Your Hit Dice are directly correlated to your HP, so it’s one of the many ways that Wizards of The Coast decided to separate the classes in their different roles. ..

  1. d6
  2. d8
  3. d10
  4. a6

squishy casters (Sorcerers and Wizards) get d6/lvl for squishy casters (Sorcerers and Wizards) instead of d8/lvl for scrappy midliners (Bards, Clerics, Druids, Monks, Rogues, and Warlocks) scrappy midliners (Bards, Clerics, Druids, Monks, Rogues, and Warlocks) get d10/lvl for the frontline damage instead of d12/lvl for Barbarians

Dice, please.

A 20 sided die is a common gaming dice. It has a number of faces, each with a different number of spots. ..

For many players, this might seem redundant. But I guarantee there are at least a few newer players who have had epiphanies. ..

So, what’s the big deal?

Hit Dice At Level 1

Hit Dice are not too difficult to make for your character.

To find health at Level 1, roll a d10 and add your constitution modifier.

For our level 1 Fighter with a constitution of 12 (+1), his starting hit points would be 10.

Hit Dice At Level 2 (And Beyond)

When you level up, things will get more complicated.

You can either continue to live in the past or take a step forward.

There are pros and cons to each approach. For example, if you’re looking to maximize your character’s potential, rolling your Hit Dice is the best way to go. However, if you’re worried about the risk of death, choosing the adjusted median may be a better option. ..

Option 1: The Fighter would start off at Level 1 and gain experience points every day. At Level 2, they would gain two experience points per day. Option 2: The Fighter would start off at Level 1 and gain experience points every night. At Level 2, they would gain one experience point per night.

To find your classes’ adjusted median, all you have to do is take that class’s Hit Dice, half it, and add one. ..

For a fighter with a hit die base of 10, halving it would leave them with 5. Plus one is 6, so classes with a hit die of 10 have an adjusted median of 6. This is easy to remember! ..

At level up, a fighter gains 7 health.

Rolling for health is a risky strategy. Instead of taking the adjusted median, you roll your Hit Dice and whatever number comes up is the number you add your constitution modifier to. ..

If you roll a 1? Sucks, enjoy your 2 health on level up. If you roll a 10? Nice, you just effectively gained 4 extra health than you would’ve by playing it safe.

Needless to say, rolling for health is almost never worth the risk. But the next couple paragraphs will take a much deeper look at Hit Dice and the actual math behind whether or not you should be rolling for health. Rolling for health is almost never worth the risk, but there are some cases where it can be beneficial. Hit Dice is a key factor in this decision-making process. ..

The Game Theory Behind Hit Dice Rolls

You can improve your chances of hitting the target by taking the safe roll, or shooting for something higher.

There is simply not enough to gain and too much to lose.

You need to wet your napkins so they will absorb the sauce.

For d10s and d12s, it’s not always the worst idea to take the roll. Here’s why. ..

The higher hit dice values give you a better chance of gaining significant hit points through rolling. D6 classes have a 1/3 chance of gaining up to 2 HP, d8 have 3/8 chance of gaining up to 3 HP, d10 have 2/5 chance of gaining up to 4 HP, and d12 have 5/12 chance of gaining up to 5 HP. ..

A Barbarian with the best odds will experience a higher chance of gaining experience if they decide to roll.

In a game of chicken, both drivers pull to the side of the road. Neither driver wants to get hit first, so they both wait for the other to make a move. But what happens if one driver decides to go first? If the driver who decided to go first is unlucky and gets hit by the other driver, they’ve lost their chance at winning the game. However, if the driver who decided to go first is lucky and avoids getting hit by the other driver, they’ve won the game. This is why it’s important for drivers to be careful when pulling out in front of each other – it can mean the difference between winning or losing a game of chicken. ..

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the decision of whether or not to take a risk depends on the individual and their specific situation. However, some factors to consider when making this decision include the potential rewards and risks involved in the proposed venture. ..

Your Barbarian starts out with a d12. On level 1, they roll a 1. On level 2, they roll a 2. On level 3, they roll a 3. And so on until they reach 13th level.

Barbarian - Constitution: 10 (+0) Adjusted Median: 8 (-2)

The final scores of the game are relatively close. ..

The chance of spending some levels behind in HP makes the risk a really difficult one to take.

I don’t want to stop you from being the chaotic little goblins we so often want to be. Maybe you’ll defy the odds and be the godly level 13 Barbarian with 156 health.

Playing it safe can lead to a disadvantage in D&D. However, with a little luck, you can still come out on top. ..

Hit Dice & Multiclassing

Multiclassing is a confusing exception in Hit Dice that can cause players to get confused about what abilities they have and how they are related to other abilities.

If our fighter opts not to roll, and is now level 4 (with an HP of 32) about to level up to level 5, he reads this article and decides that he would like more HP over less. He talks to his DM and decides to multiclass into Barbarian. ..

His strength is high enough, and it makes sense for the character, so he gains levels. What’s his total level?

Even though we would denote it as Fighter 4 Barbarian 1, he’s still a 5th level character in terms of ability score modifiers. And gets the increased proficiency bonus that comes with it.

If you’re playing a cautious character, you’ll want to roll or take the adjusted median, and add your constitution. Our cautious player opts out of rolling and now has 40 HP. ..

Hit Dice are a way to represent the complex and nebulous idea of ‘Health’.

The software is designed to make sense as you use it. ..

Introducing our new protagonist, who is eager to get a good start in the game.

Hit Dice Live Example

Hit dice can be used to regain health during short rests, and make prolonged dungeon exploration more survivable. ..

He has 4d10+1d12 hit dice.

He takes a spear to the chest fighting a skeletal mob, and his group decides to take a small break to let him walk it off.

You set up camp for the hour, and now get to decide how many hit dice you want to use.

The spear did 16 damage, and you don’t want to carry it into the next room of the dungeon.

You’re not sure what else is in the dungeon, and you doubt that the skeletons were the final boss. ..

Before you roll, you must declare how many dice you will be using. So, playing it safe, you use 1d10+1d12. This leaves you with 3d10 Hit Dice to use on your next short rest. ..

Don’t be too stingy when it comes to spending money.

After a long rest, your hit dice are refreshed. Down times lasting an hour are pretty rare, and dead characters can’t use hit dice as their rest is eternal. ..

What Does “More Health” Look Like?

There is no definitive answer, as the game’s mechanics are not fully understood. ..

The reason you are harder to kill is because you have adapted to the damage your hits cause. You have mass and size, which makes it harder for enemies to kill you. ..

Your character can improve their skills in order to take less damage from enemies.

Diverting the force of a blow can help monks improve their reflexes.

The Wizards seem to have greater concentration, so the damage feels like less.

HP is a statistic that affects your character’s health. When your HP goes up, the same move will do proportionately less damage. So having the explanation behind gaining health on a level up might just be that your character is better at dealing with the hurt.

The character sheet is a tool that allows us to visualize the complex goings-on of our characters.

The people in this world believe in numbers. They use them to make decisions, to measure success, and to understand the world around them. But the numbers don’t actually exist in reality. They are only a way for these people to communicate with each other.

Don’t be afraid to have fun with your work.

DM: So what brings you here today?

D&D5e is a streamlined system that can be easily adapted to your playstyle. But as you get into the more detailed aspects of the game, it’s best to grab your PHB and get ready to roll. ..