Doesn't have to be unfathomable to casters. At one of my tables, our wizard is swimming in HP - had rolled for stats and put one of the big ones into CON. Not sure if they also have War Caster, because that'd make their concentration damn awesome.
I absolutely do not enjoy big random in character essentials for long games. If it's a one shot, fine, I'll have some fun with the 12 int wizard or the clumsy rogue. I don't want to be stuck mechanically underpowered for months, maybe years, due to the whims of a tiny portion of dice rolls.
As for "but flaws make interesting characters", yes, but there are systems that do it so much better. A character's Trouble in Fate, or dramatic failures in CofD come to mind. I've ported both of those over to DND and it worked fine, so you don't even have to change whole systems.
In ye olden days a wizard could expect to have ~13 HP at level 5, assuming they didn’t also roll terribly for Con. Rejoice that no one gets d4 hit dice anymore!
21 Comments
Apeman42@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 1d
I'm sorry, is this some sort of caster joke that I'm too unga bunga to understand?
ComicalMayhem@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 1d
It's some sort of "I rolled like shit on all of my level ups" joke. My druid has double my HP. My unga bunga class has 1 less than triple than my HP.
BottleBoardBakon@lemmy.ml · 12 pts · 1d
This is why you take the average 🥲
DoubleDongle@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 1d
The flat rate is statistically better than rolling anyway, by 0.5hp per level.
absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz · 5 pts · 1d
Yes but how else is my bard going to have more HP than the party barbarian at L5?
Plum@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 1d
Or re-roll 1's on level ups.
smeg@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 13h
If we're just making up rules can I have 20hp every level? And a longer staff?
Plum@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 12h
Wtf. No. Re-rolling 1's on level-up is a happy little house rule. 20hp every level is game breaking.
Your staff can be 1d20 inches longer than it is presently. If you're from a metric country, roll a d100 and halve it for centimeters.
ComicalMayhem@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d
DM doesn't allow it.
SkyezOpen@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 1d
Then hopefully your character's identical twin brother rolls better.
Iron_Lynx@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 16h
Doesn't have to be unfathomable to casters. At one of my tables, our wizard is swimming in HP - had rolled for stats and put one of the big ones into CON. Not sure if they also have War Caster, because that'd make their concentration damn awesome.
jtrek@startrek.website · 14 pts · 1d
I absolutely do not enjoy big random in character essentials for long games. If it's a one shot, fine, I'll have some fun with the 12 int wizard or the clumsy rogue. I don't want to be stuck mechanically underpowered for months, maybe years, due to the whims of a tiny portion of dice rolls.
As for "but flaws make interesting characters", yes, but there are systems that do it so much better. A character's Trouble in Fate, or dramatic failures in CofD come to mind. I've ported both of those over to DND and it worked fine, so you don't even have to change whole systems.
chaogomu@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 1d
I think the "flaws make the character interesting" bit on of works when you get to choose the flaws.
Which yeah, basically any other system does that part better.
Buddahriffic@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 13h
I suspect it might also depend on the campaign being full of players that have done power games and have gotten bored of it.
notabot@piefed.social · 14 pts · 1d
Oh come now, challenges like this make you character more memorable, interesting, unique... and squishy.
Apeman42@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 1d
I always wanted an excuse to roleplay having tuberculosis!
elephantium@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1d
Raistlin Majere, is that you?
IAmLamp@fedia.io · 2 pts · 22h
Who wouldn’t? There are so many Doc Holiday quotes you could incorporate into your games.
ComicalMayhem@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d
Arthur Morgan.jxl
Azathoth@fedia.io · 7 pts · 1d
In ye olden days a wizard could expect to have ~13 HP at level 5, assuming they didn’t also roll terribly for Con. Rejoice that no one gets d4 hit dice anymore!
Aielman15@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 22h
I've played an old veteran warrior for 14 levels. The only time I rolled above the average was before the last session.
Then he died.