What is a natural 20 DnD?
A natural 20 refers to rolling a 20 on a 20-sided die (d20) before applying any modifiers or bonuses. It represents getting the best unmodified result possible. By the core DnD 5th edition rules, natural 20s have special effects on attack rolls and death saving throws.
Natural 20s on Attack Rolls
When making an attack roll, a natural 20 automatically hits regardless of the target‘s Armor Class or any penalties on the attack. For example, even if a fighter needed a 19 or higher to hit a monster‘s AC, rolling a natural 20 would still strike true.
Additionally, a natural 20 scores a critical hit, allowing the attacker to roll extra damage dice. Instead of just rolling 1d8 for a longsword, they would roll 2d8 and add the totals together. This makes critical hits especially devastating.
Probability of Natural 20s
Since a d20 has 20 equal sides, the chance of rolling any single number is 1 in 20, or 5%. This means over a long enough period of adventuring, roughly 5% of a character‘s attack rolls will result in natural 20 critical hits.
| d20 Roll | Probability |
| 1 | 5% |
| 2 | 5% |
| 20 | 5% |
Experienced players know how important getting those big crits can be during clutch moments in battle. Nothing gets a DnD group more excited than seeing the natural 20 come up on the die!
Natural 20s on Death Saving Throws
When a PC drops to 0 hit points they have to start making death saving throws. These are also d20 rolls, with a natural 20 providing an instant success:
- The character regains 1 hit point and becomes conscious again. This allows them to rejoin the fight instead of slowly bleeding out.
Snatching your character from the brink of death with a timely natural 20 is a huge relief in any DnD campaign. It creates increased drama and tension surrounding mortality and luck.
No Special Effects for Skills/Saves
While natural 20s have special effects on attacks and death saves, they grant no bonuses on skill checks or regular saving throws in 5th edition. A skill check total of 20 might succeed depending on the Difficulty Class (DC), but a natural 20 alone does not auto-succeed or critically succeed.
This avoids game balance issues. If natural 20s auto-passed skill checks, characters would have a 5% chance to accomplish impossible tasks way beyond their skill level.
Unnatural 20s vs Natural 20s
A "natural" 20 represents rolling the die itself and seeing the 20 come up. An "unnatural" or "non-natural" 20 means adding modifiers to the roll to total 20. For example:
- Natural 20: The player rolls a d20 and gets 20.
- Unnatural 20: The player rolls a 14 but has a +6 modifier, so it totals 20.
An unnatural 20 of this kind is not a critical hit or special success. Some groups nickname this a "dirty 20" but by the rules it functions identically to a 19 or 18 after modifiers. Only a natural 20 grants extra effects.
Why The Rule Gets Ignored
While critical hits from natural 20s have been a staple of DnD gameplay for decades, some Dungeon Masters ignore the rule:
- They don‘t like the swingy randomness of landing crits 5% of the time.
- They want monsters and villains to feel more threatening.
- They prefer static bonuses on attack rolls over doubling damage dice.
However, many players argue that removing the natural 20 crit takes away some exciting moments during combat. The randomness and risk of big hits, for players and enemies alike, increases tension and drama. It encourages creative tactics to set up advantage on rolls to land more 20s.
In the end it comes down to DM preference and table culture. As with any rule, you can modify natural 20s to better suit your campaign and playstyle. The default effects provide a solid starting point that most groups build from.
Natural 20s in Popular Actual Plays
Critical hits seem to have an uncanny way of showing up in key moments during livestreamed DnD games. Some of the most popular actual play series have been defined by unlikely natural 20s:
- Critical Role‘s Grog landing clutch crits during the Chroma Conclave arc against dragons many times his size.
- The Adventure Zone‘s Taako rolling not one but two natural 20s in the 11th hour final battle versus the Hunger.
These lucky die rolls created emotional story beats that have been immortalized in DnD fandom. Entire games hinged on awkward high fives transitioning into deafening cheers when the die landed on 20.
For players and viewers alike, the tension and excitement surrounding the possibility of natural 20s leads to powerful payoff moments during narratives.
Evolution Across Editions
Natural 20 rules have changed somewhat over various editions of DnD:
OD&D/AD&D
- No specific natural 20 rules. Some crit effects but up to DM fiat.
3rd Edition
- Natural 20 = automatic hit.
- Confirm critical hits with another attack roll.
4th Edition
- Natural 20 = automatic hit.
- Max damage dice instead of rolling double.
5th Edition
- Natural 20 = automatic hit and critical hit (roll double dice).
- Special effects on death saves.
The modern natural 20‘s specific ties to critical hits developed over time. 5th edition keeps the excitement of random damage while streamlining the confirmation process.
Homebrew Nat 20 Rules
Some DMs enhance natural 20s and 1s further with homebrew crit/fumble tables. These can have additional effects like:
- Spectacular combat maneuvers
- Hitting extra targets
- Injuring yourself on a fumble
- Colorful narrative flourishes
Tables let DMs customize criticals to suit their preferred lethality and realism levels. Just don‘t go overboard creating a complex second resolution system. The beauty of the natural 20 lies in its elegant simplicity – just pick up that other damage die!
In Summary
- A natural 20 represents rolling a 20 on the core d20 itself before modifiers.
- It grants automatic hits and critical damage on attack rolls.
- It also instantly stabilizes characters making death saving throws.
- Standard skill checks and saves see no special effects from natural 20s.
- House rules and editions modify 20s further but 5E keeps the system clean.
- Unlikely natural 20s create exciting moments during real DnD games.
So next session when the cleric gets knocked out or the fighter is surrounded, don‘t lose hope! Just let those dice fly and cheer if you see the natural 20 glow.
