Topic: Was ICE the creator of the Critical Hit?

[Bruce]

I ask this for a few reasons. I have an ICE shirt that states that very thing. But ICE wasn't formed until 1980 and there have been some I've talked to that say Dave Arneson had critical hit tables in his Blackmoor setting. But no one has been able to find those tables. So is this a question of when it was actually published or what?

Can someone official verify that statement?

I just found a link to an article on this: https://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-first-critical-hits.html

[Jenkyna]

Still debatable though. Terry was playing Rolemaster in 1976 in Pete' Fenlon's original game. Terry might know when the game actually began using critical hits, but you could also try posting the question on the Rolemaster FB group. Coleman Charlton lurks there, and does answer historical questions from time to time.

Terry's post on Pete's game: http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?topic=10647.msg220815#msg220815

[Bruce]

The stuff with the Blackmoor setting is dated 1975. Someone posted a link to the tables from the Blackmoor setting and they are much like an RM table except they are only one table. I'll pop over to the FB and see if I can get Coleman to answer that question. If not I will ask him at Gencon if he is there.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Still debatable though. Terry was playing Rolemaster in 1976 in Pete' Fenlon's original game. Terry might know when the game actually began using critical hits, but you could also try posting the question on the Rolemaster FB group. Coleman Charlton lurks there, and does answer historical questions from time to time.

Terry's post on Pete's game: http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?topic=10647.msg220815#msg220815

In 1976 when I was 1st year in college and RPG were new to me, I was first laying a game, it was basically D&D but Pete and Coleman were experimenting with complex tables for attack, and Pete made up the fanciful crits. But that is only my vague memory. I also remember the attack tables were on computer cards!

[Jenkyna]

In 1976 when I was 1st year in college and RPG were new to me, I was first laying a game, it was basically D&D but Pete and Coleman were experimenting with complex tables for attack, and Pete made up the fanciful crits. But that is only my vague memory. I also remember the attack tables were on computer cards!

Were they working on that before or after 76? Totally cool if you don't know. We're just curious about the games origins.

[JakeM.]

Terry was playing Rolemaster in 1976 in Pete' Fenlon's original game. 

Terry's post on Pete's game: http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?topic=10647.msg220815#msg220815

Pete Fenlon. Isn't he one of the characters in the knights of the round table comic?