GameMastery Critical Hit Deck (3.5/PFRPG)

4.10/5 (based on 20 ratings)

PFRPG Unavailable

Non-Mint Unavailable

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Tired of the same old double damage? Wouldn’t you rather chop off your opponent’s head in one clean swing or put an arrow in his heart? Paizo Publishing presents the GameMastery Critical Hit Deck!

Rolled a critical hit? Draw a card and apply the result. Each of the Critical Hit cards in this 52-card deck has four different results based on weapon type, all of which are compatible with the 3.5 rules set and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

Crushing your enemy’s skull has never been this much fun.

Useable by experienced GMs and novices alike, this product fits perfectly into any Game Master's arsenal.

Note to owners of the previous edition of this product: The significant changes in the new edition are that three cards now reference Perception instead of Spot, Search, and Listen; an "additional rules" card has been added with 3.5 usage notes and new optional rules; a couple of typos have been corrected; and the damage type labels on each card are now light yellow instead of red to improve readability. All of the cards with textual changes are pictured below.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-195-4


Sample cards. Click to enlarge.
Card back Rules card front Rules card back
Additional rules card front Additional rules card back Sample card
Sample card Sample card Sample card
Sample card Sample card Sample card

Product Availability

PFRPG:

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Non-Mint:

Unavailable

This product is non-mint. Refunds are not available for non-mint products. The standard version of this product can be found here.

Are there errors or omissions in this product information? Got corrections? Let us know at store@paizo.com.

PZO3001-2


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4.10/5 (based on 20 ratings)

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Livens up Critical Hits!

5/5

I've used the Critical Hit Deck in several hundred sessions of D&D 3.5/Pathfinder, and it's one of those little things that adds a lot to the game. Simply put, the deck is a lot of fun and makes a mundane crit into something memorable. With the deck, a critical hit doesn't just do extra damage anymore: it might make the opponent blind, start to bleed, fall down, or any of about two hundred other things! Each card in the 52-card deck has four critical hit effects on it, categorized by damage type (Blugeoning, Piercing, Slashing, or "Magic" for spells delivered with attack rolls). A fun bludgeoning effect might be "To Your Thinky Bits" which does double-damage and 1 Int bleed, while a magic effect might be "Vampiric Magic" that heals the caster the same amount of damage that the attacking spell delivers the target! I've found the effects to be well-balanced and reasonable within the mechanics of Pathfinder, and there aren't any effects that are permanent that don't allow for a saving throw. The deck also comes with two double-sided cards with instructions and optional rules that change how often players and the GM draw cards. If it sounds at all appealing, it's worth trying out for a couple of sessions--I'm pretty sure you'll be glad you did.


Critical Hit/Fumble deck review

5/5

For the full video review please see below...

Go to Video review.


Essential!

5/5

This and its twin, the Critical Fumble deck, have become an interesting and enlivening adjunct to our group's gaming experience. We tend to believe that extraordinary circumstances should be, well, somewhat extraordinary. It doesn't come up often enough to make or break a game for us, but on the occasions when a draw from one of these decks becomes necessary, it does lend a bit of flavor to the experience. A former member of our group introduced us to them, and once he left we realized that we did rather like the decks. So now I've bought them, and look forward to using them once again!


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Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

We're pleased to announce that a new edition of our Critical Hit Deck, updated for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game as well as the 3.5 rules, will be available in March.

A list of the changes from the previous edition is included in the product description, along with images of the seven cards that have had text changes.

The textual revisions are as follows:

  • Achilles Tendon: has been changed to "Achilles' Tendon"
  • Eye Patch for You: Spot and Search have been replaced by Perception
  • 2 for 1: "one" has been added before "adjacent target"
  • Missing Digits: "looses" has been corrected to "loses"
  • Brow to Chin: Spot and Search have been replaced by Perception
  • Missing Ear: Listen has been replaced by Perception
  • Hypnotic Link: "suggestion" has been italicized

Outstanding backorders for the previous edition will automatically be converted to this edition.

