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A simple question: in a group that uses the Critical Hits Deck and enjoys it a lot, how do we get use of the critical feats in PFRPG? When they were posted in the playtest forums, we decided not to use them (although the rest of them were widely accepted) because it could lead to strange effects. And, frankly, if I wanted to refluff so that the description I give matches the game effects, I'd use 4e.
Now, am I mistaken? Has any of you used both elements? How do they mix, if they mix at all?
A simple question: in a group that uses the Critical Hits Deck and enjoys it a lot, how do we get use of the critical feats in PFRPG? When they were posted in the playtest forums, we decided not to use them (although the rest of them were widely accepted) because it could lead to strange effects. And, frankly, if I wanted to refluff so that the description I give matches the game effects, I'd use 4e.
Now, am I mistaken? Has any of you used both elements? How do they mix, if they mix at all?
What, you mean like Bleeding Critical, Blinding Critical, etc?
First, if I'm not mistaken, many of those feats says it does whatever it does in addition to the normal effect of the critical. I have assumed that the feats that don't say this are intended to say this. For example, I don't think many players would choose to do zero critical damage in order to fatigue their foe, so clearly Tiring Critical is meant to fatigue the foe in addition to the critical damage dealt. Further, I don't think that even a fighter with his 21 feats would waste a feat on Tiring Critical if it replaces the critical damage with the fatigued condition.
I don't know if I missed any posts by someone official clariying that point, so if I have, I'm sure someone here will correct me soon.
Given that, it doesn't really matter whether you use the Critical Hit deck or not.
Without the deck, a x2 longsword rolls 2d8 for damage and applies the critical feat (e.g. Bleeding Critical) in addition to that damage.
With the deck, a x2 longsword rolls 1d8 for damage, draws one critical hit card and applies that result, and applise the critical feat (e.g. Deafening Critical) in addition to the damage and the card's effect.
Piece of cake, right?
Until you get a weird combination that is hard to resolve, such as when you use your Blinding Critical feat and draw a card that says you hit your foe in the foot. Now, it's nice to just say "OK, he's blind and he moves at half speed and cannot charge", but it sure is hard to imagine how you blinded him by hitting him in the foot.
Maybe it's like Kennedy's "magic bullet".
In these cases, you might:
1. Rule only one effect applies. This kinda screws the guy who got the critical, but sometimes that's just tough luck.
2. Rule that a new card must be drawn, until you get one that makes sense. Beware of this, if you're looking for a card that fits with a blinding critical (for example, you want a card that indicates you hit the foe in the head) you may have to draw many times until you get one, and these tend to be the best cards in the deck, which means a guy with the Blinding Critical feat will always draw one of the best cards and never draw any of the weaker cards - this would imbalance the feat somewhat.
3. Rule that both effects apply. Somehow, with a wild flurry of jabs and lunges, you managed to poke the opponent in the eye and in the foot, even if you only made one real attack - we'll just call it an "attack combo".
4. Reconcile it with clever fluff text. "You poke your foe in the eye. In surprise and pain, he leaps back, but snags his heel on a protruding rock and almost falls down. Even though he regains his balance, he seems to have pulled a leg muscle in the process, and now he's limping about in obvious leg pain."
So other than a few wonky combos, I don't see why they can't both live in the same critical hit system.