Simone Lawson
Constitution is one of the most important ability scores in Dungeons & Dragons, representing a character's health and vitality. When levelling up Constitution, you increase your hit point maximum, gain HP each level, and improve your HP recovery. Additionally, Constitution saves are common and vital for a character's success, helping with poison, spells, and malnutrition. It also contributes to some class and species abilities. For example, a Barbarian with a high Constitution score can resist dying when their HP drops to zero. When deciding how to level up Constitution, consider your class and playstyle, as well as the level cap and desired party strength.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Constitution score | Represents a character's health and vitality |
| Hit points (HP) | Increase with a higher Constitution score |
| HP recovery | Increases with a higher Constitution score |
| Saving throws | Used for poison, spell, and malnutrition saves |
| Proficiency bonus | Based on total character level |
| Multiclassing | Allows for levelling up in multiple classes |
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What You'll Learn
Increase your hit points (HP)
Increasing your hit points (HP) in D&D is an important aspect of character development. Here are some ways to do this, particularly when levelling up your Constitution:
Firstly, it's important to understand the relationship between Constitution and HP. Constitution is an ability score that directly affects your character's HP. When your Constitution modifier increases, your HP maximum also increases. This is calculated by adding 1 HP for each level you have attained. For example, if your Constitution modifier increases from +1 to +2 at level 4, you add 3 HP for your first three levels and then roll your HP for the fourth level using the new modifier. This HP gain is retroactive, so it's as if your modifier had always been higher.
When you gain a new level, your class may grant additional features, including the ability to increase your Ability Scores. You can choose to increase two scores by 1 each or increase a single score by 2. This allows you to directly increase your Constitution score, which in turn boosts your HP maximum.
Additionally, when you level up, you roll your Hit Dice, which are determined by your class. For example, a high elf ranger might have 1d10 per level. You roll these Hit Dice and add your Constitution modifier to determine your HP gain for that level.
Some groups may also use alternative methods for determining HP gain. Your Dungeon Master (DM) may have specific rules, such as rolling in front of the group, using average HP, or taking maximum HP. It's important to communicate with your DM and fellow players to understand the specific rules being used in your campaign.
Increasing your Constitution score and maximising your HP through levelling up is a great way to make your character more durable and improve their chances of survival in combat-heavy campaigns.
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Improve your HP recovery
Improving your HP recovery in D&D is crucial for surviving dangerous encounters and sustaining your character in combat. Here are some strategies to enhance your HP recovery:
Firstly, understand the importance of Constitution. Constitution is a fundamental ability in D&D, and it directly impacts your character's HP and HP recovery. Every time your Constitution modifier increases, your hit point maximum also increases. This means that investing in Constitution can significantly enhance your character's resilience and recovery capabilities.
Secondly, utilise short and long rests effectively. Adventurers need adequate rest to recover their HP. Short rests, lasting at least one hour, allow characters to tend to their wounds and regain some HP. At the end of a short rest, a character can spend Hit Dice to recover HP. Long rests, on the other hand, require a minimum of eight hours of sleep or light activity. After a long rest, a character regains all lost hit points and recovers spent Hit Dice.
Additionally, consider taking a Constitution Ability Score Improvement. If you increase your Constitution Ability Score at a certain level, your CON modifier will also increase, resulting in a higher hit point maximum. This increase in HP is retroactive, so you'll gain additional HP for every level you've attained.
Lastly, be mindful of your character's play style and campaign role. Depending on the nature of your campaign and your character's position within the party, the importance of HP recovery may vary. For instance, in a less combat-oriented campaign or a well-organised group, your hit points may be at less risk, influencing the priority you place on HP recovery.
By following these strategies and understanding the mechanics behind HP recovery, you can enhance your character's resilience and improve their chances of surviving the challenges that lie ahead.
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Boost your saving throws
In Dungeons & Dragons 5e, saving throws (or "saves") represent your character's ability to resist harmful effects, from magical spells to environmental hazards and deadly monster abilities.
- Ability Score Improvements: Increasing your ability scores can boost your saving throws. For example, if your Constitution modifier increases by 1, your hit point maximum increases by 1 for each level you have attained. This HP gain is retroactive, so if you increase your Constitution Ability Score at level eight, you'll gain eight HP, one for each level.
