hi,

I'm having trouble figuring out how to get my samurai character to use the "critical hit" skil as opposed to a standard attack.
I've tried clicking on the combat menu (next to the pull-out portrait) and also by equipping different items.
Any advice on how to make this work, or is it something that works on normal sword attacks?
Also, can you switch attack types from thrust to swing, etc? Thanks!!

• RE: using critical hit skills,Avatar (Guest), 01:10 PM, Apr-21-04
• RE: using critical hit skills,scovey (Guest), 01:15 PM, Apr-21-04
  • RE: using critical hit skills,new_fan (Guest), 10:32 AM, Apr-23-04
    • RE: using critical hit skills,rbrown, 11:31 AM, Apr-23-04
• RE: using critical hit skills,scovey (Guest), 02:39 PM, Apr-23-04
  • RE: using critical hit skills,nomad, 06:13 PM, Apr-23-04
    • RE: using critical hit skills,scovey (Guest), 03:25 AM, Apr-24-04
      • Your results may vary,Llevram, 09:15 AM, Apr-24-04
      • RE: using critical hit skills,nomad, 12:53 PM, Apr-24-04
        • RE: using critical hit skills,scovey (Guest), 03:09 AM, Apr-26-04
          • RE: using critical hit skills,nomad, 04:26 AM, Apr-26-04
            • Depends on the Bo,Avatar (Guest), 05:14 AM, Apr-26-04
              • RE: Bo,applebake (Guest), 01:43 AM, Apr-28-04

Go into the inventory screen, click on the box on thr bottom that shows skills, in the skills screen right click the critical strike skill, this will bring up a box with the information you seek. BTW right clicking on anything will bring up some information on it. Hope this helps.

The 'critical hit' skill is not something you can select. Professions with this skill have a chance for making an "Instant Kill" hit on an enemy. The higher the skill, the higher the chance to land a 'critical hit".

Some weapons and ammo also have this "critical hit" modifier attached to them.

You also can not "select" to swing or thrust a weapon. The weapons with more than one attack type will randomly "swing" or "thrust" during your attacks.

Spence

thanks yall. Very helpful indeed
Now I just have to incr my samurai's senses more...35 just won't fly.

There are some capes and hats that boost senses. I think Assassins Cap boosts senses by 20, don't remember if a samurai can wear it. Boosting dexterity will also help. Ankh of Dexterity, Lithe Buckler and ?Emerald Necklace? might help.

Also worth mentioning. The Ranger profession can also score an "Instant Kill" when using a bow, crossbow or sling. The "Ranged Combat" skill is the Ranger's "critical hit" modifier.

The Ninja gets "thrown" critical hits with throwing weapons. Not sure which skill (throwing & sling, critical hit or ranged combat) is the modifier for these though. He/she will not get criticals with a sling though, unless the ammo used has the critical hit modifier. Also, the Ninja can "Instant Kill" with melee attacks using hands & feet.

The Monk only gets melee instant kills using hands & feet.

The Samurai's critical hit applies only for bladed weapons.

Spence

Where did you get your info on the Monk getting critical hits only with hands & feet and the samurai getting critical hits only for bladed weapons? The manual directly counterdicts those statements. Same for Ninja. The Critical Strike skill affects the thrown critical hit chance.

Searching through the manual, where is it stated that directly contradicts this? Page 112 Appendix 2 describing the Samurai or Ninja? page 113 for the Monk?

On page 124 for the Academic Skills, the critical strike skill is used for unarmed or with close or extended weapons. The operative word here being "or".

My comments are based on my own direct testing. Using the Samurai with just hands & feet or non-bladed weapons never yielded any critical hits. Same for the Monk when not using hands & feet. Similiar testing revealed that the Rogue's backstab ability applies to only bladed weapons with the "thrust" attack option but not including bladed polearms. Not documentd in the manual anywhere.

As far as the Ninja, I have seen "Instant Kill" with a Bard turned Ninja who had zero critical strike skill. This with a plain old throwing dagger. Very high throwing and ranged combat skill developed with 19 Bard levels. A clear indication that something else affected the chance of thrown criticals. I suspect a combination of throwing, critical and ranged combat is used for the Ninja's "Instant Kill" with throwing weapons.

Spence

How much testing did you do with your ninja on other non-thrown weapons? The Ninja gets the bonus to critical strike and 25% is a big bonus. Also, it has been highly theorized that character versus monster level is a big factor.

For instance, if you take a level 8 character and pit it against a level 1 monster, then a level 12 monster ... your critical strike results should be quite different.

That, and this is all random ... and who knows what algorithms are not documented in the manual ....

Tools for Wizardry(r) 7

I know I had a Monk that got one or two critical hits with a plain Bo.

Both of you, Llevram and nomad, make valid points.

During past testing with pure Ninjas, I've seen "Instant Kills" with practically any melee weapon she could equip. Thrown crits were the most frequent with dagger class weapons coming in close second. I tested weapons without "kill" modifiers attached to them.

Also, profession class is a definate factor. I noticed a huge increase in "Instant Kills" above profession level 25. At these high levels, skills are maxxed and the expert skills start kicking in.

The bo staff is a puzzler. I also have seen crits when the Monk or Ninja use it. Oddly enough, not so with a Samurai though. Couldn't get any crits from him with this weapon. Nor with any other non-bladed weapon. For the Samurai, if it's got a blade and can be equiped, you'll see crits.

Spence

Never having tried a Samurai with a staff, I can not say. I will try to find Atlus Seven and see if he knows anything about it. He once ran a Magical Samurai, Robes only, Bo, and Powercast.

Plain very few, Haiyu more but nor a lot, Z-Bo definatly.

Hi - I am wondering if the monk was similar in the way of critical hits in wiz 6 - I once had a fairy monk who surprisingly started doing some critical hits very early in the game, in the main level of the castle. I never played her with anything other than the bo if I can recall, she could reach front row monsters from the back row more effectively than any of the other characters and seemed so good with it I didn't try to change it. H