TEXT: EN World EN5idEr | Metropolitan Arcana
  Metropolitan
  Arcana
   
  writing Andrew Engelbrite
   color art Héctor Rodríguez
   
  editing Mike Myler
   
  layout Eric Life-Putnam
  S
  crutinizing the half-orc’s doc-
  ument carefully, the captain 
  carefully analyzes every line of the 
  supposed pardon until suddenly the 
  writ explodes in a puff of scrap paper, 
  the rapidly shrinking form of the crimi-
  nal racing away and cackling mad as 
  a hatter. He reaches for his sword but 
  grasps at nothing, the illusion of his 
  weapon disappearing just as he spots 
  the fleeing half-orc raising the blade in 
  triumph. The captain cracks a smile 
  in response and concentrates on the 
  invisible mark cast upon his sword, 
  the location of the thieves’ den finally 
  about to be revealed. 
  Metropolitan
  Arcana
  EN World EN5ider | Ability Check Criticals
      et’s add a little drama 
          into ability checks!
  With these variant rules
  your table will soon have 
  a dynamic flair alongside
  important tasks and trials,  
  bringing a new impact 
  to the use of mundane 
  skills. Don’t just have 
  adventurers overcome
  obstacles—have them 
  do so with style!
  ABILITY CHECK 
  CRITICALS
  ABILITY CHECK 
  CRITICALS
  Writing	
  Jeff Gomez
  Color	Art	
  Herman Lau
  Editing		
  Mike Myler
  L
  
  EN World EN5ider | Ability Check Criticals
  Open	Game	Content	| The game 
  rule information in this article is 
  designated Open Game Content. 
  All other material in this article, 
  including maps and illustrations 
  (including illustrations in the 
  public domain), in-character and 
  out-of-character narrative and descriptive text, char-
  acter and place names, trade dress, “EN Publishing,” 
  “EN World,” “EN5ider,” EN Publishing product and 
  article titles, and EN World and EN Publishing logos, 
  are designated Product Identity.
  Whenever a character rolls a natural 20 or a natural 1 when attempting an ability check, the attempt has an ad-
  ditional effect—roll 1d6 and refer to the tables below for the exact critical result.
  Note that a natural 1 or 20 does not mean automatic success or failure (as it would for an attack roll). DCs 
  are totaled and compared like any other ability check. Once the success or failure of the check is determined, 
  the additional effect takes place. 
  Because of the benefits of natural 20s, some players may try a variety of easy ability checks to get a critical 
  effect. The GM is always the arbiter of these critical effects and can rule that if an ability check is superfluous or 
  insignificant, any resulting natural 20s and natural 1s have no special effect.
  PHYSICAL FEATS 
  Includes skills such as Acrobatics, Athletics, Sleight of 
  Hand, and Stealth.
  NATURAL 20
  1. Cool Confidence. You may take 10 on these skill 
  checks for the next 24 hours, even if it is not nor-
  mally allowed.
  2. Impressive Success. You impress others with your 
  physical feat. For the next hour, you gain a +2 bonus 
  on Charisma (Intimidation) and Charisma (Persua-
  sion) checks against targets who saw your success.
  3. Lead the Way. Your allies who attempt a similar 
  check in the next 5 minutes gain a +2 bonus.
  4. Like Wearing Nothing at All. For the next hour, 
  you ignore any disadvantage to Dexterity (Stealth) 
  checks gained from wearing armor.
  5. Satisfying Exhaustion. You’ll sleep well tonight. For 
  the next 24 hours, double the hit points you regain 
  from spending hit dice during a short rest.
  6. Speedy. You may move half your speed as a reac-
  tion.
  NATURAL 1
  1. Fumble. You break something held in your hands 
  (GM’s choice).
  2. Jam. You jam your fingers or toes, and for the next 
  10 minutes your melee attack bonus or AC are re-
  duced by –1 (GM’s choice).
  3. Loosened Latch. Something you are wearing inex-
  plicably breaks (GM’s choice).
  4. Off Balance. You fall prone.
  5. Pull a Ligament. Your speed is reduced by –5 feet 
  for the next hour.
  6. Pushed Too Hard. You gain two levels of exhaus-
  tion. After 1 round, one of these levels of exhaus-
  tion is removed, and the other is gone after 1 hour.
  SOCIAL SKILLS
  Includes skills such as Animal Handling, Deception, In-
  sight, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion. 
  Special: When using a disguise kit, the effect of the 
  natural 20 or natural 1 is “stored” until a particularly 
  opportune or inopportune time.
  NATURAL 20
  1. Clever Banter. Improve the target’s attitude toward 
  you—someone that was put off might become ap-
  athetic, and an apathetic person might become 
  friendly.
  2. Friendly Crowd. The target calls over some friends 
  that are friendly to you and interested in what you 
  are doing.
  3. Gift. The target wants to give you some small gift 
  outside the scope of this conversation.
  4. Good Reputation. After this conversation, the at-
  titudes of the target’s closest allies towards you by 
  one step (as Clever Banter).
  5. Loose Lips. The target accidentally reveals a useful 
  piece of information.
  6. Love Interest. The target becomes romantically in-
  terested with you.
  
