From: lazarus@ug.cs.dal.ca (Chuck Turner)
Subject: Re: Critical Hits
Organization: Math, Stats & CS, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 19:10:20 GMT

In article <1992Oct3.203012.43557@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> blythe@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
>I was wondering about the implemented ways of afflicting critical
>damage with weapons.  I mean like when a PC or for that matter a NPC
>rolls a natural 20 to hit.  Do any of you DM's out there give bonus
>damage?  If so, in what ways do you penalize the character if they
>roll extremely bad to even it all out?
>My curiosity arose when I examined the wild mage class and questioned
>if a spell's power can be altered by a die roll, then why not allow
>the other classes to have similar special cases.
>-- 

The mates and I are all DMs, each with a campaign underway.  With the
exception of one person, we all use the same crit hit/crit miss tables
for combat (the odd man out is using a new system that is also working
quite well).

Here are the tables that we use...

CRITICAL HITS:

D%          Location Table
---------------------------------
01-15       Head Table
16-50       Torso Table
51-75       Leg Table (odd roll = right leg; even roll = left leg)
76-00       Arm Table (odd roll = right leg; even roll = left leg)

HEAD TABLE:

D%          Location                  Damage Mod
--------------------------------------------------------
01-05       Skull/Brain               Death or x4 (saving throw determines)
06-20       Skull                     x2 (*~)
21-35       Eyes/Nose                 x3 (~)
26-55       Mouth/Jaw                 x2 (~)
56-00       Glancing Blow             normal

TORSO TABLE:

D%          Location                  Damage Mod
--------------------------------------------------------
01-11       Shoulder Glance           normal
12-16       Shoulder Socket           x2
17-21       Shoulder                  x3
22-26       Torso Glance              normal
   27       Neck                      x3 (*~) 
28-33       Rib/Lung                  x2
34-42       Lung                      x2 (*)
   43       Heart                     x4 (**)
44-49       Rib/Liver                 x2
50-51       Liver                     x3 (*)
52-53       Rib/Stomach               x2
54-57       Stomach                   x3 (*)
58-61       Stomach/Liver             x3 (*)
62-65       Stomach/Spleen            x3 (*)
66-68       Liver/Kidney              x3 (*)
69-73       Spine/Liver               x3 (*~)
74-79       Intestines                x3 (*)
80-85       Spine/Intestines          x3 (*~)
   86       Spine                     x4 (*~)
87-93       Pelvis/Groin              x2 (*)
94-00       Hip Socket                x2

LEG TABLE

D%          Location                  Damage Mod
--------------------------------------------------------
01-10       Glancing Blow             normal
11-35       Flesh Wound               x2
36-55       Flesh/Bone                x3 (*)
56-70       Knee                      x2
71-85       Shin                      x2
86-00       Ankle/Foot                x2

ARM TABLE

D%          Location                  Damage Mod
--------------------------------------------------------
01-15       Glancing Blow             normal
16-35       Upper Arm - Flesh         x2
36-50       Upper Arm - Bone          x2
51-70       Forearm - Flesh           x2
71-85       Forearm - Bone            x2
86-00       Wrist/Hand                x2

Symbols:  * Bleeder.  The person/creature hit suffers 1 hit point loss per
		      round per bleeder until stopped by a successful
		      healing proficiency check, or magical healing.
		      NOTE:  one proficiency check or one spell is necessary
			     for EACH bleeder suffered during combat.
          ~ Stunned.  The person/creature hit is stunned for D8 + 2 rounds
                      and suffers a -2 penalty to ALL actions.  Any further
		      critical hit that indicates this effect means that
		      the person/creature is incapacitated for D8 + 2 rounds.

BONUS CRITICAL:

If a further percentile roll is less than 20% + total damage done in the
attack, a roll is made on the following table.

D8          Effect
---------------------------
1 - 3       Bleeder 1/rnd (in addition to any automatic bleeders)
4 - 5       Break/Tear/Sprain (with logical results)
6 - 7       Knockback 5"/10hp damage (prone target until victim gets up)
    8       Roll Twice (disregard if this is rolled again)

I'll give one example of all this.

Faether (wielding a longsword - specialized; STR 17) attacks an ettin.  He
rolls a natural 20, so rolls two percentile rolls.  The first is 45, which
indicates a hit to the torso; the second is an 83, which indicates a hit
to the Spine/Intestines area.  Faether then rolls his damage and gets an
8 on D12.  He triples this to get 24, then adds his strength and specialization
bonuses for a total of 27 (If the sword was magical, any pluses would be
added now too).  The ettin takes 27 points of damage, gains a bleeder that
will reduce him by 1/rnd, and is stunned for D8+2 rnds.  Faether now rolls
percentile dice again, trying to get less than 47% for the Bonus Critical.
He rolls 12, and on a D8 rolls 5.  In this case, the DM would decide whether
the ettin's spine was broken, or his intestines torn, the logical results of
each occurence then being applied.

This may seem a little extreme to some people, but remember, the same thing
can happen to the PCs (grin).  I've had a 12th level fighter killed by an orc
who got lucky and broke my neck.

