[Polaris]

Hal,

I'll agree that if you aren't in danger at all (safe at home), then indeed bless would not negate a critical failure. However, if you were in an environment where there was always a level of possibly immediate danger (like most dungeon crawls), I'd say a strict reading of bless indicates that it does. The spell doesn't say the recipient has to be in immediate danger, only in danger.

Naturally this is subject to GM interpretation, but almost all that I've had experience with rule that in an "adventuring" situation (i.e. not safe at home or in an inn or inside lots or protection), bless certainly does negate criticals against you....at the cost of the bless itself.

-Polaris