Strip #4 is now up. As always, comments, discussion, and criticism are all welcome.

Interesting. Not sure I like the "narrator" explaining the joke to me though. Seems a bit heavy-handed.

I have handed out pre-done characters many times in my campaigns - in fact most of my players prefer it. Now I get a good idea of what they want first and tailor them to their desires. But generally I find players don't like rolling up characters , in my experience.

Also, when I create their characters, they live longer.

I agree @ heavy handed, at least to a point. It gets better... the narrator pretty much vanishes soon.

At certain times I don't mind the narrator, but this comic was just too full of it to me. Still good, but I believe the comic should have more to do wit hthe characters than the narrator. He shouldn't have more lines, IMO.

Kudos to the artist.

Seriously, I think the two-handed sword beats the two-handed axe. I don't have the books with me so I can't be certain, but the great sword beats the waraxe, that much I do know.

To my knowledge, they both have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Greatsword: 2d6 Damage, Crit Range: 19-20/x2

Greataxe: 1d12 Damage, Crit Range: 20/x3

So the greatsword has a better chance of getting a critical, and has a higher minimum damage, but a greataxe has a higher potential for maximum damage.

So I don't know which is actually better... I'm always more partial to the bastard sword myself...

Optimal weapon is Scythe.

FEAR MY x4 CRITICALS MORTALS!

Haha, you want x4?

FEAR MY TALENTA SHARRASH!!!

Eberron's got the best weapons... 19-20/x4? Wonderful.

I am not including Eberron weapons, because that is a world where there exists a lightning train...designed solely to have people fight on top of it.

Why else would you design a lightning train?

Lighting trains? Scythes?

FYI, since the strip is based at least somewhat off of a gaming group I participated in, the system is houseruled 2nd edition.

In my day, we didn't use fancy "critical threat" tables! Nossir! We rolled natural twenties, the DM invented some crazy crap on the fly, AND WE LIKED IT!

I have a red binder of criticals that date back to the 80's. Based on rolemaster charts and includes some wonderfully gruesome descriptions.

Arrow through heart, opponent'ss body is thrown by force of blow 10' backwards to a spot suitable for dying.

Blow bisects the enemy at the waist. Opponent dies in two easy pieces.

+1 applaud to Alacrity for bisecting an enemy at the waist!

What do you rule as "a suitable spot for dying"?

Does he land in a dramatic pose in his brother's arms who swears to avenge his death?

I should scan it or re-written them soon. 20+ years is a long time for 20# bond paper that is flipped through regularly.

There's my blog topic - a year of living critically! Al's attempt to re-write and redefine the critical table.