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Critical Miss

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Xaielao2
Jun 16, 2008 14:45:53 I don't know about any of you but Critical Miss has been a part of my D&D gaming since 2nd Edition. It adds a bit of a flair to the game and is dreaded at my table for both NPCs/Monsters and my players. I was rather disappointed that there wasn't a rule for it in 4th ed. So I've made a house rule.

Rather simple really. If you roll a Natural 1 on an attack, your grant opponents combat advantage until the start of your next turn. You've fumbled your weapon, or you've lost your balance. Almost tripped over a part of terrain. Something has taken your focus off your opponents temporarily.

In a Skill Check a Natural 1 is Dramatic Failure (little WoD in there,) and the exact effect differs on what skill your using and this to counts for both players and NPCs/Monsters and can get rather nasty. (You don't want to critically fail on a climb check for example.)

So yea, a simple rule that adds a lot of flair and variety and danger to your rolls.
#2
Thought
Jun 16, 2008 15:16:54 You might have noticed that a Critical Failure wasn't present in 3.x either. Indeed, I am not sure if Critical Failures have ever been "core." But a lot of people have included it since it is an natural extension of Critical successes.

Though, if it just grants combat advantage I am not sure your critical misses will be harkening back to the dread your players felt in previous versions. Combat advantage is nice when you have it against others, annoying when they have it against you, but it hasn't struck me as something to fear yet. Not like tossing your weapon on a critical miss, or accidentally hitting an ally instead.
#3
Dark_Stryke
Jun 16, 2008 15:21:59 To clear up what Thought is saying... Critical miss was in the 3.5 DMG, but it was in an optional sidebar, making it not strictly core. There's a section in the 4E DMG about house rules that also includes critical misses as an example rule.
#4
archigracian
Jun 16, 2008 15:25:21 I use a second roll after the one, usually they lose any further attacks to recover, sometimes they lose AC but on the dread double one I break the weapon...
#5
Daybreaker
Jun 16, 2008 16:27:24 My group has a tradition of rolling NURPS whenever someone rolls a 1. The NURPS die is the ugliest 12-sider we can find. Each number, 1-12, then tells us what disaster has befallen the PC and/or the party.

1) Attack the nearest PC (choose randomly if necessary) with whatever attack you were using when you rolled a 1. On a hit, the PC takes 1 point of damage. On a miss, the PC takes full damage. On another 1, the PC takes a critical hit. On a natural 20, you somehow manage to hit whatever you were attacking in the first place -- lucky you! And the PC still takes 1 point of damage.

2) Your Strength vs. nearest PC's Fortitude. On a hit, target PC is knocked prone.

3) Your Dexterity vs. nearest PC's Reflex. On a hit, target PC slides one square in a random direction.

4) Your Constitution vs. nearest PC's Will. On a hit, target PC is dazed for one round.

5) Something bad happens to Ian McClaren (a PC in one of our games -- we just enjoy imagining disaster befalling him somehow, wherever he is, at random intervals in his life).

6) A new enemy arrives on the battlefield, looking to kill you. DM can determine randomly -- alternatively, each character often has a "nemesis" that arrives at these times.

7) You drop whatever you were attacking with.

8) Your character drops prone.

9) Wardrobe malfunction.*

10) Take no actions for one round.

11) Something falls on you. Take 1d6 x your level damage.

12) Attack yourself with whatever attack you were using when you rolled a 1. On a hit, do 1d6 points of damage. On a miss, do normal damage. On a roll of 1, do maximum damage. On a natural 20, you manage to hit whatever you were trying to hit in the first place -- and you take 1 point of damage

*We toyed with the idea that you could make a Charisma check of some sort to automatically roll a 9 -- this is the option often employed by Captain Kirk, Bruce Lee, and countless fictional heroines of all stripes. Never quite figured it out, though.
#6
Calion
Jul 17, 2008 13:15:14 I'm going with something simple: On a natural 1 attack, something happens (your bowstring breaks, you slip and fall, whatever seems appropriate at the time—feel free to have the player come up with the explanation) that causes the player or monster to lose his next move action recovering (standing up, restringing his bow, etc.). He can take no standard actions nor opportunity attacks until this move action is expended.

Thoughts?
#7
Shiftkitty
Jul 17, 2008 15:42:02 My Houserule Critical Miss:
Natural 1 with enemy adjacent, enemy gets to take immediate AoO.
Natural 1, no enemy adjacent, hand cramps, weapon drops, or some other nasty interrupt, spend one standard action or one action point to recover.

Some people don't like the "critical miss", but if I can entertain (bore) you with a story of days gone by, I can show another potential result of a critical miss with something small, like a dagger:

Andrew Hill High School, ca.1980. Two guys get into a fight over a girl. One guy whips out a knife and tries to stab the other guy in the throat with a terrible technique.* He misses wildly and, as he tries to pull his swing back, the blade arm continues it's momentum and plunges right into his own throat.

