In DnD 5e, hit dice are are dice used for three things:
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Starting hit points
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Hit points per level
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Recovering hit points during a short rest
Starting Hit Points
At character creation, your starting hit points equals your class hit die + your Constitution modifier. You an either roll the die or take the average roll result, rounded up.
Each classes’ hit die is in a table below.
Leveling Up
When you level up, you gain hit points equal to your class hit die + your Constitution modifier. You an either roll the die or take the average roll result, rounded up.
Regaining HP during a Short Rest
During a short rest, you can use one or more of your hit dice to heal yourself, using them one at a time.
Each time you do, you regain hit points equal to the result of the hit die roll + your Constitution modifier.
You have a number of hit dice equal to your character level. So a level 3 Wizard has 3d6 hit dice.
If you multiclass, you have different hit dice for each class. So a 3 Wizard/1 Fighter has 3d6 hit dice from being a Wizard and 1d10 hit die from being a Fighter.
How Do Hit Dice Recover?
Half of your hit die (rounded down) are recovered when you finish a long rest. So if you have 7 total hit dice, you recover 3 after a long rest.
Hit Die by Class
| Class | Hit Dice (Average Roll) |
|---|---|
| Barbarian | d12 (7) |
| Bard | d8 (5) |
| Cleric | d8 (5) |
| Druid | d8 (5) |
| Fighter | d10 (6) |
| Monk | d8 (5) |
| Paladin | d10 (6) |
| Ranger | d10 (6) |
| Rogue | d8 (5) |
| Sorcerer | d6 (4) |
| Warlock | d8 (5) |
| Wizard | d6 (4) |
| Artificer | d8 (5) |
