D&D 5E Do you ever roll for monster HPs in 5E?

[Tales and Chronicles]

Yes I do, generally when the creature is first attacked. As for mooks and minions, I use their normal statblocks, but with the minimum hp possible, depending on their HD number and size.

 

[Oofta]

No. I occasionally tweak monsters to fit the scenario but I don't ever roll because I'm lazy and it doesn't add enough value. If I want a boss I'll use a different monster or customize.

 

[cbwjm]

I don't know if I ever rolled hit points for monsters in any edition, I always just used the average number or max hit points for leaders.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I thought I would, when I started running 5E a few years into this edition, but in practice, I just use the average hit points 99% of the time. On occasion I will set the hit points of something higher or lower, but still within the range of possibility for the monster, when I want a tougher or a weaker challenge, but I don't see much reason to roll in my games. I've also found a number of D&D-based games have moved in that direction as well, and haven't missed rolling those dice there, either.

 

[Minigiant]

Why? What does the better AC represent?

The narrative of the runts (who survive) being more agile or craftier.

 

[Shiroiken]

Pre-5E I always rolled. With 5E I got lazy, until I started using the average. Now I use Roll20, so I have a macro that makes it easy.

One note: for elite monsters and leaders I tend to use 3/4 or max HP, since rolling for them makes it anti-climactic if they roll low.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

The narrative of the runts (who survive) being more agile or craftier.

Weird how they forget that once they develop into normal and elite monsters...

 

[Minigiant]

Weird how they forget that once they develop into normal and elite monsters...

The runts stay runts, become spellcasters, or conform.

That's life.

 

[Andvari]

Damage rolls provide randomness anyway. Although I suppose stuff like power word: kill could make random hit points more relevant at higher levels.

 

[ichabod]

I sort of do both. I wrote a python script for running 5E that takes care of initiative tracking. I originally did it because I didn't like Roll20's initiative tracking, but it's so useful that I use it when I play face-to-face as well.

With that system I can do initiative two ways for monsters. Say I add 5 goblins to the initiative. I can them with 5 different initiatives or as a group with the same initiative. The way my system is set up, if I used different initiatives it rolls HP for each one, but if I do a group with the same initiative it uses the average. Now, those are just settings in the system, and I could change them for any particular combat. But I never do.