Roll 1 d4, d6, d8, d10 or d12, I dare you!

[Tadhg]

So . . you've rolled your attribute scores and now you wish to roll for hit points, good luck.

Pick a class and roll.

[I'm a 3rd lvl cleric in Kayolan's game and I have 8 hps!! ]

OK, here is my roll for a cleric . .

6!

Wow! I'll take it!!

You?

[Rigon]

Ranger: 5

R-

[serleran]

Magic-User: 1.

I will survive.

[Tadhg]

Magic-User: 1.

Oh my!

I will survive.

You might . . in my game. I allow wizards to wear non-metal armor and use long swords!!

[mbeacom]

Ranger 9HP (I never roll that well!). Don't remember my CON but pretty sure I didn't have a bonus.

[Tadhg]

Still thinking about a btb game, but I'm not comfortable with one or more players rolling 1 or 2 HPs.

Perhaps, each class takes +1 on any lower half dice roll or keeps his number on any upper half roll. Mebbe, the d12 class takes +2 on a lower half roll.

Rigon allows PCs to take 3/4 of their max gold, which I like - so mebbe, here the PC takes 3/4 of their max HPs!

Thoughts?

[Rigon]

Still thinking about a btb game, but I'm not comfortable with one or more players rolling 1 or 2 HPs.

Perhaps, each class takes +1 on any lower half dice roll or keeps his number on any upper half roll. Mebbe, the d12 class takes +2 on a lower half roll.

Rigon allows PCs to take 3/4 of their max gold, which I like - so mebbe, here the PC takes 3/4 of their max HPs!

Thoughts?

I don't see why that wouldn't work, but you need to decide what you want from low level play. Do you want the meat grinder with high character fatality? Or do you want a story where players can develop the PC they want? Or are you some where in between? For my games, I want my players to play the character they envision, not the one they where "lucky" to roll up.

Edit: Within reason. I still require players to roll random attributes and I don't allow max starting gold or anything like that. I still want the game to be challenging and exciting, but I also want the players to be able to more readily survive lower levels, as my sweet spot for CKing games is between 3rd and 8th level.

R-

[serleran]

Here's an idea similar to how Gamma World does it but slightly differently...

After selecting race and class, all players roll HP as if the PC were of maximum level for gaining HD. During the course of adventuring, they do not gain any additional HP (without magical aid) until they have surpassed the level they used to roll HP -- that is, if you have 10d4, you do not gain HP until reaching 11th level.

It is entirely possible to reduce the "starting level" if you don't like the idea of a level 1 barbarian with around 100 HP, possibly.

However, because of the major advantage to HP, the Castle Keeper is encouraged to use maximum numbers of monsters appearing (to whatever sane limit actual party level allows) and to use deadly traps and spells (primarily those that deal damage rather than outright kill) when convenient... to remind players these characters are not immortal.

I dunno. Could be a fun one-off.