Design & Development: Critical Hits

[PnP News Bot]

Check out this new article Wizards of the Coast posted recently:

Design & Development: Critical Hits

Critical hits are still around, but with a different spin in 4th Edition. Check out everything you need to know about maxing your crits right here.

[Digital Arcanist]

I'm unsure how to feel about the change. I like the idea of maximized damage on a critical hit. There have too many instances of rolling and confirming a critical hit just to roll a couple ones or twos for damage. I also like the idea of getting the extra magical damage from weapons.

I also like the talk about getting rid of critical resistance in monsters. I hated having to buy weapon crystals so I could get crits on undead and constructs.

The thing I don't like is getting rid of threat ranges and this new, unexplained critical hit modifier on weapons.

[rabkala]

I like random! I love my dice, damnit, let me play with them!

I want it to be rare and extra special.

I also like some critical failure.

[Digital Arcanist]

As a DM I LOVE critical failures....it allows for zany things to happen.

I play with the three 20's or 1's = death rule....does anyone else?

I had a character die of an aneurysm because he rolled 3 1's during a Decipher Script check. We all laughed and I rolled up a new character.

I also had my Red Dragon Cleric roll 3 20's on a Spellcraft check and the DM said I killed Spellcraft checks and I would never have to make one again!!

I agree with you Rabkala...I like my dice and I want to roll them often.

[Riftwalker]

These changes don't seem so bad to me.

With a couple lookup tables you could retrofit them (in most cases) into a 3.5 game.