I am creating a critical hit system for my Pathfinder campaign that uses body hit location dice and i would like suggestions and feedback. Maybe some different penalties that would work better and be more balanced. The system so far works as follows:
Head
[] Dazzled
[] Deafened
[] Blinded
[] Confused
[] Unconcious (possible bleed as well)
Torso
[] Staggered
[] Fatigued
[] Max Hit Points decreased by one per level
[] Nauseated
[] Unconcious(possible bleed as well)
Left Arm
[] Drop items in hand
[] Drop items in hand, -1 to attack or shield bonus
[] Drop items in hand, Max Hit Points decreased by one per level
[] Cannot use shield or weapon in this hand
[] Cannot use arm, Bleed (some amount)
Left Leg
[] Movemet speed decresed by 5 feet
[] Cannot run, climb, or jump
[] Max Hit Points decreased by one per level
[] Knocked prone, Movemet speed decresed by 5 feet
[] Knocked prone, Cannot Walk, Bleed (some amount)
(right arm and right leg are the same)
When an opponant scores a critical hit on a player, that player does not take the extra damage indicated by the damage multiplyier. Instead the player rolls a body hit location die and crosses off topmost available box under that body part on the sheet above. A multiplier of x2 indicates one box is crossed off, for each number higher an aditional box is crossed off (so a x4 multiplier means that three boxes are crossed off in that body part.) A player regains one box per body part per 8 hours of rest. Cure Light Wounds cures 1 wound of the player's choice, Cure Moderate Wounds cure 2, Cure Serious Wounds cures 3, and Cure Critical Wounds cures 4. All wounds are cumulative.
My goal with this system is to add a bit of cinematic flare to critical hits without being cumbersome. I also dont want to be too brutal, most of the critical hit tables i have found are way too lethal, i dont need players to be dismembered at level one.
Having played several systems, I am very wary of any system that assigns hit locations. It tends to bog things down, and break suspension of disbelief(you go hit in the head for 70 damage how are you NOT dead?)
Just use the crit hit deck IMO.
Well im not going to change the HP system, so when someone gets a critical scored on them rather than taking extra damage they just cross off the box on their sheet of the area it hit. So say you got crited by a goblin you roll the location die and take the normal amount of damage but then cross off the top square where u got hit on the sheet. so u only take 1d4 dmg or whatever but now you are staggered. so in essence you are gaining a negative condition rather than taking additional damage.
Well im not going to change the HP system, so when someone gets a critical scored on them rather than taking extra damage they just cross off the box on their sheet of the area it hit. So say you got crited by a goblin you roll the location die and take the normal amount of damage but then cross off the top square where u got hit on the sheet. so u only take 1d4 dmg or whatever but now you are staggered. so in essence you are gaining a negative condition rather than taking additional damage.
The problem is that just assigning a location to damage messes up the abstraction of HP system.
Fighter has 40 health total. Taking 35 damage to any one location would destroy that location.
And getting a crit to the eyes using the crit deck somehow doesn't?
I like this system much more than the critical hit deck personally. A few comments:
I would remove confused from the head injury. They are already blind and deaf, no need to make them start acting completely randomly. I would add stunned instead, so they just are not acting.
In the torso I would swap staggered and fatigued. Staggered is a much worse condition.
And getting a crit to the eyes using the crit deck somehow doesn't?
I like this system much more than the critical hit deck personally. A few comments:
I would remove confused from the head injury. They are already blind and deaf, no need to make them start acting completely randomly. I would add stunned instead, so they just are not acting.
In the torso I would swap staggered and fatigued. Staggered is a much worse condition.
I never said I particularly liked the crit hit deck either, but it is generally very simple and quick.
Well the HP system isnt very realistic to begin with, im not really trying to make it any more or less realistic. Think of it less that you are taking 35 HP to the face and more that you are taking 35 HP of damage and your face was wounded in the process so you take a negative condition.
I like this system much more than the critical hit deck personally. A few comments:
I would remove confused from the head injury. They are already blind and deaf, no need to make them start acting completely randomly. I would add stunned instead, so they just are not acting.
In the torso I would swap staggered and fatigued. Staggered is a much worse condition.
Thank you for the input sounds good
one of the better, if not best suggestions for a location based wound system i've ever seen, i must say. i especially like the fact that it doesn't try to mess too much with the HP system.
it is good trade off to inflict a condition debuff instead of extra HP damage that comes with a crit, as it is. i'm wondering if or how it could be expanded into a called shot mechanic.
i'm wondering if or how it could be expanded into a called shot mechanic.
