I don't use specific fumble rules. The players and I collaborate on what happens when anyone, including a creature or NPC, rolls a critical failure, and we are always focused on what would be awesome/interesting in the story. Natural 1s are always a good time - the goal is not to punish but to add a surprising twist to the story. In combat, we tend to deemphasize them, actually, unless they are connected to a skill check or come at a crucial moment - it is skill checks where they really shine.Wow. That would be some super alien thinking among the groups I game with. Aside from us not using combat fumble rules (which really are fun killers for fighters), my players cheer when halfling luck gets triggered.
Plus the cries of dismay when the halfling rolls a 2 (aka, the halfling "one") just get me to trot out the Nelson Munz "HA ha!" response.
There is no rule that says you can't add additional components to a spell.For example, RAW, a warlock cannot use a rod of the pact keeper to cast eldritch blast. They hold the rod in their off hand and the rod adds power to the spell, but the spell cannot be cast through the rod per se, it's just their while the spell is cast freehand.
worse it does more damage to people who make more attacks.One of my players pointed out that fumbles generally only punished the weapon-wielding characters (and usually melee users at that) and encouraged spellcasters to rely more on saving throw spells. Rather than completely drop my fumble rules*, I modified saves so they also had fumble/crits.
I don't use specific fumble rules. The players and I collaborate on what happens when anyone, including a creature or NPC, rolls a critical failure, and we are always focused on what would be awesome/interesting in the story. Natural 1s are always a good time - the goal is not to punish but to add a surprising twist to the story. In combat, we tend to deemphasize them, actually, unless they are connected to a skill check or come at a crucial moment - it is skill checks where they really shine.
Of course we play with natural 1s meaning critical failures! Because we play for fun, and critical failures are fun, even more so than critical successes. We've had whole story arcs come out of critical failures. Plus, including them makes dice rolls way more exciting.
Fumbles on 1s never made sense to me. The wizard that casts spells that require saving throws never gets a fumble. The high level rogue doing ungodly damage rarely gets them. That high level fighter, the penultimate warrior is going to get them practically every encounter when they get to high enough level.
If you like it, fine. But I would never play a fighter in a group that uses them, if I even play with that group at all.
Except if you also houserule that a nat 20 in a save is no damage at all, as my GM does.Fumbles on 1s never made sense to me. The wizard that casts spells that require saving throws never gets a fumble.