Critical Hits - another thing fixed that wasn't broken

[Jayouzts]

If you have not seen it yet, WOTC has posted an article discussing changes to critical hits.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drdd/20080104

Essentially, a critical hit roll results in maximized damage, not double (or triple) damage. The confirmation roll is gone.

In the past, I have said 4E fixes many things which are not broken. This is a classic example. I understand why they want wizards to not run out of spells and why they want rogues sneak attack to be more useful. But I cannot recall a single instance where anyone in my group, or anyone on any of the 3 or 4 message boards I frequent, has said "Darn, these critical hits are just too random."

 

[withak]

There's a thread on this already.

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=215688

 

[Wormwood]

But I cannot recall a single instance where anyone in my group, or anyone on any of the 3 or 4 message boards I frequent, has said "Darn, these critical hits are just too random."

Just last night, my wife critted twice and missed both confirmation rolls.

Enjoy.

 

[Jayouzts]

Oops!

There's a thread on this already.

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=215688

Doh! My bad. I completely missed it.

Moderators, feel free to kill this one.

 

[BryonD]

Just last night, my wife critted twice and missed both confirmation rolls.

Enjoy.

I guess this will die a closure death shortly.

But she didn't crit twice. She threatened twice. And that is more than a word game. If you threaten on a 20 and have a 75% hit chance then you have a 3.75% chance of critting. Not a 5% chance. It really isn't any different than rolling 2 19s and saying you almost scored two crits.

 

[Wormwood]

But she didn't crit twice. She threatened twice.

Yeah yeah, I get the math and I get the theory.

But at the table, she rolled two natural twenties which ended up meaning bupkis.

It slowed down play and it wasn't fun.

 

[BryonD]

Yeah yeah, I get the math and I get the theory.

But at the table, she rolled two natural twenties which ended up meaning bupkis.

Actually, I bet they were still hits.

And I see not all 20s being crits as good thing. A very good thing.


Edit:
How did it slow down play?
That one confirmation roll?

How was it not fun? Or better question: How was it any less fun than rolling a 19?

 

[Wormwood]

Actually, I bet they were still hits.

And I see not all 20s being crits as good thing. A very good thing.

I'm filing this under "different people have different ideas about what fun is" and moving on.

 

[Wolfspider]

Failure is not an option in D&D 4e.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I'm filing this under "different people have different ideas about what fun is" and moving on.

I hope 4e caters to my fervent desire for my natural 13's to mean something too.