Weapon Trait — Fatal
Fatal (die): on crit, damage die upgrades to Fatal size AND add extra die. Stronger than Deadly. Makes crits devastating. Common on ranged weapons.
Fatal weapons become dramatically more lethal on critical hits, upgrading their damage die AND adding extra dice.
Mechanical Effect:
- On a critical hit, the weapon's damage die size upgrades to the Fatal die size AND you add one extra die of that size
- Example: A weapon dealing 1d6 with Fatal d10 — on a crit, the damage becomes 2d10 (doubled from upgraded die) + 1d10 (fatal bonus) = 3d10 instead of 2d6
- With a 2d6 weapon (striking rune): 4d10 + 1d10 = 5d10 on crit
Common Fatal Weapons:
- Longbow (fatal d10), arquebus (fatal d12), musket (fatal d12)
Fatal vs. Deadly: Fatal is almost always stronger than Deadly because it upgrades the base damage die for doubling AND adds extra. A Fatal d10 weapon dealing 1d6 base does 3d10 on crit (average 16.5) vs. Deadly d10 doing 2d6 + 1d10 (average 12.5).
Tactical Note: Fatal makes firearms and longbows deadly on crits. A gunslinger with a fatal d12 weapon who crits can deal enormous burst damage. Pair with abilities that increase crit chance for devastating results.