A Better Way to Do Critical Hits?

[Olgar Shiverstone]

The problem with multiplier crits in 3E was not only the additional roll (not a bad mechanic, just not as simple as it could be), but the massive additional modifiers. If you're rolling 1d8+4d6+57 damage, X2 on 12-20, crits are massive.

4E's max damage is much simpler, but not really that exciting, as you can still achieve that result rolling.

Personally, I'd suggest my old 1E house role: natural 20 means roll *double dice* for damage. So a longsword attack for 1d8 + 4 does 2d8 +4 on a natural 20 (2(W) in 4E terms). Simple, gives a feeling of getting more that you'd otherwise get, and isn't so much damage that it's game-breaking. About the only down side is if both dice come up 1s, but sometimes life is just like that.

Heck, if you want more damaging weapons, you can let some be additional dice -- 3(W) on a crit for big weapons.

 

[edhel]

In my d20/3.x games I use the best d&d accessory ever created - Paizo's critical hit deck. If you score a critical hit, you draw 1-3 cards, depending on your crit multiplier, and choose one. There's different effects for bludgeoning, slashing, piercing and magic.

The effects can be brutal in games where there is no magical healing available (Conan d20) but it's always fun and exciting to draw from the deck. Most of the times the effect is quite mild, e.g. +2d6 nonlethal damage, bleeding wound or some ability damage - but you can get decapitated! That has never come up though and we've used the deck a lot.

I'd sure like a crit system that was fun, dynamic, simple, and balanced, but I haven't seen one yet.

The funnest, the most elegant non-d20 critical hit mechanic I've seen is the stunt system of Dragon Age RPG. You generate stunt points if you roll doubles on 3d6 and can use the points to buy special moves (disarm, push, reload etc.), extra damage or attacks. The first set of DARPG gives you stunt tables for melee, ranged and magical attacks. The second set has exploration and social stunts too. Too bad it's not portable to D&D unless you use 3d6 instead of d20.

 

[Ahnehnois]

The funnest, the most elegant non-d20 critical hit mechanic I've seen is the stunt system of Dragon Age RPG. You generate stunt points if you roll doubles on 3d6 and can use the points to buy special moves (disarm, push, reload etc.), extra damage or attacks. The first set of DARPG gives you stunt tables for melee, ranged and magical attacks. The second set has exploration and social stunts too. Too bad it's not portable to D&D unless you use 3d6 instead of d20.

I've played a little Dragon Age. It's a decent game.

But I hate tables, decks, and anything else that you need to reference. With DA it wasn't too bad because the rest of it was so rules lite, but I couldn't stand anything like that for D&D. I want it to be immediate and obvious what a crit does without needing to look up anything (simple).

 

[soulcatcher78]

I honestly can't remember where this came from but our house rule has always been critical on a natural 20 and a second roll to determine the multiplier (e.g. 1-15 = x2, 16-18 = x3, 19-20 = x4). Granted it could end a fight sooner than you had planned but there was some satisfaction from that second roll.

 

[edhel]

I've played a little Dragon Age. It's a decent game.

But I hate tables, decks, and anything else that you need to reference. With DA it wasn't too bad because the rest of it was so rules lite, but I couldn't stand anything like that for D&D. I want it to be immediate and obvious what a crit does without needing to look up anything (simple).

You don't have to reference the table since you'll soon remember it. It hasn't got that many options. The critical hit deck is similarly easy - the DM can just pick up the next card from the deck and say its effects. It's way less bother than looking up a spell.

 

[MortalPlague]

Please don't bring back the confirmation roll. It's always a let down when you roll a '20', only to have it not confirm as a critical hit. Sucks the wind right out of your sails.

 

[Ahnehnois]

You don't have to reference the table since you'll soon remember it. It hasn't got that many options. The critical hit deck is similarly easy - the DM can just pick up the next card from the deck and say its effects. It's way less bother than looking up a spell.

The DA crit table is not what I'd use for D&D. It has all the combat maneuver type effects, as well as some crazy powerful benefits. It's very swingy, and gives the player relatively little control; you can't declare you're trying to use the effects, you just hope they happen. It's also very limited. You might be able to remember it, but to have a really good table you'd need to add more elements. So I think it's okay for DA but not at all for D&D.

And I would never, ever use any kind of deck for anything in D&D (except a deck of many things or if we were simulating an actual card game). The game is played with your character sheet, dice, and a writing utensil, and presumably books for reference that hopefully you don't need to reference. Some might use these kinds of decks, but I would vehemently oppose having to pay more, carry more, and put up with the distraction.

For critical hits, I think it's very important that it be immediately obvious to everyone. Spells may need reference, but people playing fighters want that instant gratification without the bookkeeping.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I honestly can't remember where this came from but our house rule has always been critical on a natural 20 and a second roll to determine the multiplier (e.g. 1-15 = x2, 16-18 = x3, 19-20 = x4). Granted it could end a fight sooner than you had planned but there was some satisfaction from that second roll.

Did the monsters use this method too?

Please don't bring back the confirmation roll. It's always a let down when you roll a '20', only to have it not confirm as a critical hit. Sucks the wind right out of your sails.

I think this is an important point. It may be more realistic to have a fighter confirm more often than a wizard, but it isn't more fun to have the wizard roll a natural 20 and not get extra damage. I want the "more fun" rule in my games.