Post/Author/DateTime	Post
maul42 03-21-07, 06:54 PM	I had always been under the impression that improved critical just added two on the threat range of the chosen weapon. Re-reading the 3.5 rules the other night, I noticed that it actually doubles the range. Is this new? Is this correct? So a scimitar or rapier has its effective range doubled. Following the example used in the book, a longsword has the threat range doubled from two numbers, 19-20, to four numbers, 17-20. I assume then that the rapier and scimitar double from three numbers 18-20, to six numbers 15-20? This seems like a much higher chance of scoring a critical than I had remembered those weapons being capable of, even with the feat.
jadehawk 03-21-07, 06:59 PM	Yes, the improved critical: chosen weapon feat and the keen magical ability both improve the critical range based on the original critical range (but they don't stack). So the changes are below: Original--->New 20--->19-20 19-20--->17-20 18-20--->15-20 17-20--->13-20...I don't know if there is a weapon out there with this original crit range, but that would be its new one. So yeah, it is an impressive ability on a weapon with an already impressive crit range, but remember multiple abilities that improve the crit range DO NOT stack. I think it used to in 3.0.
starfire311 03-21-07, 07:08 PM	Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, Go KU I had always been under the impression that improved critical just added two on the threat range of the chosen weapon. Re-reading the 3.5 rules the other night, I noticed that it actually doubles the range. Is this new? Is this correct? So a scimitar or rapier has its effective range doubled. Following the example used in the book, a longsword has the threat range doubled from two numbers, 19-20, to four numbers, 17-20. I assume then that the rapier and scimitar double from three numbers 18-20, to six numbers 15-20? This seems like a much higher chance of scoring a critical than I had remembered those weapons being capable of, even with the feat. Um anyway, yeah that is how they work, and it has always been this way, in the current edition keen and improved critical do not stack, in 3.0 they did stack. so that a rapier 18-20 with improved crit and keen gave a threat range of 12-20 in 3.0 If you would like I can explain to you why an abilty is more balanced by doubling the threat range than just increasing it by a flat number like 2.
maul42 03-21-07, 07:23 PM	No, that's fine. Just needed clarification. Thank you. I can see how it could be considered balanced, since the weapons in question are used for faster, directed attack and have a lower base damage. I tend to use massive damage tables to check for limb and organ damage with a confirmed critical though, so I might have to make adjustments for weapons with high threat ranges, else we could have arms and intestines flying across the dungeons with alarming regularity.
Nom 03-21-07, 08:46 PM	It's balanced because the mean effect of criticals is the product of the range and the multiplier (actually, multiplier - 1). Thus, a 19-20/x2 weapon (range 2, multiplier +1) and a 20/x3 weapon (range 1, multiplier +2) both give a net +2 critical effect (which works out to +10% mean damage). Applying Improved Critical results in 17-20/x2 (range 4, multiplier +1) and 19-20/x3 (range 2, multiplier +2) which are both +4 (or +20% mean damage).
maul42 03-21-07, 10:46 PM	limbs man...severed...limbs