Critical Hits for Undead, Constructs...

[Aeris Winterood]

I am sure this may have been breached many times before.. alas I have not read any posts about it.

What is the reason that undead and constructs and such are not able to be critically hit???

Even undead may be hit with "lucky" or extrmemely accurate blows... What if a construct is hit ina gear section? I just do not know why these creatures are immune to them?

I would hope that the powers that be may be able to answer this. How about in all of your own campaigns???

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Imagine you cut the head off of a zombie ... and it continues to attack. Or a clay golem, made entirely of clay and merely shaped to resemble alsih20 hit in any part of it's anatomy ... it continues to function.

Try not to think of constructs as machines, or undead as humanoid beings. Think of they as oozes in humanoid form: they don't have any "important" body parts.

 

[Grazzt]

I am sure this may have been breached many times before.. alas I have not read any posts about it.

What is the reason that undead and constructs and such are not able to be critically hit???

Even undead may be hit with "lucky" or extrmemely accurate blows... What if a construct is hit ina gear section? I just do not know why these creatures are immune to them?

I would hope that the powers that be may be able to answer this. How about in all of your own campaigns???

Undead and constructs have no vital organs and most (with the exception of the vampire) can function even without a head for example.

As for "gears", constructs dont have gears....they are creatures infused with magic and brought to "life", not simply machines.

 

[Aeris Winterood]

Hmmm.....

There again.... they may be as you say.... but you do "kill" them eventually by normal means.... so... why cannot an attack do a tremendous amount of damage.... instead of just taking the head off a zombie.. you cleave it in half... from shoulder to groin... a crawling zombie made nearly worthless....

a construct which half of his gears or leg work are blown asunder by a mace.... Even with your argument... critical hits still make sense to me...

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Re: Hmmm.....

There again.... they may be as you say.... but you do "kill" them eventually by normal means.... so... why cannot an attack do a tremendous amount of damage.... instead of just taking the head off a zombie.. you cleave it in half... from shoulder to groin... a crawling zombie made nearly worthless....

a construct which half of his gears or leg work are blown asunder by a mace.... Even with your argument... critical hits still make sense to me...

That's what happend when you reduce them to zero HP ... remember there's no core mechanic that specifies the effect of a hit.

By definition a critical hit inflicts additional damage because it hit a vital area, and like Grazzt said, undead and constructs don't have them.

Feel free to house rule it if you like, though.

 

[Desdinova]

It's not a factor of "getting lucky" or hitting with an extremely accurate blow.

On most 'normal' creatures, hitting a certain area is going to cause more harm/damage than in other areas (as any male can tell you ).

With undead, constructs, and other types that are immune to critical blows, no area is any more vital or sensitive than any other. Hit an undead with a good kidney shot.... it won't care because it's kidneys are no more vital to it's existance than it's little toe.

 

[Grazzt]

Re: Hmmm.....

There again.... they may be as you say.... but you do "kill" them eventually by normal means.... so... why cannot an attack do a tremendous amount of damage.... instead of just taking the head off a zombie.. you cleave it in half... from shoulder to groin... a crawling zombie made nearly worthless....

a construct which half of his gears or leg work are blown asunder by a mace.... Even with your argument... critical hits still make sense to me...

Page 277 in the PHB....."critical hit: A hit that strikes a vital area..."

Constructs, undead, oozes, etc. dont have vital areas.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi all!

I think you are all looking at the answer back to front.

A normal attack deals damage within the boundaries of the weapons base damage (+ bonuses). No matter how hard you swing the weapon you can never deal more than maximum damage...

...unless the attack was to strike an especially vulnerable spot (vital organs or similar).

 

[Grazzt]

Hi all!



...unless the attack was to strike an especially vulnerable spot (vital organs or similar).

Hey Krusty..long time no chat. And yeppers, you are correct. And since undead, constructs, etc. have no particularly vulnerable spots (read vital organs or areas), they are immune to critical hits.

 

[Thunderstorm]

What if i flippen blast a flesh golem in the chest with a lighting bolt, dont you think it would do "Massive Damage". Maybe that could be a new house rule above and beyond Critical damage.....
A different type of damageing hit?

But then again I agree with Aeris...