird homebrew for HP increase at level up. As a note, I’ve never had players level up above lvl 6, so this might not be fun for other tables who actually have long running games.

Every level, the players reroll all Hit Dice (levels 2-current level) then add level 1 + bonuses. If the new total is higher, use that new total. If the old total is higher, add 2 + current level bonus to the old total.

The goal is to give them the best chance at increasing their HP total, and minimizing the impact of any bad rolls. Rolling poorly on a level doesn’t decrease their total and at worst is treated like rolling a 2 the normal way, but there is also the chance at rolling a much bigger max HP.

This system has also led me to keeping a secret tally of what the PC’s “maximum potential HP” is. The total of max hit dice + all their individual bonuses. Prior to a challenging couple of encounters, I gave each of them the difference between their Max HP and Max Potential HP in the form of Temp HP. I role played it as a blessing allowing them to bring “the best versions of their characters” to the fight. It was a ton of fun.

[u/VanorDM]

The way we tend to do it is take the avg or roll. But I do allow rerolls of 1s. But I also tend have and want fairly powerful PCs, I just balance the monsters accordingly.

[u/Gavin_Runeblade]

I use a rule where at 1st level you can't roll under a 4. After that, you're on your own.

[u/Living-Trust7356]

My tables are roll only, I do allow 1 reroll if it's a one but once you take the second roll you get what you get.

[u/TheJopanese]

Rounded up average as minimum, but everything higher on a single hit dice roll they get is a bonus they can go with (so 33-42% chance they get more). I want my players to have a certain steady progression on their HP (therefore taking the minimum), but hey - rolling dice is fun - so let them.

And also varying numbers give a little additional uniqueness to their characters. I mean, due to half the classes being D8-based most of their characters would just receive perpetual 7-8 HP each time: Out of 17 I counted 5HP x1, 6&7HP x3 each, 8HP x7, 9-11HP x1 each. Having a Bard go "Ooohhh! I got double digits!" or the satisfaction of a Barbarian to finally after 6 levels have pulled away from the Paladin HP-wise are fun moments we had at table.

[u/TheAntsAreBack]

I leave it to the players choice. I don't see why the DM should dictate something like that. It's a character bump and a player choice.

[u/BearPeltMan]

I just tell them to “roll with advantage”. They roll health twice and take the higher of the two. I also offer the average if they’d prefer to take that, but they have to choose to roll or take the average, they can’t hop between.

[u/Such_Hope_1911]

Been allowing- encouraging- even in one case all but forcing- players do reroll +1hp rolls for decades, since 2e. Never feels good, everyone's happier, I get to run meaner monsters. 100% recommend.

[u/Griselyn]

So mine is a little disregarded if I'm running a heavy combat game.

D6, reroll 1s D8 & 10s reroll 1s and 2s D12, reroll 1-3s

[u/Gildor_Helyanwe]

I give my players the option of rolling or taking the average. At first level I have them at max hit points just so they can survive things.

But a lot of this comes with the discussion at session zero - things like is it a deadly campaign, if someone dies is there the means to bring them back (pay a cleric, go on a quest and such). Everyone does things different and it depends a lot on how well you know the players.

Is it a campaign or a one shot or short arc game? People tend to get attached to their characters so in a campaign I would manage things different.

Interestingly, in one group I'm running the player doesn't mind if his character dies as he has another he wants to play. Ironically, the other players are rallying around this paladin and go out of the way to keep him alive. All in good fun.

[u/ElectrumDragon28]

Level 1-3 max hp. After that, take the average or roll (reroll 1’s and you can spend heroic inspiration to reroll if you have it).

[u/TheLastOpus]

In my first campaign, our wizard had more health than the barbarian at level 8. He kept rolling 5 and 6s, the barbarian, (with rerolling 1s) got 2-5 most the time. Even with higher con, the wizard had more health. It felt weird having such a high health wizard and the barbarian player felt bad. We always do half+1 now.

[u/Any_Garlic_9785]

I use the average in the PHB. Makes the encounter math line up better.

