Monster Hit Dice: d8 converted back to d6

[Falconer]

Sup. I p. 10 notes under its section regarding variable hit dice for PCs, that “if it is used all monsters should be based on the 8-sided die system.” Now, this is unfortunate, since I love Zulgyan’s popular idea of keeping a bucketful of d6’s to roll monster hit dice and leave them on the table, reducing them as the monster takes damage rather than scratching out numbers on a sheet. Of course, you could do that with d8’s, but it wouldn’t be quite the same. d8’s are more expensive and don’t sit as solidly on the table. Therefore, I came up with the idea that instead of changing it from d6 to d8, one could just roll more d6’s, something like this:

Hit Dice   Roll Instead
1/2        1-1
1-1        1
1          1+1
1+1        2
2          3
3          4
4          5
5          7
6          8
7          9
8          10
9          12
10         13
11         14
12         16
13         17
14         18
15         19
16         21

The only downside is that then there is another stat to keep track of for each monster (or another table to look up), however it solves a conundrum for me when using variable hit dice for PCs. Regards.

[coffee]

Or just use six sided dice for the monsters. The pc's are just that much better.


(I kept wanting to mention at the time that Zulgyan's premise was flawed; given the number of players and the number of dice, it was obvious to me that each player was meant to have his own pair of six-siders. But I love the way he took the idea and ran with it!)

[waysoftheearth]

Or all monster HD are d6+2.

You don't have to convert anything, and monsters can never get a 1 or 2 hp hit die

[Finarvyn]

I do something like this in my "AD&D with d6" thread in the Other Editions section, except that I suggested that you convert the HP from one die to create an equivalent number of d6 hit dice (like your chart) but then I suggest perhaps the monster could attack according to the d6 HD instead.

For example, using your chart a 9d8 critter becomes 12d6. So why not have them attack on the Level 12 column?

Or, if it was a dumb idea before maybe it's still a dumb idea.

[James Maliszewski]

Aug 17, 2010 21:25:19 GMT -6 Falconer said:

Now, this is unfortunate, since I love Zulgyan’s popular idea of keeping a bucketful of d6’s to roll monster hit dice and leave them on the table, reducing them as the monster takes damage rather than scratching out numbers on a sheet.

Are these dice rolled in the view of the players or is this something only the referee can see, say, behind a screen?

[crusssdaddy]

Why not roll all but the final one or two in the open? That way you have a mechanic that allows players to have a sense of their opponent's injury level, while keeping the exact number of hp a mystery.

[Falconer]

Behind the screen. I figure just the sound of how many dice are being rolled is enough to strike fear (or not) into the players’ hearts!

[James Maliszewski]

Aug 18, 2010 8:11:55 GMT -6 Falconer said:

Behind the screen. I figure just the sound of how many dice are being rolled is enough to strike fear (or not) into the players’ hearts!

That's cool. I don't use a screen for a variety of reasons, including logistical, but I can appreciate this approach. It definitely has a certain something to it.

[Falconer]

By the way, Finarvyn, this post definitely got its inspiration from your post. Sorry, I meant to say that but forgot.

[Finarvyn]

No problem -- we're all about sharing and discussing.

[murquhart72]

I never liked that monsters got beefed up to d8 Hit Dice as they're not all Fighting-Men. I don't think an extra 2 possible hit points is worth using a whole different die. After all, Clerics only get a d6. Magic-Users and Thieves get d4. So a Thief is half the durability of a single orc? I think not!
I LOVE d6 for all things (Hit Dice, damage rolled, etc.). It's just so much simpler

[Mike]

I'd like to see a D&D varient that used just d6s or d6s and a single d20... I'm getting there (slowly).

[murquhart72]

Same here, I'm using things from Tunnels & Trolls and merging them with Dungeons & Dragons to make a fantasy RPG that uses the OCE booklets, but only six-sided dice

[waysoftheearth]

With my house rules I play with only a d20 and a bunch of d6s...

