Critical Failure
Also known as: fumble, botch, natural 1, nat 1, crit fail
Definition
An exceptionally bad roll that causes additional negative consequences beyond normal failure. Often dramatic or humorous, representing bad luck or spectacular mistakes.
How it works in different systems
D&D 5e: Natural 1 on attack = automatic miss. No other RAW fumble effects.
Vampire V5: Dice pool with more 1s than successes (and no 10s) = Bestial Failure if Hunger dice show 1s.
Call of Cthulhu 7e: Roll 96-99 = fumble (100 if skill is 50+). Bad things happen.
WoD Classic: More 1s than successes = botch. Severity depends on how many 1s.
Example
“You roll a natural 1 on your attack. Your sword slips from your grip and clatters across the floor! The goblin cackles.”
Common Mistakes
- Making fumbles too punishing (dropping weapons, hitting allies - this discourages martials)
- Applying fumbles to skill checks when the system doesn't call for it
- Forgetting that nat 1 is only auto-miss on attacks in 5e RAW