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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ceraus" data-source="post: 4747212" data-attributes="member: 76818">Criticals in 3.5 did double damage (triple if high crit).Criticals in 4E do, on average, almost double damage (between double and triple if high crit).However, in 3.5, it's pure double damage... 4E tends to average things. Criticals come from maxing the dice, yes, but also from a bonus given by almost all magic weapons.Half of the "crit damage boost" comes from maxing the dice, which adds much more damage to high-damage-dice weapons and high-damage powers. (Also, "high crit" weapons add more damage dice.)The other half of 4E's "crit damage boost" comes from magic weapons (and implements). They start with +1d6 on a critical and go up to +6d6. Weapon type and power damage has no effect, giving low-damage powers significant criticals but having less of an effect on high-damage powers. A small number of magic weapon properties add no critical or much more than 1d6.Let's look at a few examples at low and high levels, with low-damage and high-damage weapons and using low-damage and high-damage powers. I'll use generic magic weapons with a normal critical; the last example will use a high crit 1d12 weapon with a high crit magic property.Low-damage weaponAt low levels, with a +1 weapon, an attack that deals1d4+5 damage (7.5 average) will deal9+1d6 damage (12.5 average) on a crit. andA powerful attack that deals3d4+5 damage (12.5 average) will deal17+1d6 damage (20.5 average) on a crit.At high levels, with a +6 weapon, an attack that deals2d4+18 damage (23 average) will deal23+6d6 damage (44 average) on a crit.A powerful attack that deals6d4+18 damage (33 average) will deal42+6d6 damage (63 average) on a crit.High-damage weaponAt low levels, with a +1 weapon, an attack that deals1d12+5 damage (11.5 average) will deal17+1d6 damage (20.5 average) on a crit. andA powerful power that deals3d12+5 damage (24.5 average) will deal41+1d6 damage (44.5 average) on a crit.At high levels, with a +6 weapon, an attack that deals2d12+18 damage (31 average) will deal42+6d6 damage (63 average) on a crit.A powerful power that deals6d12+18 damage (57 average) will deal90+6d6 damage (111 average) on a crit.High-crit 1d8 weapon with a high-crit damage propertyAt low levels, with a +1 weapon, an attack that deals1d8+5 damage (9.5 average) will deal13+1d12+1d8 damage (24 average) on a crit. andA powerful power that deals3d8+5 damage (18.5 average) will deal29+1d12+1d8 damage (40 average) on a crit.At high levels, with a +6 weapon, an attack that deals2d8+18 damage (27 average) will deal34+6d12+3d8 damage (86.5 average) on a crit.A powerful power that deals6d8+18 damage (45 average) will deal66+6d12+3d8 damage (118.5 average) on a crit.I thought those damage values should be highlighted since you're new to the system and haven't seen many criticals in action. Once players get their greedy hand on magic weapons, critical hits go back to their 3.5 effectiveness.No base weapon crits on a 18 or 19, but some class features and feats can allow it. Effective critical ranges are about half what they were, but without the confirmation roll, there's a similar critical rate in both editions.Anyway, I think your house rule would break that delicate balance, especially in the way you suggest its implementation. 4E has many, many effects that take place only on a crit, like healing, moving and extra attacks, not to mention the debiliating effects. Players who want glorious criticals have many ways to get them.</blockquote>

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