  EN World EN5idEr | Metropolitan Arcana
  Metropolitan
  Arcana
   
  writing Andrew Engelbrite
   color art Héctor Rodríguez
   
  editing Mike Myler
   
  layout Eric Life-Putnam
  S
  crutinizing the half-orc’s doc-
  ument carefully, the captain 
  carefully analyzes every line of the 
  supposed pardon until suddenly the 
  writ explodes in a puff of scrap paper, 
  the rapidly shrinking form of the crimi-
  nal racing away and cackling mad as 
  a hatter. He reaches for his sword but 
  grasps at nothing, the illusion of his 
  weapon disappearing just as he spots 
  the fleeing half-orc raising the blade in 
  triumph. The captain cracks a smile 
  in response and concentrates on the 
  invisible mark cast upon his sword, 
  the location of the thieves’ den finally 
  about to be revealed. 
  Metropolitan
  Arcana
  EN World EN5ider | Ability Check Criticals
  Tool Kits. Whether or not a tool kit is appropriate 
  for an Ability Check Critical and for which type it 
  qualifies is entirely at the discretion of the GM.
  NATURAL 1
  1. Accidental Reveal. You accidentally reveal a piece 
  of information best kept hidden.
  2. Escalating Tension. The target calls over some 
  friends that are not fans of you and your cause.
  3. False Negative. You believe something truthful 
  that the target says to be a lie.
  4. Gossip. After this conversation, worsen the attitude 
  of the target’s close allies towards you by one step. 
  Someone who was apathetic might be put off, and 
  someone put off might become borderline aggres-
  sive.
  5. Suspicious. The target believes something truthful 
  to be a lie.
  6. Unfriendly Banter. Worsen the target’s attitude to-
  ward you by one step (as Gossip).
  FACTS & DISCOVERIES
  Includes skills such as Arcana, History, Investigation, 
  Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival.
  NATURAL 20
  1. Doctorate. This subject is one of your areas of study 
  and some of it is coming back to you. For the next 
  24 hours, you gain a +2 bonus on ability checks using 
  this skill so long as the check is for similar subjects.
  2. Forgotten Language. Choose the language most 
  closely associated with the target (if none or if you 
  already know the language, roll again). If this is your 
  first time getting a facts and discoveries critical on 
  that language, you remember that you studied that 
  language long ago. Write down the language. The 
  next time you roll this result, you permanently learn 
  the language. 
  3. Moment of Revelation. You gain the benefits of a 
  single augury spell (although no magic is involved).
  4. Related Expertise. For the next hour, you may add 
  half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) to any 
  Intelligence or Wisdom ability check that doesn’t al-
  ready include your proficiency bonus.
  5. Relevant Tidbit. You recall some important bit of 
  information relevant to the target.
  6. View Auras. For 1 minute, you gain the benefits of 
  detect magic against targets related to your check.
  NATURAL 1
  1. Aggressive Handling. If you are examining some-
  thing, you either break it or worsen a creature’s at-
  titude towards you by one step (as Gossip). When 
  this does not apply, reroll.
  2. Arcane Fatigue. You lose one of your highest level 
  spell slots. When this does not apply, reroll.
  3. Boring Topic. You find this topic incredibly boring. 
  For the next 24 hours, you take a –2 penalty on 
  checks against similar targets.
  4. Earworm. You are trying to concentrate but all you 
  can remember is an advertising jingle. For the next 
  hour, you take a –2 penalty on all Intelligence and 
  Wisdom checks.
  5. Frightening Revelation. You become frightened for 
  1d4+1 rounds. There is no direct source of your fear.
  6. Misinformation. You are positive of the veracity of 
  some false bit of information.
  MEDICINE
  NATURAL 20
  1. Buffer. The target gains a number of temporary hit 
  points equal to your proficiency bonus. These tem-
  porary hit points last 1 hour.
  2. Comprehensive Checkup. The target heals 1 level 
  of exhaustion (reroll if that doesn’t apply).
  3. Expertise. You may take 10 on Wisdom (Medicine) 
  checks for the next 24 hours, even if it is not normal-
  ly allowed.
  4. Repeat the Procedure. You may treat your next 
  Wisdom (Medicine) check as a natural 20 so long 
  as it is made before you complete a long rest. This 
  does not result in a critical effect.
  5. Spur Natural Healing. The target’s natural healing 
  improves dramatically. For the next 24 hours, dou-
  ble the hit points the target regains from spending 
  hit dice during a short rest.
  6. Superb Healing. The target regains additional hit 
  points equal to your proficiency bonus.
  
