Critical Hit Table(s)

Over at the Grand Tapestry, Timeshadows has been discussing what kind of critical hit table she should use. I voted for a descriptive table. Since the group I game with play GURPS so we use their critical hit table. It has got to be the worse crit hit table of all time. The majority of your crit hits will do normal damage only. How boring. At minimum I think a crit hit should do double damage. And if the system allows it, have some type of effect.

I dug around in my ancient vault of gaming stuff and found the critical hit table the group I played with loved. I still think it's the best table. It says First Book of Dragonquest, Page 28 across the top. I don't remember ever having or playing Dragonquest or any of my friends having it yet it is the best Grevious Wound collection. This kind of crit table will only work with non specific hit location combat. If your system (like GURPS) has you aiming at body parts then it won't fit.

Here are a few of my favorite although all of them have a sarcastic Monty Python tone to them and you can't have enough sarcastic Brits in your game. #10 Your aorta is severed and you are quite dead. Rest assured your compatriots will do their best to console you widow(er). #13-14 On a roll of 1, the weapon has entered your brain and terminated your miserable existence. One wound will make you look more roguish and increase your attractiveness. But when we used this table the favorite would seemed to be, not the instant killers, but #98-00, crushing the pelvic bone. For some reason we all thought that was the funniest. I have no idea why now.

Also, when I was digging through my ancient vault of gaming stuff I found (I believe) is the original critical hit table that came with the first d30s. Someone out there correct me if I am wrong. d30s were cool when they first came out, but the damn things would never stop rolling.