D&D 4E Any Good 4E Critical Hit and Fumble Systems?

[TikkchikFenTikktikk]

I just picked up the Paizo Gamemastery Critical Hit and Critical Fumble decks on a whim.

I like the idea of doing this kind of thing with a deck instead of a table. Seems more tangible? Maybe? I don't know what it is but I like it.

Anyway, these products are 3.5-based (predictably) and while they can pretty easily be made to work, I'm wondering if there is something better for 4E already. A deck? An iOS app? A table based on a poker deck?

I really like that the Gamemastery decks have various effects on the cards depending on whether the attack is with a spell or weapon.

For 4E I think it'd be cool to vary the effects based on power source or implement/weapon used, ranged vs melee, etc. Maybe that's too much to ask for.

Since it's 4E, applying or receiving various conditions seems like a must.

So, is there anything like this? If not I might make it a fall project ('cause I need another project. Better not let my wife get wind of this.)

 

[DracoSuave]

I have never understood the appeal of critical fumble rules.

I understand the idea of risk vs. reward, but the idea that players will, x% of the time, absolutely fail in a manner that sets them behind, it never really caught on with me. The punishment for attempting reasonable actions should, at most, be simple failure. Let players be the agents of bad luck for monsters, and monsters be the agents of bad luck for players. Otherwise, it's too much swing, and more 'luck' disfavors the players.

Critical hits, on the other hand, are cool. Something fourth editiony would probably have effects on par with the magical weapon criticals. Instead of having 2X damage or what not, simply have effects like 'Do one die less critical damage, but deal ongoing 5/10/15 damage' or 'Deal damage as tho your weapon was +1 greater enhancement'.

Tie it in to what exists, and you'll have a deeper set of random circumstances.

 

[shamsael]

If you roll a 1 on a melee attack, you grant combat advantage to that attacks target until the beginning of your next turn OR until you hit with a melee attack, whichever happens first.

Mostly this rule winds up benefiting players more than monsters. SInce the combat advantage ends if a successive attack hits, you can opt to spend an option point after a fumble to recover tempo and keep your defenses.

In 3rd edition we played that a if a 1 was rolled for the last attack you make in a round, then the attack provoked an attack of opportunity.

 

[TikkchikFenTikktikk]

Critical fumbles can be hilarious, and usually I only use them with monsters.

They're also nice to pull out when someone is doing somethings real stupid.

Finally, There are groups and settings that demand a higher chance of death.

 

[pemerton]

I have never understood the appeal of critical fumble rules.

I've enjoyed them in Rolemaster - they are part of a total package (open-ended rolls, random critical tables) that satisfies the inner gambler. Legitimate questions can be asked about whether some of the potential consequences are too severe, especially for Rolemaster spell failures - if you can tolerate an entry on a table only because it is statistically highly unlikely ever actually to come into play, that might be an argument for getting rid of that entry all together.

I personally wouldn't want them as a general feature of 4e, but on the Wild Mage in the party I GM they add an amusing extra elements to his attacks. Often they affect the bad guys just as badly as the PCs, but I'm not sure he will ever be forgiven for pushing the party's mage into the demon blood in Thunderspire Labyrinth's Well of Demons!

 

[defendi]

Final Redoubt Press has Critical Matters, a 4e critical hit add on. It's based on the old RM stuff (I got permission from Bruce at ICE to do it and dedicated the book to them). You can find it in the enworld store through RPGNow but I can't seem to find my way there anymore. You can also find it at finalredoubt.com/store, but if anyone knows how to get to the ENWorld storefront, can you post it here? I'd rather purchases go there.

We have a fumble system in the works but we haven't released it yet.

I'm sorry to say it's in table format. I don't think that 1700 cards would be usable during a game session.