D&D 5E How to translate and effect of 'Only masterwork weapons can crit' house rule in 5E?

[Quartz]

In 3E to curb low-level lethality I had the house rule that only masterwork weapons could score critical hits. This also made masterwork weapons sought-after in their own right. How would I translate this to 5E and what would its effect be?

 

[GX.Sigma]

You could just houserule that only masterwork weapons can crit. What's the problem?

 

[delericho]

You could just houserule that only masterwork weapons can crit. What's the problem?

Yep, that was my first thought also.

 

[Quartz]

You could just houserule that only masterwork weapons can crit. What's the problem?

Well yes, but the Basic Rules don't have a definition of Masterwork and I also would like to know what effect this would have on the game.

 

[Li Shenron]

If none of the PC has special abilities related to critical hits, I think you will have no problems, just slightly reduced lethality (which isn't a problem).

It may become a problem only when a PC gains abilities that activate on critical hits or increase the chance/effects of critical hits. Then if such PC doesn't have a masterwork weapon, you will probably want to decide together if such ability still works with normal weapons.

 

[delericho]

You would need to define a Masterwork property. You could either stick with +300gp/+1 to attack rolls or (my preference) +100gp/allows crits.

If none of the PC has special abilities related to critical hits, I think you will have no problems, just slightly reduced lethality (which isn't a problem).

I generally agree with this. However, I have a slight concern where things like the Rogue's Sneak Attack are concerned - because this ability does give extra dice on a crit in 5e (unlike 3e), the proposed house rule would affect such characters disproportionately. And, of course, this is both a common class (Rogue) and one of the iconic powers of the class.

 

[Roger]

The main effect is that encounters are now quite a bit easier for the PCs -- they're hardly ever going to face crits, and when they do, they know there's a pretty sweet payday at the end of combat.

If that's what you're trying to accomplish with this house rule, good job.

You're probably also bumming out the spellcasters a bit.



Cheers,
Roger

 

[SigmaOne]

You're probably also bumming out the spellcasters a bit.

This is something that I just noticed last night. We'd been playing that spellcasters don't critical, even when their spells involve attack rolls. But as I read the rules, spells with attack rolls can crit. Was it this way in 3 and 4e too?

 

[delericho]

This is something that I just noticed last night. We'd been playing that spellcasters don't critical, even when their spells involve attack rolls. But as I read the rules, spells with attack rolls can crit. Was it this way in 3 and 4e too?

Yep, I believe so. Certainly it was in 3e.

 

[sidonunspa]

This is something that I just noticed last night. We'd been playing that spellcasters don't critical, even when their spells involve attack rolls. But as I read the rules, spells with attack rolls can crit. Was it this way in 3 and 4e too?

I don't remember if they did...but I like the fact that casters can crit on attack spells.... makes that "20" mean something....

if a bow can crit on a 20 why can't a 20 on a beam of light?