Critical Hits

A critical hit may occur when a character rolls exceptionally well during his attack. The attack roll must be a natural 18 or higher, and the roll must hit the target by at least 5.

When a critical hit is determined, the victim of the attack makes a Saving Throw vs. Death. If the save is failed, the victim suffers additional effects as determined on the table below.

On a "natural 20" (a 20 rolled on the die, no modifiers were used to achieve the 20) the target is automatically hit regardless of the armor class. If the attacker achieves the standards for a critical (beats the victim's armor class by 5) then full damage is applied automatically. Otherwise, normal damage is rolled.

Some monsters are naturally resistant to the effects of certain critical injuries. Creatures such as golems, undead, or elementals don't bleed and therefore ignore any such effects. A monster like a hydra can lose a head without being instantly slain. However, these injuries can still be important because it might affect the way a monster moves or attacks. A skeleton that's had a leg knocked off can't move at its full rate, even if it is less troubled by the injury than a living person would be. Slimes and jellies have no parts that are more specialized or important than the rest of the body, and are therefore immune to the effects of most critical hits. Use common sense to handle these situations as they arise.