Im not sure. What i intended was for critical hits on enemies to do the regular critical damage and for this to just be for the PCs. one possible idea for called shots is that the player takes a penalty (maybe a -5 or more) to their attack roll. if they hit then the target takes normal damage and subtracts one from the targeted body part. If you want to make it more lethal and random the player rolls 1d2 or maybe even a 1d4 and the enemy subtracts that many on the wound chart, but id suggest a higher penalty to the attack roll.
I would remove confused from the head injury. They are already blind and deaf, no need to make them start acting completely randomly. I would add stunned instead, so they just are not acting.
Stunned and unable to act for 8 hours (and yet not unconscious)? That sounds a little weird to me.
I agree; I like this idea better than the critical hit deck in general. But some of the "x2" states are pretty weak. Dazzled is a very lame condition, for instance.
Why not allow the extra damage _or_ the effect from the chart?
Stunned and unable to act for 8 hours (and yet not unconscious)? That sounds a little weird to me.I agree; I like this idea better than the critical hit deck in general. But some of the "x2" states are pretty weak. Dazzled is a very lame condition, for instance.
Why not allow the extra damage _or_ the effect from the chart?
Dazzled is pretty lame, but i really want the first box to be pretty weak and then get worse as it goes on. a player might ignore being dazzled for a bit but then if another crit happens he is dazzled as well suffering from some other effect. The first hit should be more of an annoyance, they take a minor penalty but then as they get beat up it gets more brutal. I was toying around with one of the slots having it do extra damage but i kind of like them to inflict conditions on the PCs for a more cinematic feel, they are getting beat up and suffering rather than just HP loss.
So from some feedback so far...
Torso
[] Fatigued
[] Staggered
[] Max Hit Points decreased by one per level
[] Nauseated
[] Unconscious
Head
[] Dazzled (maybe?)
[] Deafened
[] Blinded
[] Max Hit Points decreased by one per level (maybe?)
[] Unconcious
Dont forget extremities...a leg or arm critcal hit would finally enable things like cutting off a hand a serious option. You could turn a guy into a fantasy Darth Vader with 3 or 4 crits.
Or for minor, but roleplay, a PC could lose a finger and thus be more identifiable.
As for the conditions--tie it to the amount of damage.
Sure dazed is a wimpy condition--but maybe it was a 1d3 weapon and they rolled a 1 for damage. Crit or no, that would fit.
However, some guy bangs a maul on an orc's head, and rolls max damage, then he's staggerred.
|
My biggest problem with the critical hit deck was that it was vastly more devastating to players than creatures. If a player gets critted and there is a lasting effect then it has a much more lasting effect on future encounters. If a creature gets critted the effect might last for 2-3 more rounds. I would suggest any crit effects be for a few rounds or until the end of combat rather than longer term.
Dazzled is pretty lame, but i really want the first box to be pretty weak and then get worse as it goes on.
How often do you get more than one critical hit on a particular enemy in a battle, though?
It just seems like it might take the fun out of getting a critical when you're using a x2 multiplier weapon.
"Natural 20 -- all right!! Oh wait, I reduced the enemy's speed from 40 to 35. Never mind..."
How often do you get more than one critical hit on a particular enemy in a battle, though?
It just seems like it might take the fun out of getting a critical when you're using a x2 multiplier weapon.
Exactly. More detailed critical hit systems impact PCs more than NPCs and monsters. They are basically a penalty levied against the players.
Dazzled is pretty lame, but i really want the first box to be pretty weak and then get worse as it goes on.How often do you get more than one critical hit on a particular enemy in a battle, though?
It just seems like it might take the fun out of getting a critical when you're using a x2 multiplier weapon.
"Natural 20 -- all right!! Oh wait, I reduced the enemy's speed from 40 to 35. Never mind..."
Yeah i see what you are saying. That is why this system is more for PCs and not really for enemies. Id just use the basic system for opponents. I would rather the players kill the orc outright than make him dazzled, its a pain to keep track of wounds for each monster using this system.
One thing is there are already feats that apply penalties on a crit, what happens to them.
On the other hand The last effect for arms and legs should be severed (same effect as listed but requires a regenerate spell to cure).
One more thing, Weapons with a crit multiplier of X2 could apply the first effect, X3 the first 2 effects, X4 the First 3 effects, etc. all on one hit (otherwise everybody would go for the high threat range, low crit multiplier weapons).