All the Hit Points

[Jon talks a lot]

I was thinking about hit points, and what one could do to maximize them. This is what I came up with.

Race: Human (Stensia Province)
Rolled Stats: 18+1 CON, nothing else matters.
Class: Barbarian
Subclass: Totem Warrior
Feats: +1 CON +1 X first, then Tough.
Your DM somehow lets you have a berserkers axe at level 1. You choose bear at level 3.

At level 20, if you are a statistical anomaly and only roll max on hit points, you should have:

240(hit dice)+200(+10 CON Modifier from manuals of bodily health)+40(Tough Racial Ability)+40(Tough Feat)+40(Boon of Fortitude)+19(Berserkers Axe)

for a massive total of 579 hit points. And, while raging, you are resistant to all but psychic damage

Is there a way to do better? Am I missing a feat or a class feature that would increase hit points?

Edit: Constitution retroactively gives hit points, which changes the math. Also, Boons exist. And magic items.

[zinycor]

You could also be a hill dwarf to get more hit points and grab tough later on.

[Unoriginal]

Hill Dwarf gets additional hit points.

[Greywander]

Increasing your CON retroactively gives you more HP for your previous level ups, so if you max out CON at 20 then by 20th level you're always getting 20 * 5 = 100 extra HP from CON. There's no need to raise CON early in order to maximize your HP.

First, you want to be a hill dwarf. They get +1 HP per level, so that's already an extra 20 HP.

Straight barbarians who max out CON then get another +4 CON at 20th level and roll all 12s on their hit dice would have 240 + (7 * 20) = 240 + 140 = 380.

Plus the 20 from hill dwarf gets us to a flat 400.

Then take the Tough feat for another 40 HP. That's 440 HP total.

There's also the Boon of Fortitude, if you're playing with epic boons. That's another 40 HP for 480 total.

There might be some other things you can do to boost your HP. There are temporary boosts to max HP, like the Aid spell, as well as sources of temp HP, such as Inspiring Leader. Not sure if you want to count those. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a magic item to give you more HP, but I can't think of it if there is.

[Jon talks a lot]

So, because of the constitution rule, a barbarian Human of the Stensia province with the tough feat and an epic boon of fortitude who roles perfectly on hit dice can get 500 hit points.

[MaxWilson]

Increasing your CON retroactively gives you more HP for your previous level ups

Out of curiosity, is this rule explicitly stated anywhere, or are we just assuming this because that's the way it's always been? I went looking for such a rule about retroactive HP increases once but didn't find it in the PHB anywhere.


So, because of the constitution rule, a barbarian Human of the Stensia province with the tough feat and an epic boon of fortitude who roles perfectly on hit dice can get 500 hit points.

As others have said, if it's a hill dwarf, add +20 HP.

Or you could be a wizard and (theoretically) True Polymorph the Tarrasque (or Cthulhu) into a human and Magic Jar it, and now you've got 676(ish) HP.

Or be a 20th level Moon Druid and have quasi-infinite HP.

[Jon talks a lot]

Out of curiosity, is this rule explicitly stated anywhere, or are we just assuming this because that's the way it's always been? I went looking for such a rule about retroactive HP increases once but didn't find it in the PHB anywhere.

I was just going with what everyone else was saying because I'm too lazy to actually look up the rules. You raise a fair point though. Where the heck is this rule?

Edit: Found it. PHB 177

[Greywander]

Out of curiosity, is this rule explicitly stated anywhere, or are we just assuming this because that's the way it's always been? I went looking for such a rule about retroactive HP increases once but didn't find it in the PHB anywhere.
Page 177 of the PHB.

Edit: I had never heard of the Stensia human before this thread. Apparently they get double the HP bonus of the hill dwarf, so you'd get +40 instead of +20. I still haven't figured out where this race came from. It seems it's a MtG race?

[Jon talks a lot]

Page 177 of the PHB.

Edit: I had never heard of the Stensia human before this thread. Apparently they get double the HP bonus of the hill dwarf, so you'd get +40 instead of +20. I still haven't figured out where this race came from. It seems it's a MtG race?

It is an MTG race.

Edit: Manuals of bodily health exist, and therefore you could get CON 30 increasing your hitpoints by a lot.

