Tough Feat 5e: How It Works and Is It Worth It?

What does the Tough feat do?

Tough does one thing: it makes your hit point maximum bigger. When you take the feat, your maximum goes up by twice your current character level. After that, every new level adds another 2 HP on top of your normal hit die roll and Constitution modifier.

The bonus is retroactive. A level 8 fighter who picks up Tough gains 16 HP on the spot, the same as if they had taken it at level 1. You can check what your new total looks like with the HP calculator.

• Type (2024): Origin feat, so you can take it at level 1 through a background or the human Versatile trait.
• Type (2014): general feat with no prerequisite, taken in place of an Ability Score Improvement (or at level 1 by a variant human).
• Prerequisite: none in either edition.
• Repeatable: no.

How much HP does Tough give at each level?

The table compares Tough with the obvious alternative, raising Constitution by 2. Every point of Constitution modifier adds 1 HP per level, so +2 Constitution (one step of modifier, say from 14 to 16) is worth half as many hit points as Tough.

To put +2 HP per level in context: a d8 hit die averages 5 HP per level after level 1, so a cleric or rogue with a +2 Constitution modifier gains 7 HP a level. Tough pushes that to 9, nearly a 30% increase. On a wizard (d6, 4 average) with +1 Constitution, it goes from 5 to 7 per level, a 40% jump.

Is the Tough feat worth it in 2024?

In the 2024 rules, Tough competes with the other Origin feats at level 1, not with an ability score increase. That changes the math a lot. At level 1 you are giving up Alert, Lucky or Magic Initiate, not a +2 to your main stat, and the early levels are exactly when a character is one bad crit away from going down.

My honest ranking as a DM: Tough is a solid pick, rarely the flashiest. Lucky and Alert change more fights. Tough is the one that quietly keeps you standing in the fights you didn't win the initiative roll for. It shines most on characters who will be hit a lot and don't have another way to avoid damage.

When Tough is a strong choice

• Melee characters with no armor tricks: barbarians soak hits by design, and Tough plus Rage resistance makes that pool last much longer.
• Wizards and sorcerers: a d6 hit die leaves you at 6 to 8 HP at level 1. Tough lifts a level 5 wizard with 14 Constitution from 32 HP to 42.
• Paladins and clerics who heal: more HP means fewer turns spent healing yourself and more spent helping others.
• Long campaigns: the feat scales to level 20 with no further investment.

When to skip it

• Characters that rarely get hit, such as a ranged rogue who hides every turn.
• Casters who rely on concentration: +2 Constitution (or the 2024 Resilient or War Caster feats at level 4) protects concentration, and Tough does not.
• In 2014, when Tough costs an Ability Score Improvement and your main attack stat is still below 20.

Is Tough better than increasing Constitution?

For raw hit points, Tough wins every time: 2 HP per level against 1. But +2 Constitution also gives +1 to Constitution saving throws, which includes every concentration check, and a few class features scale off Constitution. The rule of thumb:

• Martial with Constitution already at 16+: take Tough.
• Caster who concentrates every fight: raise Constitution or take a concentration feat first.
• Odd Constitution score (15, 17): in 2014 a half feat like Resilient (Constitution) may beat both.

How does Tough work with hit dice and healing?

Tough only changes your maximum. It does not add to Hit Dice you spend on a short rest, and it doesn't make healing spells stronger. What it does is give that healing more room: a Cure Wounds on a level 10 character with Tough has 20 more HP worth of space to fill before it caps out. On a long rest you recover to your full, larger maximum. For more on how Hit Dice recover, see Hit Dice in 5e.

One mistake I see often: players forget to add the 2 HP when they level up. Write "+2 (Tough)" next to your hit point maximum on the sheet so it doesn't get lost.

What changed between 2014 and 2024?

The HP formula is identical in both books. What changed is when and how you get it. In 2014 Tough was a general feat that cost an Ability Score Improvement unless your table used the variant human. In 2024 it is an Origin feat: the Farmer background grants it for free at level 1, a human can take it as the extra feat from Versatile, and you can still choose it later in place of an Ability Score Improvement because it has no prerequisite.

Quick build: who should take Tough?

• Farmer barbarian or fighter: Strength and Constitution from the background, Tough for free. One of the sturdiest level 1 characters in the game.
• Human wizard: Skilled from Versatile is popular, but Tough fixes the class's biggest weakness.
• Bladesinger or melee cleric: front-line casters who get hit more than their hit die expects.

Want to see the difference on a fresh character? Roll ability scores with the stat roller, then plug the Constitution modifier and level into the HP calculator with and without Tough.

FAQ

How much HP does Tough give in 5e?

Tough gives 2 extra hit points per character level. If you take it at level 4 you gain 8 HP immediately, and every later level adds 2 more, for 40 extra HP at level 20.

Is Tough better than +2 Constitution?

For hit points alone, yes: Tough gives 2 HP per level while +2 Constitution gives 1. But +2 Constitution also improves Constitution saving throws and concentration checks, so casters who concentrate often get more from the ability increase.

Can you take Tough twice?

No. Tough is not repeatable in either the 2014 or the 2024 rules.

Which background gives Tough in 2024?

The Farmer background grants Tough as its Origin feat. A human can also take it through the Versatile trait, which grants an extra Origin feat of your choice.

Related

• HP Calculator 5e
• Lucky Feat 5e: How Luck Points Work in 2024 and 2014
• Alert Feat 5e: How It Works in 2024 and 2014
• Hit Dice in 5e and How to Calculate HP