Hit dice

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"HD" redirects here. For the obsolete player race, see Hill Dwarf

Hit dice (HD) is roughly equivalent to a monster's experience level; it is not the same as hit points.

Useful Info

Each monster has a set HD value. It has an effect on the following:

• Monster accuracy. Melee to-hit equals 18 + HD * 1.5, or 18 + HD * 2.5 with the Fighter flag. Beam to-hit is 12*HD.
• Monster spell power. The more HD, the stronger the spell. The exact effect depends on the spell in question.
• Some attack flavours are modified by HD. For example, the "cold" attack flavour deals more damage with more HD.
• Certain player effects, like Dazzling Flash, Mephitic Cloud, and atropa / datura darts, check HD directly. The way HD is checked depends on the effect itself.

Maximum HP and willpower are also determined by HD, indirectly. Monsters have a predefined HP/will value, independent from their HD (e.g. 2 monsters with the same HD can have different will). However, lowering HD will lower their HP/will, while increasing HD has the opposite effect.

Some examples: hobgoblins and most other D:1 monsters have 1 HD, ogres have 5, ancient liches have 27. Cerebov only has 21, despite its fearsome spells. The highest-HD monsters are orbs of fire, at 30: this is why they deal so much damage with their spells.

Modifying=

The player can temporarily reduce monsters' HD by draining them (weapons of draining, certain other negative energy-based attacks), or by malmutating them (such as from Irradiate).

For Summonings spells, you can increase HD of your summons by increasing spell power.