[3.5] Critical Hit Optimization

[GenPol]

So, how does one fully optimize critical hits in DnD 3.5? I'd like to avoid 3.0 and Tome of Battle, if possible.

There's no real level cap, but the lower the level the more impressive the build.

The feats I know of that would potentially help would be Power Critical + Commander (preq) + Inspire Bloodletting, and take a keen falchion, for a range of 16-20 (I think...), with + 4 to confirmation. Needlessly to say, I fail at optimizing.

So what am I missing? Feats, classes, PrCs, racial stuff, weapon enhancements, what?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Meh, I guess ToB is fair game.

[Eurus]

So, how does one fully optimize critical hits in DnD 3.5? I'd like to avoid 3.0 and Tome of Battle, if possible.

There's no real level cap, but the lower the level the more impressive the build.

The feats I know of that would potentially help would be Power Critical + Commander (preq) + Inspire Bloodletting, and take a keen falchion, for a range of 16-20 (I think...), with + 4 to confirmation. Needlessly to say, I fail at optimizing.

So what am I missing? Feats, classes, PrCs, racial stuff, weapon enhancements, what?

Thanks in advance.

It's a shame that you're avoiding Tome of Battle, because Blood in the Water is a nice stance. A stacking +1 to hit and damage for every crit you score is nice if you're going the "lots and lots of 15-20 crit range attacks."

Oh, and there's the aptitude weapon enchantment + Lightning Mace. Whenever you threaten a crit, instead of rolling to confirm, you just take an extra attack.

EDIT: I think Disciple of Dispater gets a stacking bonus to crit range... and the Arcane Duelist can create a pesudo-keen effect that stacks with a keen weapon or improved critical.

[The Cat Goddess]

If you're only worried about fighting evil foes...

Blessed (+1) from MIC. Weapon is aligned Good and automatically confirms Crits against Evil 3/day.

Or just cast Bless Weapon (Pal 1) to do so for 1min/level (Extend/Persist as desired).

Oh yeah, these don't stack with Keen... so you should get Improved Critical (which they do stack with).

[Il_Vec]

Better Lucky than Good, from complete scoundrel, turn a natural 1 into a natural 20 on attack rolls X times/day...

[Greenish]

a keen falchion, for a range of 16-20 (I think...)

Keen falchion has 15-20 crit range.

[lsfreak]

Ignoring ToB and 3.0.

Keen Falchion (15-20). Kaorti Resin if you can use web material for 4x crit, though I believe it's actually dated to 3.0 time period. Add on good crit enhancements (Collision, Prismatic Burst, Bodyfeeder) and make yourself a Charger + AoO build (Shock Trooper + Robilar's Gambit). Once you get the Bodyfeeder enhancement, the loads of temporary hit points will hopefully let you live through the -10 AC you have between rage/frenzy/shock trooper/not wasting your money on armor/whatever else.

ToB gets you the brokenness of Lightning Maces, or ignoring that the not-so-brokenness of Blood in the Water. 3.0 gets you Disciple of Dispater, which drops your crit range down to 9-20, iirc.

[Telonius]

"Blessed" is a magical property for melee weapons, +1 price level, from BoED. It automatically confirms the critical threat on any evil foe. Minor problem: it doesn't work if the weapon has something magically increasing the threat range. Solution: take Improved Critical instead.

Edit: Ninja'd, and apparently superseded by MiC.

[GenPol]

Thanks for the responses! About the Kaorti, it looks like that web enhancement is a preview for the Fiend Folio, which I thought was 3.5.... Or am I thinking of the Fiend Codex?

Keen falchion has 15-20 crit range.

My bad.

EDIT: Oh, and upon further reflection, I suppose tome of battle is fair game.

[Pluto]

Psychic Weapons Master could work here. PWM starts increases critical multipliers by 1, starting at ECL 9 (assuming Psychic Warrior 7 entry) and can add 2 to the critical threat range at ECL 14. So with Improved Critical (Falchion), it could have a 13-20/x3. Including powers* and augmentations, it's not a bad framework for this sort of build.

*even with only half-advancement, it can do more crazy things than most melee classes

[Critical]

Warblade + Disciple of Dispater + Lightning Mace + Aptituded Keen Kukri's + Improved Critical. Done.

[Greenish]

Warblade + Disciple of Dispater + Lightning Mace + Aptituded Keen Kukri's + Improved Critical. Done.

Keen and Imp. Critical don't stack.

[Critical]

Keen and Imp. Critical don't stack.

They do with Disciple of Dispater.

[Pluto]

They do with Disciple of Dispater.

I'm going to take a leap and say that this is why 3.0 was banned in the OP.

[lsfreak]

They do with Disciple of Dispater.

Nope. Its' very clear that you can have DoD + Improved Critical, but that if you have DoD + Keen, you only get one (DoD, since it's higher).

[absolmorph]

Warblade + Disciple of Dispater + Lightning Mace + Aptituded Keen Kukri's + Improved Critical. Done.

These don't stack.
They specifically state that they don't stack.

EDIT: Woah, ninja'd. Should've posted that when I wrote it rather than waiting.

[Critical]

Ow, right, sorry, my bad. Still, it rocks. Perhaps, Dervish on top of it, so you can wipe out some freaking battlefield.

[Amphetryon]

Swashbuckler 3/Duskblade 3/Disciple of Dispater 8/Arcane Duelist 7 is 21 levels, which is annoying, but otherwise fits very well.