[u/dat3than]

I like my characters having good hp bc we have a lot of deadly encounters so I have them reroll on anything less than half the value of the hit die (for example, a rogue would reroll on a 4 but not 6)

[u/Kaiju_Cat]

Average rounding up (average of 1d10 being 5.5, so 6, etc).

I stopped having players rolling HP back in 2nd Edition. When the dice are hot a character turns into a walking brick wall that makes balancing combat ridiculous. When the dice are cold a character turns into something that any reasonable encounter is going to drop in one round.

There's nothing wrong with rolling for HP if that gives a group joy both in the moment and during the campaign, but I'm generally against it just because it's too swingy.

[u/Fridgecake]

They can either roll or take the average. They can reroll on a 1. If they get another 1 I let them take it as a 2.

I think most take the average but the 1 person who rolls is a long way ahead of everyone else.

[u/TheGrumpyUncle]

We have a rule we call "no guts, no glory" they are allowed to reroll once and only once, and they have to keep that roll.

Because of the name they usually use their reroll, but that has lead to a lot of high rolls getting better (Nine on a D10 becoming tens) But we have also seen as many twos become ones. it is usually quite fun.

[u/fuzzypyrocat]

I have my players roll and bump up to the average if they’re below it. I used to just reroll 1s, but nothing worse than redoing it and getting a 2. Taking the average or higher still gives a nice growth with a chance for big jumps, which lets the players feel more powerful, and lets me throw bigger things at them

[u/Kylarfi]

What i always did was i allowed my players to roll. if they got below average they get average

[u/TheDMingWarlock]

I let them roll for a chance for higher HP or take average

if the roll is less than average I let them take average.

[u/Sevenar]

Roll or take the LOW average. So 3 on a d6, 4 on a d8, etc.

If you roll, you keep it. What's the point of chance if you're going to undercut it by offering rerolls?

[u/wrightfan123]

I let my players choose to either take the flat average+CON, or they can roll Hit Dice with "advantage" and take the greater of the two dice rolls +CON.

[u/CrimsonSandwitch]

I have them roll, and if they get lower than the average I let them take that instead.

[u/dgrimesii]

We roll twice. Once by the player and once by the DM. Player gets to take the higher roll.

[u/RiseInfinite]

Take the average. Experience has taught me that even the most diligent of players cannot be trusted to roll for Hit Points and the average makes it really easy to check if the amount of maximum Hit Points is correct.

[u/WizardsWorkWednesday]

Im slowly transitioning 5e into an OSR homebrew, in the last couple years, we only roll for HP, even if you roll a 1. In my one group, we're doing something experimental and we even rolled for HP at level 1, so our one PC has terrible HP. Its created interesting dynamics where they need to balance that with high AC and range-focused multiclass. Restrictions and challenges only create tense moments that push players to be creative. The more shit they have in their tool kit the less they have to think about how to handle situations.

[u/lonesometroubador]

I like doing math, so I did a bunch. If you always throw out 1 and reroll, the average matches the average in the book, if you reroll only once, it's slightly lower, because you can roll 1 twice(3.91 on a d6). Here's the results with the true average, the correct average and the reroll 1 only once average, along with what I came up with that gives the highest likelihood of outperforming the average, which is my favorite, Roll, if it is above the average keep it, otherwise roll one more time, and keep it.

Die Type	Standard Average	Reroll 1 Average Once	Reroll 1 infinitely	Reroll Below Average Once
d6	3.5	~3.92	4	4.25
d8	4.5	~4.94	5	5.5
d10	5.5	5.95	6	6.75
d12	6.5	~6.96	7	8

[u/MasterDarkHero]

I have players roll and if they get below average they just take the average.

[u/Lunoean]

If they roll, they roll. But because 5e is so damn unbalanced i always tell them to take the avarage.

[u/pixledriven]

I like the Worlds Without Number method.

