Post/Author/DateTime	Post
OrcRind 02-22-08, 11:46 AM	I need some clarification on critical hits. My understanding is that successive threats increase the crit mulitiplier by one. For ex. Using a longsword, I roll a 19 for a threat. On the second roll to confirm a crit, I roll another 19. If the third roll hits, I should have a critical hit with a x3 mulitiplier, correct?
narack 02-22-08, 12:30 PM	no. Longsword 19-20/X2 To have a critical you have to fill the 2 crieria which are : hitting the enemy and The dice must show a number in the treat range (which is 19 and 20 for the long sword). So for the longsword, any 19 or 20 showing on the dice when you attack adding your normal bonus as usual can be critical if the attack can touch the creature obviously. If you got 19 on the Dice AND your attack can hit the creature you have a possibility to have a critical. What you need to do now is simple, just reroll the attack using same bonus you had, and if it also hit the target the critical hit is confirmed, else the hit was normal and you roll damage normally. If the critical succeeded, the way to calculate is is easy. There is 2 way to do it, it depend on the Dungeon Master. You must now check the multiplier of the weapon. Longsword is X2 so depending how your DM choosed you may require to roll one the damage and double the total or roll twice the damage. Sometime the DM let you choose the way you prefer but you must call the way your going to use before rolling cause player could cheat and say i double instead if they have a high result. For critical rules, only normal damage are multiplied, for that see the rule in the DM guide about what can be multiplied on critical hit and what cannot.
OrcRind 02-22-08, 12:53 PM	Thanks for replying. My question however is regarding successive threat rolls. My understanding is that as long as I keep rolling in the threat range (and of course hit with those rolls) the critical mulitplier notches up by one. For example, If by some strange stroke of luck, I managed to roll five 19's in a row with a successful hit on the sixth roll, the crit multiplier for that hit would be x6.
TifRhal 02-22-08, 01:00 PM	Thanks for replying. My question however is regarding successive threat rolls. My understanding is that as long as I keep rolling in the threat range (and of course hit with those rolls) the critical mulitplier notches up by one. For example, If by some strange stroke of luck, I managed to roll five 19's in a row with a successful hit on the sixth roll, the crit multiplier for that hit would be x6. no bud you rool to hit if it is in threat range you reroll if you hit there armor class you then do yoru damage and multiply by the number thats it no mroe rolling here long sword 1d8 19-20/x2 and say you have an 18 str +4 mod to damage ok monster has 20 ac you roll a 19 plus say a bab of 2 +4 str mod so your roll is a 25 to hit so thats a possible crit you reroll and get a 15 on the dice add 6 and you get 21 so it si now a crit so you roll your weapons damage and end up with a 6 so add the +4 from yoru str mod so your damage is 10 x2 your damage is now 20 and thats the end of your turn . or if your dm wants roll 2d10 say you get a 5 and a 7 so add to each 5+4 and 7+4 your end total is now 20 damage ,
Someone 02-22-08, 01:06 PM	Nope, that's a houserule you're describing, sort of like the "20/20/20 = instant death". The wording here is an "attack" roll vs. a "confirmation" roll. While both succeed or fail by the same numbers (whether or not your die roll and modifiers is better than their AC), you cannot threaten on a confirmation roll.
Howie23 02-22-08, 01:23 PM	Thanks for replying. My question however is regarding successive threat rolls. My understanding is that as long as I keep rolling in the threat range (and of course hit with those rolls) the critical mulitplier notches up by one. For example, If by some strange stroke of luck, I managed to roll five 19's in a row with a successful hit on the sixth roll, the crit multiplier for that hit would be x6. What you are describing is not the standard way of handling crits. You've said a couple of times, "my understanding is..." Where are you getting that understanding? It may be a variant rule from the core books, a variant rule from another WotC publication, a variant rule from a third party, or a homerule that someone has made up on their own, or you may have misread something. Why do you have that understanding? David
OrcRind 02-22-08, 02:30 PM	Why do I have this understanding? Well, with more and more replies that is now becoming a very good quesiton indeed. By Crom, I swear that I read that in an errata somewhere before but so far I haven't found evidence of that anywhere (hence this post). Perhaps its just a case of one too many "potions of delusion" that has pickled my breadpan. In any case, I appreciate the rationale around "confirmation" roll being different than an "attack" roll. Sounds good enough to me. Besides, do crits really need to be any tougher? Probably not. Scratch that, definitely not! Thanks for the input fellas. Guess I'll have to step up and cram that crow pie down and make nice with my DM now. -Chris
SolenVlos 02-22-08, 04:45 PM	OrcRind, we use the same rule IMC. I'm very positive that this is an alternative rule present in the DMG, so you or your DM might consider it official becouse of that. I think it's a great rule.
Chaosepoch 02-22-08, 05:36 PM	Sounds like it unbalances the item crits terribly. I personally dislike massive criticals. I've seen a couple of commoners with pitchforks crit and knock down a 3rd level warrior...
MC_Templar 02-22-08, 05:54 PM	Sounds like it unbalances the item crits terribly. I personally dislike massive criticals. I've seen a couple of commoners with pitchforks crit and knock down a 3rd level warrior... Even though I agree with you that this over-balanced crits and shouldn't be used. I figure a pitchfork in the hands of an average person, should be lethal if used effectively, and the user gets lucky. 3 prongs in your chest cavity should drop anyone (3rd lvl warrior included) so, i guess i disagree with your anecdote, but agree with your viewpoint and logic.
Chaosepoch 02-23-08, 08:09 AM	Even though I agree with you that this over-balanced crits and shouldn't be used. I figure a pitchfork in the hands of an average person, should be lethal if used effectively, and the user gets lucky. 3 prongs in your chest cavity should drop anyone (3rd lvl warrior included) so, i guess i disagree with your anecdote, but agree with your viewpoint and logic. True but we do stray in-game from intense realism. The players of great heroes want to die to big dragons, mighty wizards and evil warlords. Killing them with a commoner critical just makes them feel kind of cheated.
rjsilverthorn 02-23-08, 10:47 AM	OrcRind, we use the same rule IMC. I'm very positive that this is an alternative rule present in the DMG, so you or your DM might consider it official becouse of that. I think it's a great rule. The DMG presents the Instant Kill variant for criticals, but I do not see this variant in there anywhere.