Yes, it’s really that time: time for another issue of the Twilight Time. The subject is: To crit or not to crit?
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I found the D&D 3.5 crit system just didn’t quite work for me. I can understand why they wrote it the way they did, and I’m sure it works great for plenty of folks, but I miss the wild, story-creating crits and fumbles of old. So, I augmented the system for my own use. Hopefully some folks will get some use out of it; just adapt it as you please to suit your own style.
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In complete randomness, it’s been a while since I linked to a Spiffworld production of a Jonathan Coulton song, so here’s a podsafe christmas for you:
I think your critical chart is one of the best ones I’ve seen. At the moment, I buy most of the crit concerns. (That crits tend to affect PCs far more than they effect specific NPCs and the like), but if I decide to go a little more wild, I’m glad I have such a solid table to use.
Thanks!
Of course, heh, gotta make a mistake now and then: addendum to the issue
I find the d20 crit system excellent.
My concern with fumble/crit systems is applying them fairly. As a player you may like killing monster in one blow, but not when the monsters do it to you!
And with the disarm actions, and the use of concentration skills for actions under pressure. There seem quite a few drop weapons as is.
Like I said, it’s very much a matter of personal style and taste. You do what works best for your own group.