Liberty's Edge

Vic Wertz wrote:

We're pleased to announce that a new edition of our Critical Hit Deck, updated for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game as well as the 3.5 rules, will be available in March.

A list of the changes from the previous edition is included in the product description, along with images of the seven cards that have had text changes.

The textual revisions are as follows:

  • Achilles Tendon: has been changed to "Achilles' Tendon"
  • Eye Patch for You: Spot and Search have been replaced by Perception
  • 2 for 1: "one" has been added before "adjacent target"
  • Missing Digits: "looses" has been corrected to "loses"
  • Brow to Chin: Spot and Search have been replaced by Perception
  • Missing Ear: Listen has been replaced by Perception
  • Hypnotic Link: "suggestion" has been italicized

Outstanding backorders for the previous edition will automatically be converted to this edition.

sweet. cats knocked a soda onto my deck. We still use it, but they're a bit...stiff.

Any hope for the fumble deck too? And maybe a way to order both at once?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Coridan wrote:
Any hope for the fumble deck too? And maybe a way to order both at once?

We do plan to reprint the Fumble Deck, hopefully before August. ( Jason tells me the Fumble Deck needs even fewer changes than this one.)

No plans for a bundle at this time... but it might be worth considering!


Just one question, does "Stabilize" stop a "Bleed" effect?

It's not technically a "cure spell" and doesn't give any h.p. but it replaces "cure minor wounds" that would stop bleed effects and has the same effect as a Healing DC 15 check.

I ruled that stabilize would stop one condition per casting so either you stop the target from bleeding h.p., bleeding attribute damage or dying for each casting not all at once.

I'd like to know how other people handled this.

Paizo Employee Director of Game Design

Slime wrote:

Just one question, does "Stabilize" stop a "Bleed" effect?

It's not technically a "cure spell" and doesn't give any h.p. but it replaces "cure minor wounds" that would stop bleed effects and has the same effect as a Healing DC 15 check.

I ruled that stabilize would stop one condition per casting so either you stop the target from bleeding h.p., bleeding attribute damage or dying for each casting not all at once.

I'd like to know how other people handled this.

In the current rules, stabilize does not stop bleeding as it does not cure damage. This is something I will review.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Vic Wertz wrote:
We're pleased to announce that a new edition of our Critical Hit Deck, updated for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game as well as the 3.5 rules, will be available in March.

dangit! i just finally got both the critical hit and critical fumble decks...


Dhampir984 wrote:
Vic Wertz wrote:
We're pleased to announce that a new edition of our Critical Hit Deck, updated for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game as well as the 3.5 rules, will be available in March.
dangit! i just finally got both the critical hit and critical fumble decks...

The changes were minor so you should be able to make due with the pre-PFRPG decks. That's one of the nifty things about keeping the PFRPG as backwards compatible as we have. :)

Dark Archive

Jeff Alvarez wrote:
The changes were minor so you should be able to make due with the pre-PFRPG decks. That's one of the nifty things about keeping the PFRPG as backwards compatible as we have. :)

What are the chances of getting sort of a booster deck with the new PFRPG cards that can be added to pre PFRPG decks ? Not cost effective ?

Hey! There's an idea! Booster decks for the critical hit and critical fumble decks : )

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

baron arem heshvaun wrote:
What are the chances of getting sort of a booster deck with the new PFRPG cards that can be added to pre PFRPG decks ? Not cost effective ?

I don't think very many people would think it's worth paying money for. Note that every card with a significant change is pictured above. (And that's a generous definition of "significant," as it includes something as minor as the addition of an apostrophe and the italicizing of a spell name.)


Found something!

From "Secrets of the elves" about the bleed arrow:

... Each round thereafter, the creature bleeds for
1 point of damage until the bleeding is stopped by a DC
10 Heal check or the application of a cure spell or some
other healing magic.

It's not exactly the same mechanics but the "...other healing magic" part could cover Stabilize since it's part of the healing sub-school.


Slime wrote:

Found something!

