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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Xeviat" data-source="post: 6914610" data-attributes="member: 57494">Hello everyone.The title says it all: Should Critical Hits deal x2 damage in 5E D&D?Weak crits only hurt the warriors. Rogue's bonus damage is from sneak attack, which is dice, which is multiplied in a critical hit. Most of a spellcaster's spell attack damage is dice as well, so it's multiplied by a critical hit.I was doing some subclass comparisons, and the Champion's Improved Critical jumped out at me. This is absolutely a terrible ability unless you stack it with bonus damage dice (half-orc, high level barbarian, magic weapons). How much damage does improved critical add?Well, if you were a duelist with +5 str/dex, your average damage at 65% to hit would be 10.625; with Improved Crit, it jumps up to 10.85. That's an increase of 0.225. That's comparable to a +0.35 damage increase. 0.35. That doesn't even equate to +1 to damage until you get 3 attacks. With Greater Critical, it becomes +0.7 damage. With 4 attacks, that's nearly +2 damage. Per round. This is the only ability you get at this level. The Eldritch Knight is getting possibly a sweet free ranged attack (cantrip) and like +5 AC as a reaction 3 times a day (shield). The Battle Master is getting +1d8 damage 4 times per short rest, with cool riders. And you're getting +0.35 damage per attack.Sure, if you're a Great Weapon Fighter with a greatsword, that jumps up to a staggering +0.64 damage.With 3 rests per day (1 long, 2 short), the Battle Master is getting +12d8 (+54) damage over the course of the day, plus riders. You'd have to make more than 84 attacks in a day (54/0.64 = 84.375) before you get that much damage. At 1st through 4th level, that's 84 rounds, minus some opportunity attacks. At 5th through 6th level, that's 42 rounds. At 6-8 fights a day, at maybe 3 rounds per fight, that's 18-24 combat rounds a day. OH, at 7th level, the Battle Master gets another die, so that's another +13.5 damage, or another 11 rounds you need to add to equalize them in damage. And remember, that battle master damage works on demand, and comes with cool riders. Or they can negate misses or grant temp hp or reduce damage. You get +0.64 damage! An ASI is better than that ability.Even with Action surge 3/day, and Superior Critical, the Champion's damage (from those two abilities) doesn't equal the Battle Master's damage (from combat superiority and improved combat superiority, not counting relentless) until level 15, when it starts to fall into that 18-24 rounds per day range. And remember, the Battle Master gets nifty riders along with all that damage.If Crits were double damage, than +1 to your critical hit range would be equivalent to +1 to hit. +1 to hit isn't even worth half a feat; +2 Strength is +1 to hit, +1 damage, +1 athletics, +1 str saves, and +1 carrying capacity and extraneous strength checks. Assuming that class levels should be reasonably balanced against an Ability Score Improvement, I'm crying foul.+1 to critical hit range is not worth a class level. The champion needs more. Weak crits unfairly hurt Fighters and don't hurt Rogues and spell attackers (it hurts warlocks' eldritch blast a bit).What would break if crits were x2 damage? Great Weapon Master and Sharp Shooter damage should probably "outside" and not double on a crit, just to prevent spikes.</blockquote>

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