If I were to create a custom weapon that had a critical hit multiplier of 1-1/2, i.e., one that increased damage by only 50% on a critical hit, what kind of crit range might suitable if I wanted it to remain an attractive martial weapon? Would 16-20 be workable as a base rate?
Any views welcome.
Cheers,
- Gears
I think it might be a good idea to keep usability in mind with this. Lots of player with odd strength modifiers or who roll odd number results will struggle with this more than they should need too. I don't think it's a good mechanical fit with Pathfinder.
I would retain one of the traditional crit ranges, and increase the damage die or give it an extra property. There are other factors to consider aside from damage. Some abilities, effects, etc. only trigger on a crit, such as how the swashbuckler regains panache.
@Dunn: Well, that's certainly a consideration, but as this is posted in the homebrew forum, it's only for my home game, not something I'm intending to market to a mass audience or anything. I'm just trying to figure out what a reasonable range would be for this. 16-20 or 17-20 seems right to me at a glance, but I'm not a DPR formula expert or anything, so I think I could use some guidance.
@Barnes: That's a good point. It would actually open up to give the weapon some kind of cool unique new property, since giving it the worst crit multiplier in the game does open up a bit of interesting design space. Thanks!
That's probably too much, actually.
It makes it mathematically superior to a sword (19-20/x2) but slightly worse than a rapier (18-20/x2) which at first seems OK, but then I realize how many effects there are that trigger on critical hits. A fighter build who takes several Critical feats will find he can use those feats twice as often with this weapon than he can with a sword, and 66% more often than he can with a rapier.
So, if I were any character who relied on getting crits to use any of my abilities, I'd prefer this weapon over all others.
As a general rule, if you make a custom thing (weapon, spell, feat, whatever) and it is preferable to all alternatives, it's too overpowered.
In addition, you really need to also indicate what kind of damage and other features you want. Maybe if it's a 1d2 nonlethal knotted shoestring with that critical threat and multiplier, it might not be preferable to a sword. But if you're making a bruising greatsword that still does 2d6 damage and has your critical threat and multipliers, well, nobody would take an ordinary greatsword ever, even if they are NOT built with a critical-focus - unless maybe it's an exotic weapon (but you said it's a martial weapon).
And if it's a light one-handed martial longsaber that does 1d10, 16-20/x1.5 criticals, with special qualities of trip, disarm, and reach, well, then it's the only weapon anybody in the world will ever use.
Fighting Needle
A sturdy steel needle 2ft in length.
Exotic Light Weapon
Dmg: 1d4 (P) Crit: 17-20/x1.5
This would still be an amazingly powerful weapon in the hands of someone with a bunch of crit feats and/or the Magus.
[...]This attack uses the weapon’s critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.
Also, 16-20 made Keen would go to 11-20. That's a 50% chance for a crit, or more aptly, ~100% chance that any blow that is a hit will threaten a cirt.
Another consideration is to make this weapon blunt so that it can't be made keen. But then how could you justify the high crit range?
Crit Propriety Damage Increase assuming all threat are confirmed
20 x 2 = 5%
19-20 x2 = 10%
18-20 x 2 = 15%
20 x 3 = 10%
19-20 x 3 = 20% (only the Falcata has it and is considered borderline broken)
20 x 4 = 15%
20 x 1.5 = 2.5%
19-20 x 1.5 = 10%
18-20 x 1.5 = 12.5%
17-20 x 1.5 = 15%
16-20 x 1.5 = 17.5%
Not considering special cases like Magus spells, Sneak Attacks ecc.
Hope it helps deciding.
I think Ciaran Barnes was spot on regarding not messing with the crit ranges. I.e., staying within a maximum base range of 18-20 and instead figuring out some cool properties and such for this weapon. As has been amply pointed out, there are just too many things out there that trigger upon crits and similar. Anyway, thanks everyone for the input. When I come up with an actual weapon, I'll post it!
Cheers,
- Gears