Critical Damage Idea...

[Lord Zardoz]

The Call of Cthulhu setting has critical damage at 10. D&D has it at 50. This is only suitable for the different campaign philosophies. But I have had an idea.

Has anyone considered the possibility of introducing a lower critical damage level in their campaign? Or better yet, how about a feat that forces a critical damage like Fort save Vs Death if an attack does 25 damage on a critical strike? Or any similar sort of rule?

Such a change would grant a particularly strong advantage for higher level fighters and Rogues, and would quite possibly be unbalancing. But I could be wrong. And I am bored.

So what do you think?

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[durath]

IMHO:Nope you are not wrong. Such a feat would be imbalancing.

However, I see nothing wrong with lowering the massive damage level. If you like a more deadly game I'd say go for it.

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

First of all, this should be on the Rules boards, not General.

Second, I think you are talking about the Save for Massive damage.

If you are, then I don't even know a DM that actually plays with them. Using it is trying to mix abstract maybe-it-didn't-even-hit-me HP with real character effects. Something that IMO is bound to fail. Second, instant kill effects are always bad. If you don't think so, then see the look on your player's faces when you tell them to make a DC 50 Fort save or die. (yes I know that the massive damage save is actually very low).

In regards to making a feat to drop the massive damage value to 25, lets crunch some numbers.

At level 16, a Barbarian is very possibly going to have a 36 Str. Since he's going to be wielding a Great Axe (they all do), and it's going to be +3 keen, lets look at his average damage.
6.5 + 19 + 3 = 28.5 damage

Well, that's gonna suck for the PC's that have to face him, since they will eventually fail the save they have to make a few times a round.

At level 16, a rogue is very possibly going to have an 18 Str. Since he's going to have a +3 keen short sword (they all do) lets look at his average damage on a surprise round.
3.5 (ss) + 3.5*8 (sa) + 3 = 34.5

Well, that's also gonna suck for the PC's, since the rogue is just gonna ambush and run away until all of the PC's have failed their save.

***********

Well, what do you think? Would having that feat in there be a little bit unbalanced?

 

[Lord Zardoz]

Yup...

Thats pretty much the reaction that I expected. Like I said, I was bored.

Still, I had the idea in my head since reading the modfied combat rules in CoC d20. I posted it here instead of the rules forum because I just wanted feedback on the idea, not a rules clairification.

Thanks for the feedback though.

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[psionotic]

We use it..

We use the 'death by massive damage' rule in our campaigns. Its come up 3-4 times, but only once has someone failed the save and actually died.

I actually like the rule. Even though D&D combat is abstract, every once in a while there is that perfect headshot that could kill ya outright. It also helps give the players a touch of fear against big-bad type oppononents.