@bjrecioranger companion: “Its hp max is its normal max or…” If the beast has 2d8+2 hp, does “normal max” mean 11, or 18? #dnd5E It means whatever max the DM sets in the given hp range. If the DM uses the average in the stat block, the max is 11.

— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) September 22, 2014