Spice Up Your D&D Combat with Critical Stunts

Combat has been a staple of Dungeons & Dragons since its inception. D&D started out as a mod for a war game, cementing combat at its core. As D&D has evolved and grown in popularity, expectations of narrative have changed and while I love some good old fashioned D&D combat it can get monotonous if all you’re doing time and again is rolling for hit and damage with little to mix things up. Some subclasses like the Battle Master fighter work to offer options but for some these feel a bit like they should be things anyone could or at least should be able to do.

Mixing up D&D combat with other RPGs

I want to emphasize how much I enjoy the games I reference including those aside from D&D. These inspirational aspects of the games are part of what make them exciting and unique. However, I also have to acknowledge that most players I encounter are far more willing to play a D&D game with a hodgepodge of house rules than they are to play a simpler or more elegant system.

A lot of this is simply due to D&D’s popularity. That’s not good or bad — it simply is the case.

With this acknowledgement bear in mind the ideas presented here aren’t meant to convince you to house rule D&D instead of playing something else. Instead they’re meant to offer options for those who want to mix things up or explore new mechanics.

When we talk about combat and the critical hit system, D&D is pretty standard. Simply double your damage dice, right? This option is one of the least interesting out there and many RPGs offer new and interesting ways to mix up combat and to make special moments in combat feel more epic. Just one of these systems is Cypher System.

In Cypher System you get a special effect when you roll a 17, 18, 19 or 20 on the d20. While 17 and 18 offer a simple damage buff, 19 offers a minor effect and 20 offers a major effect as alternate options to a straight-up damage buff. Nerdarchists Dave and Ted already talked a bit about this on YouTube in the video above.

Making such a broad range of numbers on a d20 offer special effects increases the likelihood of something cool happening, which is a lot of fun for many players. With the way Cypher System treats damage this formula works seamlessly. While it might not translate perfectly into 5E D&D we can take some principles from Cypher System as well as some inspiration from other game systems to allow for new and interesting effects.

Critical Stunts

A system I have a sort of love-hate/on again-off again relationship with is Fantasy AGE, born of the Dragon Age RPG. This RPG system has one of my favorite mechanics nestled in a fundamentally flawed, overly complex system — the Stunt System.

In Fantasy AGE anytime you roll doubles on a 3d6 roll you generate stunt points and get to immediately spend those stunt points on maneuvers and other options to make your character even cooler. I really want a way to splice this system into 5E D&D and melding it with some principles from Cypher System is just the way to do it.

While I love how four different results can get you something special in Cypher System this feels like a bit much for D&D. But only coming up with a stunt table for critical hits doesn’t feel like enough.

The idea is this. When your character scores a critical hit they can choose to deal increased damage (however you define it – double damage for most tables) or they can choose to deal maximum regular damage and perform a Major Critical Stunt. If your character rolls a number 1 less than a critical hit (19 for most characters) then the character can choose to roll maximum damage or deal normal damage and perform a Minor Critical Stunt.

The idea behind the Critical Stunt is you either roll or choose from the options on the appropriate table below and apply the effect listed as part of your attack. By offering two different options it feels more special than a normal critical hit and it’s a lot more likely. The offering of both major and minor effects also draws from Cypher System while the Stunt concept itself stems from Fantasy AGE.

Major Critical Stunts Table

d6 roll – Major Critical Stunt Effect

1. The target suffers a lingering injury as defined in the Dungeon Master’s Guide (pg. 272-273)
2. The target cannot take any reactions or special actions (including legendary actions and legendary resistances) until the beginning of your next turn
3. The target falls to the bottom of the initiative order and if the target had already taken its turn this round it skips its next turn
4. The target is disarmed if it is wielding a weapon
5. You immediately perform an additional attack or spell attack identical to the one that triggered this Critical Stunt. This additional attack cannot critically hit or trigger a Minor Critical Stunt though it can target a different creature within range
6. The target is stunned for 1 minute or until it takes damage, whichever happens first

Minor Critical Stunts Table

d6 roll – Minor Critical Stunt Effect

1. The next attack against the target is made with advantage
2. You can immediately move 5 feet away from the target without provoking an opportunity attack from the target
3. The target is grappled or alternatively you escape the target’s grapple on you
4. The target cannot take reactions until the beginning of your next turn
5. The target is pushed or pulled 5 feet in a direction of your choice
6. The target is knocked prone

What do you think?

How do you feel about this Critical Stunt System? Do you like the idea of expanding it beyond strict critical hits? What rules have you adapted or inspired from other systems? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below or on Facebook. Of course, you can find us on YouTube and if you want to see us play some Cypher System, you can do that right now on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Nerdarchy Live!

Sometimes heroes need to dig deeper and become a little more heroic. From Hit Dice to Heroics is a supplement for Fifth Edition. There are over 40 options for spending Hit Dice other than regaining hit points. Players can begin tapping into these options as soon as they hit 2nd level. Your character class and sometimes your subclass determine what option might be available to you.

Channel your very vitality into arcane or divine might if you are a spellcaster. A barbarian can channel even more of their mighty totem animal. Fighters are inspired to even deadlier skill with their blade. These are just some of the possibilities found within. There at least three new options for each class.