- Class Features: Some class features directly reward characters for having a high Constitution. For instance, once a Barbarian gets Relentless Rage at level 11, they can resist dying when their HP drops to zero by rolling a Constitution save with a DC of ten. If they succeed, their HP becomes double their Barbarian class level.
- Spells and Abilities: Certain spells and abilities can boost your saving throws. For example, if a bard gives you "Bardic Inspiration," you can use it to boost a saving throw. If you're a cleric or paladin with the "Bless" spell, you can cast it to get a d4 bonus to saving throws.
- Items: Items that boost your ability scores, such as the Headband of Intellect, can also improve your saving throws.
- Wildshape: Wildshape can boost your STR, DEX, and CON saves.
- Proficiency Bonus: Your proficiency bonus is based on your total character level. When making a saving throw, you can add your proficiency bonus to your roll, modifier, and other bonuses.
Understanding which saves show up most often can help you plan your character's defenses more effectively and boost your saving throws when needed.
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Enhance class and species abilities
When you level up Constitution in D&D, you enhance class and species abilities by increasing your hit points and improving your Constitution modifier.
For example, if your 7th-level fighter has a Constitution score of 17, when he reaches 8th level, he increases his Constitution score from 17 to 18, thus increasing his Constitution modifier from +3 to +4. His hit point maximum then increases by 8.
Additionally, some class features directly reward characters for having a high Constitution. For instance, a Barbarian with the Relentless Rage ability can resist dying when their HP drops to zero by rolling a Constitution save. If they succeed, their HP becomes double their Barbarian class level, showcasing the importance of investing in Constitution for certain classes.
Furthermore, Constitution can aid in saving throws against poison, spells, and malnutrition, all of which are Constitution-based saves. By increasing your Constitution modifier, you improve your chances of succeeding in these saves, making your character more resilient against various challenges they may face during their adventures.
Exclusive feats like Orcish Fury, Infernal Constitution, and Dwarven Fortitude also offer unique advantages based on your character's species. These feats can provide bonuses to your Constitution score, enhancing your overall durability and health, which is beneficial regardless of your class.
Lastly, when you gain a level in a new class, you acquire its features for that level, allowing you to mix abilities from multiple classes through multiclassing. This enables you to create unique character builds that combine abilities from different classes, further enhancing your overall capabilities in the game.
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Increase your Constitution score
Constitution is one of the most important ability scores in Dungeons & Dragons. It represents a character's health and vitality, determining how many times they can be hit and their ability to recover. Increasing your Constitution score will therefore increase your character's resilience and longevity.
When you level up, you can increase your Constitution score, which will increase your hit points (HP). This is done by adding your new Constitution modifier to your previous HP total for each level you have attained. For example, if you are a level 8 character with a Constitution modifier of +1, and you increase your Constitution score to +2, you will gain 8 HP (1 HP for each level).
You can also increase your Constitution score by taking a Constitution Ability Score Improvement. This will also increase your HP retroactively, as though you had the new modifier from the first level. For example, if you increase your Constitution modifier from +1 to +2 at level 8, your hit point maximum will increase by 8.
In addition to increasing your HP, a higher Constitution score will also improve your character's ability to save against poisons, spells, and other effects that interfere with the body's functions. It will also increase the time your character can hold their breath and improve their HP recovery.
The decision to increase your Constitution score will depend on your class and playstyle. If your class has alternative ways to avoid damage, or you have a group of characters that can absorb damage, you may not need to focus on increasing your Constitution. However, as every character wants to avoid death, Constitution is important to some degree for every class.
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Frequently asked questions
Constitution is a representation of a character's health and vitality. It is important for all characters and impacts how many times a character can get hit and their HP recovery.
Constitution is important at every level, but how much you invest in it will depend on your class and playstyle. If your class has other ways to avoid damage, you may not need to worry about Constitution as much.
Constitution saves are common and vital to a character's success. It also increases a character's HP and HP recovery. It contributes to some class and species abilities, such as the Barbarian's Relentless Rage ability.
If your Constitution modifier increases by 1, your hit point maximum increases by 1 for each level. This is retroactive, so if you increase your Constitution score at level 8, you will gain 8 HP.
