New Crit Success and Failure Table
The Highs and Lows of the Dice: Critical Successes and Failures in TTRPGs
By The Drunkards & Dragons Team — Featuring Brian of The Mystic Syndicate
If you've ever had a natural 20 save a doomed party or watched in horror as a natural 1 turned a heroic charge into a faceplant, you know that Critical Successes and Failures are the spice in the hearty stew of tabletop role-playing games.
At The Mystic Syndicate, Brian has taken this chaotic magic and refined it into a beautifully structured d20 table that captures the drama, comedy, and tactical consequence of both natural 20s and natural 1s. Whether you're a DM looking to add more weight to combat, or a player who lives for those "oh no" or "hell yes" moments, this chart is an absolute game-changer.
🎯 What Is a Critical Success or Failure?
In most TTRPGs (Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, etc.), rolling a natural 20 on an attack roll is considered a critical hit—an automatic success, often with bonus damage. Conversely, a natural 1 is a critical failure—a spectacular flop, sometimes with humorous or disastrous consequences.
But what if we went beyond “extra damage” or “you miss”?
Brian’s table does exactly that.
🗡️ The Critical Hit Table: 20 Ways to Be a Legend
Brian’s Critical Hit (Natural 20) table transforms your high rolls into vivid moments of glory:
#1 – Minor Success: Just enough to turn the tide. A classic double-damage strike with a tactical bonus.
#7 – Exploited Weakness: Not only do you crit, but you expose your target’s vulnerability for the next strike.
#18 – Massive Critical: You don’t just hurt them—you erase their existence with devastating force.
#20 – Legendary Strike: Deal normal critical damage, and you can immediately make one additional attack against the same target as a free action.
Each result isn’t just “extra damage.” It’s a narrative opportunity. You can see the impact these hits have—your blade shattering shields, your arrow pinning cloaks to trees, your warhammer knocking enemies across the room.
🤕 The Fumble Table: When the Dice Betray You
On the other end of the spectrum is the dreaded Natural 1, where Brian’s table delivers equal parts agony and comedy:
#4 – Equipment Slip: Fumble your blade or scatter your arrows—instant slapstick.
#9 – Allied Mishap: You miss… and accidentally smack your buddy. Oops.
#13 – Gear Damage: Your sword or armor takes a real hit—hope it's not magical!
#20 – Disastrous Fumble: Fall prone, drop your weapon, and become a punching bag. Legendary failure.
This isn’t just punishing—it’s storytelling. Every slip-up tells a tale your group will remember, laugh about, and weave into future campaigns. (“Remember when you critically failed and lit your pants on fire in the goblin camp?”)
🎲 Why This Table Works So Well
Balance: While flavorful, the entries aren’t wildly game-breaking.
Mechanically Simple: Most effects require a saving throw or last just one turn, keeping the pace moving.
Narrative Gold: These entries practically write themselves into your campaign’s lore.
Expandable: Want to add terrain-specific options? Environmental effects? Magic-only crits? This table is a perfect base.
🧙♂️ In Closing…
Critical successes and failures bring life to the dice. They remind us that tabletop RPGs aren’t just numbers on a sheet—they’re about stories, consequences, and memorable moments. With Brian’s chart from The Mystic Syndicate, your game doesn’t just react to the dice—it sings.
So the next time a player calls out, “Natural 20!” or buries their face in their hands after a 1, whip out this chart and give the moment the weight it deserves.
