Critical hit tables

This article contains the critical hit tables that are stored in the Fallout 1/2 executable. Each critter type has its own set of critical hit effects. There are nine sets of six criticals, corresponding to the hit locations in combat.msg (head, left arm, right arm, torso, right leg, left leg, eyes, groin, and uncalled, in that order).

However, the 'uncalled' tables are not actually used; unaimed shots use the torso criticals. Presumably it was originally intended to have different effects, making an aimed torso shot useful. The uncalled tables are (almost) identical to the torso ones, and so are not listed here.

Legend
Each critical consists of seven four-byte fields. Note that they are stored in little-endian format, so -3 is written as 0xFDFFFFFF and5002 (0x138A) as0x8A130000. (The Mac version is big-endian.)The fields are as follows:

Damage multiplier :This is divided by 2, so a value of 3 does 1.5x damage, and 8 does 4x damage.

Effects :This is a flag bit field controlling what effects the critical causes.

0x01000000- knockout 0x02000000- knockdown 0x04000000- crippled left leg 0x08000000- crippled right leg 0x10000000- crippled left arm 0x20000000- crippled right arm 0x40000000- blinded 0x80000000- death 0x00040000- on fire- triggers the 'flamedance' animation, but not if the hit is fatal (probably a bug) 0x00080000- bypass armor 0x00400000- dropped weapon (doesn't work) 0x00800000- lose next turn 0x00002000- random

The 'random' effect is used by robots for their "massive malfunction" critical, and causes one of a variety of results. Known outcomes include: crippling any single limb; crippling both legs; crippling both legs and an arm; knockdown and crippling a limb; and losing ammo.

Stat check :This makes a check against a (SPECIAL) stat. Values of 2 (endurance), 5 (agility), and 6 (luck) are used, but other stats will probably work as well. B value of -1 indicates that no check is to be made.

Check modifier : Affects the outcome of the stat check, if one is made. Positive values make it easier to pass the check, and negative ones make it harder.

Failure effect : Another bit field, using the same values as field #2. If the stat check is failed, these are applied in addition to the earlier ones.

Message :The Message to show when this critical occurs, taken from combat.msg.

Failure message :Shown instead of #6 if the stat check is failed.

There are several errors in the tables, which are noted. They could be fixed by patching the executable directly, or possibly with a future version of sfall.

Determining a hit
The critical hits are chosen by rolling a random number in the range [1, 100], adding 20 if the player has the Better Criticals perk (technically, the crit table modifier stat, which Better Criticals adds 20 to, so other critters can have modifiers), and subtracting 30 if the player has the Heavy Handed trait. The result is looked up in the following table:

<= 20 : effect 1 21-45 : effect 2 46-70 : effect 3 71-90 : effect 4 91-100 : effect 5 > 100 : effect 6

With Heavy Handed, only the first three criticals are possible; adding Better Criticals lets the first four occur – still worse than having neither.

Children
† Errors in the table: the descriptions for these criticals are shifted four bytes to the left of where they should be. The actual record is

030000000A000000 FFFFFFFF0000000060140000 8813000000000000

but it should be

030000000A000000 FFFFFFFF000000000000000060140000 88130000

Super mutants
†This is what the Message should be. The table erroneously uses 8E130000 instead of BA140000.

Ghouls
†The game has a value of0 here instead of-1, so it makes a St check; there are no additional effects if failed, but it produces the Message "and really hurts."

‡The 'dropped weapon' effect does not work.

Brahmin
†The game has a value of 0 here instead of -1, so it makes a St check; there are no additional effects if failed, but it produces the message "and really hurts."

These are in fact the same as the tables listed in the Fallout Bible for the PnP game.

Radscorpions
†There is no effect, but given the description, it's probably supposed to knock down the radscorpion.

††This is probably supposed to be "Sending the 'scorpion flying and crippling some of it's legs."

Rats
Messages5702 ("The left paw now looks a little flat.") and5704 ("The right paw is heavily damaged.") are not used; perhaps there was supposed to be a bit more diversity in the critical hits.

Floaters
†This is the only place the 'on fire' effect is used; unfortunately it doesn't work. It triggers the flamedance animation, but floaters don't have one, and it doesn't trigger if the hit is fatal, but this critical causes instant death.

Centaurs
† Based on the critical message, this should knock down the centaur.

‡Centaurs groin shots are the only criticals that do not cause more damage.

Robots
† Causes one of a variety of unpleasant effects:


 * Cripple any limb
 * Cripple both legs
 * Cripple both legs and either arm
 * Knockdown and cripple any limb
 * Lose rest of ammo [hasn't been verified to work]

Dogs
†This message doesn't match the effect; it's not clear what it should be.

Mantis
†This Message doesn't match the effect; it's not clear what it should be.

Deathclaw
†This should cripple the left leg, not the right one. Some programmer probably did a copy-and-paste here.

Horrigan
†The actual line number referenced (7060) doesn't exist; this is probably what was supposed to be there.

Horrigan seems to be unfinished; there are several different Messages, but they aren't being used.

Player
Note that there are instant-kill criticals for the player. However, they can only occur if the attacking critter has a critical hit roll bonus, and it does not appear that any of them do.