[CONAN] Mighty Blow?

[Supplement Four]

We used the Mighty Blow for the first time in my game last night, although there was some discussion among the players about how the rule was meant to be used. I think I played it wrong.

In the light of day, here's how I think the rule should be played. You tell me if you agree or disagree.



Mighty Blow.

Players rolls attack normally. After the attack is thrown, the player can decide to use a Fate Point for a Mighty Blow on this one particular attack.

If the player decides to use the Mighty Blow, damage is not rolled. Maximum damage is figured based on the roll.

What does "based on the roll" mean?

It means that on a normal attack throw, a character using a Hunting Spear (1d8 damage) will do damage equal to 8 + STR mod.

If that attack throw is a Critical Hit, then using the Mighty Blow on that throw becomes: (With a Hunting Spear) 8 + 8 + STR mod.




After carefully reading the rule, I think that what I wrote above is what is meant. Last game session, I gave the player maximum damage as if he rolled a Critical Hit when he didn't. I need to change that next game.

Anyway, any comments on the above? Do I have it right?

 

[Boneguard]

Mighty Blow.

Players rolls attack normally. After the attack is thrown, the player can decide to use a Fate Point for a Mighty Blow on this one particular attack.

If the player decides to use the Mighty Blow, damage is not rolled. Maximum damage is figured based on the roll.

What does "based on the roll" mean?

It means that on a normal attack throw, a character using a Hunting Spear (1d8 damage) will do damage equal to 8 + STR mod.

If that attack throw is a Critical Hit, then using the Mighty Blow on that throw becomes: (With a Hunting Spear) 8 + 8 + STR mod.

That is my understanding of the rule. You basically award the maximum damage for the weapon then the various modifiers (x Critical hit + strength + magical + circumstance + etc.).

 

[Supplement Four]

That is my understanding of the rule. You basically award the maximum damage for the weapon then the various modifiers (x Critical hit + strength + magical + circumstance + etc.).

The point I was checking was the Critical part. If the throw is not a Critical Hit, then you do not get max critical damage. You only get max damage for a normal blow.

If you throw 15 and hit, using a Hunting Spear (1d8 damage with STR 16), then a Mighty Blow will deliver 11 hit points of damage.

If your throw a natural 20, using with the same weapon and character, then a Mighty blow will deliever 19 points of daamge.

Correct?

 

[Supplement Four]

I also want to check on the Critical Hits.

Let's say you're STR 16, using a Hunting Spear (1d8 damage, x2 on a Critical). If you roll a natural 20, then your damage is 2d8+3.

Correct?

 

[Boneguard]

That is my understanding of the rule. You basically award the maximum damage for the weapon then the various modifiers (x Critical hit + strength + magical + circumstance + etc.).

The point I was checking was the Critical part. If the throw is not a Critical Hit, then you do not get max critical damage. You only get max damage for a normal blow.

If you throw 15 and hit, using a Hunting Spear (1d8 damage with STR 16), then a Mighty Blow will deliver 11 hit points of damage.

If your throw a natural 20, using with the same weapon and character, then a Mighty blow will deliever 19 points of daamge.

Correct?

Correct. A non Critical hit only do Base damage + other bonus for class/feat/strength/etc.

Critical bonus comes in if you actually 'confirmed' critical hit.

I also want to check on the Critical Hits.

Let's say you're STR 16, using a Hunting Spear (1d8 damage, x2 on a Critical). If you roll a natural 20, then your damage is 2d8+3.

Correct?

Technically no. It's not 2d8+STR but (1d8x2)+STR.

It may look the same, but not quite, since with 2d8 you get a bell curve effect (and more likely to average) whereas a (1d8x2) it's a flat-line with an equal 12.5% chance to have any number.

Now for Mighty blow the result is the same, but, in other case you would have different result.

 

[Supplement Four]

Technically no. It's not 2d8+STR but (1d8x2)+STR.

I don't think that's correct. I think what I had originally was correct.

Take a look at page 184 of 2E. There, it says, "A critical hit means that the target rolls his damage more than once, with all his usual bonuses, and adds the rolls together".

There's no real multiplication going on. You're just adding more dice to the damage throw, then adding it all up.

My question was this: On a critical hit, is the damage 2d8 +3? Or is it 1d8 +3 added to another throw of 1d8 +3 (or 2d8 +6, for short)?

But now, upon reading the rule further, I see the exception that the adds over and above the weapon's normal damage are not multiplied.

So, the correct answer is: 2d8 + 3, as I originally said.





If a character with STR 18 scored a Critical Hit using a Bardiche, he would throw this damage: 3d10 + 3d8 + 6.

That's because the weapon's critical damage multiplier is x3, and he's using the weapon two-handed, so his STR mod is 1.5 times normal.



It may look the same, but not quite, since with 2d8 you get a bell curve effect (and more likely to average) whereas a (1d8x2) it's a flat-line with an equal 12.5% chance to have any number.