From "Secrets of the elves" about the bleed arrow:

... Each round thereafter, the creature bleeds for
1 point of damage until the bleeding is stopped by a DC
10 Heal check or the application of a cure spell or some
other healing magic.

It's not exactly the same mechanics but the "...other healing magic" part could cover Stabilize since it's part of the healing sub-school.

There goes another elven secret...

Does Slime has a grudge against elves (I remember his comments about their ears...)?

DW


Dreaming Warforged wrote:

There goes another elven secret...

Does Slime has a grudge against elves (I remember his comments about their ears...)?

DW

I remember commenting on how dead that horse was ...

Maybe I should comment on the DW-cheap-shot-arrow! ;P


Slime wrote:


Maybe I should comment on the DW-cheap-shot-arrow! ;P

Are you saying I confirmed my crit?

DW *picking a card from his deck...*

Dark Archive

Vic Wertz wrote:
I don't think very many people would think it's worth paying money for. Note that every card with a significant change is pictured above.

Also when I said booster decks I meant brand spanking new cards to add to the originals; maybe 6 to 10 new cards for each new Adventure Path thematically linked to said AP.

Yeah sounds like bad and wonkey trading card game already.

: )

Dark Archive

I placed an order for this a few months ago is there any word if it will be available this month?

: )


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Jeff Alvarez wrote:
The changes were minor so you should be able to make due with the pre-PFRPG decks. That's one of the nifty things about keeping the PFRPG as backwards compatible as we have. :)

i know, its just like having a director's cut DVD, then like a month or so later, they come out with an ultimate director's edition with more cool stuff.

you've got the cool stuff already; but now there's a just *slightly* cooler version out there.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

baron arem heshvaun wrote:


I placed an order for this a few months ago is there any word if it will be available this month?

: )

It's supposed to arrive towards the end of March.


can't wait.
can't wait.
can't wait.
can't wait.

Okay silly question: I have the older deck on backorder.. Does that mean I need to cancel this and pre-order this one, or does my old backorder work too?

About stabilize, when a player used it to stop bleeding from a rogue's bleeding attack, I let it happen. I considered it too much of a waste of a standard action not to, and it seemed reasonable to me.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Vak wrote:
Okay silly question: I have the older deck on backorder.. Does that mean I need to cancel this and pre-order this one, or does my old backorder work too?

We'll fill the backorders with the new edition. No need to do anything.

And it sounds like they may actually be coming in this week!


I love my critical hit deck, except the magic crits, those are wonky...

haven't been using them during the Beta tests, as I wanted to keep it to pure beta test...but since we're done with that phase now, let the crits begin...uh...again...

Paizo Employee CEO

The Critical Hit Deck is back in stock! Order away!

-Lisa

Scarab Sages

I love the critical hit and fumble decks. A great addition to any game.

Kohl

The Exchange

I have these cards, I won't buy it. Though I will say this if you haven't bought them already. They are the coolest thing I have ever seen. Buy them! Buy them now! I wish I could buy them again, but having the latest updated version would be totally cool. Can't you guys sell update packs??? Throw away these three cards and replace them with these ones.... I would buy them in a second.

Zuxius

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Zuxius wrote:
I have these cards, I won't buy it. Though I will say this if you haven't bought them already. They are the coolest thing I have ever seen. Buy them! Buy them now! I wish I could buy them again, but having the latest updated version would be totally cool. Can't you guys sell update packs??? Throw away these three cards and replace them with these ones.... I would buy them in a second.

As I said a few posts above:

Vic Wertz wrote:
I don't think very many people would think it's worth paying money for. Note that every card with a significant change is pictured above. (And that's a generous definition of "significant," as it includes something as minor as the addition of an apostrophe and the italicizing of a spell name.)

The Exchange

Maybe I will buy them at PaizoCon because there would be nothing else I don't have from you guys already.

Zuxius


Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

We've been using the deck for a while and liking it very much thank you, and I'm thinking of getting my own deck (the player who has the deck often forgets to bring it in).

