Tinkering with combat: criticals

[Quartz]

In this thread I suggested using damage as SFX. I'd like to break out one aspect on which I saw no comments: criticals.

Criticals
All weapons threaten critical on a roll of 20. Criticals are confirmed as before. Magic weapons have a critical range equal to the Plus of the weapon.

Regardless of what you think about damage as SFX, magic weapons are supposed to be really super, and +5 weapons the best of them all (non-Epic), but all that +1 to +5 does is add a bit to your AB, and possibly give you some added flexibility with Power Attack and Combat Expertise. And +5 is basically equal to Str 20. Not actually a lot really. Not enough to keep the fighter-types current at higher levels. I've thought about this some more and would like to adjust the above.

A normal weapon cannot score a critical, unless the Improved Critical feat is taken. Only masterwork and magic weapons can score criticals. Damage is doubled on a confirmed critical. This makes low-level play a little less lethal for PCs. Masterwork weapons threaten a critical on a 20 (which makes masterwork weapons really significant rewards at low levels); magic weapons have a threat range equal to their plus, so a +5 weapon would threaten a critical on 16-20. The Improved Critical feat and Keen weapon properties need tweaking to simply +1 on the critical range.

Adjusting criticals like this makes magic weapons much more awesome, and thus the combat classes much more potent at higher levels.

What do you think?

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Assuming you mean that the special enhancements dont grant this ability, this looks really cool. It provides a good reason to go with a 'boring' +1 enhancement over a flaming enchancement....

I don't know if I would have the bonus affect the abilty to power-attack tho...

 

[Quartz]

Assuming you mean that the special enhancements dont grant this ability, this looks really cool. It provides a good reason to go with a 'boring' +1 enhancement over a flaming enchancement....

Yep. That +1 Flaming Holy Axiomatic Luckblade still only crits on a 20, whereas the +4 Holy Luckblade crits on 17-20.

 

[Nifft]

"Boring" or not, straight enhancement bonuses are mathematically better than most other options, because hitting is important, and because (thanks to two-handed power attack) you can often convert each +1 into +2 damage, for a total of +3 untyped extra damage that is multiplied on a crit -- much, much better than the measly +3.5 energy damage that isn't multiplied!

The only reason you don't see people lining up for their nice +5 weapons any more is the spell greater magic weapon. If you remove that spell from your game, you will see people paying for and using +5 whatevers again.

The straight ("boring") enhancement bonus does NOT need a power-boost!

Cheers, -- N

 

[Quartz]

"Boring" or not, straight enhancement bonuses are mathematically better than most other options

Mea culpa! Mea maxima culpa. I'm suggesting that the expanded crit range be in addition to the plus to damage and to hit, not instead of! I should have made it clear.

Revised text:

A normal weapon cannot score a critical, unless the Improved Critical feat is taken. Only masterwork and magic weapons can score criticals. Damage is doubled on a confirmed critical. This makes low-level play a little less lethal for PCs. Masterwork weapons threaten a critical on a 20 (which makes masterwork weapons really significant rewards at low levels); magic weapons have a threat range equal to their plus, so a +5 weapon would threaten a critical on 16-20.

The Improved Critical feat and Keen weapon properties need tweaking to simply +1 on the critical range. Magic weapons still add their plus to the AB and damage.

So a Longsword +3 does +3 damage, is +3 to hit, and crits on a roll of 18-20 for double damage.