Multi class Hit Points

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cbarchuk
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Multi class Hit Points

Post by cbarchuk »

Have a question about how hit points are determined in multi class characters. The rules say:

The player
should roll the hit points for each class separately;
whichever total is highest is the one which is to be
used as the character's actual hit point total.

Say I have Fighter/Magic-User starting at 1/1. Do I simply roll a d8 and a d4 and whichever number is higher is the HP I start with? What about when I level. So my character gains a level of Fighter and is now Fighter 2/Magic User1. Would I roll just a d8 this time?
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Dimirag
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Re: Multi class Hit Points

Post by Dimirag »

At first level the character rolls both hit dice and use the better value, but keep the other score in a separate place. Lets say the F/MU roll d8/d4 and gets 2 and 4, for are his HP.

When the pc earns XP is divided as evenly as possible between the classes, say, the F/MU earn 50XP, its goes 25 for each "class pool".

When one pool has enough points the corresponding hit dice is rolled and added to its corresponding hit points. So, at 2000/2000XP the character will become a F2/MU1 character and a new d8 is added to the fighter hp pool, rolling a 5, now he has 4 "MU-HP" and 7 "F-HP", as the second pool is higher, he uses that as his hit points.

If at some point, for some reason, he earns more HP on his MU pool from leveling up, then that will become his hit points.

At least that is how I understand it.
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
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cbarchuk
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Re: Multi class Hit Points

Post by cbarchuk »

I think I understand. But why not simply just roll the HD for the class that has gained a level and add that every time? It seems like that's what the rules are saying in a very odd way.
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Dimirag
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Re: Multi class Hit Points

Post by Dimirag »

Because that way a F2/MU2 would have 2d8+2d4 worth of hit points.
Multiclass characters goes by "only the better" rule instead of an "everything adds".
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
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cbarchuk
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Re: Multi class Hit Points

Post by cbarchuk »

Ah okay that makes sense though I'm still not quite understanding the rules as written then. I'll have to go back and try and wrap my head around it. The whole dice pool thing isn't clicking for some reason.

F1/M1 = Roll a d4 and a d8 and pick the best. I get a 2 and 6. So 6 starting HP.
F2/M1 = Roll a d8 and get a 5. I would add that to 6 for a total of 11 hp.
F2/M2 = Roll a d4 and get a 1. I assume I would simply add that to 11 for now a total of 12.

Yea I'm not getting it. In my example I just did what came natural. I know in S&W you don't roll hp until both class reach the same level and then you would roll both HD, add them together, and take the average.
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Dimirag
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Re: Multi class Hit Points

Post by Dimirag »

The whole dice pool thing isn't clicking for some reason.
It's actually quite simple, the character has a HP value for each class, but can only use the bigger one.
F1/M1 = Roll a d4 and a d8 and pick the best. I get a 2 and 6. So 6 starting HP.
Yes. It would be 6(2)
F2/M1 = Roll a d8 and get a 5. I would add that to 6 for a total of 11 hp.
Yes. 11(2)
F2/M2 = Roll a d4 and get a 1. I assume I would simply add that to 11 for now a total of 12
No, the d4 is added to the 2hp from the MU side, it becomes 11(3), if at some point the number in parenthesis (the HP from the MU levels) becomes higher than the other pool, then that becomes its new HP.

Lets go with a T/MU
0xp: T1/MU1 --> 1d4/1d4 --> 3/2 --> 3HP
At 1400/1400XP it earns a thief level (T2/MU1), rolls a d4 for a 2, now has 5/2HP, so 5HP
At 2400/2400XP it becomes T2/MU2, rolls a d4 for a 4, now has 5/6HP, 6 are the new HP.
At 2800/2800XP it becomes T3/MU2 having now 3d4/2d4, rolls a d4 for another 4, now it has 9/6HP, 9 becomes the new HP
I know in S&W you don't roll hp until both class reach the same level and then you would roll both HD, add them together, and take the average.
This is similar to some older games where each class gains half the HP rolled, the problem is that often the resulted value end with a floating half point, plus the HP earned this way tend to be to small for some classes.
Rolling until both classes earns a levels adds the problem of withholding a HD for quite some time
Having a hit point value for each class that grows with that class and only using the bigger is quite easy.
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
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cbarchuk
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Re: Multi class Hit Points

Post by cbarchuk »

I think I get it now. It just seems odd to keep track of both pools of hit points. Can't I just give the Fighter/Magic User a d6 for HD regardless of which class levels up?
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Dimirag
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Re: Multi class Hit Points

Post by Dimirag »

Its an option if you make them level up at the same time, remember that you are not adding the rolls of each class, but in case of characters with a d8/d6 and d6/d4 hit dice you end up with a d7 and a d5 for HD which may bother some people.

An option is to roll the bigger HD only when a class earns a level above the other classes.
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
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cbarchuk
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Re: Multi class Hit Points

Post by cbarchuk »

Dimirag wrote: Sun Nov 01, 2020 2:31 pm An option is to roll the bigger HD only when a class earns a level above the other classes.


That's a good idea. So with a Fighter/Mage you simply roll d8 whenever you gain a Fighter level above your Magic User level. So level 1, roll both and pick the higher one. At F2/M1 roll a d8. At F2/M2 rolling nothing. At F3/M2 roll a d8 etc...
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Re: Multi class Hit Points

Post by Solomoriah »

Two pools of HP, with the larger being the character's actual hit points, is the intent of the rules. Note that level limits play into this... a fighter/thief character, for example, likely has a level limit for fighter but not for thief. Thus, at some point the character's thief hit points will probably exceed the fighter. Consider a maximum-level elf fighter/magic-user: the maximums (assuming stats are high enough) are 5th fighter, 9th magic-user. 5d8 is an average of (5 x 4.5 =) 22.5, 9d4 is an average of (9 x 2.5 =) 22.5... depending on the die rolls, either class might have the higher number.
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