CRITICAL MISSES (to be determined on any natural roll of 1 on D20)

CRITICAL MISS TABLE:                   TRIP/FALL TABLE: 

D8        Table                        D6       Result
----------------------------           ------------------------------ 
1         Trip/Fall                    1        DEX check + 2 or trip 
2         Drop/Throw                   2        DEX check or trip 
3         Obstruction 1                3        DEX check - 2 or trip 
4         Obstruction 2                4        trip (prone) 
5         Obstruction 3                5        trip (stunned for D4 rnds)
6         Obstruction 4                6        trip (stunned for D4 rnds +
7         Break Weapon                          D6 hit points damage) 
8         Roll Twice (ignore any
	  further rolls of 8)


DROP/THROW TABLE:                      OBSTRUCTION 1 TABLE

D6        Result                       D6       Result 
----------------------------           ------------------------------
1         DEX check + 2 or drop item   1        Minor Distraction (-2 to hit)
2         DEX check or drop item       2        Major Distraction (-4 to hit)
3         DEX check + 2 or throw item  3        Complete Distraction (lose all
	  3D20'                                 attacks next round)
4         DEX check or throw item      4        Hesitation (+2 Speed Factor)
	  2D20'                        5        Hesitation (+4 Speed Factor)
5         Drop item                    6        Hesitation (attack last next
6         Throw item 3D20'                      round)

OBSTRUCTION 2 TABLE:                   OBSTRUCTION 3 TABLE:

D6        Result                       D6       Result
-----------------------------          --------------------------------
1         Hit Other x2 (foe)           1        STR check + 2 or lodge weapon
2         Hit Other x2 (friend)        2        STR check or lodge weapon
3         Hit Other x1/2 (foe)         3        STR check - 2 or lodge weapon
4         Hit Other x1/2 (friend)      4        Lodge Weapon
5         Hit Other norm (foe)         5        Open Defence (+2 AC)
6         Hit Other norm (friend)      6        Open Defence (+4 AC)

OBSTRUCTION 4 TABLE                    BREAK ITEM TABLE:

D6        Result                       D6       Result
-----------------------------          ---------------------------------
1         DEX check + 2 or hit self    1        DEX check or save vs normal blow
	  1/2 damage                   2        DEX check - 2 or save vs normal
2         DEX check or hit self 1/2             blow
	  damage                       3        save vs normal blow
3         Hit self 1/2 damage          4        save vs crushing blow
4         Hit self normal damage       5        save vs crushing blow -2
5         Overextension (-2 to hit     6        save vs disintigration
	  for D3 rnds)
6         Overextension (-4 to hit
	  for D6 rnds)

NOTES:  - Ability checks require the PC or NPC to roll less than his or her
	  applicable stat on D20, with the modifiers given.
        - Any trip gives any attacker who strikes the person AFTER this point in
	  the combat round a +2 to hit bonus (simultaneous attacks are not
	  affected).  Prone gives a +4 to hit bonus. 
        - Dropped items may be picked up next round with a +1 modifier to 
	  initiative.  Thrown items may be picked up with an initiative modifier
	  of 1 + 1/5'.
        - Any breakable item that is dropped must save vs normal blow.  Any
	  breakable item that is thrown must save vs crushing blow.
        - Distractions can be anything, and may be roll-played by the DM and
	  players.  It may be an absurd action done by another combatant, or
	  simple the person's cloak swirling about his head.  In any case,
	  the to hit modifiers apply to attacks the next round.
        - Hesitation can be played the same way, but results in a slower
	  initiative, rather than a lesser chance to hit.
        - Hit other means that someone other than your intended target was
	  hit.  If another foe is indicated, but none exists, then a friend
	  is hit.  Likewise, if a friend is indicated, and none is possible,
	  then another foe is hit.  If it is impossible to hit either another
	  foe, or another friend, no one is hit.
        - If a friend is struck, you may pull the blow, so that strength
	  bonuses, and specialization bonuses do not apply.  Magical bonuses
	  DO apply.
        - Lodged weapons become stuck in something...a crack in the stonework;
	  a tree, a corpse, anything.  It will require an open doors roll to
	  remove the weapon, and this will add +2 to initiative in the next
	  combat round.
        - open defense means that you are out of position to protect yourself
	  adequately for the rest of this round (or the next round, if you
	  attacked last).
        - Hit self will require some common sense.  Many weapons will not allow
	  for self-inflicted wounds (bow, fists, etc).  In this case, the damage
	  must be attributed to something else, up to the DMs discretion.
        - Overextension means that the person pulled something, and is unable
	  to attack efficiently until the pain has been overcome.
        - all saving throws are made on the item saving throw chart using the
	  most applicable material (the string on a bow is more likely to 
	  break than the wood, etc). 
        - No matter what the outcome of rolling on these charts, the PC or NPC
	  loses ALL further attacks this round.

Hope this stuff is all informative and useful.  It may look like a lot, but
with some photoreducing, it all fits onto one page, with enough room left over
for a nifty little picture.  Once you are used to it, it takes no time at all,
and adds some variety to battle.

						Chuck (Curan of WhiteSands)

 _______________________________________ 
|                                       | '..err..of course I suck blood.' 
| "--whether you are quiet and ALIVE or | 'I don't believe you.' 
| quiet and DEAD makes no difference to | 'I've got a straw right here PAL! 
| Cerebus."                             |  You want a demonstration?!'
|       - Cerebus the Aardvark          |                   - The Tick 
|_______________________________________| Chuck Turner -> lazarus@ug.cs.dal.ca