TheLe
First Post
I need some play testing on my Critical Hit Chart. I need to know what works and what does not. I need to know what you like and what you do not. I also need to know if you are commenting as a PC or a GM. I have attached 1d20 and 1d100 (Alpha20 & Alpha100) versions of the chart. I would like to know if which of the two you prefer to use and why. More importantly, I need to know if these charts work in real games. These charts are for midevil fantasy style games.
Anyone mine testing this in your next games?
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1d100 Critical Hit Chart (ALPHA100)
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01-50 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
51-60 -WDCD + Weapon Max Damage
61-70 -WDCD + Knockback (1 free attack)
71-75 -WDCD + Bleeding 1d4 damage per round
76-80 -WDCD + Bleeding 2d4 damage per round
86-90 -WDCD + Blind 1 round
91 -WDCD + Blind 1d4 round
92 -WDCD + Blind (until end of combat)
93 -WDCD + Stunned/Paralyzed 1 round
94 -WDCD + Stunned/Paralyzed 1d4 round
95 -WDCD + enemy Drops Weapon OR Shield
96 -WDCD + enemy weapon OR shield Shatters
97 -WDCD + Instant kill (enemy gets +5 Fortitude Save)
98 -WDCD + Instant kill (enemy gets +2 Fortitude Save)
99 -WDCD + Instant kill (enemy gets Fortitude Save)
100 -Instant Kill (no save)
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1d20 Critical Hit chart (ALPHA20)
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1 -Weapon Max Damage
2 -Weapon Max Damage
3 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
4 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
5 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
6 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
7 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
8 -WDCD + Weapon Max Damage
9 -WDCD + Weapon Max Damage
10 -WDCD + KnockBack (1 free attack)
11 -WDCD + KnockBack (1 free attack)
12 -WDCD + Bleeding, 1d4 damage per round
13 -WDCD + Blind 1 round
14 -WDCD + Blind 1d4 rounds
15 -WDCD + Stunned/Paralyzed 1 round
16 -WDCD + Stunned/Paralyzed 1d4 round
17 -WDCD + enemy Drops Weapon OR shield
18 -WDCD + enemy weapon OR shield shatters
19 -WDCD + Instant kill (enemy gets +5 Fortitude Save)
20 -WDCD + Instant Kill (enemy gets a Fortitude Save)
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Critical Descriptions
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-Knockback. The attack has caused the enemy to be knocked backed a step, leaving it open for one immediate free attack by the same player. Being off guard, the enemy loses positive Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) during this free attack. (option: If knockback was caused by a ranged attack, allow this free attack to be taken only by the closest melee player not currently in combat with another creature)
-Bleeding. Your attack has hit a critical area on the enemy, causing excessive bleeding (externally or internally). This bleeding may be the enemy's blood, magical energy, other components. As such, bleeding causes damage at the end of each round. If the bleeding is external (often caused by slashing weapons), the enemy may spend one round to patch and stop the bleeding. A healing potion/spell/etc of any kind will immediately stop any bleeding.
-Blind. Your attack has hit the eyes/antenna/sight of the enemy and thus everything has full concealment to it. Blind victims have a 50% chance to miss in combat, loses positive Dexterity bonus to AC (if any), and grants a +2 bonus on attack rolls to foes that attack it, just as if all it's foes were invisible. It moves at half speed and suffers a -4 penalty on most Strength and Dexterity-based skills. It cannot make Spot skill checks or perform any other activity (such as reading) that requires vision.
-Stunned/Paralyzed. Your attack was so powerful and well placed that the enemy is momentarily stunned and cannot take any action. It loses it's Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) and can take no actions. Foes gain a +2 bonus to hit stunned characters.
-Weapon/Shield Drop. Your attack has caused the enemy to drop it's weapon or shield. To retrieve it, the enemy must spend 1 round to pick it up off of the ground. Enemies with attached or no weapons/shields are uneffected, and simply take the Weapon Default Critical Damage.