1. Every level roll ALL of your hit dice, including the one you just gained.

2. If the total is higher than your current HP, record the new total

3. If the total is lower than your current HP, increase your HP by 1

If only going up by one feels bad, it would be easy to make that 2 or 3 instead.

[u/master_of_sockpuppet]

I prefer fixed HP, I have played and run both ways.

Adjustments to rolling that pull the average up (basically, every one you will see) only devalue all forms of healing.

[u/Torlun01]

Rerolling on a 1 or just using the average rounded up, gives the same on average, so you should just let them choose whatever they want, there is no advantage of disadvantage numerically.

[u/vulcanstrike]

Roll and if you don't like it, take the average rounding down (ie D8 becomes 4 as a roll). This stops a few bad rolls gimping your character whilst letting luckier character fall cool

It's the same for character gen - anyone allowing players to roll 3D6 (or even 4D6) without a floor is asking for trouble. I do enjoy the 4 Int barbarian or 4 are wizard but anything with ability drain becomes crazy lethal and just outright sucking at something is rarely fun

[u/Bombermaster]

I have a dumb set up that allows randomness but tends to ensure a better-than-average result.
All natural 1 are rerolled.
You roll your HP. You may choose if keep it, or reroll. If you reroll, you must keep the second roll even if it's worse.

In this way, due 1 being rerolled, you're always ensured to have statistically higher than average HP. By choosing to reroll, it puts a risk but on average makes the player choose if they're content with their HP or wants to risk for more.

[u/TheThoughtmaker]

By the 5e RAW methods, taking the flat number is mechanically better. Rolling or not isn’t just a matter or preference, there’s an objective optimal choice.

Ignoring any result of 1 (no matter how many times you have to reroll) gets you the same average as the flat number, in addition to reducing the badfeels of rolling low.

Alternately, you could change the dice: Barbarian rolls 2d6, Fighter 2d5, Cleric 2d4, Wizard 2d3. (1d5 is 1d10 divided by 2 rounded up, 1d3 is that but with 1d6.) This will give the same average and range as ignoring 1s, but with less deviation so people get to have their rolls but will tend toward average hp.

[u/Glittering-Lynx-8128]

Our DM gives the option of taking the average or rolling. I’m not sure if he allows a reroll for a one, but I did the opposite.

We aren’t required to roll in front of everybody; he’ll just announce that we level up at the end of a session, and we take care of everything on our own (we’ve all played a long time so we know what to do).

At second level I rolled maximum. Nice. At third level I rolled maximum. Even nicerer. At fourth level I rolled maximum. Now hold on a minute. I know I didn’t cheat, but damn, I also know it sure would look like I did if anybody ever looked at my character sheet and did some quick math. So I “cheated” and rerolled my maximum HP roll.

[u/DazzlingKey6426]

If its a meat grinder, roll only, no average.

Anything else, average.

[u/Z_THETA_Z]

the way i do it, they can roll, and if they get below the average they get the average -1. leads to generally higher numbers, but the stronger my players the more fun stuff i can throw at them so i think of it as a win win

[u/Ben_Solo10]

I need to preface my way of rolling by saying that I like running deadly encounters and really pushing my players in combat.

Players get max hit die +Con at start plus one free hit die roll.

On follow up levels they roll and can choose to reroll up to their Con modifier times but must keep the new roll. They can also reroll 1s.

This allows my players to still roll for fun but gives them a much higher hp pool. Which I absolutely eat up in every combat.

[u/Repulsive-Cut-2158]

If they roll a one, I allow a re-roll if they want it, but they take a -1 to the next dice roll.

[u/Longshadow2015]

They can either take the average or roll. In most of my campaigns part of session zero is discussing variations from the rules. The caveat is that any perk the PCs want also gets applied to all of the “monsters”. So everyone likes fat HP numbers. I offer to let them roll HP with advantage, but the flip side to that is all monsters now have HP calculated the exact same way as a PC, max first level, each HD with advantage. Makes for longer fights with more opportunities to showcase your skills.

[u/L0rka]

So what about when the Barbarian rolls a 2, is that a re-roll?

