Critical Hits: What's Best?

[Steely Dan]

IIRC saves are called defence now, have same base progression (+1/ 2 levels),

Is BAB + 1/2 level?

 

[glass]

Is BAB + 1/2 level?

We're not sure it's called bab any more, but yeah.


glass.

 

[glass]

Yet they seem to be embracing this re-roll mechanic – odd.

What re-roll mechanic?


glass.

 

[Steely Dan]

What re-roll mechanic?

Elven Accuracy
Elf Racial Power

With an instant of focus, you take careful aim at your foe and strike with the legendary accuracy of the elves.

Encounter
Free Action
Personal

Effect: Reroll an attack roll. Use the second roll, even if it's lower.

 

[ZoA2]

And you know how much damage a longsword does in 4e how?

It is a guess. Do you think some other dice is more likely?

 

[Cadfan]

Not really necessary, while result of Milgram’s experiment might be depressing it is not offensive, and I still think psychological phenomena examined in that experiment are still best explanation for unconditional support many give to WotC 4e changes (luckily with not such ugly repercussions).

Is there a psychological term for an irresistible compulsion to horribly mangle Stanley Milgram's theories in online fora?

 

[ZoA2]

Is there a psychological term for an irresistible compulsion to horribly mangle Stanley Milgram's theories in online fora?

So what do you think is the right interpretation?

 

[Nine Hands]

With the sample weapon stating d8 instead of 1d8 or 2d8, it makes me wonder if weapon damage will be in multiple dice, possibly 2 dice at 11th level, 3 dice at 21st level. If so, maximum damage is pretty good because the more dice you roll, the more likely you will roll average.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

I would prefer to have the confirm roll survive, though I have much less concern over the fate of how the damage on a critical hit would be handled. I would be satisfied with Roll to confirm, inflict Max damage + misc.

The reason for this is simple. The way I run my games, I tend to use large numbers of low HD creatures as cannon fodder. PC's get a pretty decent armour class. I do not want to end up in situations where every hit I roll on my players has to be considered a critical hit, just because I have an AC 23 player going up against Orcs with a net +2 to hit.

If a natural 20 is an Auto Crit, but not an auto hit, than I suppose I can live with that, as long as the as yet unknown rules for minion monsters allow for such encounters to work out.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

There is an irony in all of this too. Max damage is mathematically the same average as double damage rolled.

No, mathematically, max damage is 1 point less than 2dX. And it gets worse if there are any static bonuses.

Unless you are using a different definition of "math," "average," and "same."

I'm in the simpler=better camp as well. Crits are just too bloody lethal. I remember numerous 3e threads that talked about dumping crits for exactly this reason.

Then put me in the "Fudge the roll, it's what a good DM should do..." camp. If crits are too bloody lethal on the players, fudge a threat every now and then.

I have a hard time believing there are a lot of DMs out there simultaneously screaming "LET THE DICE FALL WHERE THEY MAY!" and "AHHH! THE DICE ARE TOO DEADLY!"

And, mathematically speaking-- and here I am referring to real math-- removing the confirmation roll is going to make crits even more telling on players than they were before. A bit of consistent logic would be good here. 4e is removing the confirmation roll to make crits happen more often for the players, yes? And who is on the receiving end of more crits?