Critical Misses (Melee Attacks) Critical Misses (Ranged Attacks - Bows)
d20 Mishap d20 Mishap
1-2 Weapon Break. The force of your blow, or parrying that
of your opponent’s, causes your weapon to snap in
two. (For magical weapons roll an additional d10, on a
1 they break).
3-4 Goodbye Fair Blade! Roll an Strength (Athletics) check
DC 15, or your weapon flies d12 feet out of your
hand in a random direction. If you have any
movement and a bonus action left you can go and
pick it up. Doing so you provoke an opportunity
attacks from anyone you pass within reach.
5-6 Wild Swing. You overextend yourself going for the kill.
Your opponent gains advantage on attacks rolls
against you for one turn.
7-8 Stuck Weapon. Your weapon gets stuck in your
opponent’s shield, weapon, armour, hide, or else in a
tree or wall, or the ground. Roll a Strength check to
see if you can free it using a bonus action. The DC is
8 + your strength modifier. Bludgeoning weapons
with no sharp edge or spike can ignore and roll again.
9- Ooops! You hit an unintended foe in combat.
10 Randomise all combatants within 5 feet and roll a
second attack roll, if you beat their armour class roll
damage as if they were your intended target.
11 Self Inflicted wound. Either via a deflection or sheer
incompetence you manage to slice yourself with your
own blade; roll normal damage and half it. (Applies to
combatants using slashing weapons and flails only.
Other weapon types roll again).
12- Slip Up. You lose your footing. Roll Dexterity
14 (Acrobatics) check DC 15 or fall prone. Your turn has
ended and melee attacks have advantage on you (see
p.292 of the Player's Handbook for conditions of
being prone).
15 Pulled Muscle (Arms). Roll a Constitution saving throw
DC 15 or the strain of your attack causes you to pull a
muscle in your upper body. You have disadvantage in
attack rolls and ability checks requiring upper body
strength until you have completed a long rest, or
received magical healing.
16 Pulled Muscle (Legs). Roll a Constitution saving throw
DC 15 or the strain of combat causes you to pull a
muscle in your leg. Your movement and dex. modifier
(if positive) is halved (rounding down) and you have
disadvantage on any ability checks that require lower
body strength, until you have completed a long rest,
or received magical healing.
17- Loss of Nerve. Man your opponent looks tough.
18 Contest your choice of Strength or Charisma
(Intimidation) against their choice of Strength or
Charisma (Intimidation). If one of you has landed a
blow and the other hasn't they have advantage. If you
lose you are frightened (see p.292 of Player’s
Handbook). You may repeat the saving throw at the
end of each turn.
19 Broken Item. In the hurly burly of combat, something
fragile – like a magic potion – you’re carrying breaks.
Randomise fragile objects you have in your
possession and roll to determine which. (Note, better
to do this when the combat is over).
20 A Little Accident. Either through fear, excitement or
simply needing to go, you soil yourself. 75% chance
it’s only pee.
2
1-2 Weapon Break. Your bow shaft snaps, or a mechanism
in your crossbow breaks, and your weapon is now
useless. (For magical weapons roll an additional d10,
on a 1 they break).
3-5 String Break. Your bowstring snaps and needs
replacing. If you have a spare string measured and
ready you need one minute to do so.
6-8 Loose String. Your string comes loose. You lose this
attack. Starting next turn you can make a Dexterity
(Sleight of Hand) check DC 15 to fix it. Each attempt
takes the entirety of your turn.
9- Ooops! You hit an unintended target. Randomise all
16 combatants, both friends and foes, within 10 feet (for
a short range attack, or 30 feet for a long range
attack) and roll a second attack roll. If you beat their
armour class roll damage as if they were your
intended target.
17- Ammo Accident. Your quiver spills (50% strap broken,
18 50% you tilt it over by accident), and the remainder
of your arrows (or bolts) fall to the floor. If you remain
still you can use a bonus action to pick up one a
round and still fire using your main action. If your
quiver's strap is not broken you can use your main
action to pick up 2d8 arrows and put them back in
your quiver.
19 Pulled Muscle (Upper Body). Roll a Constitution saving
throw DC 15 or the strain of your attack causes you
to pull a muscle in your upper body. You have
disadvantage in attack rolls and ability checks
requiring upper body strength until you have
completed a long rest, or received magical healing.
