Critical Hit Charts [Archive] - Wizards Community

Critical Hit Charts [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
knightwriter
11-28-07, 11:57 AM I was just wondering if others use any sort of critical hit charts. I have pulled together some charts from other games and love the realism and the full in your face possibility of having your arm hacked off by a lucky shot from a kobold.

Anyone have something they use for critical hits?
Seeker95
11-28-07, 12:13 PM I avoid them like the plague. Increasing the potential outcomes for critical hits works against the PCs. The DM has hundreds of NPCs that may be affected by such a chart/outcome, but the vast majority are one-offs that are dead by encounter's end. The PCs on the other hand are in the game for the long haul. The effects of critical hit charts are statistically guaranteed to eventually land on each PC.

The closest I would come to a critical hit chart beyond the current approach (2x or 3x or rarely 4x) is something that provides varying flavor descriptions (with no additional mechanics). Having mechanics-based outcomes will eventually result in PC death, permanent maiming, or at the very least, unnecessary distractions.
RabidPirateMan
11-28-07, 01:19 PM I like the critical hit decks myself. My last campaign was all the more enjoyable with them. You can buy them at most hobby stores. They work like this: every critical hit, you draw a card, which has an effect (based on what kind of damage is being dealt- piercing, bludgeoning, magic, etc). The effect takes place. If you have a weapon with a x3 modifier, then you draw two cards, and allow the player to chose which effect takes place. Same for x4 and so on.

Sure, crit charts and decks can work against the PCs. So can regular crits. In this case, they just add excitement. One of my players (combat Cleric of Nerull) got his arm chopped off. He dealt with it, since if the guy actually had done a normal crit, he would have died outright. He wasn't complaining all the times he got a crit.

If you really are worried about the PCs, dont let enemies crit. They kill and hurt just as much.
Orenmir
11-28-07, 02:19 PM Crits charts can be risky when using them against PCs. I don't think you should give any power to PCs that you wouldn't give to monsters. Those charts usually have options like: lose an ear, or a hand, or your head! Make sure your PCs are ok with those possibilities happening to them on a crit.

[Yes, this same logic goes for Vorpal weapons.]
MergedLoki
01-20-08, 04:29 AM Does anyone have any good crit. hit charts/tables they can either post or link me to?

There was one i used WAY back and it was awesome.

but NOW i can't find it anywhere on the net.

Maybe someone uses it (or one similar enough I can use it)
it had a different table for each weapon type (piercing/slashing/bludgeoning)

and you rolled a D100 to figure out exactly what the critical did.

ex: 1-10 - basic crit. 2x dmg.
with like.. 82-85 being - arm cut off at wrist 5x dmg, bleeding
and of course 100 being instant death.

but i can't remember enough variatons to write out one myself (that is satisfying to my memory's standards lol).

so just wondering what people use and if they can help me out at all?

thanks
RobbyPants
01-20-08, 09:52 PM Well, first of all, I'm with Seeker95 on that crit charts tend to be bad for the players.

That being said, if you still have your heart set on it, 2E Combat & Tactics had a pretty good series of charts. I think there were nine all in all (three for piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning, by three for humanoid, animal, and monster). You'd have to do a small amount of work to convert from 2E to 3.5, but if you've ever played 2E, it won't be that hard.

A couple of pointers:

The bad effect could be negated by a save vs Death. Replace this with a Fort save. As for the DC, you could set it at something like 15 to be simple. A more complicated route would probably be 10 + 1/2 the attacker's Hit Dice + the attacker's Str mod. So, for example, a crit by a typical orc warrior (Str 17) would have a DC of 13 (10 + 0 + 3).
The severity of the crit was partially determined based on the size of the weapon compared to the size of the attacker. While these weapon sizes carried into 3.0, they didn't carry into 3.5. The easiest conversion would be take the size of the wielder. If the weapon is light, decrease it one category. If the weapon is two-handed, increase it one category. So, a medium creature with a short sword would crit as a small weapon.