You can browse my Hinterlands game in the online games sub-board to see it in action

[Mike]

Is your house rules in PDF format?

Perleeze?

[waysoftheearth]

Will be soon... I just got a first look at the front-cover-in-progress today

[Mike]

Awesome, from what I've read, the house rules look excellent - and have obviously been tested given the number of posts!

[Lord Kilgore]

We've just plain been using straight d6 instead of d8 for hit dice, no need to do a "conversion" for us. Yes, monsters a bit weaker...but just add an extra orc or whatever if they're TOO weak. Or (like I do) make monster leaders classed. The orc captain is a 3rd-level fighter, and so on.

The more d6, the better.

[deodanth]

Sept 27, 2010 14:33:27 GMT -6 Lord Kilgore said:

We've just plain been using straight d6 instead of d8 for hit dice, no need to do a "conversion" for us. Yes, monsters a bit weaker...but just add an extra orc or whatever if they're TOO weak. Or (like I do) make monster leaders classed. The orc captain is a 3rd-level fighter, and so on.

The more d6, the better.

This! More numbers appearing.

[Deleted]

I never roll hit dice for monsters. For instance, the encounters is 5 ogres, in OD&D that is 4d6 +1 or max 25 HPs. I might assign 16, 16, 20, 10 or 25, 10, 12, 15 or whatever feels right at the moment. Now and then I will describe a monster as looking unusually large and powerful and an ogre might have 80 HPs. At the time a 4th level fighter IMC fought the 80 HP ogre by himself and a +1 damage sword and won. I have seldom seen anyone roll that well.

[Finarvyn]

Sept 21, 2010 15:19:06 GMT -6 murquhart72 said:

Same here, I'm using things from Tunnels & Trolls and merging them with Dungeons & Dragons to make a fantasy RPG that uses the OCE booklets, but only six-sided dice

I'd vote for only d6's and d20's.

For combat, I'm not so much of a fan of using 2d6 or a similar system just because too many plusses tends to "break" the top of the number range too much. I still like using a d20 for this.

Certainly, using d6's for almost everything else would be great. Hit dice, stats, saving throws, damage, etc.

[oldkat]

In his retro-reorganized Holmes77, Professor Thork reverted the "Monsters' hit dice are 8-sided" appearing in the latter prints of Holmes, to d6s.

Since hp for characters reflect more their skill and abilities than actual physical ability to "take" damage, while for monsters it is easier to think in terms of the latter--actual damage sustained-- this seems self-balancing in the long run.

[tombowings]

That's how I've always ran thing. For PCs and other higher level humanoids damage is more abstract. But for monsters like bears and dragons, 6 point of damage is a good sword thrust.

[Deleted]

I'm pretty sure S&W Whitebox is MOSTLY d20 & d6. When I run the game for my young sons and their cousins it seems like a lot of "roll the round dice, roll the square dice" sort of deal, with the occasional d4 for wound binding.

I actually use my IPad at the table and can now be sneaky about rolling monster HPs. The players have no clue how many HD a particular critter has unless it's on par with an orc or what-have-you in its commonality.

[cooper]

Aug 17, 2010 23:17:35 GMT -6 waysoftheearth said:

Or all monster HD are d6+2.

You don't have to convert anything, and monsters can never get a 1 or 2 hp hit die

Looking at averages, d8 is only 1d6+1.

[Deleted]

A ~12% chance of rolling one out of of eight possible numbers is the same as a ~17% chance of rolling one of six numbers?

(joke follows) Ah, that new math ...

[flightcommander]

I like the idea of sticking to d6 and d20, at least for OD&D, and can't really think of many reasons to use the other dice that couldn't be houseruled away.

[Deleted]

Like others in this thread, I just do a straight conversion, rolling d6 instead of d8. Any time I play D&D, however, I'll have all my dice with me in a bag and when the occasional d8 or d12 or whatever comes up I just roll them.