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Post by Jerry Mapes on Jan 18, 2005 13:16:39 GMT -5
(This may server better in the Homebrew setting)
Critical Hits.
Whta are the rules laid out for them? Should they even be used?
After all, a roll of 20 already gets the bonus of hitting more then one AC Bonus.
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Post by northrundicandus on Jan 18, 2005 13:23:46 GMT -5
I never liked critical hits or fumbles in AD&D.
There are soo many ways for one-die-roll-death in AD&D as it is. I agree with Gary's depiction of melee combat being more of a war of attrition, so that a fighter can decide to run away if things are going badly.
And maiming/nasty-injury systems are better suited for games like Stormbringer or Rolemaster.
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Post by foster1941 on Jan 18, 2005 13:39:44 GMT -5
I've always considered the "repeating 20s" on the To Hit matrices as a sufficient 'critical hit' mechanism for AD&D (especially if you don't use the optional rule that all 20s past the 1st need to be "natural" 20s) and that providing anything beyond that is both redundant and most likely (especially in the case of tables and/or 'progressive' rolls) overcomplicated.
When I played with EGG in 1988 he used a "natural 20 = max. damage" rule, and that same rule was also included in the write-up of the Hunter class that same year, but despite it coming straight from the horse's mouth (so to speak) I didn't like it then and still don't like it now.
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Post by Jerry Mapes on Jan 18, 2005 13:56:54 GMT -5
And maiming/nasty-injury systems are better suited for games like Stormbringer or Rolemaster. Arghhhh those Crit hit/crit fumble charts from Dragon... that was fun for about 5 mins. {hombrew alert} we have used the max damage on natural d20 with one caveat. If the needed to hit was 20 or less then max damage. If the needed to hit was 21 or higher, normal damage. {/homebrew alert} Jerry
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Post by northrundicandus on Jan 18, 2005 14:01:29 GMT -5
And systems with nasty crit tables tend to have about a 20th of the number of combats D&D has.
So it kind of evens out.
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Post by dzubak on Jan 19, 2005 13:02:04 GMT -5
I play critical hits as such. A natural 20 does max damage plus the chance to do additional damage. Roll another d20 and determine if you would have hit the target again. If so then add another die of damage, if not then max damage only. Essentially it is just an extra attack. I remember using the Critical Tables from Dragon. Boy were they cruel. I ruled that if the players use them, then the monsters do also. Want to know how bad it got, one of the players in my campaign lost his left eye, arm, and leg while exploring the Horror on the Hill. We also called him righty from then on.
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Post by AxeMental on Apr 29, 2005 11:33:54 GMT -5
Foster: "When I played with EGG in 1988 he used a "natural 20 = max. damage" rule, and that same rule was also included in the write-up of the Hunter class that same year"
WELL Thats cool, never caught that before. Did G do that for monsters as well or just PCs and NPCs
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Post by foster1941 on Apr 29, 2005 11:48:03 GMT -5
WELL Thats cool, never caught that before. Did G do that for monsters as well or just PCs and NPCs It applied to monsters as well as characters, from what I recall -- not that the monsters ever got much of a chance to roll attacks against our ultra-high-level-badass party! ;D
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Post by OccamsRazor on May 22, 2005 20:49:19 GMT -5
Personally, I like critical hits.
Over the years many DM's and players have come up with a wide variety of Critical Hit/Fumble Tables. Some have hundreds of possible outcomes, depending upon die rolls.
Unfortunately, many get carried away with them, and use it as a means to allow more damage. One would think that is exactly the reason for having a Critical Hit/Fumble table in the first place, but in reality it should be used as a tool.
When I use Crit Hit/Fumble tables I use them to enhance the visualization of the battles within the minds of the player. Most of my critical hits result in only a mild amount of HP damage being added, but things like scars, loss of digits or hands, loss of an eye, being thrown to the ground, losing a weapon, or have a chance at a weapon breaking add a bit of sauce to the pheasant.
In order for a critical hit to be made, one must hit the AC by at least 1 more than is required. For example if the AC is 10 and you roll just enough to hit a 10 then you cannot make a critical hit. For every digit over the needed roll you have you have a 1% chance of a critical hit. If the opponent is AC 10 and you roll well enough to hit AC 5, then you have a 5% chance of a critical hit. This method makes it possible to incorporate critical hits without using so often that it makes the game boring without them.
So long as there is a standard table being used in the game, and it is determined by die roll, chance steps in as would often be the case in real life.
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