Alternate Critical Table

[Gudiomen]

For me "instant death" is out of the question, my players would skin me alive if an NPC rolled that and killed them just like that. Can't say I'd blame them, I'd skin my GM too if he did that. GURPS omits "instant death" effects for very sound reasons, and I have no intention of overruling that.

Anyway, I've decided to separate "9" from the 9-11 "normal damage" bracket. Since it's slightly rarer than 10 or 11, I'll make it something slightly better than normal damage.

9: basic damage +2 (+1 per dice), if the character already AoA (Strong) or used Extra Effort (extra damage) this turn, the enemy is instead automatically stunned.

I still need to figure out something more colorful for 10 and 11.

[Lupo]

Originally Posted by Gudiomen

9: basic damage +2 (+1 per dice), if the character already AoA (Strong) or used Extra Effort (extra damage) this turn, the enemy is instead automatically stunned.

I'd let them "stack" the damage bonuses if they AoA or use Extra Effort. Automatic stun can be nice, but it can also be perceived as useless (e.g., if the blow was very likely of stunning the foe anyway).

[Gudiomen]

Originally Posted by Lupo

I'd let them "stack" the damage bonuses if they AoA or use Extra Effort. Automatic stun can be nice, but it can also be perceived as useless (e.g., if the blow was very likely of stunning the foe anyway).

Hm, actually I just thought of something...

9: if the character hasn't spent a FP to increase his damage, he may do so now.

This isn't useful all the time, but the option to spend a FP after you know the blow will land is handy. It's also not free, and the character must pay FP normally, which I think makes it only marginally better than "normal damage".

Other options...

9: the opponent is at -1 to his next defense
9: the opponent is at -2 to DX on his next turn
9: attacker also gets a free feint, as if he had all-out-attacked...

[Kelly Pedersen]

Originally Posted by Gudiomen

For me "instant death" is out of the question, my players would skin me alive if an NPC rolled that and killed them just like that.

I was using "instant death" here as a shorthand for "the Heart Attack condition", which at least allows HT rolls to resist it. I certainly wouldn't allow unresistable instant death in a crit table any more than I'd allow it anywhere else in GURPS. :-)