[Yakmala]

Or just be a level 20 Moon Druid and get all your HP back every turn.

[Jon talks a lot]

Or just be a level 20 Moon Druid and get all your HP back every turn.

IMO, that is healing, not hit points. Also entirely not the point of this thread:smallsmile:

[Theodoxus]

How is it healing? You turn into something big, like giant crocodile, get hit for 50 points of damage. Your next turn, bonus action to turn into a giant croc. Plus it's literally all the hit points. Forever. You get hit for 1 hit point, bonus action to get it back. Onion druids are broken druids.

[Greywander]

I've heard people refer to Polymorph as a type of "healing", and I think the same principle applies to Wild Shape. When you use Wild Shape, you gain a bunch of hit points. If you use it again, you regain those hit points. If your HP are low, and you Wild Shape, it's like refilling your HP. If you're already in Wild Shape but your wild shape is low on HP, using Wild Shape again to refresh your HP is pretty literally just healing your Wild Shape form by refilling your HP back to full.

Strictly speaking, it's not like Cure Wounds or something, but it still works as an emergency heal by giving someone (for Polymorph, possibly someone else, for Wild Shape, yourself only) a bunch of extra HP.

Anyway, I think what the OP is talking about is finding the highest natural HP maximum you can get in your natural form. Yes, you could Polymorph or Wild Shape or even Magic Jar into something with more HP, but that isn't your natural form. You could increase your max HP with Aid, but that isn't your natural max HP. Temp HP also doesn't count. At least, that's my interpretation of the OP.

[Dork_Forge]

It is an MTG race.

Edit: Manuals of bodily health exist, and therefore you could get CON 30 increasing your hitpoints by a lot.

It should be noted that the legality of Planeshift races is questionable.


Otherwise it looks like all of the humans in that document just have a specific feat chosen for them and the individual bullet points renamed. For this one they didn't even do that, it's literally just called Tough, fun for theory crafting but don't think a DM would let that one slide (I wouldn't).

[Greywander]

It should be noted that the legality of Planeshift races is questionable.


Otherwise it looks like all of the humans in that document just have a specific feat chosen for them and the individual bullet points renamed. For this one they didn't even do that, it's literally just called Tough, fun for theory crafting but don't think a DM would let that one slide (I wouldn't).
Usually features with the same name don't stack, but we do have the case of Lucky the halfling racial trait and Lucky the feat, which do different things. You're probably right that it's RAI that they don't stack, and, in fact, it literally is just a variant human with a specific feat. But we already have one example of a racial trait with the same name as a feat, and they can clearly stack. We also have an example of a racial trait that grants extra HP in the hill dwarf, and that stacks with Tough. Unless it specifically says that it's using the Tough feat, or that you're not allowed to take the Tough feat, RAW I'm having trouble seeing why it wouldn't stack.

In actual practice, I'd expect the DM to read between the lines and understand that it's a variant human with the Tough feat. Sometimes the rules say something dumb and stupid and there's no way anyone would actually run it that way and yet it doesn't change the fact that the rules do indeed say that.

[Dork_Forge]

Usually features with the same name don't stack, but we do have the case of Lucky the halfling racial trait and Lucky the feat, which do different things. You're probably right that it's RAI that they don't stack, and, in fact, it literally is just a variant human with a specific feat. But we already have one example of a racial trait with the same name as a feat, and they can clearly stack. We also have an example of a racial trait that grants extra HP in the hill dwarf, and that stacks with Tough. Unless it specifically says that it's using the Tough feat, or that you're not allowed to take the Tough feat, RAW I'm having trouble seeing why it wouldn't stack.

In actual practice, I'd expect the DM to read between the lines and understand that it's a variant human with the Tough feat. Sometimes the rules say something dumb and stupid and there's no way anyone would actually run it that way and yet it doesn't change the fact that the rules do indeed say that.

RAW it would stack, but this document is clearly ill thought out brand pandering and not really fit for use as a 5e supplement without very careful reading from an aware DM.

[Droppeddead]

Using the weird MTG race I get the maximum to 520 with Berserker's Axe. Con 24 gives 140 extra HP at level 20, Barbarian gives 240 HP if you roll perfectly. The Tough feat is another 40 HP, the Tough racial trait is 40 again. Boon of Fortitude also gives you 40 extra HP and the axe another 20.

