Threat range

Each weapon has a threat range for critical hits.

A critical threat is obtained when you roll a d20 to hit your opponent and the result (before applying any bonus or penalty) is within the threat range of your weapon (even if your modified attack roll wouldn't beat the opponent's AC).

A critical threat means you have a chance to score a critical hit. To do so, a confirmation roll is made, with the same to-hit bonus being applied (plus extra confirmation bonuses such as Seeker, Kensei enhancements, Fighter Critical Accuracy, etc.); in this roll, 1's do not automatically fail to hit. This roll must beat the target's AC in order to "confirm" the critical hit.

In DDO, a confirmation roll can still succeed on a roll of 1; it does not auto-miss on such a roll.

If that roll also results in a hit against the target's AC, the critical hit is confirmed, and the base damage is rolled once for every critical hit multiplier. If the confirmation roll is a miss, then the attack is not a critical hit and is rolled as a normal attack (IE, auto-success on natural 20 or test vs. AC for non-20).

All weapons create a critical threat on a roll of 20, but some have a larger threat range, extending down to 19-20 or even 18-20.

Ways to increase threat range

• The Keen (slashing/piercing) or Impact (bludgeoning) weapon prefixes double the weapon's base threat range. A Kukri (base threat range 18-20) with Keen, for example, will have a threat range of 15-20. This does not stack with Improved Critical.
• The Improved Critical feat doubles the base threat range for any equipped weapon in a specific category (slashing/piercing/bludgeoning/ranged/thrown). This does not stack with Keen/Impact.

Competence bonus

• Competence bonus to critical hit multiplier can come from various sources. Bonuses to critical threat range are usually not doubled by Improved Critical, exceptions are marked otherwise. Multiple effects granting competence bonus don't stack.

Sources of Competence Bonus

Source	Tier/Core	Enhancement Name	Bonus amount	Compatible Weapons
Assassin enhancements	T5	Knife Specialization	+1	Dagger
Assassin enhancements	T5	Knife Specialization	+2	Dagger with Improved Critical: Piercing
Barbarian Ravager enhancements	T5	Critical Rage	+1/2	All Weapons
Battle Engineer enhancements	T5	Reconstructed Armaments: Arms	+1	Light Hammer, Warhammer, Morningstar
Battle Engineer enhancements	T5	Reconstructed Armaments: Crossbows	+1	Crossbows
Battle Engineer enhancements	T5	Reconstructed Armaments: Edges	+1	Bastard Sword, Dwarven Axe
Dark Hunter enhancements	T5	Blade Specialization (Threat)	+1	All Weapons
Deep Gnome enhancements	T4	Gnomish Weapon Training	+1	Light Hammer, Light Mace, Light Pick, Shortsword, Light Crossbow, Light Repeating Crossbow
Deepwood Stalker enhancements	Core 4	Advanced Sneak Attack	+1	All Weapons
Dragon Disciple enhancements	T5	Peace in Destruction	+1	All Weapons while Centered
Fighter Ravager enhancements	T5	Critical Rage	+1/2	All Weapons
Gnome enhancements	T4	Gnomish Weapon Training	+1	Light Hammer, Light Mace, Light Pick, Shortsword, Light Crossbow, Light Repeating Crossbow
Halfling enhancements	T4	Master Thrower	+1	Throwing Weapons
Henshin Mystic enhancements	T5	Mystic Honing	+1	All Weapons while Centered
Horizon Walker enhancements	T5	Feywild Attunement	+1	Shortbow, Longbow
Inquisitive enhancements	Core 4	True Seeing	+1	Light Crossbow, Heavy Crossbow
Kensai enhancements	T5	Keen Edge	+1	Focus Weapons
Ninja Spy enhancements	T5	Deadly Striker	+1	All Weapons while Centered
Ninja Spy enhancements	T5	Deadly Striker	+2	Kama, Shortsword, Shuriken
Occult Slayer enhancements	T5	Occult Metalline	+1	All Weapons
Paladin Spell Level 4 / Cleric War Domain	Spell	Holy Sword	+1	All Weapons
Shintao enhancements	T5	Empty Hand Mastery	+1	All Weapons while Centered
Sorcerer Eldritch Knight enhancements	T5	Force's Edge	+1	All Weapons, for 12 seconds after casting an offensive spell
Swashbuckler enhancements	Core 2	Swashbuckling	+1	Dagger, Shortsword, Throwing Dagger, Light Pick
Swashbuckler enhancements	Core 2	Swashbuckling	+2	Dagger, Shortsword, Throwing Dagger, Light Pick with matching Improved Critical
Swashbuckler enhancements	Core 2	Swashbuckling	+2	Light Mace, Light Hammer, Kama, Sickle, Handaxe, Dart, Shuriken, Throwing Axe, Throwing Hammer
Swashbuckler enhancements	Core 2	Swashbuckling	+4	Light Mace, Light Hammer, Kama, Sickle, Handaxe, Dart, Shuriken, Throwing Axe, Throwing Hammer with matching Improved Critical
Thief-Acrobat enhancements	T5	Staff Specialization	+1	Quarterstaff
Vanguard enhancements	Core 5	Vicious Shield	+1	Shields
Vile Chemist enhancements	T5	Fatal Poison	+1	Simple Weapons in mainhand, with a simple weapon, orb, runearm or nothing in offhand
Vile Chemist enhancements	T5	Fatal Poison	+2	Dart in mainhand, with a simple weapon, orb, runearm or nothing in offhand
Vistani Knife Fighter enhancements	Core 4	Plays with Knives	+1	Dagger, Kukri, Throwing Dagger
Warpriest enhancements	Core 5	War Caster: Haste	+1	Favored Weapon
War Soul enhancements	Core 5	War Caster: Haste	+1	Favored Weapon
Wizard Eldritch Knight enhancements	T5	Force's Edge	+1	All Weapons, for 12 seconds after casting an offensive spell

