A few house rules.

[MedievalMan]

Yeah I find it strange that for the most part critical hits have an immediate cause and effect while critical fumbles have a cause then usually some sort of secondary role then an effect.

[dymondy2k]

I created a Fumble Deck for Microlite20, very similar to the Pathfinder deck. You could print it out on Cardstock and cut it out. I also created the same thing in a chart format using a d100 roll. Be nice to come up with a simpler version for BFRPG.

[Joe the Rat]

Critical Tables: Striking for Great Justice, Head Asplode, or Bloody Hilarious. You look like Miyamoto Musashi.
Fumble Tables: Disaster Dominoes, Groin Attack, or Hilarity Ensues. You look like the Three Stooges.

The use and content of crits and fumbles can really color a game - not just the level of humor, but also the apparent competence of the characters. The worse the fumble results, the more bafoonish they become.

[MedievalMan]

Reminds me of a campaign journal I read, the characters had just broken into a barrow crypt at which the center of was a magical sword. So forward skulks the thief who approaches the sword, and predictably skeletons, in a series of alcoves surrounding the sword, animate leaving the thief cut off from his companions. So he heroically draws the magic sword from the stone, flourishes it in triumph, and fumbles his attack rolling and winds up killing himself. Life of an adventurer in a nutshell.

[Blazeguard]

So, how I do it. If someone rolls a natural 20 (and this actually hits as well), the character must roll again to hit. On the second roll, any result that hits makes it a critical (roll damage dice twice). If another 20 is rolled, then roll a third time; if this roll hits as well it means roll damage 3 times... etc.

So, alternately, if they don't roll a hit on their second roll they just roll for regular damage? Just wanted to clarify.

[Blazeguard]

The "max damage" rule is elegant, fast and simple compared to the:
1-Roll to hit
2-confirm the crit
3-roll double dice for damage or double the damage roll result
Which can turn on this:
1-rolling for attack... 20! yeah!
2-confirming critical attack.... HELL YEAH!!!
3- rolling damage... what seriously? a critical attack of... 4pts???

I can see where this could backfire. But here's a thought I just had. If the crit is confirmed instead of rolling double dice you could just designate 1 die as maximum damage and then roll the other die to see how much "extra" damage they inflict. Just a thought that popped into my head as I was reading through this thread.

[MedievalMan]

Thats a good idea.

[SmootRK]

So, how I do it. If someone rolls a natural 20 (and this actually hits as well), the character must roll again to hit. On the second roll, any result that hits makes it a critical (roll damage dice twice). If another 20 is rolled, then roll a third time; if this roll hits as well it means roll damage 3 times... etc.

So, alternately, if they don't roll a hit on their second roll they just roll for regular damage? Just wanted to clarify.

Yes, that is right; although I am warming up to idea that crit is just max damage, second twenty would make double full damage roll, etc.

[Joe the Rat]

The "max damage" rule is elegant, fast and simple compared to the:
1-Roll to hit
2-confirm the crit
3-roll double dice for damage or double the damage roll result
Which can turn on this:
1-rolling for attack... 20! yeah!
2-confirming critical attack.... HELL YEAH!!!
3- rolling damage... what seriously? a critical attack of... 4pts???

I can see where this could backfire. But here's a thought I just had. If the crit is confirmed instead of rolling double dice you could just designate 1 die as maximum damage and then roll the other die to see how much "extra" damage they inflict. Just a thought that popped into my head as I was reading through this thread.

I like that one.