Criticals

Criticals and Critical Effects

Whenever a character rolls a natural 1 or 20 on a martial check to attack, spell casting check, save, or some other specific checks, this is considered a critical. A natural 1 is a critical fail and the check automatically fails, while a natural 20 is a critical success and automatically succeeds. With some actions, such as attacking or spell casting, when a critical happens a confirmation roll is required to see if a greater effect happens.

Strong Critical

When a critical success on an attack or spell cast is confirmed, a strong critical occurs. Strong Criticals have additional effects depending on the type of action that was successfully confirmed. Some talents, abilities, and items can influence what number a Strong Critical can occur on. For example, a weapon with a critical range of 19 can trigger a Strong Critical on a 19 or 20. A critical on a 19 would not be an automatic success however.
Weapon Attacks: When a weapon attack confirms a Strong Critical it deals double damage before any reductions. In addition it triggers an effect based on the type of damage dealt and it’s critical rating, see chart below. If the attack is applying an ongoing condition or other effect, the duration of the effect is doubled.
Spell Casting: When a spell casting check confirms a Strong Critical it gains a number of free upcasting effects equal to the spells level. These upcasting benefits are in addition to any benefits already applied and ignore the normal limits to how many upcasts can be applied to a spell. In addition, if the spell deals damage it triggers an effect based on the type of damage dealt and it’s critical rating, see the table below. Note: Attacks roles made as part of casting a spell to apply the spell effects can not trigger strong criticals or hotstreaks on the spell.
Note: Any ongoing effect from a strong critical has it's duration reset if another strong critical of the same type occurs during the effect. If a strong critical deals multiple types of damage, only the damage that is multiplied by the strong critical has an additional effect. If multiple types of damage are multiplied by the critical, the attacker chooses which additional effect occurs.

Hotstreak

When a Strong Critical that was triggered by a natural 20 is confirmed by another natural 20, a Hotstreak occurs. Hotstreaks cause greater effects that can swing momentum and turn the tide of battle. An action that deals damage now deals maximum damage and an increase the tier of critical effect by one step, and any ongoing effects durations are quadrupled. If the Hotstreak was triggered by a spell, any resources used for that spell are not spent and the caster is not restricted from taking another spell casting action that turn. Finally, if a Hotstreak triggers on an attack, the attacker rolls a d100 and an additional effect based on the table below occurs.

Critical Fumble

When a critical miss caused by a natural 1 is confirmed by another natural 1 a Critical Fumble occurs. Critical Fumbles are disastrous results that can upset the flow of battle. If a spell casting check critically fumbles a minor wild magic event occurs. If an attack critically fumbles the attacker rolls a d100 to determine the fumble effect based on the table below.

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Strong Critical Effect Table

Every damage type has access to the minor effect for strong criticals, moderate and major effects can be accessed through talents and other abilities.