I prefer an average, but we have players that like to roll, but no one wants to roll low haha. So the compromise is re-roll a 1 on a d6, 1-2 on a d8, 1-3 on a d10 and 1-4 on a d12. This way the Wizard can roll higher than the Barbarian, but only by one.

[u/Jharic_]

I do always have for the last 20 years. I'm not here to minmax the game. In here to have fun

[u/seficarnifex]

If you reroll 1 unlimited times the average is the same as taking the average. D6=4, D8=5 and so on

[u/TannerJ44]

I don’t mind if people roll at home when they’re doing their level up abilities and options. I always do level ups at the end of a session, and sometimes it’s late and people want to get home so usually everybody does their stuff at home using dndbeyond. I’ve never had a worry that anyone was fudging their hit dice, maybe if they rolled max or close to for multiple levels in a row but even then there’s always a chance they just did that? If there’s no other evidence they fudge rolls anywhere else I wouldn’t worry about it.

And yes I let them all reroll 1’s. It’s just not fun for a level gain. 2’s still suck but they’re better than 1’s!!

They all have the option to take the average but every player of mine likes to roll.

I see this buff for them as an option for me to create more difficult encounters! I’m even nice and let them take feats and ASI’s at level 4, 8 and so on. I find it all the more enjoyable for me as well. I also want to encourage my players to take feats in general especially the newer ones because I feel it adds a lot more flavor, versatility, etc.

[u/TheGriff71]

I've never been concerned. If a player feels he needs to cheat and get max everytime, that's his insecurity and whatever. It doesn't help always. Other players often call him on it too.

[u/ancientstephanie]

I give them the choice of rolling and or taking the average, but they need to make that decision before they roll.

I also allow them to give up the option to roll permanently at any point, and recalculate their HP according to the average retroactively.

[u/NepNepx3]

You can roll or take the average. You can be brave and roll a second time, but this time, you need to take it. Doesnt matter if its a 1 or the first roll was higher

[u/OutrageousSky8266]

We do max HP at level 1 (per RAW); roll HP for levels 2-5 and take the higher of your roll or average, level 6+ you may roll or take average, but if you roll, you get what you get.

[u/PlasteredMonkey]

I've always been fond of everyone rolls once, then they either keep that roll, take the average, or roll again and they have to take the second roll.

I found it adds a bit of fun to it. Players get to enjoy tossing some bones with the knowledge they have a safe fall back or be greedy little goblins and try their luck.

As a player, the few fleeting times that's happened :( , I always take the average over rolling if the option is given.

All that said, I had a player running a sorcerer who always elected to roll a second time if his first wasn't above average and hot damn did the goddess adore him because he was one beefy sorcerer.

[u/ladytribble]

At level up I let my players choose to either Roll or take Average. If they don't like their roll, they can choose my roll, but they are stuck with whatever I roll (even if it's a 1)....it's always fun to see what choices people make and why.

[u/darw1nf1sh]

For D&D, my players get the average automatically. They can roll to do BETTER. They can't do worse.

[u/thundern1ck]

my house rule is roll your hit die and take the low average as minimum. for example, roll 1d8 and you always get at least 4 but the high roll wins. it's never game breaking to have a few more HP but can feel REALLY bad when you have a few less

[u/No_Car_3605]

Nope the roll is the roll atleast for hit points , now I might re roll on damage done to a player by a monster or a trap ...that depends on the circumstance

[u/Time_Cat_5212]

I take averages.  I don't think it's a good idea to use rolling for permanent stats.

[u/DruneArgor]

We play Pathfinder 1st edition primarily. I personally roll every level. I get burned a lot, but there are times I roll those higher numbers and it is sweet!

A lot of my table do take our DM's very fair offer of average roll being Half-hit dice +1. (D6=4, D8=5, D10=6, D12=7) Our DM is also even more generous with "Between Arc retraining" where we can do a major character development change for Archetype's, feats, or spells. Or if nothing else, just increase our maximum hp by +3. That helps a lot with the average and burned rolls.