The only problem I have is that we're not sure what to do with critical hits when causing nonlethal damage (which is a problem for me as my character refuses to really hurt people unless absolutely necessary). Blunt crits seem often the better fit but a bunch of them are too destructive anyway.

I'm guessing the deck won't be revised any time soon to add an extra category, so I'd like to know what other people have done faced with the same issue.

Thanks in advance for your help.


A bad GM would say that a character refusing to really hurt people would not score a critical hit.

An evil GM would apply the drawn card and say: "You now really feel sorry for breaking his knee-cap."

I would probably allow to simply roll double nonleathal damage, without using the deck for that character.


Vic Wertz wrote:
Coridan wrote:
Any hope for the fumble deck too? And maybe a way to order both at once?

We do plan to reprint the Fumble Deck, hopefully before August. ( Jason tells me the Fumble Deck needs even fewer changes than this one.)

No plans for a bundle at this time... but it might be worth considering!

I had a new deck, and the old deck. I lost them both. I want to order the newer deck. How do I make sure I am getting the new deck since the cards on the site are the old cards?

Paizo Employee CEO

concerro wrote:
Vic Wertz wrote:
Coridan wrote:
Any hope for the fumble deck too? And maybe a way to order both at once?

We do plan to reprint the Fumble Deck, hopefully before August. ( Jason tells me the Fumble Deck needs even fewer changes than this one.)

No plans for a bundle at this time... but it might be worth considering!

I had a new deck, and the old deck. I lost them both. I want to order the newer deck. How do I make sure I am getting the new deck since the cards on the site are the old cards?

We are totally out of the old cards, so there is no way you can get an old deck! So order away!

-Lisa


Lisa Stevens wrote:
concerro wrote:
Vic Wertz wrote:
Coridan wrote:
Any hope for the fumble deck too? And maybe a way to order both at once?

We do plan to reprint the Fumble Deck, hopefully before August. ( Jason tells me the Fumble Deck needs even fewer changes than this one.)

No plans for a bundle at this time... but it might be worth considering!

I had a new deck, and the old deck. I lost them both. I want to order the newer deck. How do I make sure I am getting the new deck since the cards on the site are the old cards?

We are totally out of the old cards, so there is no way you can get an old deck! So order away!

-Lisa

I never had a CEO of any company respond to me before. I wish more companies could be this personable. Thanks for the info. :)

PS:No response needed, just felt the need to put that out there.


Perhaps you could offer the two decks in a hard plastic case with a removable top. This would be attractive, keep the cards from slipping around (my one beef) and the lid could hold the used cards. Maybe even offer a fancy 'metal box' version for your more avid devotees.


Pathfinder PF Special Edition Subscriber

These cards are super fun! My group has enjoyed making crits even more since I've started using this deck for my games. I make somewhat of a production out of it by shuffling the cards and then fanning them out for the player to draw from.

One of these days I hope to play in a game where the DM uses these. I've got an idea for a fighter dual-wielding kukri. Slice and dice!


Jason Bulmahn wrote:
Slime wrote:

Just one question, does "Stabilize" stop a "Bleed" effect?

It's not technically a "cure spell" and doesn't give any h.p. but it replaces "cure minor wounds" that would stop bleed effects and has the same effect as a Healing DC 15 check.

I ruled that stabilize would stop one condition per casting so either you stop the target from bleeding h.p., bleeding attribute damage or dying for each casting not all at once.

I'd like to know how other people handled this.

In the current rules, stabilize does not stop bleeding as it does not cure damage. This is something I will review.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing

I just looked and noticed you didn't change stabilize to stop bleeding.

Personally I would see that as exactly the point of stabilize, to stop someone from bleeding or their condition getting any worse.

I guess I can just houserule stabilize to read "Stops any continuous hit point loss (such as that from the Bleed or Dying conditions) that is not caused by a particular energy type," (so that it can't stop things like Acid Arrow)

P.S. I almost wrote "Melf's" there......

EDIT: To clarify and reword.....


