Optional rule: The DEATHBLOW!

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Very true... The key to making this work is having the same "crit/fumble effect table" used for PCs and Mobs, otherwise its just unfair

No, actually the point is - it's always "unfair" for the PCs. They get attacked and hit more often than any other "hit-point rated element" in the game.

That is why the critical hit rules basically don't apply as usual in 4E. PCs get all kind of bonuses on critical hits, plus maximized damage. NPCs get only maximized damage. This is a significant difference and it will become more apparant at higher levels.

That doesn't mean you can't or should not do this, of course. Some people are okay with these extra risks or actually want it. I kinda think that NPC critical hits are too weak at higher levels, I wouldn't mind adding an extra 1d10 (paragon) or 2d10 (epic) of damage. But they don't need the +6d12 damage potential player characters have.

My fighter winds up out front, facing the melee attackers, which more often than not attack AC .. so I've got a bunch of "buffs" to AC, whether magical armor, powers from weapons, feats, paragon path buffs, etc. So, it literally gets to a point where a lot of monsters hit me on, say, an 18+. Now, I'm still trying to draw as many attacks as possible, and I'm only getting hit, what, 15% of the time? ... But when I do get hit, 33% of the time its a critical.

It just means you get the same number of critical hits as anyone else. (That 20 that hit you? It would also have hit the Rogue). It changes the expected relative damage values for high AC a little, but it is not a strong effect.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Its also a fun rule. I agree with what you are saying but the current "critical" in 4e is really horrible, getting a crit hit and dealing 6 damage instead of the 4 you would have done just sucks

That applies for less than a full level in many cases, and certainly no more than a few levels at the extreme (by the end of level one, most of the party can have magic weapons). IME, players find it plenty exciting when dealing max damage + xdx critical dice, as well as additional effects (such as the barbarian and sorcerer get). Sneak attack crits are downright absurd. I'd say unimpressive at 1st level, but hardly "really horrible."

 

[Saeviomagy]

I liked the rest of the list, but this part is debatable. Actually, it is true - but needs to be completed with this:

• The PCs become mre vulnerable since, over the span of a session, the number of the atatcks the PCs receive are likely to be much higher that the ones they deal out because monsters tend to be less powerful and more numerous than PCs. Since the chance to deathblow is constant for each attack, PCs suffer.

That's covered in one of my other points: foes with fewer hitpoints lose less from the change, and foes with more attacks are more powerful. It doesn't need to be covered a second time.

I see what your saying, but there is a certain amount of fortune involved here. IRL analogy: A single-shot from a .22 calibre pistol (low damage) can kill a man. A single-shot from a 12gauge shotgun (high damage) can, also.
Either one can also fail to kill someone. If you see what I mean. In other words, the damage of a given attack is actually not important vis-a-vie te intent of the Deathblow option.

Good point. Perhaps a Deathblow can only occur on the first of the 2 strikes?

There are both historical and fantastical examples in abundance of creatures with a likely large amount of hp that were felled by a single shot. Again, see my first quoted response (amount low/high damage).
Again, hp level not important to the "spirit" of the Deathblow concept.

Ah, sorry there's no way you could have known, but NPCs in games I'm involved in tend to be treated like PCs in regards to dying, and aren't nescessarily immediately dead.

Yeah, personally I think that ought to be the default rule, but hey.

Swingy and slightly easier is your opinion. Try to see the Deathblow as a "spice-up", a sort of interesting potential twist that can inject a little crazy, unexpected fun into a battle. You won't see back-to-back 20 rolls very often at all, but when you do you will be like "wow!".

That's pretty much what my definition of swingy is. Again: not a bad thing. I personally think that monster's critical hits should be a lot more impressive than they currently are (Oh no! A minion critted me! How terrible!), and balancing that with making PC critical hits more impressive is one way to go about doing that.

I'd just like to say that I wasn't passing judgement on the rule at all: I was merely listing the effects that it will have, and things that a DM using this rule might have to watch out for. The rule will definately have the effect of making critical hits more exciting on both sides, and the balance changes from doing so are actually going to be quite small: they're just going increase the more that a creature falls into the categories that I listed.

 

[eriktheguy]

The party will be ok as long as they have a healer.
One thing about 4e, going unconscious is ok if the healer goes before you.

 

[Rachel]

I'd just like to say that I wasn't passing judgement on the rule at all: I was merely listing the effects that it will have, and things that a DM using this rule might have to watch out for. The rule will definately have the effect of making critical hits more exciting on both sides, and the balance changes from doing so are actually going to be quite small: they're just going increase the more that a creature falls into the categories that I listed.

And I appreciate your input.

 

[Daern]

Check out the Crit rules in Goodman Games Deathdealer module... brutal.

 

[eriktheguy]

Run any games with this rule yet?

 

[Rachel]

Run any games with this rule yet?

Well I have a 1st level adventure I'm writing and I'm hoping to try it during the playtest for that.