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

[OB1]

I'm not sure how that is relevant. You can still use your action to do all those other things. The whole point was to make crits more interesting.

My apologies, I misread your post. That is an interesting idea. So you are saying the rule should be, when a PC rolls a Nat20 on a weapon or unarmed strike, they gain inspiration and get to choose to double the weapon damage dice, knock the enemy prone, shove them 5 feet, or cause them to drop what they are holding.

Yeah, I really like that, actually. Very cinematic. On the fence as to whether it's a bit too fiddly for the standard rule set, but would be an awesome optional rule in the DMG.

 

[James Gasik]

My apologies, I misread your post. That is an interesting idea. So you are saying the rule should be, when a PC rolls a Nat20 on a weapon or unarmed strike, they gain inspiration and get to choose to double the weapon damage dice, knock the enemy prone, shove them 5 feet, or cause them to drop what they are holding.

Yeah, I really like that, actually. Very cinematic. On the fence as to whether it's a bit too fiddly for the standard rule set, but would be an awesome optional rule in the DMG.

I'd remove the double damage option. "Dead is the best status effect" would make a lot of players ignore the other options.

 

[Umbran]

No, Umbran - we're discussing D&D games here.

The breadth of player desire and possible game style is still a yawning gulf compared to your authority to assert there is OneTrueWay.

If you want WotC to turn D&D into Fate, you're free to do so, but it's definitely not a case where I'm the outlier.

How about you not engage in the internet standard "restate the opponent's position in a hyperbolic manner" with me? Because I'm not putting up with that nonsense.

 

[Reynard]

I'd remove the double damage option. "Dead is the best status effect" would make a lot of players ignore the other options.

Well, I don't think demanding players play like you want them to play is very helpful. If one player wants to always pick the extra damage, so be it. They are allowed to be boring.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Well, I don't think demanding players play like you want them to play is very helpful. If one player wants to always pick the extra damage, so be it. They are allowed to be boring.

I think the issue is that ALL players would do that, rendering the alternatives meaningless.

 

[Reynard]

I think the issue is that ALL players would do that, rendering the alternatives meaningless.

Only if all your fights were in featureless voids where positioning doesn't matter.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Only if all your fights were in featureless voids where positioning doesn't matter.

Terrain doesn't necessarily affect "dead is the best status condition". Under the vast majority of circumstances, reducing the enemies' hit points faster is a tactical superior move to just about everything.

 

[Reynard]

Terrain doesn't necessarily affect "dead is the best status condition". Under the vast majority of circumstances, reducing the enemies' hit points faster is a tactical superior move to just about everything.

Except when choosing to do something different allows more people to reduce its hit points faster. Because of positioning.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Except when choosing to do something different allows more people to reduce its hit points faster. Because of positioning.

You're counting on a crit to line up that way?

 

[Reynard]

You're counting on a crit to line up that way?

No, but when presented with an opportunity you weigh the options you have. In many case one person dropping another prone or pushing them can set that target up for greater damage than just hitting for an extra d8 or whatever.