D&D 5E Critical hit allows called shot?

[robus]

I'm sure I'm not the first to have this idea but a quick search of the forum didn't lead to any matches, so here goes...

Thinking about called shots lead me to the idea that a critical hit should allow the attacker to say what their hit does.

For example a critical hit on a cyclops might wreck its eye giving it disadvantage on attacks (because it can't see).

Or for a multi-limbed creature it might sever one of its limbs.

Of course monsters with crits against PCs would have a similar opportunity, though I might make it more broken limbs/blinding etc giving some disadvantage on movement or attacks.

Double damage by itself (especially when a combat is just starting out) can seem a bit underwhelming, perhaps this is too much?

 

[Satyrn]

You never know until you try.


I tried Pathfinder's critical hit and miss card decks a few years ago. The experiment lasted maybe half a session, but I've also seen people here rave about them.

 

[Krachek]

With 4 pc with basic 2 attacks per round you will have a critical by round 2 or 3. 24 attacks rolls.
If you add advantage, your chance to crit at round one is good. 16 attacks.

The BBGE will be disable right from the start. He already have hard time to survive.

 

[Hjorimir]

Keep in mind that your PCs will suffer most under these rules. Sure, they might crit a cyclops during an encounter, but the cyclops dies and is nobody cares about that critical injury anymore. On the other hand, your PCs will be carrying those injuries into new battles and that could really impact their ability to perform. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, but it's something to be considered. Also, I think I'd go more along the lines of instead of doing double damage, a player could OPT to try an impose an injury and that would come along with a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + Prof + Attack Stat) to avoid.

 

[pogre]

I'm not sure I like the game effects, but having players describe criticals could be cool. Whenever someone gets a big kill or the last kill of an encounter I say, "Give me the kill shot!" They get to describe the kill and they love it. I recently watched some Critical Role and noticed Matt Mercer does something quite similar. Extending that to some criticals could be fun.

 

[BluejayJunior]

I like the idea of that. If I did it I would keep it for PCs only, not monsters. Other than maybe a few major enemies or long time foes of the party in major encounters.

 

[robus]

With 4 pc with basic 2 attacks per round you will have a critical by round 2 or 3. 24 attacks rolls.
If you add advantage, your chance to crit at round one is good. 16 attacks.

The BBGE will be disable right from the start. He already have hard time to survive.

Crits don't come up that often at my table - so this is more to give them some narrative meat when they do. And, sure, a crit right at the start should give the PCs some advantage

 

[robus]

Keep in mind that your PCs will suffer most under these rules. Sure, they might crit a cyclops during an encounter, but the cyclops dies and is nobody cares about that critical injury anymore. On the other hand, your PCs will be carrying those injuries into new battles and that could really impact their ability to perform. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, but it's something to be considered.

Yeah - though I think some potion of greater healing or greater restoration to get the PC back to fighting fitness...

Also, I think I'd go more along the lines of instead of doing double damage, a player could OPT to try an impose an injury and that would come along with a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + Prof + Attack Stat) to avoid.

Well I don't want to rob the player of a crit, so if the monster made the save (due to super high Con) that would be sad.

 

[robus]

I'm not sure I like the game effects, but having players describe criticals could be cool. Whenever someone gets a big kill or the last kill of an encounter I say, "Give me the kill shot!" They get to describe the kill and they love it. I recently watched some Critical Role and noticed Matt Mercer does something quite similar. Extending that to some criticals could be fun.

Yeah - that's what I was thinking. It would add some narrative flavor along with some reward beyond just extra damage.

 

[robus]

I like the idea of that. If I did it I would keep it for PCs only, not monsters. Other than maybe a few major enemies or long time foes of the party in major encounters.

Yeah - you're probably right to have it be just on the PC side. I wouldn't want to be deciding what nasty injury to inflict