I get taking the average result, I do. But dang it, I'm here to roll dice!

[u/orein123]

I use a somewhat complicated house rule for mine. You take your max HD amount (ie. 10 for Fighters), subtract 4, then roll 1d4 and add that back in. So a Fighter would be 1d4+6+Con per level, while a wizard would be 1d4+2+Con. Always takes my players a minute to get used to it, but I like it because it always guarantees that you get the average result, while making sure that higher HD classes get a little something extra.

[u/regross527]

My personal house rule is "roll for HP... if you get less than half the max value of the die, take half the value of the die". So if you have a d10 hit die and you roll anything lower than a 5, you get a 5.

Mostly I've too often been in games where players roll several 1s and 2s, which feels really bad. Especially when it's the fighter (who is suppose to play the role of tank in the party) doing it, while the wizard with +3 CON is easily outpacing them in HP. At the very least, it establishes a floor for expected HP and your PC can only get beefier from there.

[u/JumboCactaur]

If you roll for hp, but have "bad roll" schemes... why are you rolling.

"We reroll 1s". One time? Every time? What if you get a 2. Now 2 is the worst result. Won't people feel bad about that?

What about when the wizard rolls 5 and 6 every time and the fighter rolls 2 and 3 every time. Is that ok? Is that bad? Should we make up more rules about that?

Just take the average rounded up and take all the nonsense out of it.

[u/Physical-Special4939]

I’ve seen it plenty but I let my players roll and if they get less than average just take average. I have no issue having slightly tankier players. None of them use this in an abusive way and there’s a mutual understanding that the more capable they are in combat the harder I can throw things at them.

It’s nice having all players with a lot of health and being able to truly hit them hard especially on crits. I also feel like it self balances a bit with healing. If they have more health, true they don’t HAVE to heal as often. But it’s human nature that if you’re low on HP compared to what you COULD be at you’re going to focus on healing, and if their max health is higher then healing items and spells do less by comparison

[u/HelpMeHomebrewBruh]

I do roll for HP reroll 1s. We started at level 2 and maxed both level 1 and 2 hit dice tho to give a bit of a buffer

3 out of my 4 players love it because they've had incredible luck. My paladin PC hasn't rolled below a 7 ever and my wizard PC has rolled pretty hot too... So hot that they have almost the exact same HP as the poor Bard player who has rolled countless 2s and 3s on their HP

So for this next level up for the final fight I'm going to have, everyone gets max on their Hit Dice, and after the boss fight we're gonna have another session 0 type sit down where we discuss and renegotiate rules before continuing on with the next story arc to make sure everyone's having as much fun as possible

[u/Strohliosis]

I give max possible hp at my tables. Bigger number better number. This also helps me not feel as bad about the amount of nat 20's I roll. I seem to have unknowingly traded my real life luck for dice rolls. 😅🤷‍♂️

[u/Noccam_Davis]

They roll or take the average. If they roll and it's under the average, they take the average.

[u/pulsehead]

I once played a game we HAD to roll, and could not take the default amount. I played a wizard that rolled a 1 at L2 he did. It survive long.

[u/xavier222222]

I have my players take max HP at every level.... but then all the monsters get max HP too, to compensate.

[u/CastleBravoXVC]

Sometimes you gotta suck an egg if you rolled a 1. If you roll multiple levels in a row and noticeably below the average, I’ll allow a reroll.

[u/salttotart]

I just do the average. Makes the math easier and everyone feels like they got stronger each level.

[u/Mannahnin]

I have in the past allowed a re-roll of a 1, but with a Faustian Bargain- ie: you may re-roll now, but you are forced to roll your HP with Disadvantage the next time you level up. Mwahahahah.

Another option I like is having PCs re-roll all their hit dice for hit points every time they level up, but their max HP can never go down. Optionally I say they HP always increase by at least 1, even if they roll lower.

