We all know it and love it—the thrill of the natural 20. The rush of adrenaline and victory as you fell your foes with astounding displays of power and finesse. And while double damage is nice, sometimes we want something a bit more . . . satisfying.
The critical hit tables below give some fun description and an additional effect to double damage on a natural 20 melee weapon attack roll for attacks with magical damage types. Watch your players’ eyes light up when they get to roll on the table—or enjoy their moans of horror when you wield it against them!
For characters with multiple attacks per turn, roll on the respective critical hit table at the end of their attack actions. If the target doesn’t have the requisite anatomy or equipment for some result, reroll or poll everyone at the table for an outcome that feels fair and fun.
Critical Hit with Radiant Damage
| 1d20 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | A flare of holy fire burns through them. They spend a moment reconsidering their life choices. [Stunned until the end of their next turn.] |
| 4–6 | You put the fear of your god into them. Literally. [Frightened of you until the end of your next turn.] |
| 7–9 | White-hot energy flares around them, and they’re left blinking away afterimages. [Blinded until the end of their next turn.] |
| 10–12 | Burn, baby, burn! [Triple your damage instead of doubling it.] |
| 13–15 | They fall to their knees, blubbering and begging for divine forgiveness. [Knocked prone.] |
| 16–17 | Their body goes rigid, the burning power of your faith glowing in their eyes in momentary divine rapture. [Paralyzed until the end of their next turn.] |
| 18–19 | A chorus of heavenly beings fills their ears, blocking out all else. [Deafened until the end of their next turn.] |
| 20 | Holy radiance fills them, burning away their resolve. [Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws until the end of your next turn.] |
Critical Hit with Psychic Damage
| 1d20 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Agony explodes in their mind, rendering them speechless. [Cannot speak until the end of their next turn.] |
| 4–6 | The pain lances through their mind, confusing them. They are momentarily unable to tell friend from foe. [On their next attack, they attack a random creature.] |
| 7–9 | The pain disrupts their plans and interrupts their concentration. [If they are concentrating on a spell, their concentration is lost OR disadvantage on their next attack roll, you choose.] |
| 10–12 | They stumble and fall to their knees, screaming. [Knocked prone.] |
| 13–15 | The pain triggers a panic response. Their eyes widen, their breath quickens. [Frightened of you until the end of their next turn.] |
| 16–17 | White light blossoms in their vision as they recoil in pain. [Blinded until the end of your next turn] |
| 18–19 | They flail helplessly in paroxysms of pain. [Disadvantage on their next attack roll.] |
| 20 | They double over, clutching their head, unable to even speak. [Paralyzed until the end of your next turn.] |
Critical Hit with Acid Damage
| 1d20 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Their skin bubbles and hisses. They shriek in pain and terror as they watch their flesh melt away. [Stunned until the end of their next turn.] |
| 4–6 | The acid carves pits and craters into their flesh, and the searing pain momentarily distracts them. [Disadvantage on their next attack roll.] |
| 7–9 | Their flesh dissolves, melting away in globules, exposing bone and organs, taking their resolve with it. [Disadvantage on all saving throws until the end of your next turn.] |
| 10–12 | They cower in horror as chunks of skin and hair slough off in gooey hunks of flesh. [Frightened of you until the end of their next turn.] |
| 13–15 | The acid burns all reasonable thought from their mind. Their only desire is to escape the pain. [Must use their next turn and movement to run in a random direction.] |
| 16–17 | The fact that they can see parts of their body they’re not meant to be able to see is a bit distracting. [Disadvantage on all ability checks until the end of their next turn.] |
| 18–19 | Acid pours into their mouth, dissolving their tongue and teeth in a bubbling, hissing slurry. [Cannot speak until they heal.] |
| 20 | Corrosive rivulets carve channels down their skin and drip fleshy bits into their eyes, burning away their retinas. [Blinded until they heal.] |
Want more fun with melee weapons? Check out Beyond Damage Dice and Beyond Damage Dice 2 for unique maneuvers with all kinds of weapons!
Thanks for another installment!
Added to the Blog Database.
https://jonbupp.wordpress.com/blog-database/dungeon-master/running-the-game/combat/
I was just going through all the old ones and don’t see poison damage. Is there going to be a part 5?
There is no scheduled part 5, but we are aware of the missing damage type! Keep watching the blog for more on this.