2E: How critical hits breathed life back into Giants

[ironfang]

So for the longest time (being the old fart that I am playing 2e forever) I have always been annoyed with Hill Giants. A giant ball of hit points and experience points, but with low armor class, making them ample targets for fighters. 1d6+6 damage just didnt seem adequate, as level 5 fighters could have 50 hit points and inflict massive damage. An equal match, though unequal in HD/level.

Until critical hits came along.

Now that same giant is a death sentence for a fighter foolish enough to charge head first into one, especially at low level. I remember the first time a level 5 warrior ran straight into a hill giants large weapon, and had his rib cage smashed, sending him to the dirt in the next round... followed by a general retreat by the rest of the group.

Did critical hits make a difference in your game?

 

[Treebore]

Yes, and they still do. Even though I now use a much less deadly crit system. A NAt 20 just gives a free extra attack now. I used to use, and still feel great fondness for, the crit system in Dragon Mag, the one reprinted in the Best of Dragon. Volume 3, I think. They all blend together in my mind, so it could easily be Volume 4 or 5.

I have had thoughts of writing up a nicer chart. One where most hits are kind of minor. Such as "You feel your bone in your forearm bend and see that it bends where it shouldn't, and you swear you hear a cracking noise, then your arm snaps back to its normal shape, but your arm feels on fire with pain. MECHANICAL EFFECT: Your -1 to hit and -2 to damage, minimum of one, for 3 rounds, or until a cure light wounds is cast on you."

Something like that for 90% of the chart. Save the loss of limbs, out right breakage and crippling, for that last 10% of the chart.

 

[Grazzt]

Y I used to use, and still feel great fondness for, the crit system in Dragon Mag

Me too. "Good Hits, Bad Misses"....issue #39 of Dragon I believe. I've used those charts since the mid 80's in every version of D&D/AD&D we've played. Use them in C&C as well.

 

[Drowbane]

I distinctly remember a low level wizard getting charged by a minotaur (random encounter), the wizard won initiative and launched....

a dagger.

We were using Combat & Tactics. The dagger pierced the beast's brain via an eye. "Insta kill x3 dmg" or something like that.

Made that mage oh so damn cocky...

 

[Nebulous]

Back in 2e my brother was playing a dwarf cleric. A hill giant smashed him with a tree trunk so hard it punched the dwarf down into the ground. The hill giant was laughing, so distracted that it failed to notice the still-living dwarf crawl up out of the hole, RUN up the tree trunk and bash him between the eyes with an axe. Maybe killing the giant, i can't recall after all these years.