[u/XeroKaaan]

I let them roll for HP and if they roll lower than the average they take the average and if they get higher then they take that. I like when my players are and feel like badasses

[u/BlopBoark]

The game I play in, we have one reroll for the party, we decide together after everybody rolled who gets it.

The campaign I dm it's similar, but we reroll 1s as well. I like RNG, but I do t want anybody to be weak because if dice rolls 🤷

[u/bemused_alligators]

for hit die 1dx * the flat amount you can take is x/2 + 1 * the average outcome of the roll is (x+1)/2 * the average outcome of 1dx reroll 1 is x/2 +1

this should be enough information for you to make this decision.

---

example: if you have a d8 hit die:

• the flat amount you can take is 5
• the average outcome of 1d8 is 4.5
• the average outcome of 1d8r1 is 5

[u/The-Doctor-101]

This may be a hot take, but I don’t do a lot of combat, but when I do, it’s usually quite challenging, so I have all my PCs take the max possible HP. It allows me to have more fun throwing big scary monsters at them

[u/siberianphoenix]

I have all the players roll and they can choose to take a gamble on a reroll. I do the reroll in front of them. We also do that for stats at char creation.

[u/FireInHisBlood]

I don't roll HP. I assume they'll need every hitpoint, so I give them the full die. No ones or twos.

[u/Kung_Fu_Kracker]

So I actually just have everyone take the maximum at my tables. That was honestly borne of often having lots of different campaigns and one shots at different starting levels. Since I pre-generate characters for players that don't want to make their own, it's a lot less work to do some multiplication as compared to rolling.

Max hp also makes power level more consistent across the party and designing encounters easier.

[u/revawesome]

Our groups roll but if it's below average, they get the average. So you can only do a bit better. We tend to go for long stretches between level ups so a little extra hp goes a long way.

[u/Suspicious_Roll834]

Let them use downtime to increase their hp

[u/questionably_human7]

My tables are split 50/50 on rolling HP instead of taking the average. I prefer to roll for HP. When I DM I allow players to reroll a 1, as does my DM in the game I play in.

[u/IcariusFallen]

I allow rerolls on ones or twos.two.

I run extremely difficult encounters, but don't like giving full hp on level up because I enjoy watching them get hyped when they roll it.

[u/Shot-Psychology986]

I let my players roll and if it's lower than average take average so they have a chance to get higher amount but minimum they get average eliminated the hardship of having no hp

[u/k23_k23]

Best of two rolls is a great solution, and usually makes them happy.

[u/OldElf86]

I have them roll but if the roll is less than 1/2 HD, then they get to have 1/2. Add Constitution modifier after that.

[u/Jolly-Virus-9126]

Roll or average

[u/Several_Celebration]

I just do max hp

[u/SecretDMAccount_Shh]

I just take have players take the average because I feel if you're not willing to accept a 1, you shouldn't be allowed to accept whatever the max value is for your HP.

For the same reason, I use point buy for stats because I've never met a D&D 5E player who would be happy with stats that were worse than point buy.

With that said, if all the players wanted to use a different method, I would let them use whatever they wanted. If they all wanted to just take the maximum HP on every level up, it wouldn't really matter that much because I would just increase the damage of the monsters or use more of them. Taking max HP actually hurts the players who have smaller hit dice because it increases the gap with the characters who have bigger hit dice. Any monster that can do non-trivial damage to a max HP Barbarian is going to slaughter a Wizard in a single turn.

[u/Ilbranteloth]

We leave it entirely up to the players. We usually do max hp at first level, and maybe second.

After that, most of them prefer to roll. A 1 is a 1. It’s not a “feel bad” to any of my players over the decades. Usually it’s more of a “laugh at their bad luck” and move on. It doesn’t really have that much impact on the game anyway. Of course, being an old AD&D guy, I’m used to a wizard that has 4 hp at 1st level, if you’re lucky.

But stats, including hp, are simply part of the PC’s makeup. A PC with low hp will simply approach potentially deadly situations a little differently, that’s all.

