Critical hit feats?

[aboyd]

I finally have a solution. The solution is simple, but I think I don't want to use it. I might just be feeling grumpy because I stayed up all night to work it out. It is elegant, I have to admit. Here it is:

http://www.outshine.com/blog/2008/07/dungeons-and-dragons-critical-hits.php

The gist? You can change your weapon's damage to use the next smaller die and just assume any crit is confirmed without a roll. So a 1d8 longsword that sometimes crits becomes a 1d6 longsword that always crits (if it threatens). The math for this does what we all wanted -- it keeps the weapons in a relative balance of power, and it lowers the damage output so that having all those auto-confirmed crits doesn't kill off everyone. In fact, what surprised me is how close to the original method it is, just without the extra die roll.

For example, assume you typically did 100 points of damage during the course of a battle, plus an extra 25 for critical hits (125 total). With the new system, you'd do about 85 points of damage in a battle, plus about 39 for critical hits (124 total). It's so close I can hardly believe how good it is, and yet with this system there are no rolls to confirm critical hits. If they threaten, they crit, no roll needed.

 

[Kerrick]

Have you thought about feats like Imp Crit, and properties like keen that extend the threat range? What about the Weaponmaster's ability to increase the crit multiplier?

I finally have a solution. The solution is simple, but I think I don't want to use it.

The major problem I can see (which may or may not actually BE a "major" problem) is that this screws with the weapon sizing rules. You could go back to using the 3E sizing rules (you can find the 3E SRD here, but I'm not sure where to find weapons).

 

[Urizen]

Mark Gedak and I wrote a PDF which addresses this issues elegantly.

It's called Critical Feats:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=11939&it=1

These feats allow you to (if you choose) forego additional damage done on a crit in favor of doing some other type of damage, like breaking an arm, or a jaw, or strangling your opponent.

Here's an example:

Strangle Shot [Critical]
Your critical strike catches your opponent about the neck.
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bola), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Benefit: Upon confirmation of a critical hit you may forgo the additional damage in favor of having your bola strangle your target. The target makes a Fort save (DC 10 + _ HD + Dex modifier) or begin to be strangled. A strangled opponent can take a single action each round for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier. At the end of that time, if they have not freed themselves (see Bola below) they fall unconscious. A strangle shot only works on animals, fey, giants, humanoids, and monstrous humanoids of the same size as you or smaller.

 

[aboyd]

Have you thought about feats like Imp Crit, and properties like keen that extend the threat range? What about the Weaponmaster's ability to increase the crit multiplier?

That's the great thing about the system, those things just stay unchanged and continue to work. I'm a fan of such "streamlining." So Improved Critical doubles the threat range of a rapier as usual.

I don't know about the Weaponmaster, sounds like something from Bo9S, which I don't own. But increasing crits works fine from my perspective, that's why I like the system I came up with.

The major problem I can see (which may or may not actually BE a "major" problem) is that this screws with the weapon sizing rules.

I don't think it's a problem -- weapons just size smaller again. Here's a long sword before & after:

Before change: medium 1d8, small 1d6
After change: medium 1d6, small 1d4

The only place it gets odd is with the small shuriken -- it does 1 point of damage normally, and I can't really see how to reduce "1 point" to a smaller die roll. My decision in my game would be to just leave 1 point as the minimum.

 

[aboyd]

Mark Gedak and I wrote a PDF which addresses this issues elegantly.

Hmm. That actually doesn't streamline or speed up gameplay at all, which is the issue I was trying to address. However, it is cool. I want to buy it, but I have one issue which maybe you could help with. The example feat has a very specific requirement (the bola). Can you tell me if there are feats that are generic enough to be used by any class with most striking weapons? For example, if I have a cleric with a mace, can I break an arm or maybe knock someone dizzy? What if I have a fighter with a sword?

(And at the risk of taking my own thread off topic, did you possibly also write a PDF that deals with critical fumbles, or do you know of a fun system for that?)

 

[Urizen]

Most of the feats deal with weapon groups (blugdeoning/slashing, etc).

Here's another example:

Arm Breaker [Critical]
Your critical strike can break an opponent’s arm.
Prerequisites: Str 16, Improved Critical (bludgeoning weapon), Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bludgeoning weapon)
Benefit: Upon confirmation of a critical hit, you may forgo the additional damage in favor of breaking an opponent’s arm. The target makes a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Str Modifier). If the target makes his saving throw then their arm is bruised and they suffer a -4 penalty to Strength for all Strength related checks for one day. If the saving throw fails the target’s primary or secondary arm is broken (your choice).
When an arm is broken you can not hold anything in that hand, and suffer a -8 penalty to all Strength related checks until healed. If the character is holding a shield and that arm is broken, he loses the AC bonus for the shield. This feat only works against a creature of a size no more than one category larger than you. A bone broken with this feat can be healed with knit bones, heal or regenerate spell, or a DC 15 Heal check can set an arm which will heal naturally in 2 months.

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I haven't written anything about Critical fumbles and don't know of any products out there, but I'll look into the possibility of developing one for you.

I hope this helped.

 

[aboyd]

Here's another example:

Arm Breaker

You've sold me on it. That's great.

I haven't written anything about Critical fumbles and don't know of any products out there, but I'll look into the possibility of developing one for you.

I started a new thread for it.

 

[Kerrick]

That's the great thing about the system, those things just stay unchanged and continue to work. I'm a fan of such "streamlining." So Improved Critical doubles the threat range of a rapier as usual.

*nodnod*

I don't know about the Weaponmaster, sounds like something from Bo9S, which I don't own. But increasing crits works fine from my perspective, that's why I like the system I came up with.

It's from Sword and Fist, though I don't know if it was upgraded for 3.5. It shouldn't have too much of an impact, though.

I don't think it's a problem -- weapons just size smaller again. Here's a long sword before & after:

Before change: medium 1d8, small 1d6
After change: medium 1d6, small 1d4

The only place it gets odd is with the small shuriken -- it does 1 point of damage normally, and I can't really see how to reduce "1 point" to a smaller die roll. My decision in my game would be to just leave 1 point as the minimum.

Agreed - you should do at least 1 point of damage with a successful attack.

 

[Urizen]

You've sold me on it. That's great.


I started a new thread for it.

Thank you.

I hope you enjoy it!

 

[krupintupple]

although a little late in the game to be of any real help, i recall there's a template that could be applied to large groups of fairly low-HD monsters, that allow them to become a huge swarm called a 'mob' - i think the rules are in the DMG2, but i'm not sure.

edit: DMG2, page 59. it mostly states its for violent lynch-type mobs, but you could easily argue that as long as a specific bugbear commander or goblin chieftan is alive, the mob is instead considered stable, but if he dies...

you could have 6 'goblin mobs' and 2 'bugbear mobs', each about 50 strong or so, and then could they dispurse at less than 1/10th of their total health, which'd be average health x the # of 'troops'. this might make the PCs try to think strategically and out-maneuvre their opponents, because if you've any "hack first and ask questions later" types, they're going to get impaled 20 times before their corpse hits the ground.

PCs using things like boiling oil, flooded river basins, smoke, traps, ambushes, and artillery-based spells could make it a really entertaining night.