History Main / CriticalFailure

** Due to the nature of Ordinance weapons, you can totally miss your target, and completely obliterate your own troops due to a misfire. Not exactly Critical Failure, but just as hilarious (to your opponent, if not you).

*** That being said, the Critical Failure rule has been included in the Dungeon Master's Guide since 3rd edition as an example of what a house rule is. In 4th Edition, the suggested House rule format is that a player who rolls a 1 on an attack roll loses all subsequent actions this round. Rather tame and less deadly then the more classic versions.

** Due to the fact that GameDesignersHaveNoSenseOfStatistics, the [=OWoD=] system made you ''more'' likely to botch on very difficult rolls if you had a large number of dice to roll, as illustrated [[http://wiki.white-wolf.com/worldofdarkness/index.php?title=Probability_Math#Botching.2C_Second_Edition here]].

* ''{{Exalted}}'' has its own version, which tends to be very, very bad for you, but not actually "[[LosingYourHead HURR I CUTS OFF MY OWN HEAD]]" stupid.

[[AC:VideoGames]]

* ''{{Pokemon}}'' has moves such as "High Jump Kick," which will damage the user if the attack misses.

* [[http://funnydndstories.webs.com/apps/blog/show/3432504-sameo The story of Sameo]]: proof that even a critical failure can be a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.

** In another comic, Aragorn rolls a 1 when the DM makes him roll for dismounting a Warg, which the DM interprets as a failure to dismount, sending the Warg flying off a cliff with Aragorn firmly on its back.

* Certain attacks in {{Pokemon}} can be like this. While low accuracy for a move is typically applied to the more powerful ones, some mid-range or weak attacks have a 90 or 95% accuracy for no reason whatsoever. So, even though Air Slash and Rock Slide are weaker than most moves with 100% accuracy and would certainly not break the game with 100% accuracy, they have that 5%-10% chance of missing just because the programmers felt like it. Eternally frustrating when your "reliable" move misses while the opponent hits with Thunder or Stone Edge every turn.
** There are also moves like Hi Jump Kick, which don't have perfect accuracy. When they miss, your target takes no damage, but your Pokémon does.

* ''{{Arcanum}}'' has a wide range of critical failures, such as breaking your own weapon, breaking your own armour, knocking yourself out, dropping your weapon, dealing heavy damage to yourself, semi-permanent disfigurement and injury... and it's not unusual for several effects to happen at once, which is hilarious when it happens to an enemy and incredibly frustrating when it happens to you. There's also a trait that makes critical hits and misses less common, but more spectacular. Oh, and the critical failure chance of technological weapons [[MagicVersusScience is increased in the hands of a magic user]].

** A critical failure on a psychic test (double one or double six, around a 5.5% chance of occurring) causes the Warp to fry the Psyker's brain. Curiously, if you roll a double one on your psychic test (which is a critical success as it's based on morale/command), the power still works.

** The new Terminus Land Raider can suffer a Critical Failure if all 5 of its Las-cannons overheat, effectively turning it into a mini-nuke.

[[quoteright:360:[[PennyArcade http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/podcast_papvp2_8.jpg]]]]

* In ''Loaded Dice'', Steve rolls a one on behlf of one of the barbarians during what would otherwise be an easy "player kill" moment. His [[http://www.rdinn.com/comic.php?comicid=58 reaction]] is epic.

* ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' has its rules reflect the fact that the game takes place in a [[CrapsackWorld crapsack universe]] where {{everything is trying to kill you}} - like your own weapons, for example. Guns with the Gets Hot! special rule, such as Imperial plasma weapons or some of the more dangerous [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Ork]] "kustom shootas," will overheat and wound their wielder if you roll a 1 to hit. They're [[http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2009/3/27/633737570370792860-plasmaweapons.jpg totally worth the risk]], though.

* ''{{Toon}}'' is similar to GURPS above, but with one less die. A natural 12 is a critical failure. Keep in mind this is a cartoon roleplaying game, and you can imagine how much fun a critical failure can be.

* In ''Loaded Dice'', Steve rolls a one on behlf of one of the barbarians during what would otherwise be an easy "player kill" moment. [[His http://www.rdinn.com/comic.php?comicid=58 reaction]] is epic.

* [[http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Sameo The story of Sameo]]: proof that even a critical failure can be a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.

* ''InNomine'', which is based on the War between Heaven and Hell, has a special take on critical failures (and critical successes) the game uses a system of rolling 3 six sided dice, a natural roll of 3 ones (representing the Holy Trinity) is a "Divine Intervention" which is good for angels and those allied with them, and bad for demons and their allies, a natural roll of 3 sixes (representing... [[NumberOfTheBeast well, you know]]) is an "Infernal Intervention" which is good for those on Hell's side and bad for those fighting for Heaven. Depending on the nature and circumstances of the roll, these Interventions can be anything from a(n) (un)lucky coincidence to a [[DeusExMachina blatant spectacular manifestation of divine or infernal power]].

->''"You see, Fighter, any time you do '''any'''thing, there is a one in twenty chance that you will critically fail. The results of such catastrophic events are up to the gods. Sadly for us, they are vindictive, and filled with bad ideas."''