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So how do you handle critical hits in your campaign? We had a critical hit last night from our uber strong barbarian/cleric that brought up some debate. When rolling the damage for the second time (assuming the crit is confirmed) do you add all your bonuses again (in other words add these bonuses in twice) or just add them once to the total? The PHB seems to contradict itself a bit on this issue. See pages 134,140, 306. Thougts?
You know, I started to respond, but after two paragraphs, I got confused and realized I wasn’t clear on what we do either. The only think I can tell you for sure is three 20’s in a row is an auto-kill, no matter what. I know I haven’t helped you any, but my hope is that you will be encouraged to know that others share your confusion on this one.
And as a aside, what was wrong with the old method, before the critical “threat?” If you roll a critical, it’s double damage (double the whole thing) and you roll again. If that roll is a crit, it’s triple damage and you roll again and so on. That was nice and simple. (Sorry for the rant. I just had to get that off my chest).
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In my group, we've always just taken the first roll as the crit and called is a crit without rolling a second time. It seems to raise the action level in combat, because rolling a 20 and then rolling a 1 can be very depressing. Of course, this house ruling also results in a decent amount of cleaved PCs, but that's a danger we've grown to accept.
We use the system in a slightly more streamlined way.
We do roll a second d20 to confirm the critical, but then simply roll the damage once, add in the modifiers that may apply (strength bonuses, extra damage from Power attack, magical bonuses from the weapon, etc.) and multiply it by the critical multiplyer (sp?) given for the weapon.
Funny, I was under the impression that that was how it was supposed to be done.... maybe we've been doing it wrong all these years??
As a side note: We have "auto kill" set up as rolling 2 natural 20's in a row, and then on the third roll if you simply hit, you get the auto kill. It works rather well for us, and has only come up a half dozen times in more that three years of weekly play.
just my two coppers,
-Roth
In my group, we've always just taken the first roll as the crit and called is a crit without rolling a second time. It seems to raise the action level in combat, because rolling a 20 and then rolling a 1 can be very depressing. Of course, this house ruling also results in a decent amount of cleaved PCs, but that's a danger we've grown to accept.
After reading this thread, I have decided to eliminate the need for a confirmation roll. I became nostalgic of the second Ed.
Instead, I will have crimson colored D6s (blood dices) for the lucky 20 rollers to add to the dmg. Roll 20, add a d6 (Xmultiplier) to your dmg. Fast & plain.
we take the first attack as a crit if it lands on a threat, then we just multiply the damage when we roll for it. I never liked the whole 1d8+1 becomes 2d8+2 stuff. If it says multiply, we just multiply.
1d8+1=7x2=14
Simple and easy, everybody's happy (except the person getting hit)
I like the way you think. K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple, Stupid!
(um, I'm not calling you, "stupid." It's just a saying. If anything, I need it simple becasue I'M stupid.)
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all static bonuses are multiplied.
additional dice bonuses are not multiplied, sneak attack, flaming, frost etc.
I do have players roll dice twice because rolling a 1 on a critical sucks.
I also use the Game Mastery critical hits cards. Not the magic part though, sorry the magical criticals are pretty lame...(switch places with your target????...wait! my target was flying....AAARRRRRGH)
In non-homebrew games, critical hits use the critical hit deck or standard rules at the player's option. In my homebrew, critical hits do damage as normal but also deal ability score damage.
Director of Brand Strategy
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In non-homebrew games, critical hits use the critical hit deck or standard rules at the player's option. In my homebrew, critical hits do damage as normal but also deal ability score damage.
We use the Critical Hit deck when someone confirms a natural 20 crit treat with another crit threat. On a crit threat roll of 19 or lower, due to keen ,improved crit, or weapon specifics, it is handled with damage multipliers. Any time a Critical card is drawn, we do damage as written on the card. No stacking of card effects plus multiplied damage.
And as a aside, what was wrong with the old method, before the critical “threat?” If you roll a critical, it’s double damage (double the whole thing) and you roll again. If that roll is a crit, it’s triple damage and you roll again and so on. That was nice and simple. (Sorry for the rant. I just had to get that off my chest).
Well for one thats a house rule. Only applied at your table though just about every table I ever played at had some kind of a house rule for criticals. The one I'm most familiar with involved getting extra d6s for damage based on ones level or HD.
My group rolls extra dice depending on the multiplier and just doubles the static bonuses (STR, Magical enhancement, etc). Add-ons like sneak attack follow afterwards. I.E. - longsword crit = 2d8 + other bonuses x2.
Recently though, I got the Critial Hit deck. So now a player can choose either regular crit, or draw a card.
We've always had the double natural 20s + confirmed hit = instant kill. Though it isn't always neccessary. My friend once had a lv 1 fighter that was picking on a NPC farmer reaping his crop. He managed to push the right button and pissed off the farmer, resulting in an attack from his scythe. Needless to say he rolled a crit and confirmed. 8d4 damage at level 1 is rough.
Cleaved em' in twain it did.
-Kurocyn
I give my players a choice, multiple the damage or pull a card from the Critical Hit Deck
My current approach for V3.5 with house rules goes like this. If they threaten a critical, they get maximum damage regardless of whether they confirm. If they also confirm, they get additional damage for each multiplier above 1x. So if the weapon has a multiplier of 2x then they get maximum damage plus a roll for extra damage. If it had 3x, they would get maximum damage plus two rolls for extra damage, etc.
If the confirmation roll also would have threatened a critical, then in addition to the damage above, they roll again and if they hit again then the enemy is dead. I plan to start using the Critical Hit deck so if they confirm the crit in addition to the damage they draw a card as outlined in the deck.
Maximum damage on the first die was to avoid a situation where you threatened a critical, failed to confirm, and then got minimum damage on your die. That's pretty much a downer if you ask me.
For fumbles, if they roll a one they miss. If they miss again, then it's a fumble and they draw a card from the Critical Fumble deck.
The NPCs/monsters get all the same rules.
Not sure what I'll do when/if I start a 4E game - I'd probably give the critical hit rules as written a try for a while first.
L
As a follow up, I don't have them multiply extra damage from sneak attacks, etc. Those only get applied once as in the 3.5 rules.
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Being a long time 2nd edition ADnD DM, our house rule is if you roll a nat 20, it is double max damage and you roll again, if it is a nat 20, it is max damage again, and so on. If the second roll or last roll isn't a nat 20, then roll normal damage and add it to whatever you have already caused.
In the last 20+ years of DMing, I have only had one time when a 20 has been rolled more than twice. Battle between the party and a Red Dragon, most of the party was wiped out, and the fighter went in for the final charge, and rolled 5 nat 20's in a row. That was over 16 years ago, and the group still talks about it to this day.