Easy one, I promise

[Shadow_js]

This is about the threat range for a critical hit. One of my player has a Keen Rapier (18-20 threat) and adjusted with the Keen ability it is 16-20 threat range. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that the threat range was the difference between the two numbers (ex: 20-18=2) so this would be the difference with the Keen ability of 4 or 6 numbers in the range.

Thanks

 

[Crothian]

it is the number of numbers...so a rapier has a threat on 18, 19, and 20 or three numbers. So making it keen doubles that to six numbers or 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20

 

[Shadow_js]

Thanks, that is what I was afraid of, oh well, there are always creatures that aren't affected by critical hits.

 

[werk]

edit...

SRD: Keen

This ability doubles the threat range of a weapon. Only piercing or slashing weapons can be keen. (If you roll this property randomly for an inappropriate weapon, reroll.) This benefit doesn’t stack with any other effect that expands the threat range of a weapon (such as the keen edge spell or the Improved Critical feat).

 

[werk]

this is what i was looking for...from keen edge, SRD:
This spell makes a weapon magically keen, improving its ability to deal telling blows. This transmutation doubles the threat range of the weapon. A threat range of 20 becomes 19-20, a threat range of 19-20 becomes 17-20, and a threat range of 18-20 becomes 15-20.

 

[domino]

I'd have sworn that keen stacks with improved critical (for a 12-20) threat range on very few weapons.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I'd have sworn that keen stacks with improved critical (for a 12-20) threat range on very few weapons.

It stacks on all of them ... in 3.0. They changed it in 3.5 - and, really, shouldn't have.

 

[Diirk]

In 3.0 it did.

 

[Crothian]

It stacks on all of them ... in 3.0. They changed it in 3.5 - and, really, shouldn't have.

no, they needed to do what they did.

 

[Mouseferatu]

no, they needed to do what they did.

Actually, no.

I don't have the link handy, but Sean K. Reynolds (I think it was him) had an article that actually discussed the mathematics involved. The ability to stack keen and Imp. Crit was not only not unbalancing, it was the only thing that allowed the low-damage/high-range weapons like the rapier to compete with big weapons like the greatsword in terms of average damage over the course of a campaign.