What order do multiclass characters spend Hit Dice at the end of a short rest?

Question

This is a followup question to "What Hit Dice do multiclass characters spend at the end of a short rest?".

Under the rules for Short Rest (PHB p. 186, or here in the basic rules):

A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, up to the characters maximum number of Hit Dice, which is equal to the character's level. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the characters Constitution modifier to it. The character regains hit points equal to the total.

I have a multiclass character - level 1 Monk (d8 Hit Die), levels 2 - 4 Wizard (d6 Hit Die). At the end of a short rest I can spend up to 1d8 and 3d6 Hit Dice to regain hit points.

Can I spend the dice from my pool in any order? Or do I have to spend them in the order that I got my class levels - so always a d8 first, then the d4's?

Answer 1

Generally, for things like this, if the book doesn't give you a suggested for enforced order, you can do it in any order. There is no rule that you have to use your 1st level HD die first, and your 2nd level hit point die second.

There is no game balancing, or narrative reason to use one hit die over the other, it's all going to depend on what sort of wounds you have at the time.

Answer 2

This is a pool of dice for you to spend at your leisure. You spend them in whatever order you want to. There's no rule to dictate which one you spend when or in what order.

Thus, spend the dice that it makes sense to spend, if you're sitting there with 8 points of damage, roll the d8 (or, well, 2 of the d6s...).

Some folks might feel like this is a bit metagamey, those folks could randomize or create an order in which they always spend them, but that's going to be highly sub optimal. The whole process of spending HD is already slightly metagamish so I wouldn't sweat this one.