5e House Rules

Home brew or house rules for my 5e games

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Hit Dice

Hit Dice

ℹ️ in order fort his to work you need to be pushing for 6-8 encounters between long rests. also worth noting is the existing rule which states characters can only receive the benefits of a long res one time every 24 hours. see 5ePacing

Goals:

  • provide more uses for Hit Dice, staying on brand
  • prevent a full character reset during long rest
  • provide collaboration, interesting player choice

A character already has a pool of Hit Point Dice (Hit Dice or HD) that represents general vitality. The amount and size of the dice is determined by the class levels the character has progressed to. The PHB describes a mechanic in which a character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a short rest to regain hit points. This represents a character being rejuvenated from a rest. The sections below clarify some points on Hit Die and provide more ways to use them that are centered around vitality, endurance, and stress.

Summary:

  • Spending HD is 1HD+CON
  • After long rest characters no longer get full heal
  • After long rest characters regain all spent HD
  • After short or long rest spend HDs to regain hit points
  • Use a Reaction to spend HDs for bonus to an attack, save, or check
  • can spend HD to assist another creature
  • experimental: rolling max value when spending Hit Die also removes 1 Exhaustion level

Spending a Hit Die

As is described in the PHB, Each Hit Die in the characters pool is either available or spent. To spend a Hit Die roll a characters available Hit Die and add their Constitution modifier. This total number will be applied to the purpose of spending the die. This Hit Die is now considered spent.

Resting Up

At the end of a long rest, a character does not automatically regain any lost hit points. At the end of a short or long rest, a character can spend one or more Hit Dice to regain hit points. After a long rest, a character regains all spent Hit Dice.

Removing a full character health reset introduces more grit into the game. Characters should consider the lasting consequences of their decisions instead of mearly surviving the day. Thus the Hit Dice at the beginning of the day represent all the natural healing and vitality for the entire day regardless of the length of the rest.

For example, Wendy is a level 5 Wizard. She has a total of 5d6 Hit Dice. Currently they are all available. The party just survived a few encounters, in which she got a bit beat up, and is now taking a short rest. Alice is spending the time bandaging wounds. At the end of the short rest she spends a Hit Die (1HD+CON) to regain hit points. It was a low roll so she decides to spend another. Much better. After regaining the hit points she is feeling more confident for the next encounter. Wendy now has two spent hit dice and three available hit dice. If all goes well in the next encounter she plans to spend the final three Hit Dice after her long rest.

Push Yourself

You can use your Reaction to Push Yourself. Spend a Hit Die to grant a bonus to an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check possibly turning a failure into a success.

You are pushing your character’s limits thus incurring some stress to vitality. The added stress limits your ability to quickly be rejuvenated later.

For example, Bob the Barbarian is in front line combat against a hoard of lizard folk. Bob uses Action Surge for more attacks in an attempt to finally defeat the lizard king. On his last blow Bob rolls a 2. Sure that he was a single hit away from victory he decides to use his Reaction to push himself. He spends a Hit Die (1HD+CON) getting 13 which he adds to the attack roll making it 15 total. A hit! The lizard king in fact is defeated and the other lizard folk run away on their turn. Bob is unable to take attacks of opportunity on them this round because his Reaction was spent, and it was worth it.

Assisting your Allys

In an attempt to encourage group collaboration, reliance, and planning you can spend Hit Dice to assist any other creature. Activities of this nature may include applying pressure, wrapping wounds, removing a spear head from their buttock, or a good pep talk.

This assistance includes Pushing Yourself to assist others during encounters.

This turns all the individual Hit Dice pools into one large party pool that the players can plan around.

For example, Carla is a Cleric in a bad spot. The red wizard just threw a fireball at her and Frank the Fighter. If she doesnt succeed at this saving throw she may drop to 0 hit points which would be bad for the entire party. She rolled very low. A Cleric Hit Die is 1d8 and Carlas Constitution modifier is +1. A Fighter Hit Die is 1d10 and Franks Consititution modifier is +3. Frank knows that he has a greater chance of helping Carla and he happens to still have his Reaction available. He Pushes Himself using his Reaction to spend a Hit Die granting Carla a bonus to her Dexterity save. It worked, she made her save and only took half of the damage. In narrative, as the fireball comes crashing down Frank covers Carla shielding her from much of the blast. Its now Franks turn and he uses his Bonus Action to use Second Wind. Everybody is going to make it.

In another example, Pat the Paladin recently fell into a pit of lava. At the end of the parties long rest Pat spent his last two Hit Dice but the healing came out pretty low. Pat is very concerned about the hag they need to visit in the morning and he doesn’t want to be low on health. Rita the ranger decides to spend two more Hit Dice to assist in patching up and healing the paladin. The paladin promises to protect the ranger tomorrow and spend Hit Dice or other healing on her if she needs it.

Invigoration

This rule is being experimented with along with other rules to help reduce levels of exhaustion. Occasionally while dipping into your vitality you will experience a surge of invigoration. When you roll the maximum value while spending a Hit Die you can immediatly remove 1 level of exhaustion from yourself.