Crit charts in D&D?

[AFGNCAAP]

Back in the days of 2E, I used the one published in a 1E issue of Dragon.

However, I don't use charts like that anymore since 3.X was released, because of the varying amounts of damage possible with a crit (i.e., some weapons are x2, some are x3, varying crit ranges, etc.).

I use a random DM-call system with natural 1s. Ususally, it's a Dex check to see if the character falls prone &/or drops their weapon. Sometimes, it's an attack roll to see if they strike an ally instead of an enemy (esp. when making ranged attacks). Never really do anythign liek weapon breaks or the like (unless the situation really seems viable, like using a normal weapon against a golem, etc.).

 

[Sir Elton]

How many of you use them?

Do you like them?

Where do you get them? Or do you homebrew?

I use . . . ARMS LAW, SPELL LAW, the ARCANE COMPANION, FIRE & ICE, the CHANNELING COMPANION, and SPACEMASTER for all of my Crit Charts.

 

[Psion]

I used to use arms law.

It was flavorful and descriptive, but I found it was too nasty and required more page-flipping than I wanted.

 

[GlassJaw]

Very interesting. Did you post in house rules?

New thread is here:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=186217

 

[Amitiel]

Depends on the game really, I've used them sometimes with larger groups just to speed things along, other times I haven't for the same reason. It depends greatly on the player.

I've used several crit charts over the years but these are the ones I've used for 3rd/3.5 edition.

http://supermegamonkey.net/DnD/critchart.doc
This one is quick and simple, I've used it to speed up large party games.

El-remmens's link is very close to ones I used before with more detailed charts.

I used otto's chart for awhile but found it bogs down game with extra math
Otto's crit and fumble

My favorite one is unfortunatly from a deadlink of Community3E. That one had the advantage of not only a location with effects but a chart to roll your crit multiplier on (the weapons static multilier became a bonus to the roll along with weapon and target size modifiers) allowing negative diadvantage all the way up to the aptly named Hackmaster roll (so named because the effect was as ludicrous as the hackmaster game system) that applied a X6 mutiplier stunned the target for 2d6 rounds and required a fort save or die.

 

[dagger]

No one uses Torn Asunder by Bastion Press?

http://www.bastionpress.com/Products/torn.htm

 

[GlassJaw]

No one uses Torn Asunder by Bastion Press?

http://www.bastionpress.com/Products/torn.htm

I've been having trouble finding it. It's not in pdf format either.

 

[Menexenus]

I don't care for crit charts and have never used them. I prefer having the DM use his imagination to come up with a description for a critical hit that fits the situation at hand.

 

[Lanefan]

Instead of using crit. charts, I just use a straight multiplier. Roll a natural 20 to hit, then roll a d10 - on 8, damage is x2, on 9, x3 and on 0 (10) x4. Quick and easy. Painful sometimes, too.

For fumbles, I have a table I've used for ages...roll a natural 1, or have your roll brought to 1 or less by various modifiers, then roll a d6 - on 1, you fumble. Then, roll % to see what you've done to yourself, your friend, your weapon, or whatever else might be in reach...

Lanefan

 

[Kelleris]

I'm starting my own campaign for the first time, and I'm considering using those. My favorite was something like, "worst move seen in ages...50% chance your opponent is out for 1 round from laughing". A friend of mine put ALL of those old crit charts from rolemaster into a program, so all I have to do is plug in the number on whichever crit chart I want (light sabre, essence, slashing, grappling,...whatever) and out comes the result. I'm thinking of maybe using them and giving out Fate Points for players to use to reverse killing blows...dipping into house rules territory now...I can see how deadly that would make combat in D&D 3.5.

This right here is why I tend to dislike critical fumble charts. I don't play D&D so my character can randomly do something staggeringly stupid, especially at high levels. This example actually helps you, but it would irritate me to no end anyway. With most critical fumble charts you get stuff like a 15th-level fighter doing something a total neophyte would consider bone-headed or (and this actually happened to me once) your high-level fighter someone managing to shatter his signature magically-enhanced adamantine weapon on a stone floor. This is not about a desire to not get challenged in the game, it's because I play D&D partly to play a scary, scary guy at mid-high levels. I'd prefer both the PCs and the opponents to stupidly good at what they do, personally, since it gives everyone a chance to do something cool with their characters without reducing the challenge.

As for critical hit charts, I don't use them when I DM for the reason suggested in the second post of this thread - they're much worse for players than for NPCs, over time. I don't have any desire to, inevitably, randomly kill one of the PCs for whatever supposed benefit the charts give the game. The additional randomness makes the game less about playing well and more about rolling 20s.