Step 7: Hit Points, Initiative, and other Scores

Now let's fill in a few other of your main scores.

Hit points represent your character's total health. Once they drop to zero, your character starts dying. Wounds reduce your current hit points, but healing through magical or natural means can also restore them.

Each time you gain a level, you roll dice to see how many hit points you gain. The dice that you roll is called your Hit Dice and is determined by your class (see table below). Take the number you roll on your Hit Dice and add your Constitution modifier. This is the number of new hit points you gain. For example, a monk (d8) with a Constitution of 14 (modifier +2) will roll a d8+2 each time he levels and add that result to his hit points.

When creating a new character, instead of rolling your hit points, you automatically get the maximum amount possible. So, the monk with a Con of 14 will start out with 10 hit points (8 +2) at level 1.

Table: HD

Class	HD
Alchemist	d8
Barbarian	d12
Bard	d8
Cleric	d8
Druid	d8
Elementalist	d8
Fighter	d10
Inquisitor	d8
Magus	d8
Monk	d10
Oracle	d8
Paladin	d10
Ranger	d10
Rogue	d8
Sorcerer	d6
Spellwright	d8
Warlock	d8
Witch	d6
Wizard	d6

Your character also has an initiative bonus. This represents your character's reaction time in combat. When you start, your initiative bonus will be equal to your Dexterity bonus. So, a character with a Dex of 16 will have a Dex bonus and an Initiative bonus of +3

Your speed score represents how many feet your character can move in a round. Speed is primarily determined by your acenstry (see above).

Your Combat Proficiency Bonus determines how effective you are at combat with weapons you are trained to use. When using a weapon that you are proficient with, you add your combat proficiency bonus to attacks you make. With unfamiliar weapons, you don't. Some classes are more proficient with weapons than others and so their Combat Proficiency bonus increases faster. When starting out, if you are a Barbarian, Elementalist, Fighter, Paladin, Monk, or Ranger your starting WP is +1. All other classes are +0.

When attacking, your melee attacks are considered strength-based attacks and ranged attacks are considered dexterity-based attacks. That means you add your strength bonus to melee attacks and your dexterity bonus to ranged attacks. So, your Strength Attack Bonus is equal to your combat proficiency bonus + strength bonus.

Your Dexterity Attack Bonus is for ranged attacks, you add your Dexterity Bonus, so your Dexterity Attack Bonus is equal to your combat proficiency bonus + dexterity bonus

When attacking, you roll a d20 as your attack roll and add either your melee attack or your ranged attack bonus (plus any other misc. modifiers). This final number is compared to your target's Armor Class (AC). If your roll is at least equal to the AC, then you hit your target and get to roll damage.

When attacking with a spell, you usually use your spell attack score, instead of the melee or ranged attack ones. Your spell attack bonus equals your character level + your ability bonus.

<< Step 6: Saving Throws << >> Step 8: Abilities >>