D&D 5E Spending Hit Dice On Things Other Than Healing

[DND_Reborn]

Do you have mechanics in place so HD cane be spent on things other than healing? If so, please share!

I was thinking of allowing players to spend their PC's hit dice to grant a bonus to an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. The bonus would be equal to the proficiency die ability option in the DMG:

The downside is, of course, you won't have the HD for healing when you rest if you use it as I am suggesting. I would limit it to a number of uses equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest. I think it would be allowed after the roll, but before the outcome is determined. Since you recover half your HD on a long rest, I don't feel like this would be too strong, but my concerns are this stacking with things like superiority dice, etc.

The idea is to provide characters with a limited cost-based resource that would give them a bit of oomph when they really need it.

Thoughts?

 

[slobster]

I do something similar, though I just let a PC either ignore disadvantage for any roll or grant advantage to a roll (I know that's technically the same thing, but whatever). I also usually try to keep this in the realm of things that could reasonably be a moment of great exertion and extra effort, the "mom pries sedan car off 4 year old child" type of situation. So yes for spending HD to improve your odds of escaping a grapple or succeeding on a will save versus domination, not so much (usually) on making a bluff check or recalling demon damage immunities.

Oh I guess I also allow players to spend HD for rerolls, subject to similar constraints.

 

[Li Shenron]

I don't need such house rule but I give it merit for making sense narratively: you can describe it as a character trying a bit too hard for her capabilities and thus kind-of hurting herself (not with straight damage but reduced damage recovery).

 

[OB1]

In my next campaign, I'm going to allow players to spend Hit Die in lieu of getting a failed Death Saving Throw (either from failing the throw or taking damage while at 0 HP).

 

[BookBarbarian]

The 5E OGL product Adventures in Middle-Earth had certain abilities and wondrous items that could be activated using Hit Dice.

I thought that was neat.

 

[ninjayeti]

Personally, I would just consider doing this as "Hero Points" (DMG p. 264) or some similar mechanic independent of HD. In my games HD tend to be an important resource for short rest healing and, as the OP notes, if players are burning them to boost rolls you lose out on them as a healing resource.

 

[slobster]

Personally, I would just consider doing this as "Hero Points" (DMG p. 264) or some similar mechanic independent of HD. In my games HD tend to be an important resource for short rest healing and, as the OP notes, if players are burning them to boost rolls you lose out on them as a healing resource.

Another thing that isn't immediately obvious is that using them as an "effort" mechanic also subtly encourages players to use extra HD much more freely at the end of the adventuring day, when they know that a long rest is likely forthcoming. So if they've managed to keep a few HD around from not taking damage earlier, they can spend them for better rolls in the obvious boss encounter or whatever, giving them a boost of power, while earlier in the day they tend to be more conservative about using them in that way.

For me I enjoy that, it contributes to the feeling that big, climactic fights are the PCs all giving 110%. For people who are concerned with the 15 minute adventure day where everyone novas and then goes back to sleep, it's something to think about.

 

[ninjayeti]

Another thing that isn't immediately obvious is that using them as an "effort" mechanic also subtly encourages players to use extra HD much more freely at the end of the adventuring day, when they know that a long rest is likely forthcoming. So if they've managed to keep a few HD around from not taking damage earlier, they can spend them for better rolls in the obvious boss encounter or whatever, giving them a boost of power, while earlier in the day they tend to be more conservative about using them in that way.

For me I enjoy that, it contributes to the feeling that big, climactic fights are the PCs all giving 110%. For people who are concerned with the 15 minute adventure day where everyone novas and then goes back to sleep, it's something to think about.

While I agree with most of that, I have more concern with further encouraging the 5 minute adventuring day. You are effectively giving the PCs one more resource they can burn if they nova+long rest while conversely penalizing them for using short rest healing. Not an issue for everyone, but something I would personally hesitate to do.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Another thing that isn't immediately obvious is that using them as an "effort" mechanic also subtly encourages players to use extra HD much more freely at the end of the adventuring day, when they know that a long rest is likely forthcoming. So if they've managed to keep a few HD around from not taking damage earlier, they can spend them for better rolls in the obvious boss encounter or whatever, giving them a boost of power, while earlier in the day they tend to be more conservative about using them in that way.

For me I enjoy that, it contributes to the feeling that big, climactic fights are the PCs all giving 110%. For people who are concerned with the 15 minute adventure day where everyone novas and then goes back to sleep, it's something to think about.

Here is the thing IMO: a player will never know when the "adventuring day" is near its end. Groups that play that way are missing out on one of the greatest elements of RPGs: the unknown. Just because a boss fight is done, doesn't mean it is time to rest and/or celebrate (at least not in my games!).

A party might be getting ready to bed-down for the night, looking for a place to camp, etc. and has an encounter so thinks "Cool, I'll have all my HP and half my HD in the morning, I might as well go crazy!" only to discover two or more encounters during the night, one which interrupted their long rest enough to deny the benefits. Suddenly, no more new HD and they used up ones that might have been needed more in those later encounters.

While I agree with most of that, I have more concern with further encouraging the 5 minute adventuring day. You are effectively giving the PCs one more resource they can burn if they nova+long rest while conversely penalizing them for using short rest healing. Not an issue for everyone, but something I would personally hesitate to do.

Penalizing them is the idea. I don't want this to just be another resource-but a way to tap into a resource that is already there. You run the risk: if you really think you need the HD boost to a check, etc. go ahead, but it taxes you and when you rest later on, it won't be as beneficial. It is meant to be a trade-off.

 

[slobster]

Here is the thing IMO: a player will never know when the "adventuring day" is near its end. Groups that play that way are missing out on one of the greatest elements of RPGs: the unknown. Just because a boss fight is done, doesn't mean it is time to rest and/or celebrate (at least not in my games!).

A party might be getting ready to bed-down for the night, looking for a place to camp, etc. and has an encounter so thinks "Cool, I'll have all my HP and half my HD in the morning, I might as well go crazy!" only to discover two or more encounters during the night, one which interrupted their long rest enough to deny the benefits. Suddenly, no more new HD and they used up ones that might have been needed more in those later encounters.

Yeah I agree with all that 100%, which is also why I've never cared much about the "problem" of the 5 minute D&D working day. It's never been a problem at my table, and I've found that by presenting the campaign world as living, breathing, and unpredictable as opposed to a series of pre-determined level appropriate encounters, my players tend to engage with it as a fantasy world first and a dungeon mechanics puzzle second. But that's IMO as always.

I just wanted to mention it because I know lots of other people have that concern, and I thought it was worth mentioning in that context for the people who do care!