Damage Type	Minor Effect	Moderate Effect	Major Effect
Slashing	Target gains Critical Rating points of stackable bleed	Target takes critical rating Str or Dex damage	Target gains half critical rating Con bleed
Piercing	Attack bypasses Critical Rating amount of physical DR	Target has grappled condition for critical rating rounds	Target is Nauseated for critical rating rounds
Bludgeoning	Target has Critical Rating Active Reduction for 1d4 Rounds	Target is Staggered for critical rating rounds	Target is Stunned for critical rating rounds
Fire	Target has a number of applications of Burning equal to critical rating	Target is affected by critical rating hours worth of Severe Heat Exposure	Target has Burning Panic
Cold	Target lowers movement speed by 5ft per critical rating for 1d4 rounds	Target is affected by critical rating hours worth of Severe Cold Exposure	Target is Disabled for critical rating rounds
Acid	Targets physical hardness or DR lowered an amount equal to critical rating for 1d4 rounds	Targets physical AC and DR lowered an amount equal to critical rating for 1d4 rounds	Targets physical AC and DR lowered an amount equal to critical rating until repaired or healed
Electricity	Target has Critical Rating Unbalanced for 1d4 rounds	Target Staggered for critical rating rounds	Target is Helpless for half critical rating rounds
Poison	Target takes penalty to save against the poison equal to critical rating	Target has Intoxication (Slight) for poison duration or critical rating rounds	Target has Intoxication (Moderate) for poison duration or critical rating rounds
Positive / Negative	Target is Sickened for critical rating rounds	Target is Nauseated for critical rating rounds	Target is Paralyzed for critical rating rounds
Force	Target pushed back 5ft per critical rating	Target is knocked prone	Target is Unconscious for critical rating rounds
Sonic	Target Deafened for critical rating rounds	Target Deafened for critical rating minutes	Target permanently Deafened
Radiant	Target Dazzled for critical rating rounds	Target Blind for critical rating rounds	Target permanently Blind
Gloom	Targets vision is treated as if in fog for critical rating rounds	Target has 10% miss chance per critical rating	Targets critical fail/fumble range is increased by critical rating for 1d4 rounds
Psychic	Target has Critical Rating Clouded for 1d4 rounds	Target is Horrified for critical rating rounds	Target is Frightened for critical rating rounds
Necrotic	Target takes reduced healing equal to critical rating for 1d4 rounds. This effect can stack.	Target takes critical rating in Con damage	Target must make a DC 15+crit rating Body save or be paralyzed
Astral	Target takes 5 Mana Burn per critical rating	Target is Dazed for critical rating rounds	Target is Stunned for critical rating rounds
Void	Target has Confusion for critical rating rounds	Target takes critical rating in Int damage	Target is Helpless for critical rating rounds
Primal	Target has Intoxication (Slight) for critical rating rounds	Target has Intoxication (Moderate) for critical rating rounds	Target has Intoxication (Heavy) for critical rating rounds
Shade	Target is Sickened for Critical Rating rounds	Target is Fatigued for critical rating rounds	Target is Exhausted for critical rating rounds
Primary Alignments	Target has critical rating Active Reduction for 1d4 rounds	Target has critical rating Dire Reduction for 1d4 rounds	Target has Disadvantage for critical rating rounds
Holy / Unholy	Target has critical rating Defensive Reduction for 1d4 rounds	Target has critical rating Dire Reduction for 1d4 rounds	Target has Disadvantage for critical rating rounds
Crushing	Target is Entangled (Anchored) for critical rating rounds	Target is Grappled for critical rating rounds	Target is Pinned for critical rating rounds

Hotstreak Effect Table

The following Hotstreak effects only happen if able, if an affect would be impossible in the situation either nothing happens or reroll, up to GM.

D100	Hotstreak Effects
1	No Special Effect
2-5	Target is Dazzled for 1 round
6-10	Target is Sickened for 1 round
11-15	Attack bypasses half the DR
16-20	Target is Entangled
21-25	Target takes attacks damage dice in bleeding
26-30	Target is Staggered for 1 round
31-35	Target knocked Prone
35-40	Attack deals 25% damage to enemies adjacent to the target
41-45	Target is Disarmed
46-50	Attack deals 25% more damage
51-55	Target is Entangled (Anchored)
56-60	Target is Blind for 1 round
61-65	Target is Nauseated for 1 round
66-70	Target provokes from attacker
71-75	Attack deals 50% more damage
76-80	Target is Stunned for 1 round
81-85	Target must make DC 20+critical rating Body Save or be knocked Unconscious
86-90	Target provokes from all allies
91-95	Attack bypasses DR and gives armor Broken state
96-99	Attack has an additional .5 multiplier to damage on the strong critical
100	Target must make DC 20+critical rating Body Save or Die

Critical Fumble Effect Table

The following Critical Fumble effects only happen if able, if an affect would be impossible in the situation either nothing happens or reroll, up to GM.

D100	Critical Fumble Effects
1	Attacker hits themselves and rolls to confirm a Strong Critical against themselves, this can Hotstreak
2-5	Attackers weapon is broken, if already broken it is destroyed
6-10	Attacker hits nearest ally and rolls to confirm a Strong Critical against them
11-15	Attacker provokes from all enemies threatening them
16-20	Attackers ally within range is Nauseated for 1 round
21-25	Attacker falls Prone
26-30	Attackers nearest ally within attack range is tripped
31-35	Attacker provokes from target
35-40	Attacker Blind for 1 round
41-45	Attacker hits themselves
46-50	Attackers nearest ally provokes from target
51-55	Attackers nearest ally within range is Blind for 1 round
56-60	Attacker Dazed for 1 round
61-65	Attacker hits nearest ally
66-70	Attacker takes attacks damage dice in bleed
71-75	Attacker is Entangled
76-80	Attackers nearest ally within range is Sickened for 1 round
81-85	Attacker has Disadvantage on next Attack
86-90	Attacker drops weapon
91-95	Attacker swaps weapons with target
96-99	Attacker Dazzled for 1 round
100	No Special Effect