How do you handle rolling for HP?

[Darklone]

DM rolls hidden, player rolls and says which roll he wants.

Usually the DMs roll is better in our group

 

[wolff96]

We use the Iron Heroes method...

d4 = d4
d6 = d4 + 2
d8 = d4 + 4
d10 = d4 + 6
d12 = d4 + 8

Retains some randomness in the rolling, while giving plenty of HP to the higher hit-die classes. I prefer to run tough games and that roll means I don't have to use kid-gloves to avoid killing characters.

 

[Flynn]

I use the old RPGA standard approach from 3E:

1st character level = Maximum hit points;
2nd character level and thereafter = Half of max on die, plus one.

Named Villains get the same treatment, while mooks get the usual average of the dice.

It works out pretty well for me,
Flynn

 

[The Blow Leprechaun]

I like to employ a client-centered approach to hit points, so instead of assigning scores, I simply ask the players how their characters "feel" about getting hit in the face with a greataxe. If they say "not good," I usually stop the encounter right there and we all hold hands for a little while until everyone feels okay again.

 

[Quartz]

Next time round I'm going to popose fixed HP. Direct-combat classes take the average rounded up, non-combat classes take the average rounded down.

 

[Thanee]

d4 = d4
d6 = d4 + 2
d8 = d4 + 4
d10 = d4 + 6
d12 = d4 + 8

Now that's a pretty broken method... making higher HD vastly superior to what they are supposed to be.

A d12 class gains the equivalent of four bonus feats for free that way!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Hella_Tellah]

I like to employ a client-centered approach to hit points, so instead of assigning scores, I simply ask the players how their characters "feel" about getting hit in the face with a greataxe. If they say "not good," I usually stop the encounter right there and we all hold hands for a little while until everyone feels okay again.

This man wins the thread.

When DMing, don't pull punches. Run the rules fairly, and when a character dies, the players will respect the honest outcome of the dice. Fudge this roll, max out that HP roll, and pretty soon it's the DM's job to make sure the players never die.

People who go looking for trouble often find it. A world where adventurers never die because they're "special" is nonsensical.

 

[taliesin15]

For me, depends on what sort of game I'm running. The most recent one was sort of hero-centric, so I let the PCs have all kinds of advantages. Basically I let them re-roll 1s and 2s all the way to 10th level. And in fact, because the final game was crucial to finishing the game and finishing all the encounters in one session I just maxed out all the hps...

Other than that, I pretty much do what people here say--max on 1st lvl, re-roll low rolls at next few, then its luck of the die after that.

 

[Dheran]

Roll the die. If you get anything other than a 1, that's your number. If you get a 1, roll the die again and take that second result.

This fits with the "all PCs are above average" concept, but doesn't tweak things too greatly. It also doesn't stratify the results to reward higher hit die characters unduly. d4 characters get 2.875 HP on average instead of 2.5, d6s get 3.917 HP instead of 3.5, ... d12s get 6.958 HP instead of 6.5.

 

[SteelDraco]

I give them the option to reroll any odd numbers on the die, if they choose to. This prevents 1s, and tends toward slightly higher HP totals in general. Works all right for our group, and that's what all the GMs use.