D&D (2024) DM's no longer getting crits on PC's

[Maxperson]

Like I said I’m gonna try it, but…I disagree that it’s bad design. IMO it’s elegant design. There should be effects that you cannot avoid or escape without help because you aren’t especially strong against them, at very high level. And it really is only a thing at very high level.

But yeah, Orcus should have abilities that a character who has trained their mind and body to resist that sort of attack has a chance of fighting off, but the character who hasn’t just cannot fight off without help.

As you say, it only really happens at high level. It's so rare, that those few times that it comes up it will be unlikely that the 20 is dropped anyway, but the excitement and tension those rolls engender are fantastic.

The DM says you need a 20 to make the save. You're facing a big, bad evil thing from beyond the universe. If you fail, really bad or icky stuff will happen. You slowly reach for your d20 and as you do, everyone at the table leans forward to see what the roll will be. If the 20 lands, cheers will go up from around the table. Moments like that stick in memory. They're tales still told 10 or 20 years later in some groups.

Even Orcus really doesn't have any. The Wand of Orcus has a save DC of 18. His personal spell DC is Cha 23, but when we look at his spells we see chill touch, detect magic, create undead, dispel magic and time stop, none of which have saves. SHOULD Orcus have some over 20 saves? I think so, but apparently WotC didn't.

 

[OB1]

Play tested the new Nat20/CRit rules in the first session of my groups Spelljammer campaign last night (lvl 5 Fighter, Rogue, Palladin, and Ranger). Rules played better than I expected, everyone agreed after the session to keep them for the campaign. Rogue used his inspiration from a nat20 attack to get a sneak attack he wouldn’t have otherwise been able to. Paladin actually uses her bonus action smites instead of hoarding them for divine smite Crits.

Highly recommend playing a session with the rules before deciding on them. I was skeptical at first, totally on board for the change now.

 

[Maxperson]

Concerning Critical Hits:

For example, an Ogre deals 2d8+4, for a potential of 20 points. The PCs fighting an ogre know such damage is possible and the risk involved.

But a critical that is for 4d8+4 and a potential 36, that is the sort of hit that leads to downing a PC unexpectedly. (I suppose ruining the fun for some...)

I don't see how a crit could be unexpected. The players know the rules and know I roll to hit for monsters. It's not likely on any given attack, but it happens so they expect it to be possible.

The simple solution is to just make criticals maximum damage instead of rolling double dice. A lot of people do use this option. The result is barely less than the average of doubling the dice, after all.

In the above example, double dice averages 22 points, while maximum is 20, so just two points shy.

This does not work for me at all. Max damage is possible without a crit, so simply maxing damage is not a critical hit of any kind. A critical hit is superior to a normal hit. That's why we maximize normal damage and then only roll the crit dice. Nothing is worse than rolling a crit and doing worse than you could have on a normal hit.

 

[DND_Reborn]

This does not work for me at all.

Different strokes for different folks...

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

I can not imagine a sane well reasoned adult saying "I just made 10 years worth of if I was a craftsman working... and I tthink I should go risk my life for MORE money" instead of "Okay that was my 1 and done and I am buying a farm, a shop, a bar ext."..

The retired adventurer owning an inn is a trope. Where they fail is when they don't picture the hero as a 19 years-old retiree.

 

[Maxperson]

The retired adventurer owning an inn is a trope. Where they fail is when they don't picture the hero as a 19 years-old retiree.

Yeah. Our campaigns go to high teens to 20+ level(3e for higher than 20), but we always seem to get there in our late teens or early 20's. Experience happens really fast to adventurers.

 

[James Gasik]

There is! It's harder to get optional rules introduced. If the default is crits, then there will be some tables that have crits when some or even a majority of players want there not to be crits. And vice versa.

If your players find monster critical hits "exciting" then they won't mind the houserule.

If they don't, and they do mind the houserule, then maybe it's not a good houserule for your group?

 

[Maxperson]

If your players find monster critical hits "exciting" then they won't mind the houserule.

If they don't, and they do mind the houserule, then maybe it's not a good houserule for your group?

Well, optional rule, not house rule. If they don't at the very least provide crits/no crits(whichever way they ultimately go) for the DM in the options section of the DMG, I'm going to be very disappointed. It's too big a thing to just drop and leave at that.

As for my group, I haven't asked them but I can guarantee you that to a man they will want to keep crits on the DM side of things intact.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Just another example of catering to casuals by dumbing down the game and making it impossible for anybody to die. They should just give everybody participation trophies and Holy Avengers. Kids these days. I blame video games and Twitter. And don't get me started about the government telling me I can't cut the tags off my mattress!

Just kidding. I'm fine with the change. Recharge abilities are way more fun and flavorful, anyway.

you had me for a moment... I was already to hit reply and get angry... lol

 

[beancounter]

I like BOTH recharge and crits, and will use them both.

Cue evil laughter

Three double IPAs today. Please excuse my grammar