HYPERBOREA / Situation Critical

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 5/24/2014 10:51 am

Are you guys using the optional critical hits rules? I left it up to my players since these tend to be much more damaging to them over the long run, and they decided to use them. There have certainly been consequences. I have to say, though, that I really like the variable and class-based results for them in AS&SH, more than any other system I've seen.

**Posted by Ghul** 5/24/2014 4:38 pm

Yes! I've been using that chart since 2009.

**Posted by RedJowel** 5/26/2014 12:57 am

We've been using them since they came up about half way through our campaign, I personolly perfer the crit level charts much more then those fixed or rolling to confirm or most any other system I've used. As a matter of fact tonight for the first time i rolled a six on the crit chart, rolled max damage, and with a +2 enhanced broad sword that my fighter has grandmastery with, so perhaps Im just feeling particularily good about the system now.......

**Posted by joseph** 5/26/2014 10:03 am

I am using it and like it quite a bit. My players seem to enjoy it. I like that each class has a "critical range" so to speak.

Confirming critical hits is something that always stuck in my craw...it really takes the magic away and I don't see the point.

Things I Worked On · **Posted by Ynas Midgard** 8/05/2014 3:14 pm

Confirmation roll is about preventing the unsatisfactory result that less skilled combatants deal critical damage more frequently relative to their own hitting rate. For instance, if natural 20 is a critical strike, and A hits on a roll of 15+, while B hits only on an 18+, then on average every sixth hit of A and every third hit of B is a critical.

TL;DR Confirmation rolls make the chance of making a critical hit scale with level.

**Posted by Chainsaw** 8/05/2014 4:45 pm

Never thought of it that way. Interesting. Thanks!

**Posted by Ghul** 8/06/2014 5:45 am

This is why I introduced the idea of class-based crit results in AS&SH. It makes fighters best at delivering a crit. It does not completely solve the mathematical quandry, but (I feel) it helps.

Things I Worked On · **Posted by Ynas Midgard** 8/06/2014 6:17 am

Well, it makes class more important (rather than the weapon type as in 3.X), and I find it quite satisfying - in theory, at least for now.

(If the others agree, we'll port our current Vikings & Valkyries crew to AS&SH, perhaps even to Hyperborea (they are planning to seek and destroy a wizard who resides in his tower on a misty island; and transported to another world via strange mists is such a Ravenloft-y tribute I cannot resist my inner evil GM)).

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 8/06/2014 8:17 am

Ynas Midgard wrote:
(If the others agree, we'll port our current Vikings & Valkyries crew to AS&SH, perhaps even to Hyperborea (they are planning to seek and destroy a wizard who resides in his tower on a misty island; and transported to another world via strange mists is such a Ravenloft-y tribute I cannot resist my inner evil GM)).

Resistance is futile!