Improved Critical and Greater Critical

[Auggie]

Forgive me for asking this, as I'm sure this has been covered before:

If you use a weapon that can crit on a 19-20, does having Improved Critical give you a threat range of 17-20, since it's doubled??

If you use a weapon that can crit on a 19-20, does having Greater Critical now give you a threat range of 15-20, since it's tripled??

Please clarify this before my players catch wind of this :?

 

[Netherek]

That's pretty much correct, with a scimitar having 15-20 with imp. and 12-20 with greater.

 

[Trodax]

You are indeed correct Auggie.

...with a scimitar having 15-20 with imp. and 12-20 with greater.

I actually think could be problematic. A threat range of 12-20 (damn that's nasty!) will mean a lot of extra rolling in combat. Luckily, Greater Critical is only available at very high levels (16, IIRC) so it won't show up too often.

 

[Oly]

That's pretty much correct, with a scimitar having 15-20 with imp. and 12-20 with greater.

Isn't the scimitar 17-20 with improved and 15-20 with greater as Auggie originally posted?

The normal threat range is two numbers (19-20), doubled is four numbers (17-20) and tripled is six numbers (15-20).

 

[jadrax]

That's pretty much correct, with a scimitar having 15-20 with imp. and 12-20 with greater.

Isn't the scimitar 17-20 with improved and 15-20 with greater as Auggie originally posted?

The normal threat range is two numbers (19-20), doubled is four numbers (17-20) and tripled is six numbers (15-20).

I belive scimitars start at 18-20 x2, (3 numbers) so then go 15-20 (6 numbers) and 12-20 (9 numbers)

 

[Oly]

I belive scimitars start at 18-20 x2, (3 numbers) so then go 15-20 (6 numbers) and 12-20 (9 numbers)

Yup, my bad. For some reason I had cutlass in my head, no idea why....

 

[slaughterj]

You are indeed correct Auggie.

...with a scimitar having 15-20 with imp. and 12-20 with greater.

I actually think could be problematic. A threat range of 12-20 (damn that's nasty!) will mean a lot of extra rolling in combat. Luckily, Greater Critical is only available at very high levels (16, IIRC) so it won't show up too often.

Yeah, and not every character will have it. Of course Barbarians have their own improved critical type of ability as well though...

 

[rgrove0172]

Man this sounds a little unbalanced doesnt it? A critical hit on 50% of your rolls? Granted, it would be rare but still an awesome ability. I would have thought the graduation between Critical inhancing feats would be a bit smaller, say 1 number per.

 

[Krushnak]

it's critical threat not hit, you still to roll again to confirm and if you dont actually count as hitting them with your roll even if it's in the critical threat you dont hit. only a nat 20 will always hit and cause critical threat.

 

[Sutek]

The "balance" may come from the fact that it's only a 1d8 damage weapon, but for the cost...it's the same durability as a broadsword and the same crit range as a Sabre, which would require and exotic wpn proficiency to even use.

But who says that weapon profiles and/or technology are ballanced? :wink:

 

[Auggie]

My barbarian uses a war sword (19-20/x2). I'm not a level 7 in the Barb. class and may not increase. Improved and Greater Crit. might be worth looking into :lol:

 

[slaughterj]

The "balance" may come from the fact that it's only a 1d8 damage weapon, but for the cost...

The Scimitar is, but try the Tulwar!

 

[Sutek]

hehe...I think "tulwar" just means "big honkin scimitar" in Arabic or something...

:lol:

 

[slaughterj]

hehe...I think "tulwar" just means "big honkin scimitar" in Arabic or something...

:lol:

No doubt. I think that some of the races that get scimitar bonuses should get tulwar proficiency as a martial weapon as well...

 

[Lord Jolly the Scribe]

Never had players ever take greater threat ranges for some reason. I don't know why, but I guess they just never thought about it before. I used to always aim for a better critical with my weapons. It is especially more lethal in Conan where you crit most things versus DnD where you had tons of uncritable creatures. I like Conan!! Hack you down like weeds!! :twisted:

 

[Clovenhoof]

Yeah, the Barbarian's allround-critter ability really makes up for all the forbidden combat style feats (Weapon Focus and the like).
Even in D&D (3E) I tried to expand the threat range to a decent value, like using any type of sword with the Keen enhancement and Improved Crit -- voilà, 15-20 threat range. But it's true, so many D&D mobs are immune to crits.

In D&D, powerful opponents have often very high AC, so it doesn't matter if your threat range is 9-20, because you'll only hit on a roll of 15 (for example) and then need to roll another 15+ or just do normal damage nonetheless. (that's why i never bothered with the Scimitar)

I don't know how high DVs get in Conan for high-powered mobs. By and large, I'd say a wide threat range is the way to go.