critical threat range of weapons

jesterdesu

I seem to remember scimitars having a higher chance to crit than other melee weapons, which goes with the description on the weapon "more deadly".

Am I remembering that correctly? If so they'd apparently make the best weapon to back stab with, especially with a prof point in 1 handed weapons.

Cheers

Yamcha

Thats just the generic weapon description, but it has no effect on the weapon crit. range
http://s980.photobucket.com/user/Skellimancer/media/SCIMITAR.png.html?t=1262032552

At least not in the Baldurs Gate games.

JuliusBorisov

Although there's Lucky Scimitar in IWDEE (which grants the Luck effect and thus improves your critical rolls, with SWS and this scimitar you need to roll 18 for a critical hit).

Skatan

jesterdesu said:

I seem to remember scimitars having a higher chance to crit than other melee weapons, which goes with the description on the weapon "more deadly".

Am I remembering that correctly? If so they'd apparently make the best weapon to back stab with, especially with a prof point in 1 handed weapons.

Cheers

This is true in NVN and 3E, perhaps it's from there you remember this? Iirc it has a threat range of 18-20 base which with keen and weapon master feats took it down to 12-20, making it the best choice for crit stacking together with rapiers and kukris, though better than both due to slashing dmg and/or higher base dmg dice.

jesterdesu

Thanks for the replies. Skatan, that could be where in getting confused. Was convinced that I could remember a slightly different threat range on certain weapons in BG... Getting old...

semiticgoddess

Actually, scythes were the best for critical hit stacking. As you land critical hits more, the limiting factor of your damage output becomes the critical hit multiplier, not the critical threat range. A quadruple damage critical on a natural 20 amounts to a 15% increase in average damage; a double damage critical on an 18-20 amounts to the same. But with weapon mastery feats and keen effects, you're looking at a quadruple damage critical scythe on 18-20 (45% increase in damage) or a double damage critical scimitar on 16-20 (25% increase in damage).

The basic problem is that you can improve the critical threat range, but you can't improve the critical multiplier. Thus, as time goes on and your output increases, the critical multiplier becomes the limiting factor on further progression. If weapon feats and keen effects increased your critical multiplier, then scimitars and kukris would have the greatest potential.

Axes and arrows were marvelous for IWD2. The easy access to luck effects thanks to Tymora's Melody meant that triple damage critical hit weapons like axes, halberds, arrows, and hammers had much greater potential than other weapons. I remember trying out a solo bard with song stacking and found that she would do 76 damage on every hit by level 5, and thanks to the Rapid Shot feat, she had extra attacks.