If you have never noticed before, I have some hex gladiators above on the page.  For some time I’ve been contemplating creating a gladiator javascript game that has fun with ajax allowing people to goof around while browsing the site.  Just today I found some Actionscript code by Emanuele Feronato (http://www.emanueleferonato.com/2008/04/23/finding-adjacent-cells-in-an-hex-map/) that looks pretty sweet.  

My code so far has it autoshift the hex gladiator to the nearest hexagon, when dragged and dropped in Internet Explorer (sorry I’m still working on the Cross-Browser part).  I’m wanting to setup movement, right-click options, and other stuff to allow the miniatures to move, hold position, or attack.  It sounds like a bit much for now.. But I should be able to pull it off.  My biggest hurdle is I usually program in ASP, so javascript and PHP are not my strongest points.

Eventually, I’d like to dedicate an arena page on this website that allows registered users to duke it out.  It could be fun figuring out the client and server side validates to ensure nobody is cheating… Besides.. It could play into my whole gladiator campaign concept someday.

So yesterday I put together a somewhat simple “Melee - Critical Hit Table” for all those sword swinging, club thumping, axe biting bastards out there.  I’ll take some time to catch up with Ranged, Magic, Clerical, and other “Critical Hit” charts.  However, before I continue I want to make sure everybody feels comfortable about the greatness of Criticals Hits and the horror that is Critical Failures.

Just as with a max Natural die roll causing a “Automatic Hit” there needs to be the counterbalance of a “Automatic Failure” with the minimum Natural die roll.  If your final Attack Roll amount would miss with this roll then you must roll on the “Critical Failure” chart corresponding to your attack attempt.  As an example I’ve put together the “Melee - Critical Failure Table” below.

In my previous post, I discussed the need for some Critical Charts and methods for Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition.  The goal of these charts is to enhance the storyline and give the characters more amazing feats as well as bloodied scars or missing limbs.

In combat the natural roll of 20 on a d20 is considered an “Automatic Hit”  to the opponent.  Then you have to determine if the “Automatic Hit” was a “Critical Hit”  by verifying that the total “Attack Value” meets or exceeds the opponent’s “Defense Value.”  In the rules (Player’s Guide - 278) they have the rules on “Critical Hits” for you to check on their existing method.  As a player and storyteller, I honestly prefer more then a plain old “Maximum Damage” effect of a “Critical Hit.”  Yes, I’m aware of the other “Extra Damage” rules, however I just want more out of such a feat.

Critical Hits - Option 1

If you roll a Natural 20 and your “Attack Value” does not match or exceed the “Defense Value” then when rolling damage you roll 2X the # of Damage dice, and then select from the dice rolled the appropriate # of dice for your attack.  Example:  Longsword - 1d8; roll 2d8 and select the roll that you wish to count as your “Damage Roll”

If you roll a Natural 20 and your “Attack Value” matches or exceeds the “Defense Value” a “Critical Hit” has been caused.  To see what effects are caused see the “Melee - Critical Hit Effect Table.”

I’m still working on this chart, but figured I’d allow it to be seen so far in the state it is currently in. Any feedback would be great!

Recently, I’ve been playing Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition and have been pretty happy with the results of what WotC came up with.  While at Gen Con Indy 2008, I heard plenty of b*tching from people about 4th verses their favorite 3.0 or 3.5.  I for one can not be much of a judge on the whole upgrade from 3.5 to 4, however I’d can say that verses 2nd Edition.. 4th Kicks *ss!  Yep,  I’m older then most of you out there.. So I took a hiatus from DnD while the 3.0-3.5 chaos ensued.

I’ve played a lot of Role Playing Games (RPGs) over the years and found the basics of 4th pretty easy to get a hang on.  If you can get past the grammatical mess of the books [a flaw I can't really take beef with, as I write pretty ackwardly too :-)], you can find a pretty healthy system that is easy for newbies as well as old guys like myself to pickup.  Being that this site is devoted to gladiatorial combat, I did want to stress that 4th does miss out on a the “Critical” part of the game.

Critical:  Typically a natural roll of 20 on a d20 (20-sided die) is the critical and results in a number of different options from:  Max Damage, Automatic success, etc.  This helps, however I really like to see RPGs with Critical Success and Failure results with a little more flavor.  I remember a game system I playtested years ago called Gatewars.  The game was absolutely a monstrosity of mechanics, however the one awesome quality it possessed was Critical Success and Failure charts for all sorts of things where your Luck stat played a big role.  Obviously, it’s hard to figure out a chart that fits for everything.. Nor is it fair for the Dungeon Master (DM) to have to keep an insanity of charts at hand for any action that results in a Critical Success or Failure.

One part of White Wolf’s games that I like was the high roll means you get to add another.. and another if you get a high on that!  Of course, they balanced this with the low roll resulting in removing any success.  

Example #1:  roll 5d10 - Roll:  3,8,2,10,1 - Results:  10 is cancelled out by the 1.. So only 8, 3, and 2 remain. 

Example #2: roll 5d10 - Roll: 10, 2, 5, 5, 9 - Roll an additional d10 for the 10 - 8 - Results: 10, 9, 8, 5, 5, 2

This idea of adding up rolls is a great way to show something magnificent happened.  Some people may not like this because they believe it makes the dice too powerful in the game.  My rebuttal to this is something heroic can happen to even the lowest of us, and just as heroics can occur so can miserable failures with Critical Failures properly established.

So what can you do if you have only criical failures left (5d10 - Roll: 5, 1, 1, 2, 1)?  That’s when you bring out the Critical Failure chart to have some fun.  A Game Master/Storyteller/Dungeon Master must always make the most of the storyline with whatever Critical Failure is determined.  Let’s say you have a melee system with Defense Skill verses Attack Skill.  If the defender performs a Critical Failure, then the Attacker would get to roll on the Critical Hit chart.  [Yep, I'm a fan of Classic Battletech :-)]  The results could range anything from stunning the opponent for a round, to maiming a limb.  If you can’t tell I’m a big fan of characters that are not perfect.  They need some scars, missing ears, etc. to show their wear.

Obviously, a lot of DnD players would probably not want such charts to be in use.  Part of the issue is the players want their character to be invincible.   Somehow you almost slip into death, yet through a miracle of saving on the last Death Saving throw you ward off death.  Then your lovely healer comes over and get’s you back up and running around without even a hint of being almost dead minutes before.  What problem this presents is players are too fearless with their characters in battle.  Certainly we’re not trying to model reality, however keeping elements of reality can help to make the storyline better.  In nature a lot of confrontation is resolved through posturing and such to avoid actual combat.  If your character had to roll on a Death Failure Chart after failing each Death Saving Throw, then maybe you’d roleplay the character like a living being, instead of some poor excuse of a heroic character.

Of course, when you have a result such as missing ear it can be noted on the character sheet with negative modifiers to their typical Passive Perseption Check if audible noises are what is to be perceived.  If you’re missing an arm, good luck with swinging a sword and using a sheild.  Of course, it could just be a finger which may just play a small role.  Of course, you could also have massive trauma to a location that it takes extra time to heal from beyond what a healer can do.  ‘Damn it Jim, I’m a Cleric not a reconstructive surgeon!’

No matter what, if you play your character well you will take on the challenges of playing a character that is gifted and a little banged up at the same time.