D and D 5e HP by Class and Level

Hit Points by Class and Level in D&D 5e

In Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, hit points (HP) are how much punishment a character can soak up before dropping unconscious. The formula starts with the top value of your hit die at level 1, then adds the average roll of that die for each level after, with the Constitution modifier folded in at every level: HP = HitDie(max) + ((avg(HitDie) + CON) × (level - 1)).

Each class gets its own hit die. The Barbarian rolls d12. Fighter, Paladin and Ranger roll d10. Bard, Cleric, Druid, Monk, Rogue and Warlock roll d8, and the Sorcerer and Wizard roll d6. At each level-up you can either roll the die or just take the fixed average (PHB 2014, p. 12), which keeps the progression predictable: 7 for d12, 6 for d10, 5 for d8, and 4 for d6.

Applications

Handy when you are planning a sheet, weighing up which tank class to play, sizing up a multiclass build, or just trying to guess how survivable you will be in the higher tiers. Dungeon Masters lean on it too, both to balance encounters and to ballpark the HP of NPCs and monsters that carry class levels.

FAQ

Should I roll or take the average? The average is the safe play and keeps your character consistent. Rolling can land you above or below that, but you are taking on the swing. Most tables let you pick, and you decide fresh at each level-up.

Does the Constitution modifier apply retroactively if it increases? It does. When your CON modifier goes up, whether through an ASI or a magic item such as the Belt of Giant Strength variants, you pick up 1 HP for every character level you already have, not just the levels from there on.

What about the Tough feat or Hill Dwarf trait? The Tough feat hands you +2 HP per character level, and that covers both the levels you have now and the ones to come. Hill Dwarves and lineages like them add +1 HP per level. Both stack on top of whatever the base formula gives you.