*Hold your arm out to your side, throat high, palm down. Make a fist as though you're holding a knife. Keeping your arm straight, bring it across your front in a full swing. After you pass your neck, pull your arm back, but only from the upper arm. Allow your elbow to fold and carry through with the swing. That's how Doofus rolled a 1 out by the boys' gym.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Xaielao2 Jun 16, 2008 14:45:53	I don't know about any of you but Critical Miss has been a part of my D&D gaming since 2nd Edition. It adds a bit of a flair to the game and is dreaded at my table for both NPCs/Monsters and my players. I was rather disappointed that there wasn't a rule for it in 4th ed. So I've made a house rule. Rather simple really. If you roll a Natural 1 on an attack, your grant opponents combat advantage until the start of your next turn. You've fumbled your weapon, or you've lost your balance. Almost tripped over a part of terrain. Something has taken your focus off your opponents temporarily. In a Skill Check a Natural 1 is Dramatic Failure (little WoD in there,) and the exact effect differs on what skill your using and this to counts for both players and NPCs/Monsters and can get rather nasty. (You don't want to critically fail on a climb check for example.) So yea, a simple rule that adds a lot of flair and variety and danger to your rolls.
#2 Thought Jun 16, 2008 15:16:54	You might have noticed that a Critical Failure wasn't present in 3.x either. Indeed, I am not sure if Critical Failures have ever been "core." But a lot of people have included it since it is an natural extension of Critical successes. Though, if it just grants combat advantage I am not sure your critical misses will be harkening back to the dread your players felt in previous versions. Combat advantage is nice when you have it against others, annoying when they have it against you, but it hasn't struck me as something to fear yet. Not like tossing your weapon on a critical miss, or accidentally hitting an ally instead.
#3 Dark_Stryke Jun 16, 2008 15:21:59	To clear up what Thought is saying... Critical miss was in the 3.5 DMG, but it was in an optional sidebar, making it not strictly core. There's a section in the 4E DMG about house rules that also includes critical misses as an example rule.
#4 archigracian Jun 16, 2008 15:25:21	I use a second roll after the one, usually they lose any further attacks to recover, sometimes they lose AC but on the dread double one I break the weapon...
#5 Daybreaker Jun 16, 2008 16:27:24	My group has a tradition of rolling NURPS whenever someone rolls a 1. The NURPS die is the ugliest 12-sider we can find. Each number, 1-12, then tells us what disaster has befallen the PC and/or the party. 1) Attack the nearest PC (choose randomly if necessary) with whatever attack you were using when you rolled a 1. On a hit, the PC takes 1 point of damage. On a miss, the PC takes full damage. On another 1, the PC takes a critical hit. On a natural 20, you somehow manage to hit whatever you were attacking in the first place -- lucky you! And the PC still takes 1 point of damage. 2) Your Strength vs. nearest PC's Fortitude. On a hit, target PC is knocked prone. 3) Your Dexterity vs. nearest PC's Reflex. On a hit, target PC slides one square in a random direction. 4) Your Constitution vs. nearest PC's Will. On a hit, target PC is dazed for one round. 5) Something bad happens to Ian McClaren (a PC in one of our games -- we just enjoy imagining disaster befalling him somehow, wherever he is, at random intervals in his life). 6) A new enemy arrives on the battlefield, looking to kill you. DM can determine randomly -- alternatively, each character often has a "nemesis" that arrives at these times. 7) You drop whatever you were attacking with. 8) Your character drops prone. 9) Wardrobe malfunction.* 10) Take no actions for one round. 11) Something falls on you. Take 1d6 x your level damage. 12) Attack yourself with whatever attack you were using when you rolled a 1. On a hit, do 1d6 points of damage. On a miss, do normal damage. On a roll of 1, do maximum damage. On a natural 20, you manage to hit whatever you were trying to hit in the first place -- and you take 1 point of damage *We toyed with the idea that you could make a Charisma check of some sort to automatically roll a 9 -- this is the option often employed by Captain Kirk, Bruce Lee, and countless fictional heroines of all stripes. Never quite figured it out, though.
#6 Calion Jul 17, 2008 13:15:14	I'm going with something simple: On a natural 1 attack, something happens (your bowstring breaks, you slip and fall, whatever seems appropriate at the time—feel free to have the player come up with the explanation) that causes the player or monster to lose his next move action recovering (standing up, restringing his bow, etc.). He can take no standard actions nor opportunity attacks until this move action is expended. Thoughts?
#7 Shiftkitty Jul 17, 2008 15:42:02	My Houserule Critical Miss: Natural 1 with enemy adjacent, enemy gets to take immediate AoO. Natural 1, no enemy adjacent, hand cramps, weapon drops, or some other nasty interrupt, spend one standard action or one action point to recover. Some people don't like the "critical miss", but if I can entertain (bore) you with a story of days gone by, I can show another potential result of a critical miss with something small, like a dagger: Andrew Hill High School, ca.1980. Two guys get into a fight over a girl. One guy whips out a knife and tries to stab the other guy in the throat with a terrible technique.* He misses wildly and, as he tries to pull his swing back, the blade arm continues it's momentum and plunges right into his own throat. *Hold your arm out to your side, throat high, palm down. Make a fist as though you're holding a knife. Keeping your arm straight, bring it across your front in a full swing. After you pass your neck, pull your arm back, but only from the upper arm. Allow your elbow to fold and carry through with the swing. That's how Doofus rolled a 1 out by the boys' gym.