20 Slip Up. You lose your footing. Roll a Dexterity
(Acrobatics) check DC 15 or fall prone. Your turn has
ended and melee attacks have advantage on you (see
p.292 of the Player's Handbook for conditions of
being prone).
Too Many Fumbles?
Your 20th level figher bitching complaining he's
fumbling too often thanks to his four attacks a
round? I offer two solutions.
Solution one. Rule that only fumbles on the first
attack count as critical misses. Rolling a 1 on a
second or third or fourth attack results in just an
automatic miss. (Additional attacks with an offhand
weapons can still fumble however).
Solution two. Starting at level 5 offer PCs a special
'fumble saving throw'. If they roll their level or
under on a d20 they do not have to roll on the
critical miss table.
Critical Misses (Ranged Attacks - Thrown)
d10 Mishap
1 Weapon Break. The impact of your weapon hitting a
tree, the ground, a shield etc. causes it to break. It is
now useless. (For magical weapons roll an additional
d10, on a 1 they break).
2 Pulled Muscle (Arms). Roll a Constitution saving throw
DC 15 or the strain of your attack causes you to pull a
muscle in your upper body. You have disadvantage in
attack rolls and ability checks requiring upper body
strength until you have completed a long rest, or
received magical healing.
3-4 Slip Up. You lose your footing. Roll Dexterity
(Acrobatics) DC 15 or fall prone. Your turn has ended
and melee attacks have advantage on you (see p.292
of the Player's Handbook for conditions of being
prone).
5-9 Ooops! You hit an unintended random target.
Randomise all combatants within 10 feet (for a short
range attack, or 30 feet for a long range attack) of
your intended target and roll a second attack roll. If
you beat their armour class roll damage as if they
were your intended target (discount sneak attack
damage for Rogues).
10 WTF? You launch a comically bad projectile attack
nowhere near your intended opponent – it flies into a
huge empty space (or at DM’s discretion a distant
unintended target) taking your self confidence with it.
Roll a Wisdom saving throw DC 15, or suffer
disadvantage to attack rolls until you next score a hit
on an opponent.
Critical Misses (Natural Weapons)
d10 Mishap
1-2 Ouch! You snap one or several teeth or claws against
your victim's armour, shield or weapon. You receive
1d3 hp of damage, and furthermore you must
subtract the result of the same d3 roll from damage
done using this natural weapon from now on. (Ignore
for tail attacks).
3-5 Wild Swing. You overextend yourself going for the kill.
Your opponent gains advantage on attacks rolls
against you for one turn.
6-7 Slip Up. You lose your footing. Roll Dexterity
(Acrobatics) DC 15 or fall prone. Your turn has ended
and melee attacks have advantage on you (see p.292
of the Player's Handbook for conditions of being
prone).
8- Loss of Nerve. Man your opponent looks tough.
10 Contest your choice of Strength or Charisma
(Intimidation) against their choice of Strength or
Charisma (Intimidation). If one of you has landed a
blow and the other hasn't they have advantage. If you
lose you are frightened (see p.292 of Player’s
Handbook). You may repeat the saving throw at the
end of each turn.
Critical Misses (Spell Attacks)
d10 Mishap
1 Woopsie! You make a massive mess out of this one,
and the effects of the spell go off in your face. You
automatically fail any saving throw, and take damage
as if you were the intended target.
2 Fiddlesticks. You spill your spell components pouch.
Recovering it takes one action. (If the spell you were
casting has no material component roll again).
3-4 Slip Up. You lose your footing. Roll Dexterity
(Acrobatics) DC 15 or fall prone. Your turn has ended
and melee attacks have advantage on you (see p.292
of the Player's Handbook for conditions of being
prone).
5-9 Ooops! You hit an unintended random target.
Randomise all combatants within 10 feet (for a short
range attack, or 30 feet for a long range attack) of
your intended target and roll a second attack roll. If
you beat their armour class roll damage as if they
were your intended target. At the DM's discretion you
might also hit an unintended inanimate object, such
as bale of hay or treasure chest.
10 Mental Blank. Just as the pressure is on all that arcane
(or divine) knowledge takes a running jump out your
lughole. You can't recall your spell and you lose your
action (but keep your spell slot). At the start of your
next turn you have to roll a Wisdom saving throw DC
15 in order to be able to start casting again.
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