  EN World EN5ider | Ability Check Criticals
  NATURAL 1
  1. Amputate Toe. You accidentally amputate the patient’s little toe (or similar non-vital extremity). Now, how did 
  you do that?
  2. Disgusting Procedure. You and the target are poisoned for 1 minute.
  3. Harm. The target takes 1d4 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.
  4. Infect Wound. The target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become infected with sewer plague.
  5. Open Wound. The target takes 1 damage at the end of each of its turns for 1 minute. Each turn the target can 
  use its bonus action to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 20 – 1 per previous save) to stop the bleeding. 
  Any amount of magical healing also stops the bleading.
  6. Organ Damage. The target gains 3 levels of exhaustion.
  NATURAL 1
  1. Arcane Feedback. You take 1 point of damage per 
  spell level. When this does not apply, reroll.
  2. Break Device. The item activated is broken (or, in 
  the case of a scroll, destroyed entirely). When this 
  does not apply, reroll.
  3. Delayed Activation. At some point within the next 
  1d12 hours, the magic device randomly activates. 
  The target is chosen by the GM. When this does not 
  apply, reroll.
  4. Misaligned Aiming. The device activates, but the 
  target of the items’ effect or spell changes to a tar-
  get of the GM’s choosing. When this does not apply, 
  reroll.
  5. Unlucky Magic. Regardless of whether or not you 
  are successful, roll twice on the wild magic table 
  and choose the least favorable result (GM’s choice).
  6. Wasteful Usage. If activating an item with charges 
  (such as a wand), you use 5 charges (even if the de-
  vice does not activate). When this does not apply, 
  reroll.
  ARCANE
  Although it uses Arcana, unlike facts and discoveries 
  ability check criticals, an arcane critical only occurs 
  when an active magical effect is involved. This might 
  be the response to a counterspell or dispel magic, the 
  curious activation of a specific magic item, or interac-
  tion with a ritual or permanent enchantment.
  NATURAL 20
  1. Arcane Surge. You gain 1 temporary hit point per 
  point of proficiency bonus. These temporary hit 
  points last 1 hour. 
  2. Comfort in the Arcane. You may take 10 on Intelli-
  gence (Arcana) checks for the next 24 hours, even if 
  it is not normally allowed.
  3. Expanded Use. If the magic item or effect targets a 
  set number of targets, you may add one additional 
  target within range. When this does not apply, re-
  roll.
  4. Free Use. If activating a scroll or item with charges 
  (such as a wand), you do not use the scroll or any 
  charges. When this does not apply, reroll.
  5. Lucky Magic. Regardless of whether or not you are 
  successful, roll twice on the wild magic table and 
  choose the more favorable result (your choice).
  6. Metamagic Use. Choose one Metamagic from 
  those found in sorcerer class and apply it to the 
  spell cast. When this does not apply, reroll.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/EN World EN5ider/EN5ider 242 - Ability Check Criticals.pdf