What are the most amusing experiences you have had using them, and do you use them for anything else?
I sometimes use them for any nat 20 roll and it is up to the GM to determine what to use and how it effects what is going on.
Example...
A great demon tried to intimidate the party...he failed.
In response the Goblin of the party laughed at the demon and rolled a nat 20 on intimidate.
With use of the crit hit card the demon wound up stunned and wrapped up in his own equipment.
It was the break the crew needed to get the drop on the demon, otherwise there would have been far fewer characters walking out alive.
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I've only used it once as I just discovered it a few weeks ago, but it was fun for the one time. I haven't used a deck for either hits or misses but I'll be watching this thread as I'm thinking about springing for one.
Also does anyone use the deck for chase scenes? I was wondering about that one too...
My favourite game is Rolemaster, the crit deck reminds me of the crit tables for that game.
My Problem (and it's a problem with the crit system fo D20) is that it doesn't reward you for being good at your job or getting better at your job.
A character should do more damage (hacking off or melting arms and legs) the more they exceed the confirmation roll by.
If you are a 7th level fighter an you exceed the confirmation roll by 9 or you are a 1st level fighter and you exceed it by 1 there is no real difference.
A house rule could be for every 5 you exceed the required confirmation roll by you can apply the effects of an additional card.
I personally maintain the crit bonus for the weapon and add any modifiers from the cards. The difference between 20th and 1st level fighters is going to come from Feats, bonuses and the like.
Mark, I have the chase deck and I have used it. I like it just fine, as long as it is loosely used (IMHO). I say this because I am not fond of card games. Fortunately this card game uses your character stats and die rolls for success and/or failure.
We use a CRIT book from Ad&D that my friend had laying around. This thing is seriously at least the size of a magazine, has a section for called shots or generic hits.
It works both ways in our game; the DM/GM gets to use it if he rolls a crit. Its very scarey when a called shot comes up and the chance of you losing and arm or a leg is very real possibility.
It makes nat 20s awesome for you, and and extremly scarey when against you.
I've used these in sessions and seen them used in a game I am a player in. I can't say I have any outstanding stories... I recall a time my dwarf fighter managed to hit herself in the face from her own backswing but that's about it (crit fumble). But I generally have enjoyed their use and like that they add to the narrative of the fight as well as vary up the results of a crit. Certainly there are some results that can be especially nasty/broken/amazing. I advocate a GM drawing the card for the player not to pick the worst result, but to moderate its effects if they seem inappropriate or too broken.
While I own the paper decks, I also really like the iCrit and iFumble apps for Android/iPhone.
Personally I use the decks for everything, like I mentioned before. It is up to the GM to interpret how it goes outside of combat.
My group has enjoyed the use of these decks and they even go as far as to reenact the scene (if not physically, at least in more descriptive words).
Probably my most memorable story is the side-quest I did in Savage Tide, replacing the shrine with the Couatl in it with a dungeon full of Shadar-Kai. The dual-scimitar-slinging Barbarian managed to cleave the spine of one enemy and lacerate the hands of another, which was enough to cow the Shadar into a surrender that probably wouldn't have happened with just normal "you do x2 damage" crits. This eventually, after completing the dungeon and reaching the treasure hidden there, led to the crippled fey being healed and their Curse of Shadow broken, allowing them to ally with the party and join them for the Battle of Farshore.
My group normally uses the crit damage from their individual weapons and add the crit multiplier,if any, to the multiplier to the weapons. I can't say I am sure if that is the way they intend it to work, but if it isn't then it isn't really worth using most of the time, considering piercing weapons do x3 or 4.
Any thoughts?
I adjust the damage based on comparing the two.
For example, if the card says do normal damage but the person is using a x3 crit weapon, I let them use x2 damage. If the card says triple damage, I bump the crit up one, so x3 would become x4.
That backs up what I just read on a different thread. Thank you! It is great to have into to back up others.
Any advice or stories about using these cards in say a bluff scenario?
I had one bluff the baddie with a nat 20. According to the card it entangled said baddie.
The cards are only for combat. Hence why they're divided into types - melee weapon, ranged weapon, natural attack, or magic for the Crit Fail deck, and slashing, piercing, bludgeoning, and magic for the Crit Hit deck. They're not made to be used for skill checks, etc. Especially since by the core rules you don't auto-succeed on a 20/auto-fail on a 1 for skills
I understand they are intended for combat only, hence the 'uses' part of the title. Seeing as how a nat 20 or crit 1 doesn't really apply to skills, there wouldn't be a card deck to cover that.
My groups house rules do use the nat 20 and crit 1 rolls for skills, so I use the cards when it happens and I try my best to work the effects of the cards into what is being attempted. It makes for interesting entertainment when a characters brain locks up for a crit fail knowledge check.
I wasn't specifically clear, now that I reread what I posted. My apologies.
I do want to thank you for all the helpful info as well Orthos. Truly.
Yeah, if you're wanting to go that route, I'd just say pick the most reasonable option on the card. Perhaps for the entangle, the guy got confused by the bluff, took a step back, and got tangled up and tripped on some grass or something. Would take some work, but manageable I htink.
That works. Thanks!
entangle = tongue-tied
yes it would (or is that wood? Oh, I am thinking tanglewood)