Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

This is my first try at submitting something to the workshop.

I propose a simple dice gimmick to introduce critical and fumbles in the game, hope you enjoy it and will help me to polish its way to the "showcase".

edit: corrected the example combat table

edit2: I have changed the proposal in a list of methods for criticals and criticals effects

Just had a quick look at it.

One thing I noticed is that I think there's an error in the example. In the paragraph the damage is listed as 1d8+2 but the table seems to be using 1d6+2.

Blazeguard wrote:Just had a quick look at it.

One thing I noticed is that I think there's an error in the example. In the paragraph the damage is listed as 1d8+2 but the table seems to be using 1d6+2.

thanks, that was from a previous example... corrected it

While I like interesting fumbles and such, I generally prefer this a tad simpler... though I do use a system slightly more complex than the system in the Combat Options. Here is the relevant sections of my personal houserules for criticals.

Damage: Massive and Critical Hits
When a character makes a modified attack roll that is 4 more than is necessary to strike his target, a massive hit is scored causing maximum weapon damage, just as if the character had rolled the maximum damage die roll for that weapon or attack. Likewise a Natural 20 die “to hit” die roll will give this result as well unless the character can only hit an opponent with such a roll; in this case normal rolled weapon damage is done. Basically, if a natural 20 is necessary just to strike an opponent, no additional bonus damage is given.

When such a natural 20 is rolled, the player should roll the d20 again to see if a critical hit is scored. If the confirmation roll misses the target's Armor Class (just as if the character was attacking again with all appropriate modifiers), then simply keep the massive hit result granting maximum weapon damage as described above. However, if the die roll indicates another “hit”, then a critical hit has occurred and the strike cause double the maximum weapon damage. This double damage includes any magical bonuses the weapon may have but not bonuses due to strength, specialization, or similar modifiers which are only added once.

If somehow the player's confirmation roll is another natural 20, then triple (x3) maximum weapon damage is dealt, otherwise the progression stops at double damage. In this case the player rolls again, and if another natural 20 is rolled (however statistically improbable), then another instance of maximum weapon damage is applied (x4 in this case, and rolls again). Only natural 20's extend this progression, not normal hit results.

SmootRK wrote:While I like interesting fumbles and such, I generally prefer this a tad simpler... though I do use a system slightly more complex than the system in the Combat Options. Here is the relevant sections of my personal houserules for criticals.

I have tried and used a system very similar to yours but here I wanted a one roll system (no re-rolls or confirmations) that didn't need to calculate differences from the needed to hit

your system allows for higher multiplier and is a little stricter in total chance of getting a massive/crit system... let me crunch some number to compare the 2 crit system in term of probabilities:

your system
------------------------------------------------------------------
................................!...........................SmootRK............
target..........hit.........!....max............max..............max....
number....................!......................+base..........+2xbase
------------------------------------------------------------------
….19..........10%......!.....5%...........0,50%..........0,025%
….18..........15%......!.....5%...........0,75%..........0,038%
….17..........20%......!.....5%...........1,00%..........0,050%
------------------------------------------------------------------
….16..........25%......!.....5%...........1,25%..........0,063%
….15..........30%......!....10%..........1,50%..........0,075%
….14..........35%......!....15%..........1,75%..........0,088%
------------------------------------------------------------------
….13..........40%......!....20%..........2,00%..........0,100%
….12..........45%......!....25%..........2,25%..........0,113%
….11..........50%......!....30%..........2,50%..........0,125%
------------------------------------------------------------------
….10..........55%......!....35%..........2,75%..........0,138%
…...9..........60%......!....40%..........3,00%..........0,150%
…...8..........65%......!....45%..........3,25%..........0,163%
------------------------------------------------------------------
…...7..........70%......!....50%..........3,50%..........0,175%
…...6..........75%......!....55%..........3,75%..........0,188%
…...5..........80%......!....60%..........4,00%..........0,200%
------------------------------------------------------------------
…...4..........85%......!....65%..........4,25%..........0,213%
…...3..........90%......!....70%..........4,50%..........0,225%
…...2..........95%......!....75%..........4,75%..........0,238%
------------------------------------------------------------------

my system:
-----------------------------------------------------
................................!...................FMP..........
target..........hit.........!........max...............max
number....................!.............................+base
--------------------------------------------------------
….19..........10%......!......1,667%..........0,833%
….18..........15%......!......2,500%..........1,250%
….17..........20%......!......3,333%..........1,667%
--------------------------------------------------------
….16..........25%......!......4,167%..........2,083%
….15..........30%......!......5,000%..........2,500%
….14..........35%......!......5,833%..........2,917%
--------------------------------------------------------
….13..........40%......!......6,667%..........3,333%
….12..........45%......!......7,500%..........3,750%
….11..........50%......!......8,333%..........4,167%
--------------------------------------------------------
….10..........55%......!......9,167%..........4,583%
…...9..........60%......!....10,000%..........5,000%
…...8..........65%......!....10,833%..........5,417%
--------------------------------------------------------
…...7..........70%......!....11,667%..........5,833%
…...6..........75%......!....12,500%..........6,250%
…...5..........80%......!....13,333%..........6,667%
--------------------------------------------------------
…...4..........85%......!....14,167%..........7,083%
…...3..........90%......!....15,000%..........7,500%
…...2..........95%......!....15,833%..........7,917%
--------------------------------------------------------

hope the formatting keeps....

I can concede that your system is interesting in the sense that it produces some varying success/failures, but you technically change all rolls into 2-roll mechanics (just thrown together), with every roll needing to be double-checked for results. IMO this is more complicated than a couple paragraphs (albeit it is mostly bulky for the tables).

Mind you, this is not necessarily a bad thing... some people will prefer this sort of method over other such.

I like it, a little complex for my tastes. I used to muck around a lot with critical/fumble systems until I found a simple system. In short when you scored a critical hit you got to roll another attack, and when you rolled a critical fumble the enemy you tried to attack gets to roll an attack against you.

Still I am interested in seeing where this is going, keep it up!

Thanks for the appreciation (Medieval Man, SmoothRK), yes you must roll 2 dice, but I find it quite simple, it is long because I made table for to hit, save, action and everything, if you want to keep it at combat, I think you can sum up in a few words, something like:

Criticals
"Every time you make a to hit roll roll also a d12. If you hit and roll 10 or 11 on the d12 then you do max damage. If you hit and roll 12 on the d12 then you do max damage plus normal damage"

Fumbles
"Every time you make a to hit roll roll also a d12. If you miss and roll 1 on the d12 then you fumbled for -2 to hit until the end of combat. If you miss and roll 2 or 3 on the d12 you fumbled for -2 on next attack."

for now I'll keep it like this, in future I want to test various options and maybe make some better table examples for a greater variety of actions

ps: I reformatted the tables I think now they are more clear, I'll also add the original calc table

For my blood this is way too much work. I tend toward Natural 20=maximum damage if it would have hit anyway, autohit if it wouldn't, Natural 1=automatic miss. Easy to remember.

LibraryLass wrote:For my blood this is way too much work. I tend toward Natural 20=maximum damage if it would have hit anyway, autohit if it wouldn't, Natural 1=automatic miss. Easy to remember.

it was not enough for me