Crit build assistance

[pabelfly]

How would I go about making a crit-based build work effectively against targets normally immune to critical hits?

[loky1109]

Look here: https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?614347-The-Critical-Hit-Handbook

[pabelfly]

Thanks for the suggestion.

[Biggus]

Deathstrike Bracers (MIC p.93) are the go-to method. Buy several sets at higher levels and swap them after each battle.

[Telonius]

Deathstrike bracers are great. If the table looks on multiple copies as cheese, you could use the Weapon Augment Crystal route. (From the MiC, cheap at 6000-10000gp, but the basic weapon has to be +3 in order for you to attach it). Greater Demolition and Greater Truedeath crystals let your weapon crit against constructs and undead respectively, with no per-day limit. Unfortunately you can only have one on your weapon at a time, but you can attach and detach them as move actions. That takes care of the two most-common sorts of enemies you'll be fighting that are immune to crits based on type. You'd still have to worry about Elementals, Oozes, and Plants.

I think Swarms are the only case where you're going to be out of luck. I don't believe there's a way to crit them. And if an enemy happens to have Fortification armor, that's a flat-out "no" button for crits. You'd need to dispel it, get the target into an antimagic sphere, or sunder it (least preferred, as it destroys your loot) to get past that.

[Fizban]

Use [Energy] Burst weapon effects and the Blood in the Water stance. The way critical hits work is that first you crit, then the target may have some sort of immunity to the extra damage from the crit- the increase to normal weapon damage. A crit is still a crit, so Burst damage goes through (this is explicit in the Magic Weapon section of the DMG). Similarly, the Blood in the Water stance gives you a stacking attack and damage bonus on all your attacks, which goes up with every crit, so give it a few swings and it won't matter of the foe is "immune" to crit damage.

[Gruftzwerg]

Use [Energy] Burst weapon effects and the Blood in the Water stance. The way critical hits work is that first you crit, then the target may have some sort of immunity to the extra damage from the crit- the increase to normal weapon damage. A crit is still a crit, so Burst damage goes through (this is explicit in the Magic Weapon section of the DMG). Similarly, the Blood in the Water stance gives you a stacking attack and damage bonus on all your attacks, which goes up with every crit, so give it a few swings and it won't matter of the foe is "immune" to crit damage.

"Prismatic Burst" (+3 price) is a more deluxe option here. Also activates on crits against creatures otherwise immune to crits.

edit: MIC updated Prismatic Burst to sole +30.000g pricing instead of the "+3"pricing. Thus it has becomes really cheap at higher levels.

[Darg]

Just putting this out there, the power critical feat can be taken multiple times and stacks with itself. While sources of auto confirm exist, they aren't always applicable. If you wanted you could use the pricing of the Gloves of the Balanced Hand to determine the custom cost of adding the benefit of power critical as a magic item as it gives the effect of feats, not the feat itself.

[Saintheart]

Just putting this out there, the power critical feat can be taken multiple times and stacks with itself. While sources of auto confirm exist, they aren't always applicable. If you wanted you could use the pricing of the Gloves of the Balanced Hand to determine the custom cost of adding the benefit of power critical as a magic item as it gives the effect of feats, not the feat itself.

While you're at it, make your weapon out of Abyssal Bloodiron (Planar Handbook) - it specifically gives an untyped +4 to Critical Confirmation rolls, albeit it costs 10k to put on a weapon and makes every other enhancement cost an additional 2,000gp on what it already does.

A Pitspawned weapon (DMG 2 - it's a weapon template like Feycraft) gives you another +2 untyped to critical confirmation rolls, and a 10% cost break on making the weapon Keen. Seems a natural fit that a Pitspawned weapon is made out of Abyssal Bloodiron.

And if you've got a shield, stick the Bloodlust quality (Forge of War) on it - +4 morale bonus to all critical confirmation rolls, and use keen edge on a carried weapon 1/day.

[Darg]

While you're at it, make your weapon out of Abyssal Bloodiron (Planar Handbook) - it specifically gives an untyped +4 to Critical Confirmation rolls, albeit it costs 10k to put on a weapon and makes every other enhancement cost an additional 2,000gp on what it already does.

A Pitspawned weapon (DMG 2 - it's a weapon template like Feycraft) gives you another +2 untyped to critical confirmation rolls, and a 10% cost break on making the weapon Keen. Seems a natural fit that a Pitspawned weapon is made out of Abyssal Bloodiron.

And if you've got a shield, stick the Bloodlust quality (Forge of War) on it - +4 morale bonus to all critical confirmation rolls, and use keen edge on a carried weapon 1/day.

Just remember that confirmation rolls are an attack roll that uses the bonuses of the original attack, so if you already have a morale bonus to attack rolls it won't stack with the bloodlust quality.

[Rleonardh]

Dolorous Blow level 3 wizard spell compodioum.