Critical hit statistics

## Introduction

**Note: work on this document has been discontinued, as the statistics are critter-dependent and the actual tables have been found in the executable.**

This article lists the critical hit effect tables in Fallout 2. The associated messages are in combat.msg, but it is not known where the critical effects are stored or how they are chosen, so they are being determined experimentally. Presumably these are the same in FO1 for critter types that exist in both.

An aimed shot to the body/torso is identical to an unaimed shot. The chance for a critical at each location appears to be base critical chance plus the to-hit penalty, plus about 5%. It isn't known if luck affects the critical hit table rolls.

This data was compiled using a character with 10 Luck and a 10% critical chance, on normal combat difficulty, and with a weapon that causes a fixed amount of damage with no ammo modifiers (like the Red Ryder LE BB gun). Some care must be taken when collectirng these statistics, as criticals with the same message and damage may have different effects. For example, if one knocks a critter down and the other doesn't, if the critter is hit while on the ground, the two will be indistinguishable.

Critical hit effects are listed in order of increasing severity. At least 200 at each location should be recorded, for some degree of statistical significance. More would improve accuracy, but the process is time-consuming.

## Men

 Knocking the air out, he slumps to the ground out of the fight. | Damage x3 bypassing armor, knockout | 10.73% | 22

 His right arm is pulverized by this powerful blow. | Damage x2 bypassing armor, crippled arm | 28.78% | 59

**Left arm:**

 Leaving the left arm dangling by the skin. | Damage x2 bypassing armor, crippled arm | 35.81% | 77

## Rats

Small and large (pig/mole) rats use different targeting wireframes, but are assumed to use the same critical table.

 Seriously wounding the rat and knocking it around. | Damage x2, knockdown | 26.73% | 54

**Head:**

 Squashing the rodent's skull like a wet paper bag. | Damage x3, instant death | 11.39% | 23

**Eyes:**

 Summoning this creature to the great ratcatcher in the sky. | Damage x3, instant death | 30.58% | 63

**Groin:**

 Summoning this creature to the great ratcatcher in the sky. | Damage x3, instant death | 11.96% | 25

**Right paw:**

 Blowing the right paw off. | Damage x2, crippled arm | 27.75% | 58

**Left paw:**

 The left paw of the rat is blown off. | Damage x2, crippled arm | 30.33% | 64

**Right leg:**

 Crippling the right leg. | Damage x2, crippled leg | 26.92% | 56

**Left leg:**

 Putting a big hole in the left leg. | Damage x2, crippled leg | 28.85% | 60

## Robots

This may vary for different types of robots, as their targeted locations are not all the same.

Repair bots, robobrains, and floating eye bots:

## Geckos

 Knocking the stuffing out of it. | Damage x3 bypassing armor, knockout | 8.00% | 16

 Really hurts. | Damage x2, crippled arm | 27.59% | 56

**Left claw:**

 Crippling the left arm. | Damage x2, crippled arm | 28.00% | 56

**Right leg:**

 The intense pain of having a leg removed causes him to quit. | Damage x2 bypassing armor, knockout, crippled leg | 5.00% | 10

**Left leg:**

 The intense pain of having a leg removed causes him to quit. | Damage x2 bypassing armor, knockout, crippled leg | 8.50% | 17

## Aliens

Wanamingo eggs have 'shell' for all locations, but use the same critical table.

 Sliding past the creature's defenses. | Damage x3 bypassing armor, knockout | 7.43% | 15

 Damaging some of its tentacles. | Damage x2 bypassing armor, crippled arm | 28.78% | 59

**Left tentacle:**

 Damaging some of its tentacles. | Damage x2 bypassing armor, crippled arm | 27.06% | 59