-Weapon/Shield Shatter. Your attack was very powerful and has hit a weak spot of the enemy's weapon or shield, causing it to shatter and become useless. For enemies with attached weapons, this may cause a limb to get severed (for example, a claw to get severed or may shatter). Enemies with no weapons/shields are uneffected, and simply take the Weapon Default Critical Damage.
-Instant Kill. Your attack has hit a vital spot of the enemy, forcing it to take a Fortitude save or die. Whether the save succeeds or not, the enemy still takes the Weapon Default Critical Damage.
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Alternate changes
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-Apply a -1 to chart rolls if the player did not roll a natural "20" for a critical threat. This reduces their chance of getting an instant kill roll (and gives them no chance for a no-save instant kill on the Alpha100 chart). Apply a -2 if you want to really screw em.
-Apply a +5 fortitude save for all instant kill chart listings. This makes instant kills far more difficult, and eliminates the no-save kill altogether.
-Change the dice of the Bleeding damage from d4 to d8 (or any die you want). You may wish to do this for higher level characters.
-For a less powerful chart, change the "WDCD +" to simply "Normal Weapon Damage +"
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Critical Reasoning
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The problem with most critical hit charts is that they either work only with humanoid creatures (ie "55=hit the arm"), or they are just too big and complex.
The Alpha Charts above help solve both problems. The Alpha100 chart has 16 possible "different" outcomes, while the Alpha20 has 13. Nice and simple.
The possible outcomes are also easily used with any type of creature. Blind/Knockback/bleeding/etc are concepts that can be applied to any humanoid or non-humanoid creature (Dragons, Undead, Squids, Harry Krishnas, etc).
The probability is also stacked towards simple extra damage. The Alpha100 chart allows a 60% chance of only doing extra damage, while the alpha20 chart allows a 45% chance. In any given campaign, combat can easily generate several critical threat/hits, especially with the improved critical feat. This type of chart insures that when a player gets a critical, the chance of doing only extra damage is high.
I wanted something, simple, intuitive, and most importantly: FUN.
(Note, these charts assume you are using the "Critical Threat" method of determining critical hits)
Thanks.
~Le
junk_of_the@hotmail.com
Anyone mine testing this in your next games?
----------------------------------------------------------
1d100 Critical Hit Chart (ALPHA100)
----------------------------------------------------------
01-50 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
51-60 -WDCD + Weapon Max Damage
61-70 -WDCD + Knockback (1 free attack)
71-75 -WDCD + Bleeding 1d4 damage per round
76-80 -WDCD + Bleeding 2d4 damage per round
86-90 -WDCD + Blind 1 round
91 -WDCD + Blind 1d4 round
92 -WDCD + Blind (until end of combat)
93 -WDCD + Stunned/Paralyzed 1 round
94 -WDCD + Stunned/Paralyzed 1d4 round
95 -WDCD + enemy Drops Weapon OR Shield
96 -WDCD + enemy weapon OR shield Shatters
97 -WDCD + Instant kill (enemy gets +5 Fortitude Save)
98 -WDCD + Instant kill (enemy gets +2 Fortitude Save)
99 -WDCD + Instant kill (enemy gets Fortitude Save)
100 -Instant Kill (no save)
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1d20 Critical Hit chart (ALPHA20)
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1 -Weapon Max Damage
2 -Weapon Max Damage
3 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
4 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
5 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
6 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
7 -WDCD (Weapon Default Critical Damage)
8 -WDCD + Weapon Max Damage
9 -WDCD + Weapon Max Damage
10 -WDCD + KnockBack (1 free attack)
11 -WDCD + KnockBack (1 free attack)
12 -WDCD + Bleeding, 1d4 damage per round
13 -WDCD + Blind 1 round
14 -WDCD + Blind 1d4 rounds
15 -WDCD + Stunned/Paralyzed 1 round
16 -WDCD + Stunned/Paralyzed 1d4 round
17 -WDCD + enemy Drops Weapon OR shield
18 -WDCD + enemy weapon OR shield shatters
19 -WDCD + Instant kill (enemy gets +5 Fortitude Save)
20 -WDCD + Instant Kill (enemy gets a Fortitude Save)
----------------------------------------------------------
Critical Descriptions
----------------------------------------------------------
-Knockback. The attack has caused the enemy to be knocked backed a step, leaving it open for one immediate free attack by the same player. Being off guard, the enemy loses positive Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) during this free attack. (option: If knockback was caused by a ranged attack, allow this free attack to be taken only by the closest melee player not currently in combat with another creature)
-Bleeding. Your attack has hit a critical area on the enemy, causing excessive bleeding (externally or internally). This bleeding may be the enemy's blood, magical energy, other components. As such, bleeding causes damage at the end of each round. If the bleeding is external (often caused by slashing weapons), the enemy may spend one round to patch and stop the bleeding. A healing potion/spell/etc of any kind will immediately stop any bleeding.
