d8 odds
- •Average roll: 4.5 (add the lowest and highest face and halve it: (1 + 8) / 2)
- •Each face: 1 in 8, or 12.5%
- •Chance of rolling 8: 12.5% per roll, 23.44% to see at least one in two rolls
| Face | Chance of exactly this | Chance of this or higher |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.5% | 100% |
| 2 | 12.5% | 87.5% |
| 3 | 12.5% | 75% |
| 4 | 12.5% | 62.5% |
| 5 | 12.5% | 50% |
| 6 | 12.5% | 37.5% |
| 7 | 12.5% | 25% |
| 8 | 12.5% | 12.5% |
The d8 as a hit die
Six of the twelve SRD classes use a d8 hit die. At 1st level you take the full 8 + your Constitution modifier. After that you either roll the d8 each level or take the fixed value of 5, which is the d8 average of 4.5 rounded up. Taking 5 beats the long-run average of rolling, so many players never roll for hit points.
What uses a d8 in D&D 5e
- •Hit dice: bard, cleric, druid, monk, rogue and warlock.
- •Weapons (SRD): longsword, battleaxe and warhammer (1d10 two-handed), rapier, morningstar, flail, war pick, greatclub, longbow and light crossbow. Quarterstaff, spear and trident deal 1d8 when used two-handed.
- •Healing: Cure Wounds heals 1d8 + modifier in the 2014 rules and 2d8 + modifier in the 2024 rules.
- •Damage spells: Sacred Flame, Ray of Frost and Chill Touch (2014) deal 1d8, scaling to 4d8; Shatter deals 3d8.
- •Divine Smite: 2d8 radiant with a 1st-level slot, +1d8 per slot level above 1st.
Working out a full attack? The damage calculator gives average damage per round with your hit chance.