Discussing 4e Subsystems: Critical Hits

[Stalker0]

Critical Hits
After a long hiatus I thought I would come back with a small but important subsystem to 4th edition, the change in critical hits.

The concept is simple, score a critical hit, do maximum damage. Further as magic weapons get higher crits begin to do greater and greater damage.
I’ll admit this was one of those aspects of 4th edition I didn’t think I was going to like. Crits in 3rd edition are rare and exciting ordeals, and I worried that 4th edition crits would be too mundane.

My fears have been relieved after watching them in play. The thing I’ve realized is that while crits are a lot more commonplace (with 5 players in 4 rounds of combat, you can expect at least 1 crit), there are many different kinds of crits. Critting with an at-will is one thing, criting with a daily that does 5[w] damage is a whole different ballgame. And that’s important, there’s still that once in a while thing of doing massive damage with just the right power.

Further, I still see the look of exhilaration of my co players' faces when they score a crit. The thrill of getting the natural 20 hasn’t gone away.
So ultimately I think this change is a solid one, nothing more really to say.

 

[jensun]

I agree with you, I thoroughly enjoy the critical hit system. When the party wizard crit Ray or Frosted the succubus sorceress he was grappling to death just before her flaming sphere killed off the Paladin and Cleric I had players doing victory laps around the table.

 

[Runestar]

The 4e crit mechanic would not have worked in 3e because back in 3e, your variable weapon damage typically made up only a very small part of your overall damage output (the bulk consisted of static sources such as PA, str mod, weapon enhancement, weapon spec etc). Thus, max damage usually meant just an extra few points of damage.

Max damage is more meaningful in 4e when you realize that damage rolls have more variance to them, since they involve more dice being rolled.

 

[mattdm]

The 4e crit mechanic would not have worked in 3e because back in 3e, your variable weapon damage typically made up only a very small part of your overall damage output (the bulk consisted of static sources such as PA, str mod, weapon enhancement, weapon spec etc). Thus, max damage usually meant just an extra few points of damage.

Max damage is more meaningful in 4e when you realize that damage rolls have more variance to them, since they involve more dice being rolled.

True with weapons. Less true with Polar Ray.

 

[Zsig]

I agree, I think it's better that way, and besides, since spells are also attacks, the ability to achieve criticals with each and every spell is pretty cool...

...except for a couple of them.

A critical hit only maxxes out damage. Some attacks like Sleep (to name one) doesn't do any damage, and thus if you achieve a critical on it it feels like a waste.

 

[doctorhook]

I agree, I think it's better that way, and besides, since spells are also attacks, the ability to achieve criticals with each and every spell is pretty cool...

...except for a couple of them.

A critical hit only maxxes out damage. Some attacks like Sleep (to name one) doesn't do any damage, and thus if you achieve a critical on it it feels like a waste.

True enough, just like it feels like a waste to crit a minion. Still, what can you do? The crit is still an auto-hit, which is cool.

 

[WalterKovacs]

I think one of the coolest things for my players was when they found out that not only can you crit against a zombie ... but that it auto-kills certain ones.

 

[Zsig]

I think there should be a rule to deal with that.

Something like this:

Whenever you achive a critical hit choose one option:

• Max damage.
• Effects that usually lasts one turn, lasts one more turn.
• Effects that allows a save auto-fails the first save.

Some power example:
hit: nd8+x, and the target is dazed (save ends) and grants combat advantage to you until the end of your next turn.

Considering the user had a +2 (weapon/implement) you'd have 3 options:

nd8+x(maxxed out)+2d6, dazes (save ends), grants CA UENT.

nd8+x (non maxxed)+2d6, dazes (save ends, but auto fail the first save), grants CA UENT.

nd8+x (non maxed)+2d6, dazes (save ends), grants CA for yet another turn after the next one.



This would make criticals hits a bit more exciting, as it'd give the player some important and interesting choices to make.


Of course, it'd bring to the game a somewhat more complicated mechanism for criticals, maybe unnecessary.

Anyways, sorry if i'm threadcrapping with house rules here.

EDIT: I know that daze already gives Combat Advantage, but that's beside the point.

 

[ashockney]

Improvements:
no more 3x or 4x or 5x crit damage - this was just broken and didn't work
no more crit ranges - again, broken, particularly in combo with above
everyone can now crit - balance + cool
frequency - most likely at least one on both sides in an average fight


Opportunities to improve:
Crit on an encounter or daily? Woof! Do we really need it to be that big?
Crit on a non-damage effect - simply, elegant roule to balance
Crit for a minion - lame, kick it up a notch with a small bump (double?)