Thursday, July 7, 2016

Other uses for 5e Hit Dice

Hit Dice in 5e seem underutilized as a resource. I have no idea if this is intentional design, but here are some other possibilities.

  • To power class abilities.
    • Berserker barbarians' Frenzy ability could burn HD instead of causing exhaustion.
    • A paladin's lay on hands ability could let them spend HD on another's behalf. That seems a little more sacrificial to me, and is swingier that picking an exact number of HP.
    • Probably some sorcerer abilities, but who cares.
    • Maybe a warlock invocation that lets you burn HD into spell slots. Seems like an appropriate risky sacrifice for power for that class.
  • Magic item fuel. I did this once already.
    • You could make attunement to an item in general require investing a HD in it, if you wanted to reduce magic item use a bit.
    • Healing potions that let you spend hit dice would scale automatically to the character using them, based on HD size and Con modifier.
    • Ring of X-Ray vision could eat HD instead of inflicting exhaustion.
  • Instead of reducing max HP, damage caused by certain undead could also use up a hit die. They come back on their own at a long rest already, so no special rules needed on the monster. If the undead can create spawn, they do so by killing a creature with no HD remaining.
  • Potions that restore HD.
  • Diseases could eat away at HD.
  • Spells that allow HD to be used, like 4e healing surges. Healing Word seems like an interesting candidate.

No comments:

Post a Comment