[MaxWilson]

I was just going with what everyone else was saying because I'm too lazy to actually look up the rules. You raise a fair point though. Where the heck is this rule?

Edit: Found it. PHB 177


Page 177 of the PHB.

Thank you both! I had wondered.


In actual practice, I'd expect the DM to read between the lines and understand that it's a variant human with the Tough feat. Sometimes the rules say something dumb and stupid and there's no way anyone would actually run it that way and yet it doesn't change the fact that the rules do indeed say that.

My favorite is this one:


Shapechanger: If the vampire isn't in sun light or running water, it can use its action to Polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium cloud of mist, or back into its true form.
While in bat form, the vampire can't speak, its walking speed is 5 feet, and it has a flying speed of 30 feet. Its Statistics, other than its size and speed, are unchanged. Anything it is wearing transforms with it, but nothing it is carrying does. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
While in mist form, the vampire can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate Objects. It is weightless, has a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a Hostile creature's space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, the mist can do so without squeezing, and it can't pass through water. It has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution Saving Throws, and it is immune to all nonmagical damage, except the damage it takes from sunlight.

Clearly the intent is "can't take any actions except Polymorphing back into its true form", but as written, it can't turn back.

[Rukelnikov]

Im amazed no one mentioned the Aid spell yet, if we are getting Berseker Axe and enough tomes to get Con to 30, its not unrealistic to assume we can at the very least get a ring of spell storing with lvl 5 aid in it:

How I see this:

Reasonable = 385 (w/max hp/lvl = 480):

Flat = 25 = 5 (1st lvl) + 20 (5th lvl Aid)
Per lvl = 18 = 7 (Base) + 7 (Con) + 2 (Tough) + 1 (Hill Dwarf) + 1 (Berserker Axe)

25 + 20 * 18 = 385

Unrealistic = 525 (w/max hp/lvl = 620):

Flat = 85 = 5 (1st lvl) + 40 (9th lvl Aid) + 40 (Boon of Fortitude)
Per lvl = 22 = 7 (Base) + 10 (Con) + 2 (Tough) + 2 (that human subrace everyone is mentioning) + 1 (Berserker Axe)

85 + 20 * 22 = 525

EDIT:

If you can Gestalt into a Primeval Guardian Ranger (because at this point, why not?) That's 40 extra max HP when in Tree form 660 max

Aaaaaaand... if we are Gestalting and using non reprinted UAs...

Primeval Guardian Ranger 20/Giant Soul Sorcerer 20

200 HP (Base w max/lvl) + 200 (Con) + 40 (Tough) + 40 (That human subrace) + 40 (BoF) + 40 (Aid) + 20 (Jotun Resilience) + 20 (Berserker Axe) = 600 HP

Activate Rage of Fallen Ostoria twice and Guardian Form for an extra 4 max HP/lvl and get 680 HP! Take that, Tarrasque!!

I can't think of anything that tops this right now. It could maybe be topped if Shapechagnge allowed for specific individuals, turning into Ogremoch for starters (526 HP), and trying to work from there, but I can't figure it out rite now.

[Jon talks a lot]

It should be noted that the legality of Planeshift races is questionable.


Otherwise it looks like all of the humans in that document just have a specific feat chosen for them and the individual bullet points renamed. For this one they didn't even do that, it's literally just called Tough, fun for theory crafting but don't think a DM would let that one slide (I wouldn't).

I'm a dm, and I would absolutely not allow it, but I like to theorycraft.

Also, to those saying just use wildshape: That isn't the point, even if it isn't healing. The point is to get as many hit points as possible on your character sheet, not to basically have infinite hit points.

[WaroftheCrans]

Were there ever rules set out for gestalt characters in 5e? If so yeah, the two dead ua classes thrown together is best.

Even if it isn't, primeval guardian gets the 2 extra hit points per level when I'm guardian form while possessing a d10 hit die, which would be better than a barbarian if we count it despite being temporary.

If we do gestalt, but don't count temporary forms, my vote goes to draconic, as it doesn't have the impetus of being unused UA.

Edit: I could have sworn there was a Ioun stone of max hp but I guess that was just con. Still I feel as though there are more options out there.