Insight bonus

• Swashbuckler enhancements T5 - Exploit Weakness: stacking +1 every time you damage an enemy but do not critically hit.

Morale bonus

• Knight's Training feat: +1 for Battle Axes or +2 for Battle Axes if you have Improved Critical: Slashing.
• Knight's Training feat: +2 for Heavy Maces, Morningstars, and Warhammers, improved by Improved Critical:Bludgeoning.
• Swords to Plowshares feat: +1 for Kamas, Sickles, and Handwraps. +2 for Quarterstaves. These are also improved by Improved Critical.

Untyped / unclear bonus type

• Blessing of Silvanus: +2 for Mauls.
• Point Blank Shot: +1 for Longbows and Shortbows
• Sacred Fist enhancements T5 - Violence Begets Violence: while centered, stacking +1 for 6 seconds when an opponent misses you in melee. Stacks up to 5 times and is reset if you critically hit.
• Shintao enhancements T5 - Violence Begets Violence: while centered, stacking +1 for 6 seconds when an opponent misses you in melee. Stacks up to 5 times and is reset if you critically hit.

Many active attacks, often coming from enhancements, feats, or epic destiny abilities, modify the critical threat and/or multiplier of a single attack or short duration. These effects usually stack with everything else. For example:

• Knight of the Chalice enhancements T3 - Exalted Smite: +0/1/2
• Sacred Fist enhancements T3 - Exalted Smite: +0/1/2
• Nature's Warrior enhancements T4 - Ghost Wolf Pack: + 2
• Vistani Knife Fighter enhancements T5 - Vendetta: +1 to daggers or throwing knives for 15 seconds.

• Shadowdancer T2 - Shadowstrike: +3
• Fury of the Wild T1 - Quick Cutter: +1/2/3
• Fatesinger T2 - Blade of Discord: +2

Weapon damage comparison

Note that this calculation does not include additional damage from strength modifier, weapon enhancement bonus, or the extra bonus to base damage dice that Legendary weapons get, resulting in x2 multiplier weapons looking better than they really are. This calculation also assumes a 100% critical confirmation roll, in this case resulting in lower threat weapons (which usually carry a better multiplier) looking better.
To understand the breaking point, besides the obvious critical effects, consider how often you hit an opponent. The harder it is to hit (attack roll vs AC), the better it is to have a higher threat range weapon as you always hit on a non-confirmed critical.

STR modifier example:
(on hit with vanilla weapons, does not consider glancing blows, feats or enhancements)

• a strength 10 (+0) fighter
  • Bastard Sword: 5.5 base expected, 11 on crit → 6.1 avg
  • Khopesh: 4.5 base expected, 13.5 on crit → 5.4 avg
• a strength 30 (+10) fighter
  • Bastard Sword: 15.5 base expected, 31 on crit → 17.05 avg
  • Khopesh: 14.5 base expected, 43.5 on crit → 17.4 avg
• a strength 40 (+15) fighter
  • Bastard Sword: 20.5 base expected, 41 on crit → 22.55 avg
  • Khopesh: 19.5 base expected, 58.5 on crit → 23.4 avg

