Help a noobie understand critical hits

Fred Brackin · 07-31-2023, 01:02 AM

one thing that may not have sunk into the OP (coming as he seems to from
D&D) is that a natural 3 in Gurps is not roughly the same thing as a natural 20 in D&D. The nat 20 is 1-in-20/ the nat 3 is 1-in-216. Slightly more than 10 times more rare.

The reason we usually use a euphemism for D&D is that we seldom have nice things to say about it. For example, I have killed a PC in D&D (it was 3.5) with a nat 20. Even then it could have been avoided with better adventure design.

The module designers had created this Orc variant with more ST but less Dex and Con and then armed them all with fancy polearms. The result had only 6 hp and AC 12 but did something like 2D4+6 with a x3 crit. In general this is what is termed a "Glass Cannon" and it's pretty much the opposite of what a good designer should do.

My PCs were contemptuous of the Orc-variants because to say they died like flies is to grossly exaggerate how fast flies die but one of them did roll a 20 and then maxed damage aand di 42 pts to a 2nd level character.

Had I redone what the designers did they just be regular Orcs with Morningstars and shields and had 1 more HP and 2 pts more of AC but only done 1D8+1 (x2) and that 2nd level character would probabl;y have survived.

This is easily applied to Gurps. If you're worried about what a single lucky die roll could do to a PC don't throw Glass Cannons in their path. That farmer (who shouldn't have been intended as serious opposition) could have easily had a shotgun as a deer rifle and with a little range and not aiming at the skull had much less damge potential.

07-31-2023, 01:02 AM	#11
Fred Brackin Join Date: Aug 2007	Re: Help a noobie understand critical hits one thing that may not have sunk into the OP (coming as he seems to from D&D) is that a natural 3 in Gurps is not roughly the same thing as a natural 20 in D&D. The nat 20 is 1-in-20/ the nat 3 is 1-in-216. Slightly more than 10 times more rare. The reason we usually use a euphemism for D&D is that we seldom have nice things to say about it. For example, I have killed a PC in D&D (it was 3.5) with a nat 20. Even then it could have been avoided with better adventure design. The module designers had created this Orc variant with more ST but less Dex and Con and then armed them all with fancy polearms. The result had only 6 hp and AC 12 but did something like 2D4+6 with a x3 crit. In general this is what is termed a "Glass Cannon" and it's pretty much the opposite of what a good designer should do. My PCs were contemptuous of the Orc-variants because to say they died like flies is to grossly exaggerate how fast flies die but one of them did roll a 20 and then maxed damage aand di 42 pts to a 2nd level character. Had I redone what the designers did they just be regular Orcs with Morningstars and shields and had 1 more HP and 2 pts more of AC but only done 1D8+1 (x2) and that 2nd level character would probabl;y have survived. This is easily applied to Gurps. If you're worried about what a single lucky die roll could do to a PC don't throw Glass Cannons in their path. That farmer (who shouldn't have been intended as serious opposition) could have easily had a shotgun as a deer rifle and with a little range and not aiming at the skull had much less damge potential. __________________ Fred Brackin