Critical threat range

[Borthos]

Using only WotC printed books, how low can you get the crit range for a weapon with an 18-20 crit range, such as the scimitar or Elven Thinblade?

 

[Dandu]

Anything with base crit of 18-20. (3 steps).
Improved Critical: 15-20. (6 steps).
4th level in Disciple of Dispater: 9-20 (6x2= 12 steps).
8th level in Disciple of Dispater: 3-20 (6x3= 18 steps).

 

[Borthos]

Aww man I would love to do that but this is a good campaign. Anything else?

 

[Gorith]

Lightning Mace Feat (Complete warrior i believe), Aptitude ability on a high crit weapon, Imp crit feat, warblade 7 (battle cunning ,battle ardor, Blood in the water), swashbuckler3 (insightful strike), and factotum (cunning insight). Stack your int and demolish throw in 2w fighting feats to make it even worse and get an aptitude tigerclaw kukri to shore up your attack bonus

just trying to remeber how to improve the crit range even further... word of warning your gm may hate you for doing this depending on how highpowered his game is. also dont do this if the other PCs arnt munchinized major power rifts irritate other players as they can feel redundant

 

[Borthos]

Thanks Gorith, but I don't believe an Aptitude weapon would help me in the critical threat range, but damage, and imho it's not worth paying for the bonus.

Lightning Mace feat only works for the maces and only gives extra attacks, which would be useful if I was using maces, however I'm not.

The Warblade bit would be great for confirming the hits, I'll take that in mind.

The Swashbuckler and Factotum ideas are nice, but not really what I'm looking for. I'm looking more for critical threat range increase, not damage increase or attack bonus, those are helpful.

 

[Sekhmet]

Anything with base crit of 18-20. (3 steps).
Improved Critical: 15-20. (6 steps).
4th level in Disciple of Dispater: 9-20 (6x2= 12 steps).
8th level in Disciple of Dispater: 3-20 (6x3= 18 steps).

I don't see the 3-20 move, Dandu. Usually I agree with your arguments, but I'm pretty sure this rounds out to only 9-20 with an Iron/Steel Scimitar.

It starts at 18-20 (3steps).
You double that for Imp. Crit, 15-20.
You again double the base threat range of the weapon (18-20) to drop it another three points to 12-20.
Another 3 brings it to 9-20.

Isn't it just a base threat modifier and not a total threat modifier?

 

[Jhaelen]

Using only WotC printed books, how low can you get the crit range for a weapon with an 18-20 crit range, such as the scimitar or Elven Thinblade?

3.0 or 3.5? If the latter, 15-20 is the bestyou will get. However, you can get rid of the confirmation roll.

 

[Borthos]

It is 3.5. Why is that the lowest it will get in 3.5?

 

[Dandu]

I don't see the 3-20 move, Dandu. Usually I agree with your arguments, but I'm pretty sure this rounds out to only 9-20 with an Iron/Steel Scimitar.

It starts at 18-20 (3steps).
You double that for Imp. Crit, 15-20.
You again double the base threat range of the weapon (18-20) to drop it another three points to 12-20.
Another 3 brings it to 9-20.

Isn't it just a base threat modifier and not a total threat modifier?

Hm, yes, it does seem that my math was off. I forgot that multipliers in DnD work differently than they do in real life.

You can get it doen to 8-20 with the Streetfighter Barbarian.

Streetfighter Barbarian ACF
Class: Barbarian.
Level: 7th.
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain damage reduction at 7th level, or any of the improvements to damage reduction at higher levels.
Benefit: The barbarian gains the ability to swiftly bring the fight to his foe and to hit him hard.At 7th level, the critical threat range of any charge attack he makes, or any attack he makes against a flat-footed foe, increases by 1. (Thus, a greataxe would threaten a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.) This ability stacks with the Improved Critical feat or the keen weapon enhancement.

 

[Empirate]

Thanks Gorith, but I don't believe an Aptitude weapon would help me in the critical threat range, but damage, and imho it's not worth paying for the bonus.

Lightning Mace feat only works for the maces and only gives extra attacks, which would be useful if I was using maces, however I'm not.

The Warblade bit would be great for confirming the hits, I'll take that in mind.

The Swashbuckler and Factotum ideas are nice, but not really what I'm looking for. I'm looking more for critical threat range increase, not damage increase or attack bonus, those are helpful.

I think you misunderstand how Aptitude weapons work. What they do is the following: whatever weapon-specific feats you may have, you can apply their effects to the Aptitude-enchanted weapon.
Lightning Maces is specific for light maces, so if you have two Kukris with the Aptitude enchantment, you can use them and still get the same effect as if you were using light maces.
With Improved Critical etc., that's a lot of extra attacks, which can be crits again and so on. Blood in the Water helps to get obscene damage output. The only thing I don't like about that build is the fact that it relies on crits. So many things are immune!