What crit range do you prefer?

[Mathew_Freeman]

I liked being able to do masses of damage. It's more fun, IMHO, to really splat a goblin for 30 points of damage once in a blue moon than it is to regularly do a critical that hurts someone a bit more than normal.

There's just something fun about picking up 3d10 for your damage roll every now and again...

 

[Guilt Puppy]

I'm of the opinion (and the math here supports it, IMO) that larger crit ranges are generally more worthwhile than larger damage multipliers... They come out even on an average damage basis, sure, but they each have their negative side-effect: Large threat range, won't always hit on a threat (dropping the average damage gained by the crit); large multiplier, and your damage potential often gets wasted on overkill. In my experience the overkill is worse than the lost threats, esp if you're assuming a fighter-type (where a 17 will almost always hit whatever you're fighting)... For non-fighters, you may need to roll high to hit, and probably won't have as high a damage bonus (meaning less chance of overkill), so the higher multipliers might actually give you more mileage.

That said, I still go for higher multipliers in practice, because they're just more fun when they happen.

(BTW, if you're curious about the effects of imp crit and keen:

Falchion v Scythe (base average damage is identical, n):

Falchion 12-20/x2: 11n + 18n = 29n
Scythe 18-20/x2: 17n + 12n = 29n

They don't change the net damage potential of a given weapon.)

 

[Spatula]

As for Favored Critical, I don't have my MotW anymore. But I thought it stacked, unless it's more like Power Critical. If anybody has it, can they clarify. Does Favored Critical stack Improved Critical?

Nope, just checked.

 

[Left-handed Hummingbird]

Hmmm... as far as I can see the math doesn't support either side of the argument. Thus the argument boils down to preference and/or the type of opposition:

- Hard to hit creatures with heaps of hit points? Use the Scythe!
- Easy to hit creatures with few hit points? Use the Falchion!

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I suppose I must be just plain boring but I prefer high average damage on non-critical hits to high crit damage.

d6 (18-10) or d8 (19-20)?
I'll take the d8.

d6x4 or d8 (19-20)?
I'll take the d8.

2d6 (19-20) or d12 x3
I'll take 2d6 (higher average damage, more reliable).

If the average damage is the same, it depends how I'm feeling. Will the cleric of Heironeous use a longsword or a battle axe? It depends on how I want to play him and how many other characters use swords. . . . (That said, I tend to prefer the warhammer among the 1d8 martial weapons).

If the average normal damage of two weapons is the same, crit damage may make the difference. My Living Arcanis character chooses to use a +1 cutlass (1d6+1 (18-20)) instead of his masterwork silvered gladius (1d8 (19-20)).