In our campaign, we are replacing the standard critical hit rules with the Critical Hit Deck for Players by Nord Games. This deck introduces an element of unpredictability and excitement to combat by providing unique outcomes for critical hits. Each of the cards offers four different effects based on damage type—slashing, piercing, bludgeoning, or magic. When a player scores a critical hit by rolling a natural 20, they draw a card to determine the specific effect, which may include additional damage, status effects, or other dynamic combat results. This system enhances the narrative and strategic depth of our game, ensuring that critical hits are memorable and impactful.
Monsters will also benefit from this system, using the Critical Hit Deck for DMs by Nord Games, ensuring that both players and enemies alike experience the thrill—and risk—of devastating critical blows.
We scale the difficulty of these critical effects as the campaign progresses:
Level 1: We use Setback cards.
Level 5: We introduce Dangerous cards.
Level 9: We add Life-Threatening cards.
Level 13: We include Deadly cards for the most brutal encounters.
When a card specifies multiplying damage (e.g., Double Damage), roll all applicable dice—including weapon damage, Sneak Attack, additional dice from magical weapons, and any other relevant sources—add your appropriate modifiers, and then multiply the entire total accordingly.
When a card specifies Maximum Damage, treat all damage dice—including weapon damage, Sneak Attack, additional dice from magical weapons, and any other relevant sources—as if they rolled their maximum possible value. Then, add your appropriate modifiers to the total.
Most effects are short-term, but if no end-point is specified, it is up to the DM to determine how and when the effect ends—or if it can be ended at all. In some cases, resolving the effect could even become the catalyst for a new quest.
If a saving throw is allowed to avoid an ongoing effect, the victim may repeat the save at the end of each of their turns.
For characters and monsters that would normally roll extra dice on Critical Hits (such as half-orcs and barbarians), draw the same number of extra cards and choose one to apply.