Oh, I also wanted to say that this is the greatest way I've ever seen for dealing with critical hits! Crit tables really just slowed down play, and the people that authored them often tried to get too detailed with them, adding bonuses or giving penalties on size and/or weapon type, etc.

D&D is a game using an abstract hit point system, it follows that the critical hit system should have some abstraction as well.

I can't wait to use these in my game.

Dark Archive

ChrisRevocateur wrote:
P.S. I almost wrote "Melf's" there...

It definitely still IS Melf's Acid Arrow in my homebrewed Dunfalcon setting. ;-)


Now I may be completely blind or dense here, but when the card references dbl/normal/triple dmg is that standard weapon dmg, or critical damage?

Cheers


Earthbeard wrote:

Now I may be completely blind or dense here, but when the card references dbl/normal/triple dmg is that standard weapon dmg, or critical damage?

Cheers

When it references normal damage, it means the normal weapon damage. You replace the double damage with the actual critical multiplier of the weapon (or draw more then one card, adding the resulting damage multipliers up), and when it says triple, it really means adding one to the weapon's crit multiplier (unless you do the multiple card method).


I don't have this yet - but I love the idea of it! This is what made the Rolemaster system (way back in the 80s) such a complete blast to play! (along with critical fumbles). I'm very glad to see it rearing its head in D&D/Pathfinder!


GameMastery Cards: Conditions & Afflictions
It would be a great idea to have a deck card as a GM to give to our players indicating the normal conditions, diseases and it's effects (3.5/PFRPG) and curses.

Some conditions to be consider are "New size: Large" and indicating the new considerations in modificators, weight x 8, Size x 2... like that

Thanks Paizo guys


I picked up this deck last night -- it's great.

However, how does it work with spell casting? Does it only work with spells that act like ranged attacks?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Denim N Leather wrote:

I picked up this deck last night -- it's great.

However, how does it work with spell casting? Does it only work with spells that act like ranged attacks?

From the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook: "A spell that requires an attack roll can score a critical hit. A spell attack that requires no attack roll cannot score a critical hit."


Thanks!


Awesome product! It's just the additional spice I needed to add to my game. Some items need "DM's discretion" dependant on what system you play, though it's an easy fix.


my group loves this deck it makes the game more fun
we allso use the fumble deck thay love and hate that one


Two questions:
1) when a card calls for a save, what is the DC of the saving throw?
2) When you lose characteristics due to a crippling injury, how do you recover the points, just with cure wounds spells?


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber
0gre's review wrote:


If a creature gets hit for 1d4 dex damage it is a minor penalty for the 1-5 rounds it has left before the players kill it.

In my game last night our centaur barbarian got a critical hit against a pit fiend. The extra effect was a 1d6 loss to dexterity. We rolled a 6, which dropped the fiend's AC by 3. The next round the only hits from the barbarian that connected would have missed without that AC penalty. It was a great fight, and even at their level (14) they still love drawing from this deck.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber
Beek Gwenders of Croodle wrote:

Two questions:

1) when a card calls for a save, what is the DC of the saving throw?
2) When you lose characteristics due to a crippling injury, how do you recover the points, just with cure wounds spells?

1) The DC is the confirm roll on the critical.

2) Usually the restoration spells are used to recover ability score damage.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Reviewer widdershins asks:

widdershins wrote:
What's the point of this product in a deck of cards format? All the information's in text with no illustrations so it may as well have been a randomly rolled table.

From a mechanical standpoint, one advantage cards offer is that you can set each card aside as you use it, so that you won't draw it again until you've been thorough the whole deck. (You get added variety without having to deal with rerolling.)

Similarly, you can easily customize your deck by removing any effects you don't like, without then having to either make up new ones or reroll when you hit those numbers.

Mainly, though, drawing cards for the effect is fun.


whats the deal with firearms (things that do 2 types of damage at once?)

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Stasiscell wrote:
whats the deal with firearms (things that do 2 types of damage at once?)

My house rule is if the damage type is listed as "X or Y", the player has to choose one before the effect is revealed. If the damage type is "X and Y", the player gets to read both effects before choosing one.

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