Now for Mighty blow the result is the same, but, in other case you would have different result.[/quote]

 

[Supplement Four]

Technically no. It's not 2d8+STR but (1d8x2)+STR.

I don't think that's correct. I think what I had originally was correct.

Take a look at page 184 of 2E. There, it says, "A critical hit means that the target rolls his damage more than once, with all his usual bonuses, and adds the rolls together".

There's no real multiplication going on. You're just adding more dice to the damage throw, then adding it all up.

My question was this: On a critical hit, is the damage 2d8 +3? Or is it 1d8 +3 added to another throw of 1d8 +3 (or 2d8 +6, for short)?

But now, upon reading the rule further, I see the exception that the adds over and above the weapon's normal damage are not multiplied.

So, the correct answer is: 2d8 + 3, as I originally said.





If a character with STR 18 scored a Critical Hit using a Bardiche, he would throw this damage: 3d10 + 3d8 + 6.

That's because the weapon's critical damage multiplier is x3, and he's using the weapon two-handed, so his STR mod is 1.5 times normal.



EDIT: Ah! I see that we're both wrong! Check out this page: At This WotC Page

There, it basically says that the you should consider a Critical Hit the same as being hit singely, but multiple times. This, a x2 Crit modifier is the same as being hit twice. A x3 Crit modifier is the same as being hit three times.

Thus, to revise what I said above: If a character with STR 18 scored a Critical Hit using a Bardiche, he would throw this damage: 3d10 + 3d8 + 18.

That's equivalent to being hit three times by the weapon:

1d10 + 1d8 + 6 + 1d10 + 1d8 + 6 + 1d10 + 1d8 + 6 = Crit Damage.

 

[Boneguard]

But now, upon reading the rule further, I see the exception that the adds over and above the weapon's normal damage are not multiplied.

So, the correct answer is: 2d8 + 3, as I originally said.

EDIT: Ah! I see that we're both wrong! Check out this page: At This WotC Page

There, it basically says that the you should consider a Critical Hit the same as being hit singely, but multiple times. This, a x2 Crit modifier is the same as being hit twice. A x3 Crit modifier is the same as being hit three times.

Thus, to revise what I said above: If a character with STR 18 scored a Critical Hit using a Bardiche, he would throw this damage: 3d10 + 3d8 + 18.

That's equivalent to being hit three times by the weapon:

1d10 + 1d8 + 6 + 1d10 + 1d8 + 6 + 1d10 + 1d8 + 6 = Crit Damage.

Interesting, although it would be 3d10+3d8+6 (or is it +4?), since -as you indicated above- in Conan it is indicated that added bonus (be it dice for abilities or straight plus (as for strength) are not multiplied when calculating critical hit.

 

[LucaCherstich]

Conan 2e page 184:
"..a critical hit means that the target rolls his damage more than once , with all his usual bonuses, and add the rolls together..."

My explanation is that x 3 means rolling dice 3 times and adding bonuses (for example Str) three times.

 

[Supplement Four]

Interesting, although it would be 3d10+3d8+6 (or is it +4?), since -as you indicated above- in Conan it is indicated that added bonus (be it dice for abilities or straight plus (as for strength) are not multiplied when calculating critical hit.

If you read both the Conan rule and the WotC link above carefully, they both say the same thing. As I have discovered, the simple way to think about a Critical Hit is that the modifier indicates how the one critical hit is equal to a number of single hits.

For example, if a character with STR 18, using a Bardiche, does a single hit, his damage is: 1d10 + 1d8 + 6.

The "+6" comes from the 1.5 x STR mod because the Bardiche is held in two hands (STR 18 +4 becomes +6).

The critical multiplier for a Bardiche is x3. This means, on a critical hit, the one critical hit does the same damage as if the weapon had hit three times.

Thus, you could roll--

1d10 + 1d8 + 6 + 1d10 + 1d8 + 6 + 1d10 + 1d8 + 6

--that's rolling damage for three different strikes, counted all up, and used for the one Critical Blow.

Or, you could shorthand it roll Critical damage like this: 3d6 + 3d8 + 18.

Both ways are correct.





EDIT: The simple way of saying it is, "When you roll a critical hit, just look at the weapon's multiplier and say to yourself, 'Ah! I roll damage that many times!'"

 

[Supplement Four]

Yip, Str is included in Multiplier, but not things like Sneak Attack or Power Attack.

So Spear is 2d8+6.

Natural "20" are automatic hits, but as said, the person need to roll again to confirm Critical, by rolling dice to be able to hit foes normal Defence!

So by FP statues of Mighty Blow, Spear above does 22 pts of Damage!

Not quite.... :shock:

The Hunting Spear (which I assume you mean, since you used 1d8 damage) is a one handed weapon. Thus, the STR 18 character would only get +4 damage.

A critcal with a Hunting spear would do: 2d8 + 8 damage.

 

[Supplement Four]

was using your example S4, but if there is another example here with Str 18, then as you state 2d8+8.

Sorry, my last example, immediately above, used a Hunting Spear and STR 18. Thought you were referring to that example.