Do you get amulet of health on classes with 1d4 HD?

[RoboEmperor]

Or do you skip it because 14 CON is enough?

I want to get other stats, especially in low-powered point buy, so I was thinking, if 14 con is enough, then I just need to miraculously survive with 12 or 10 con until I can get an amulet of health +4. But if everyone gets +6 in addition to their 14 con, then my idea won't work.

In my current games, I always get amulet of health +6 for no real reason with 14con.

[Jeff the Green]

Depends. For the most part a class with a d4 HP has better ways to ensure its own survival and giving it ~80 additional HP when a successful full attack is bringing them to -100 isn't helpful. In a low-op or high-wealth campaign or one with lots of Fortitude saves I'd consider it. If I just wanted more HP I'd probably just become a necropolitan.

[KillianHawkeye]

Yeah, I would say this usually depends on the campaign and how freely available magic items are, how much money we have to throw around, as well as what kind of character I'm playing along with the party make-up and how likely it is that I'll be the target of a lot of damage. Also whether or not we are rolling for HP and how well or poorly that has turned out for me.

I definitely don't prioritize it unless I'm playing a tank and trying to maximize hit points, or the history of the campaign has proven that my HP total is dangerously inadequate. But on the other hand, it's always something nice that any character can use.

[Chronos]

Most ability scores, on most characters, have some value that's needed, and once you have that, it doesn't matter (or at least, doesn't matter as much). Con isn't like that, though: Everyone can always use more Con.

[atemu1234]

Spellcasters with a D4 hit die get roughly 2.5 HP, every level. Let's assume the average hit die (the one used most often) is a d8. Now, D8s average 4.5 HP, every level. While Con 14 is required to keep on that standard, even D8s are considered small and require a constitution of roughly the same amount to keep up. So to stay on track, you need to have a constitution of 18. This puts you roughly on the same average, leaving both of you at 6.5 HP, every level, the same as a straight d12's average.

So basically, be a Necropolitan. It's easier to dump Con and boost everything else (especially in Point Buy), then make up for the difference when you get to level two. If you don't survive that long, then you need better strategy. While I don't normally blame the victim, even a sufficiently optimized Wizard with 1 hp can survive, if done properly (namely, Shield and Mage Armor with high dexterity can boost you into the stratosphere at early levels. Survive long enough to reach level two and become a necro, and you're golden).

[Fouredged Sword]

I tend to get at least minor +con gear on any character I play. It's just useful. It boosts a important save as well as granting extra HP.

[RoboEmperor]

You need to be level 3 for necropolitan. At level two you drop from 1000xp to 500, and then the additional 1000xp drop will kill you. At level three you drop from 3000xp to 1500xp, and the additional 1000xp drop will get you down to 500xp, thus an additional level drop.

I've considered necropolitan after reading a thread someone else made about dropping constitution, but it seems like you really need an evil cleric because even potions won't heal you, and you need to put your trust completely to some cult guy :P

Alright, so everyone does get additional con after 14. Thanks for the info.

[ericgrau]

I usually get a high con, amulet of health and if it's a sor/wiz false life on top of that. It's especially major at low level. At high level there are other defenses to worry about too, and it's easier to get temp hp via spells.

[Dread_Head]

With an Con of 14 It wouldn't be my top priority to boost but I would pick up Amulets of Health when they were relatively cheap compared to WBL. Something like a +2 at 9th level, +4 at 13th and +6 at 16th or 17th.

[Fouredged Sword]

That is kinda an interesting thing. The +2 extra con gets more valuable the higher your HD are. Not only do you gain more HP for the investment and the save boost becomes more important, the investment itself is a smaller part of your total wealth.

[Telonius]

I don't know if I'd go for a full +6 (unless you're rolling in gp or looking at a Belt of Magnificence), but even a +2 or a +4 has its uses. Constitution is good for other things besides hitpoints. Fortitude Saves and Concentration checks come to mind as something you'll want to boost, regardless of how many hitpoints you have.

[Psyren]

Per MiC, +X enhancement to Con is a "common effect" for your throat, torso or waist slot. +2 is 4k, then an additional +2 is 12k, then the final +2 is 20k.

It wouldn't be the first thing I'd spend on, ut if I had some leftover cash - well, more defense is always good.

[RoboEmperor]

Yeah, those were the reasons why I grabbed it for no particular reason. More hp and higher saves aren't ever bad. Alright, I'll try my best to keep my CON at least 12 or above since some of you think +6 is overkill with 14 CON.

[Emperor Tippy]

I generally dump any excess gold into stat increases, so yes I usually end up with some Con boosting on most characters.

That being said, HP really falls into three broad categories.
1) High enough that you can actually tank multiple average attacks from equal CR foes (generally meaning d10's or d12's and +10 or so per HD from attributes, as a caster this means using Faerie Mysteries Initiate pretty much).
2) Low enough that you will die in one average hit by any foe even close to your CR.
3) Enough that one hit from an equal CR foe is unlikely to outright kill you.

In case 1, you are already using attribute boosters of one kind or another to get your HP that high. Usually only worthwhile to try for this on a Necropolitan Gray Elf (Int based class) with Faerie Mysteries Initiate as you need more than 400 HP at ECL 20 for this to be the case and the only real way to do that without extreme build costs is FMI.

In case 2, your HP simply doesn't matter and you should invest nothing in trying to make it better as it will remain utterly irrelevant. Every 2 Con is (at ECL 20) another 20 HP, and at ECL 20 what is another 20, 40, or 60 HP really matter?

In case 3, you want a total HP of around 150 at ECL 20. That is enough to put you out of range of things like Power Word: Kill and to tank most standard action attacks once.

[RoboEmperor]

Thank you tippy! those numbers was what I was looking for.

At 14 con you will usually have 90hp at level 20, and with amulet of health it'll be 150hp, which is enough for case 3, though you might be able to get away with 12con for 130hp, at least in my games.

I'm gonna ponder this a bit more but anyways, thanks!

[Emperor Tippy]

Thank you tippy! those numbers was what I was looking for.

At 14 con you will usually have 90hp at level 20, and with amulet of health it'll be 150hp, which is enough for case 3, though you might be able to get away with 12con for 130hp, at least in my games.

I'm gonna ponder this a bit more but anyways, thanks!

Note that it also depends a lot on table optimization, what specific class and build you are, and playstyle.

At some tables 150 HP will be enough to tank the party fighters full attack, at other tables a 150 damage attack from a primary combatant is seen as a joke.

[Keld Denar]

Saph did an interesting little study on RHoD, and one thing she noticed was that a lot of PCs died from failed reflex saves, specifically HP damage related to failed reflex saves. One thing that having more Con helps with is to keep you from being chipped away by multiple failed reflex saves (combined with other sources of HP loss) which generally do damage even on a successful save. If you make 10 fort saves vs death, you're probably fine. If you make 10 reflex saves, you still might die from the damage if you are made of glass. Plus, PCs generally hold together in either Fireball or Lightning Bolt formation, making AoEs particularly effective against them.

As a DM, I like using reflex save spells because they generally aren't game enders. It sucks from a player PoV to lose your char in the first round of a climactic fight to a stray Finger of Death. Reflex saves are dangerous without completely removing the character. I still use some of the classic save vs death spells, but in general I like cumulative HP damage if any PC is going to die in my game.

Con is important. HP are important. Fort saves are important. All PCs (except those with (-) Con) should prioritize their primary stat first (Str, casting stat) and Con second.