Other than that, it should all carry over fairly easily. Good luck and hopefully your PCs don't get their heads cut off in the first encounter after spending half an hour rolling them up (yes, that did happen to a player of mine once :P).
roninwolf1981
01-23-08, 01:04 PM My DM uses some Critical Hit/Failure Charts that are pretty balenced (all but the like top 30 -40% of rolls on percent die makes you fall over on a Natural 1, same for anything negative on the Critical Hit chart). I'll see him tonight and see if I can get him to let me post them here.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
knightwriter 11-28-07, 11:57 AM	I was just wondering if others use any sort of critical hit charts. I have pulled together some charts from other games and love the realism and the full in your face possibility of having your arm hacked off by a lucky shot from a kobold. Anyone have something they use for critical hits?
Seeker95 11-28-07, 12:13 PM	I avoid them like the plague. Increasing the potential outcomes for critical hits works against the PCs. The DM has hundreds of NPCs that may be affected by such a chart/outcome, but the vast majority are one-offs that are dead by encounter's end. The PCs on the other hand are in the game for the long haul. The effects of critical hit charts are statistically guaranteed to eventually land on each PC. The closest I would come to a critical hit chart beyond the current approach (2x or 3x or rarely 4x) is something that provides varying flavor descriptions (with no additional mechanics). Having mechanics-based outcomes will eventually result in PC death, permanent maiming, or at the very least, unnecessary distractions.
RabidPirateMan 11-28-07, 01:19 PM	I like the critical hit decks myself. My last campaign was all the more enjoyable with them. You can buy them at most hobby stores. They work like this: every critical hit, you draw a card, which has an effect (based on what kind of damage is being dealt- piercing, bludgeoning, magic, etc). The effect takes place. If you have a weapon with a x3 modifier, then you draw two cards, and allow the player to chose which effect takes place. Same for x4 and so on. Sure, crit charts and decks can work against the PCs. So can regular crits. In this case, they just add excitement. One of my players (combat Cleric of Nerull) got his arm chopped off. He dealt with it, since if the guy actually had done a normal crit, he would have died outright. He wasn't complaining all the times he got a crit. If you really are worried about the PCs, dont let enemies crit. They kill and hurt just as much.
Orenmir 11-28-07, 02:19 PM	Crits charts can be risky when using them against PCs. I don't think you should give any power to PCs that you wouldn't give to monsters. Those charts usually have options like: lose an ear, or a hand, or your head! Make sure your PCs are ok with those possibilities happening to them on a crit. [Yes, this same logic goes for Vorpal weapons.]
MergedLoki 01-20-08, 04:29 AM	Does anyone have any good crit. hit charts/tables they can either post or link me to? There was one i used WAY back and it was awesome. but NOW i can't find it anywhere on the net. Maybe someone uses it (or one similar enough I can use it) it had a different table for each weapon type (piercing/slashing/bludgeoning) and you rolled a D100 to figure out exactly what the critical did. ex: 1-10 - basic crit. 2x dmg. with like.. 82-85 being - arm cut off at wrist 5x dmg, bleeding and of course 100 being instant death. but i can't remember enough variatons to write out one myself (that is satisfying to my memory's standards lol). so just wondering what people use and if they can help me out at all? thanks
RobbyPants 01-20-08, 09:52 PM	Well, first of all, I'm with Seeker95 on that crit charts tend to be bad for the players. That being said, if you still have your heart set on it, 2E Combat & Tactics had a pretty good series of charts. I think there were nine all in all (three for piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning, by three for humanoid, animal, and monster). You'd have to do a small amount of work to convert from 2E to 3.5, but if you've ever played 2E, it won't be that hard. A couple of pointers: The bad effect could be negated by a save vs Death. Replace this with a Fort save. As for the DC, you could set it at something like 15 to be simple. A more complicated route would probably be 10 + 1/2 the attacker's Hit Dice + the attacker's Str mod. So, for example, a crit by a typical orc warrior (Str 17) would have a DC of 13 (10 + 0 + 3). The severity of the crit was partially determined based on the size of the weapon compared to the size of the attacker. While these weapon sizes carried into 3.0, they didn't carry into 3.5. The easiest conversion would be take the size of the wielder. If the weapon is light, decrease it one category. If the weapon is two-handed, increase it one category. So, a medium creature with a short sword would crit as a small weapon. Other than that, it should all carry over fairly easily. Good luck and hopefully your PCs don't get their heads cut off in the first encounter after spending half an hour rolling them up (yes, that did happen to a player of mine once :P).
roninwolf1981 01-23-08, 01:04 PM	My DM uses some Critical Hit/Failure Charts that are pretty balenced (all but the like top 30 -40% of rolls on percent die makes you fall over on a Natural 1, same for anything negative on the Critical Hit chart). I'll see him tonight and see if I can get him to let me post them here.