Weapon Type	Base Damage Type	Base Damage	Expected Damage	Crit range	Crit multiplier	Avg Dmg	Keen / Impact / Improved Critical Avg Dmg	Kensei III / Paladin Exalted Smite II / Deepwood Sniper I with Impr. Crit	Paladin Exalted Smite IV with Impr. Crit
Shuriken	Slashing	1d2	1.5	20 (5%)	x2	1.6	1.7	1.7	1.8
Dagger	Piercing	1d4	2.5	19-20 (10%)	x2	2.8	3.0	3.1	3.3
Dart	Piercing	1d4	2.5	20 (5%)	x2	2.6	2.8	2.9	3.0
Throwing Dagger	Piercing	1d4	2.5	20 (5%)	x2	2.6	2.8	2.9	3.0
Throwing Hammer	Bludgeon	1d4	2.5	20 (5%)	x2	2.6	2.8	2.9	3.0
Light Hammer	Bludgeon	1d4	2.5	20 (5%)	x2	2.6	2.8	2.9	3.0
Kukri	Slashing	1d4	2.5	18-20 (15%)	x2	2.9	3.3	3.4	3.5
Light Pick	Piercing	1d4	2.5	20 (5%)	x4	2.9	3.3	3.6	4.0
Scepter (Club)	Bludgeon	1d6	3.5	20 (5%)	x2	3.7	3.9	4.0	4.2
Light Mace	Bludgeon	1d6	3.5	20 (5%)	x2	3.7	3.9	4.0	4.2
Quarterstaff	Bludgeon	1d6	3.5	20 (5%)	x2	3.7	3.9	4.0	4.2
Sickle	Slashing	1d6	3.5	20 (5%)	x2	3.7	3.9	4.0	4.2
Handaxe	Slashing	1d6	3.5	20 (5%)	x3	3.9	4.2	4.6	4.9
Scimitar	Slashing	1d6	3.5	18-20 (15%)	x2	4.0	4.6	4.7	4.9
Shortsword	Piercing	1d6	3.5	19-20 (10%)	x2	3.9	4.2	4.4	4.6
Rapier	Piercing	1d6	3.5	18-20 (15%)	x2	4.0	4.6	4.7	4.9
Heavy Pick	Piercing	1d6	3.5	20 (5%)	x4	4.0	4.6	5.1	5.6
Shortbow	Piercing	1d6	3.5	20 (5%)	x3	3.9	4.2	4.6	4.9
Throwing Axe	Slashing	1d6	3.5	20 (5%)	x3	3.9	4.2	4.6	4.9
Kama	Slashing	1d6	3.5	20 (5%)	x2	3.7	3.9	4.0	4.2
Heavy Mace	Bludgeon	1d8	4.5	20 (5%)	x2	4.7	5.0	5.2	5.4
Morningstar	Bludgeon	1d8	4.5	20 (5%)	x2	4.7	5.0	5.2	5.4
Light Crossbow	Piercing	1d8	4.5	19-20 (10%)	x2	5.0	5.4	5.6	5.9
Warhammer	Bludgeon	1d8	4.5	20 (5%)	x3	5.0	5.4	5.9	6.3
Battleaxe	Slashing	1d8	4.5	20 (5%)	x3	5.0	5.4	5.9	6.3
Longsword	Slashing	1d8	4.5	19-20 (10%)	x2	5.0	5.4	5.6	5.9
Longbow	Piercing	1d8	4.5	20 (5%)	x3	5.0	5.4	5.9	6.3
Khopesh	Slashing	1d8	4.5	19-20 (10%)	x3	5.4	6.3	6.8	7.2
Repeating Light Crossbow	Piercing	1d8	4.5	19-20 (10%)	x2	5.0	5.4	5.6	5.9
Falchion	Slashing	2d4	5	18-20 (15%)	x2	5.8	6.5	6.8	7.0
Heavy Crossbow	Piercing	1d10	5.5	19-20 (10%)	x2	6.1	6.6	6.9	7.2
Greatclub	Bludgeon	1d10	5.5	20 (5%)	x2	5.8	6.1	6.3	6.6
Maul	Bludgeon	1d10	5.5	20 (5%)	x3	6.1	6.6	7.2	7.7
Dwarven Axe	Slashing	1d10	5.5	20 (5%)	x3	6.1	6.6	7.2	7.7
Bastard Sword	Slashing	1d10	5.5	19-20 (10%)	x2	6.1	6.6	6.9	7.2
Repeating Heavy Crossbow	Piercing	1d10	5.5	19-20 (10%)	x2	6.1	6.6	6.9	7.2
Greataxe	Slashing	1d12	6.5	20 (5%)	x3	7.2	7.8	8.5	9.1
Greatsword	Slashing	2d6	7	19-20 (10%)	x2	7.7	8.4	8.8	9.1
Great Crossbow	Piercing	2d8	9	18-20 (15%)	x2	10.4	11.7	12.2	12.6