How do you do hit dice?

[Finarvyn]

The thread about taking the Greyhawk hit dice system (MU's get d4's, Clerics d6's, fighting men d8's) and converting those hit point averages to all d6's brought up an interesting question.

Some spells affect hit dice of characters and creatures, so when switching from the Men & Magic method to the Greyhawk method wouldn't those spells need to be adjusted?

While that's an interesting topic for discussion, here I'm just curious as to which method you use for hit dice when you run an OD&D campaign.

Personally I like the Men & Magic HD charts better, but the Greyhawk ones clearly were Gary's direction of D&D evolution since that's the way he did it for AD&D.

Discuss!

[dizzysaxophone]

Currently, my OD&D game is using the M&M system, borrowing very few things from Greyhawk. I'm a neophyte to OD&D though, so once this campaign ends I will probably experiment with running with some of the supplements.

That said, since my first time running S&W Whitebox in a one-shot, I fell in love with all d6 HD and damage so I don't see my opinion swaying much.

[Deleted]

Hit Dice progression from M&M (or, rather, the more consistent ones from Delving Deeper) but the type of hit die is determined by the race of the character. Humans and dwarves have d8, elves, hobbits & goblins have d6, pixies have d4. That way I stick with the same relative hit points as later editions so I don't need to adjust monster or spell damage.

[scottenkainen]

When I'm not running AD&D, which I still do from time to time, I use Greyhawk HD (even in my H&H campaign).

[inkmeister]

Voted Greyhawk. AT the moment I'm enjoying GH hitdice and variable weapon damage (Actually, I use the simpler Moldvay variable damage). It seems more elegant to me and more clearly differentiates the cleric and fighter (and the variable weapon damage does also).

I'm toying with doing an all by the book campaign, but not sticking to any one edition. OD&D will be emphasized, but with elements of Holmes, Moldvay (ability bonuses, for one), the AD&D monster manual, and so on.

But yeah, I like the elegant simplicity of GH hit dice. I like funky dice, and even the original set had em, so why not use em?

[Deleted]

I actually am fond of the AD&D second edition style of hit dice though I am fine with any method by the book for which ever version I am playing. I voted other as I am currently using the LotFP system and generally veer in the direction of Moldvay for things that relate to the characters in general.

[talysman]

Men & Magic, except that I adjust a couple levels. I interpret the early levels of the M-U as "half a hit die per level, round up, +1 point for even levels"; I extend that pattern all the way to name level, instead of speeding up after 7th level. Thieves are identical. I shift clerics to "3/4ths of a hit die per level, minimum 1 HD, replace fractions > 1/4th with +1 point." (1 HD, 1+1 HD, 2 HD, 3 HD, 3+1 HD, 4+1 HD, 5 HD, 6 HD.) That makes clerics progress a little slower, but they only lose 1 hit die by level 8.

The reason I do it this way, aside from making the progression regular, is that I can use Target 20 for attack rolls without writing down a "basic attack bonus". I just use the hit dice of the attacker, whether it's a monster or a character.

[Koren n'Rhys]

Depends upon the game, of course. My main campaign is Classic (RC) not OD&D, so that uses variable HD and damage, naturally. However, I started the campaign running S&W:WB. When I run OD&D though, I use BTB all d6, including for the thief variant from Delving Deeper rather than Greyhawk.

[Porphyre]

All D6, but a slightly different progression for fighters and clerics.
Also, a 1 "result" counts as 6 for fighters, so the range is 2,3,4,5,6,6

[austinjimm]

All d6, but...

Fighting men get 1d6+1/level
Magic-users (& thieves) get 1d6-1/level
Clerics get 1d6/level
Monsters get 1d6/HD (monsters under 1 HD get a d3 or as noted in the description.)
0 level men-at-arms get a d3
other 0 level retainers get a d2

[Deleted]

How do you do hit dice?

Hit dice say how do you do to you, too.

[talysman]

Jul 24, 2013 20:57:57 GMT -6 @gronanofsimmerya said:

How do you do hit dice?

Hit dice say how do you do to you, too.

... And then began nana nana...

[austinjimm]

Jul 24, 2013 20:57:57 GMT -6 @gronanofsimmerya said:

How do you do hit dice?

Hit dice say how do you do to you, too.

As Supreme Being of my particular D&D world, I respond "Quite nicely. And you will continue to perform as needed. Thank you."