Are Critical Hits disappointing? And some options

[Mercurius]

In the past I've felt that Critical Hits as written are rather under-powered; in my own gaming history one of the exciting moments of a game is the roll of a natural 20--just applying max damage seems just a tad anticlimactic.

In the campaign I've been running we've used the following house rule:

When a player rolls a Natural 20, maximum damage results as usual, but they can roll a second attack, with the effect depending upon the result:
Miss: No further effect
Hit: Maximum damage plus a second damage roll.
Natural 20: Twice maximum damage and a third d20 roll.

Three Natural 20s in a row results in triple maximum damage, four in quadruple, etc. Any other bonuses stack on top of this but are not multiplied with the maximum damage (e.g. the effects of a vicious weapon).

​

As our campaign has gotten to 5th level and I've read deeper into the rules I'm starting to think that this has too much of a "pick-up-sticks" effect; that is, when you tug on one rule you inadvertently impact numerous others. In this case, it is the numerous special, magical, and generally higher level effects that improve criticals, which this house rule detracts.

So I'm thinking of trashing it, but wondering if I should compensate with a middle ground. What do you do? Do you use the RAW and is it OK? Or do you have your own house crit rule?

A couple options I've thought of:

*Upon a critical hit the player has the option to spend an Action Point and double damage.

*Upon a critical hit the player rolls another d20; if he or she rolls a second natural 20 double max damage is scored; a third d20 roll occurs.

The first seems quite powerful but nicely dramatic, and a pleasant use of an Action Point. The second is a variation on my original rule but with decreased chance of further damage, to the point of almost being "why bother" (a 1 in 400 chance).

Thoughts?

 

[MarkB]

In the past I've felt that Critical Hits as written are rather under-powered; in my own gaming history one of the exciting moments of a game is the roll of a natural 20--just applying max damage seems just a tad anticlimactic.

Just applying max damage is anticlimactic, but that's really only the case through the first couple of levels. Once you get a magic weapon, you're adding extra dice to that, and as you acquire particular weapons, items or class features, you'll gain more interesting effects.

Certainly I've never seen anyone with a Vicious +2 High Crit weapon complaining that critical hits are too boring.

 

[KarinsDad]

Just applying max damage is anticlimactic, but that's really only the case through the first couple of levels. Once you get a magic weapon, you're adding extra dice to that, and as you acquire particular weapons, items or class features, you'll gain more interesting effects.

Certainly I've never seen anyone with a Vicious +2 High Crit weapon complaining that critical hits are too boring.

I agree, but to illustrate it better. Looking at vanilla normal damage vs. crit numbers without other extra damage or special abilities (of which there are a ton) and assuming a magic longsword is acquired at levels 3, 6, 11, 16, 21, and 26:

 1 8.5  12    3.5 more damage or 41% more
 3 9.5  16.5    7 more damage or 74% more
 6 10.5 21   10.5 more damage or 100% more
11 12.5 26.5   14 more damage or 112% more
16 14.5 32   17.5 more damage or 121% more
21 21   42     21 more damage or 100% more
26 22   46.5 24.5 more damage or 111% more

At level one, 3 to 4 more points of damage does not seem like that much. But once one gets to a +2 weapon, it starts becoming close to double damage and then tends to stay around double damage.

Double damage feels real. 3 or 4 more points, not so much, especially when the player can do that much damage, just by rolling an 8 on the original die.

Edit: Forgot the extra weapon damage at levels 21 and 26.

 

[Stalker0]

I'll agree that crits get sexier at higher levels. At 1st I didn't think they were worth anything. My party is now at 16th, and a crit can be devastating to a monster.

 

[Nifft]

I'm with these guys.

Like everyone in the thread so far, it seemed to me that crits sucked at 1st level, but as soon as I got my magic weapon or implement, crits turned super cool again.

You might want to give the PCs a flat +1d6 damage on crit rolls, but tell them it explicitly goes away once they have a magic tool of some kind (i.e. by level 5 at the latest).

Cheers, -- N

 

[Kzach]

The more I tinker with 4e, the more I feel it should be left as is, and crits fall into this category. I think they're fine as is and if someone is feeling like they want more from crits, then they can take crit-fishing feats and paragon classes and weapons.

 

[Dice4Hire]

What is really boring are most monster crits, even epic level monsters doing a pathetic 15-20 amount of damage on a crit, whereas the PCs tend to do about 50+

I see no problem with playr crits.

 

[Mad Hamish]

As others have pointed out they get more exciting with levelling. To the point where crit fishing builds seem to be very popular.

Once you start getting max damage on attacks with multiple dice base damage and adding a few more additional dice from the weapon then they get enough of a power boost to make it worthwhile.

My character currently has a +4 BloodIron greatbow.
A crit on a twin strike hit will do
12 (max weapon damage) + 16 (max quarry damage) + 10 - 17 (modifiers to damage based on what feats apply) + 4d10 (and the 4d10 damage is applied again later)

 

[On Puget Sound]

The only change I have made is to minions; my minions do double damage on a crit. I have thought about granting a free standard action for players who score a crit against a minion, as these feel wasted.

 

[Mad Hamish]

I'd be a little cautious about granting a free standard action on a critical on a minion because of area affects and multiple attacks.

So critting a minion in a fireball shouldn't give a wizard another standard action and I'm not sure that critting on a minion when you're attacking it with 1 shot from twin strike or triple shot should either.

Maybe make it grant another standard action if you crit a minion and it is the only thing you are attacking that round?