Using This Calculator

Start by deciding whether your character uses a single class or spans multiple classes. For single-class characters, select your class and level from the dropdown menus. Multiclass characters require you to input each class and its corresponding level—your starting class at level 1 goes in the Initial class field, with subsequent levels distributed across additional classes.

Enter your Constitution modifier, which applies to every hit point calculation. Then select any applicable bonuses: Hill Dwarf grants +1 HP per level, Draconic Sorcerer adds +1 HP per sorcerer level, and the Tough feat provides +2 HP per level regardless of class. The calculator combines these elements to display your maximum HP and total hit dice pool.

What Are Hit Points in D&D 5e?

Hit points represent your character's capacity to endure physical punishment before falling unconscious or dying. A creature at full HP has taken no damage; once HP reaches zero, the creature drops unconscious and is out of combat. Spells like cure wounds, potions, and class features restore lost HP during combat or between rests.

Unlike armour class (which prevents damage), hit points absorb damage that gets through. A fighter and a wizard may have similar AC, but the fighter's larger HP pool reflects their resilience. Constitution—your character's endurance attribute—governs how much HP you gain at each level.

Understanding Hit Dice

Each class grants a hit die of a specific size. Barbarians roll d12s, fighters and paladins use d10s, rogues and monks roll d8s, and wizards use d6s. When you gain a level, you roll one hit die and add your Constitution modifier to the result—that sum increases your maximum HP.

If the roll is low and your modifier is negative, you still gain a minimum of 1 HP per level. During a short rest, you can spend hit dice to recover HP, rolling the die and adding your Constitution modifier for each one spent. Your total number of hit dice equals your character's total level. At character creation, you gain the maximum roll of your initial class's hit die without rolling—no uncertainty on level 1.

Hit Point Calculation

Your maximum HP depends on whether you're single-classed or multiclass. For single-class characters, start with the maximum roll of your initial hit die. For multiclass builds, combine contributions from each class. Your Constitution modifier, racial traits, and feats then layer on top.

Single Class:

Max HP = Max roll + (Con mod × Level) + (Hill Dwarf bonus × Level) + (Tough feat × 2 × Level) + (Draconic Sorcerer bonus × Level)

Multiclass:

Max HP = Sum of averages from all classes + (Con mod × Total level) + (Hill Dwarf bonus × Total level) + (Tough feat × 2 × Total level) + (Draconic Sorcerer bonus × Sorcerer levels)

  • Max roll — The highest value your class hit die can show (d12 = 12, d10 = 10, d8 = 8, d6 = 6)
  • Con mod — Your Constitution modifier, ranging from −5 to +5 depending on your Constitution score
  • Level — Your character's level in a single class or total levels across all classes
  • Hill Dwarf bonus — +1 HP per level if your race is Mountain Dwarf or Hill Dwarf
  • Tough feat — +2 HP per level if you selected the Tough feat during character creation
  • Draconic Sorcerer bonus — +1 HP per sorcerer level if you're a Draconic Bloodline sorcerer

Common Pitfalls When Calculating HP

These mistakes can throw off your character sheet or lead to table disputes.

  1. Forgetting the level-one guarantee — Your initial class's hit die at level 1 grants its maximum value automatically—you never roll it. Many players mistakenly roll all hit dice, which typically inflates their HP. Only on subsequent levels do you roll and potentially add your Constitution modifier.
  2. Negative Constitution modifiers floor at +1 — Even if your Constitution modifier is −2 and you roll a 1 on your d8, you still gain 1 HP per level (not −1). The game prevents your HP from shrinking with each level-up. However, this floor applies per level, not to your final total.
  3. Multiclass Constitution bonus applies once per total level — Your Constitution modifier multiplies by your total character level, not separately for each class. A fighter 5 / wizard 3 with a +2 Con modifier gains +16 HP from Constitution (8 levels × +2), not +10 from fighter + +6 from wizard calculated independently.
  4. Draconic Sorcerer bonus stacks with other features — The Draconic Bloodline's +1 HP per sorcerer level adds on top of your normal hit die rolls, Tough feat, and Constitution modifier. Some players apply it as a separate pool; instead, it simply increases your effective HP total by one per sorcerer level.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are hit points calculated when I first create my character?

At character creation, your maximum HP equals the maximum value of your class's hit die plus your Constitution modifier. A barbarian with a +1 Con modifier begins at 13 HP (12 base + 1 modifier). If you're multiclassing from the start, add the average roll (rounded up) of each secondary class's hit die, plus the full Constitution modifier total. Then apply any racial or feat bonuses that grant bonus HP.

What's the difference between rolling hit dice and taking the average?

When you level up, you can roll your hit die or take its average value rounded up. Rolling a d8 offers between 1 and 8 HP gained per level, whereas taking the average gives a fixed 5 HP. Many tables allow both options; some campaigns require rolling for unpredictability. Taking the average is safer for low-HP classes like wizards and sorcerers.

Do I gain a hit die when I multiclass into a new class?

Yes. When you gain a level in any class, you gain one hit die of that class's type. A fighter 5 / wizard 3 has five d10s and three d8s. You maintain separate hit die pools for each class but spend them interchangeably during short rests. Your total hit dice always equal your total character level.

Can my HP decrease if my Constitution modifier is negative?

Your hit points can never decrease by levelling up. If your Constitution modifier is negative, you still gain at least 1 HP per level. However, if your Constitution score drops mid-campaign due to poison or a curse, your maximum HP may decrease retroactively by an amount equal to the modifier change. For example, losing 2 points of Constitution lowers your max HP by 2.

How do Tough feat and Draconic Bloodline bonuses combine with other HP sources?

Both stack multiplicatively with your level. The Tough feat adds +2 HP per level regardless of class; Draconic Sorcerer adds +1 per sorcerer level specifically. A draconic sorcerer 10 with Tough gains +20 from Tough (10 × +2) and +10 from draconic (10 × +1) on top of hit die and Constitution rolls, totalling +30 bonus HP.

What happens to my maximum HP if I lose Constitution during the campaign?

Your maximum HP decreases by an amount equal to the change in your Constitution modifier, multiplied by your total level. If poison reduces your Constitution modifier from +3 to +2 and you're level 8, you lose 8 maximum HP. Once the poison is cured and your Constitution is restored, your HP maximum returns to normal.

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