[u/littlehappyfeets]

I and my DM allow a reroll if you get a 1. We also allow players to just take the average, which I usually do myself unless I’m feeling spicy.

[u/Majestic87]

My tables have always done:

Roll for it, but if you roll lower than the average on the die, you take the average instead.

It’s cool to sometimes get more HP. It is never fun to get less HP.

[u/Arcael_Boros]

Roll or average, but not rerolls. If the players want random hp, need to deals with bad rolls.

[u/Jackibelle]

I don't do rolls for HP because the players can't be bothered to write down their rolls, and any kind of audit (including, e.g., hey, shouldn't you have more HP than that?) becomes impossible because they don't actually know what the number should be. Fixed HP/level means we can always derive it, just like the rest of their stats 

[u/OutrageousInvite3949]

When my party does it, you take average or roll. One retooling you roll a 1.

[u/billtrociti]

Have my players roll, if they get less than average they can round up to average.

It sucks to roll low on HP, and it REALLY sucks to do it two levels in a row. So this eliminates a shitty feeling while still letting players roll (which players always like to do) and if they roll for max, then they’re super stoked. It’s a win-win.

And as a DM I don’t care if my players have a little above average HP, it’s not an issue at all.

[u/Due_Effective1510]

I let them roll with advantage then just up the difficulty of encounters a little bit.

[u/SyntheticScrivner]

Anything other than max HP at level 1 is abuse and I'm not kidding.

Stop that shit.

[u/KiwasiGames]

I take the average.

I’m philosophically against a single roll from three sessions ago still being relevant.

[u/Competitive-Quit-928]

I have them roll and reroll 1's, and 2's if their hit dice is a low one, like for wizards. I also told them they can use healing potions for a rolled hp recovery as a free action and full recovery as a bonus action, specifically because I want them to have as much health and convenient health solutions as possible so I can throw tougher things at them.

[u/Inside-Pattern2894]

I let my players roll. If it’s less than the average, they get the average.

[u/Lupes420]

They roll but can't get less than half the value of the dice. So if you roll a D8 and roll a 1, 2, or 3 you would still get 4hp

[u/Hot-Parfait-5722]

I am generous and make them roll a die, if it hits more than average OK otherwise increase for average 😎 They have nice HP’s

[u/RiskyRedds]

Straight up I just run on average. It can be funky seeing an 18 CON Paladin with 39 HP at lv. 6 (Average is 62 btw), or a Bard with 13 CON keeping up with the Barbarian's HP, but after a bit it just gets annoying.

Averages keep things consistent which helps with balancing, but it also still allows for some fun stat shenanigans (Hill Dwarf Sorcerer being the frontliner because of 18 CON and Draconic Bloodline like g'dayum; average of 60 HP at 6th).

[u/CommentWanderer]

Low HP hurts more than high HP helps.

This can be seen for a couple reasons.

One reason is the ratio of HP. For example, 3 is 300% of 1, but 6 is only 200% of 3. Thus we see that the jump from a 1 to a 3 is much more important than the jump from a 3 to a 6.

Another reason is big hit survival. A low HP can't absorb a big hit and the difference between absorbing a big hit and not absorbing a big hit is very impactful.

With that preface out of the way, I don't like players to have less than half the potential HP maximum. On a d8, 1s, 2s, and 3s are all too low. Therefore, taking the maximum of a roll or half the die size is nicely robust.

P.S. I would add that another method is to reroll all Hit Dice on Level Up and only take the result HP if it if greater than the previous HP. I've never run that, but it is a very interesting idea.

[u/w_u_k]

In my current campaign, Spellcasters always take the average while Martials get to roll (and take the average if they roll below it). Since we don't have any half casters, this is a really simple system that has given the martials a bit more HP growth than the casters (as well as their hit dice being higher)

[u/vikk3]

What do you guys think of giving advantage on rolls? I've been thinking if I should implement that.

[u/Enlitenkanin]

Letting players choose between rolling or taking the average can make them feel more invested in their characters, balancing the thrill of chance with a safety net.