-Blind. Your attack has hit the eyes/antenna/sight of the enemy and thus everything has full concealment to it. Blind victims have a 50% chance to miss in combat, loses positive Dexterity bonus to AC (if any), and grants a +2 bonus on attack rolls to foes that attack it, just as if all it's foes were invisible. It moves at half speed and suffers a -4 penalty on most Strength and Dexterity-based skills. It cannot make Spot skill checks or perform any other activity (such as reading) that requires vision.
-Stunned/Paralyzed. Your attack was so powerful and well placed that the enemy is momentarily stunned and cannot take any action. It loses it's Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) and can take no actions. Foes gain a +2 bonus to hit stunned characters.
-Weapon/Shield Drop. Your attack has caused the enemy to drop it's weapon or shield. To retrieve it, the enemy must spend 1 round to pick it up off of the ground. Enemies with attached or no weapons/shields are uneffected, and simply take the Weapon Default Critical Damage.
-Weapon/Shield Shatter. Your attack was very powerful and has hit a weak spot of the enemy's weapon or shield, causing it to shatter and become useless. For enemies with attached weapons, this may cause a limb to get severed (for example, a claw to get severed or may shatter). Enemies with no weapons/shields are uneffected, and simply take the Weapon Default Critical Damage.
-Instant Kill. Your attack has hit a vital spot of the enemy, forcing it to take a Fortitude save or die. Whether the save succeeds or not, the enemy still takes the Weapon Default Critical Damage.
----------------------------------------------------------
Alternate changes
----------------------------------------------------------
-Apply a -1 to chart rolls if the player did not roll a natural "20" for a critical threat. This reduces their chance of getting an instant kill roll (and gives them no chance for a no-save instant kill on the Alpha100 chart). Apply a -2 if you want to really screw em.
-Apply a +5 fortitude save for all instant kill chart listings. This makes instant kills far more difficult, and eliminates the no-save kill altogether.
-Change the dice of the Bleeding damage from d4 to d8 (or any die you want). You may wish to do this for higher level characters.
-For a less powerful chart, change the "WDCD +" to simply "Normal Weapon Damage +"
----------------------------------------------------------
Critical Reasoning
----------------------------------------------------------
The problem with most critical hit charts is that they either work only with humanoid creatures (ie "55=hit the arm"), or they are just too big and complex.
The Alpha Charts above help solve both problems. The Alpha100 chart has 16 possible "different" outcomes, while the Alpha20 has 13. Nice and simple.
The possible outcomes are also easily used with any type of creature. Blind/Knockback/bleeding/etc are concepts that can be applied to any humanoid or non-humanoid creature (Dragons, Undead, Squids, Harry Krishnas, etc).
The probability is also stacked towards simple extra damage. The Alpha100 chart allows a 60% chance of only doing extra damage, while the alpha20 chart allows a 45% chance. In any given campaign, combat can easily generate several critical threat/hits, especially with the improved critical feat. This type of chart insures that when a player gets a critical, the chance of doing only extra damage is high.
I wanted something, simple, intuitive, and most importantly: FUN.
(Note, these charts assume you are using the "Critical Threat" method of determining critical hits)
Thanks.
~Le
junk_of_the@hotmail.com
