I would love to have some house rules toggles either on the character sheet or campaign page.
Improved Critical Hit; When scoring a critical hit, roll damage as normal, add modifiers, then add the maximum value of all damage dice for the attack to the total. Example, a rogue scores a crit sneak attack with a rapier. The damage would be 1d8+1d6+dexterity mod+8+6
While I don't have an issue in principle, there are so many things with house rules it would be strange to build them all in. Even on critical hits, our table has a different house rule than what you're using (we just double the damage rolled instead of rolling twice the dice). Mind you, not all house rules need anything built into the system, but I feel like there are enough that would to make it cumbersome if they were all added.
I understand that's a bit of a slippery slope argument. Not everyone would ask for their house rules to be optionally implemented. I just don't really know why this one and not others, unless this was something users could customize themselves.
I agree that this would be great if every player could customize their dice rolls but I'm not sure the system could handle it. It would be cool though given that at higher levels of play a single attack or Crit could mean LOTS of dice being thrown.
By the way, I use this Crit system for my game because I've seen Crits wasted on minimum die rolls before and it's very anticlimactic.
I prefer the idea of - rather than simply adding more damage dice - if maybe a critical hit gave the attacker some other kind of situational benefit.
Like maybe if you score a critical hit on an attack roll you roll another d20 and consult a table that might look like:
1 to 10: it's a regular critical hit. Double the damage dice as normal.
11: Double the damage dice plus the next attack roll against that target has advantage.
12: Double the damage dice plus the target has disadvantage on its next attack roll.
13: Double damage dice plus the target's speed is halved until the start of your next turn.
14: Double damage dice plus the target cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn.
15: Double damage dice plus the target has disadvantage on its next saving throw.
16: Double damage dice plus the target must make a Str save or be knocked back 10 ft.
17: Double damage dice plus the target must make a Str save or be knocked prone.
18: Double damage dice plus the target is blinded until the start of your next turn.
19: Double damage dice plus the target takes one level of exhaustion.
20: Triple the damage dice plus the target's speed is zero until the start of your next turn.
Or something like that. Of course you can customize it. I just think adding hit points to more hit points can get a bit boring. I prefer to see other lingering effects of combat being incorporated into a fight. Just my 2 c.p.
OH! Wait!!! But remember..... whatever enhanced benefits the players get from scoring critical hits against their targets - those enemies also get to employ those some enhanced critical hit effects against the players!!! As we used to say in the army, "Tracers work both ways."
This particular rule affects the dice rolling mechanic that is part of the app. It should be relatively easy to implement & is a common house rule as it was copied from the 5e play test.
I would like to see other common house & optional rules implemented but the ones I know of would not affect the app or only need to be accounted for one so can just be entered as campaign notes. For example I use a more generous ability score array. I just note that in the campaign & players manually enter the scores.
Another issue I noticed is that critical hits should affect things like the rogue's Sneak Attack damage but this is not implemented in the app. Players must know & remember to roll this damage twice on a crit.
I would avoid adding book keeping like this. The reason I like the improved crit rule is that you are just switching from adding extra dice to adding extra flat numbers. ie instead of rolling another d8 you just add a flat 8. So for no extra math the maximised damage makes crits feel powerful. It also makes monsters hit a little harder but monsters tend to not hit hard enough anyway.
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I would love to have some house rules toggles either on the character sheet or campaign page.
Improved Critical Hit; When scoring a critical hit, roll damage as normal, add modifiers, then add the maximum value of all damage dice for the attack to the total. Example, a rogue scores a crit sneak attack with a rapier. The damage would be 1d8+1d6+dexterity mod+8+6
I agree that this would be great if every player could customize their dice rolls but I'm not sure the system could handle it. It would be cool though given that at higher levels of play a single attack or Crit could mean LOTS of dice being thrown.
By the way, I use this Crit system for my game because I've seen Crits wasted on minimum die rolls before and it's very anticlimactic.
I prefer the idea of - rather than simply adding more damage dice - if maybe a critical hit gave the attacker some other kind of situational benefit.
Like maybe if you score a critical hit on an attack roll you roll another d20 and consult a table that might look like:
1 to 10: it's a regular critical hit. Double the damage dice as normal.
11: Double the damage dice plus the next attack roll against that target has advantage.
12: Double the damage dice plus the target has disadvantage on its next attack roll.
13: Double damage dice plus the target's speed is halved until the start of your next turn.
14: Double damage dice plus the target cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn.
15: Double damage dice plus the target has disadvantage on its next saving throw.
16: Double damage dice plus the target must make a Str save or be knocked back 10 ft.
17: Double damage dice plus the target must make a Str save or be knocked prone.
18: Double damage dice plus the target is blinded until the start of your next turn.
19: Double damage dice plus the target takes one level of exhaustion.
20: Triple the damage dice plus the target's speed is zero until the start of your next turn.
Or something like that. Of course you can customize it. I just think adding hit points to more hit points can get a bit boring. I prefer to see other lingering effects of combat being incorporated into a fight. Just my 2 c.p.
OH! Wait!!! But remember..... whatever enhanced benefits the players get from scoring critical hits against their targets - those enemies also get to employ those some enhanced critical hit effects against the players!!! As we used to say in the army, "Tracers work both ways."
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
This particular rule affects the dice rolling mechanic that is part of the app. It should be relatively easy to implement & is a common house rule as it was copied from the 5e play test.
I would like to see other common house & optional rules implemented but the ones I know of would not affect the app or only need to be accounted for one so can just be entered as campaign notes. For example I use a more generous ability score array. I just note that in the campaign & players manually enter the scores.
Another issue I noticed is that critical hits should affect things like the rogue's Sneak Attack damage but this is not implemented in the app. Players must know & remember to roll this damage twice on a crit.
I would avoid adding book keeping like this. The reason I like the improved crit rule is that you are just switching from adding extra dice to adding extra flat numbers. ie instead of rolling another d8 you just add a flat 8. So for no extra math the maximised damage makes crits feel powerful. It also makes monsters hit a little harder but monsters tend to not hit hard enough anyway.