Critical Fumble Charts for DND 5e (Melee and Ranged)

I’ve got some critical fumble charts for DND 5e, including melee and ranged attacks that miss – by quite a lot.

Critical Fumble Chart (Melee)

1. Missed by a Mile: Your swing goes wide and you stumble 10 ft, opening yourself up for an opportunity attack from your opponent. If you are adjacent to an object, person, or creature, there’s a 10% chance you barrel into them.
2. Off-Balance: You are off-balanced in your swing and fall prone. On your next turn, you can stand using an action point.
3. Off-Balance, but Still Standing: You are off-balanced in your swing, but you manage to catch yourself before falling to the ground.
4. Weapon Drop: Your swing misses so much, your weapon goes flying 1d20x10 feet in a random direction (roll a d4 for direction.)
5. Fistful of Air: You miss. The sound of air being displaced can be heard, distracting you. No matter what you roll, you’re last in initiative next round.
6. Sloppy and Slow: Your swing misses because you’re awkward in your swing. Due to embarrassment, you take a penalty of -2 to all attack rolls for 1d4 rounds.
7. Off-Balance, and Sloppy: You are off-balanced in your swing and don’t miss your target, but you do a sloppy job and do no damage. You can make a DC 15 Strength saving throw to attempt to catch yourself before falling to the ground.
8. Perfect Failure: Your swing is so bad, you don’t even look like you tried. Make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw to attempt to catch yourself before falling to the ground.
9. Critical Failure x2: Your miss is so terrible, you hit yourself in the face. You take 2d6 + 2 damage and must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of the next round.
10. A Horrible Misjudgment: You miss by a mile. Make a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or be stunned until the end of the next round.
11. A Horrible Misjudgment x2: You miss by a mile and hit yourself in the face for 1d10 damage. There’s a 10% chance you stun yourself for 1d4 rounds.
12. Bad, Bad, Timing: You swing too early, then too late. Make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to attempt to catch yourself before falling to the ground.
13. That One Time: You miscalculated and your swing misses by a long shot, causing your opponent to get an attack of opportunity.
14. Forever Terrible: You miss, but only by a little. Make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw to attempt to catch yourself before falling to the ground.
15. Horrible and Bad: You miss by quite a bit, your opponent gets an attack of opportunity with a +2 bonus to their attack and damage rolls.
16. Pretty Bad: You miss, but only by a little. Make a DC 8 Dexterity saving throw to attempt to catch yourself before falling to the ground.
17. A Horrible and Bad Combination: You miss by quite a bit, your opponent gets an attack of opportunity with a +2 bonus to their attack and damage rolls. In addition, you’re stunned for 1d4 rounds in utter shame.
18. A Failure Beyond All Others: Your failure is so great, you’re off-balanced and stunned in utter shock. Each round for the next 1d6 rounds, you must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or lose your action for that round.
19. Beyond Horrible: Horrible Fumble, but in addition you lose your action for the next 1d4+1 rounds.
20. A Failure Beyond Failures Yikes! You’ve failed at failing. Make an Intelligence saving throw or be stunned for 1d20 rounds in utter shame.

Critical Fumble Chart (Ranged)

1. Your bow string snaps. The bow is now useless.
2. You lose your grip on the bow and it flies 1d20x10 ft in a random direction (roll a d4 for direction.)
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3. Your fingers bend in weird ways and you cannot grip anything for 1d4 days.
4. You get motion sickness and take a -2 to all attacks and damage rolls until you shake it off with a short or long rest.
5. You fail so bad you hit yourself. You take 1d6 damage and must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of the next round.
6. Your projectile goes off course by 20 ft.
7. Your projectile veers wildly off course and hit a friendly instead. They take normal damage.
8. Your projectile hits the ground in front of your enemy. The enemy gets to make an attack of opportunity.
9. Your projectile hits the ground behind your enemy, causing a dust cloud. The enemy gets to make a free attack against you.
10. Your weapon breaks. It is useless until you can fix it.
11. You screw up your shot so bad you hit yourself for 1d4 points of damage. You can make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be stunned until the end of the next round.
12. You get tangled and lose your grip, causing you to drop your weapon. You can make a DC 10 Strength saving throw or be stunned until the end of the next round.
13. You lose your grip and drop your weapon. Your enemy gets to make an attack of opportunity against you.
14. You break a finger and bruise a few others. You lose all dex bonus to your attack rolls until they’re healed.
15. You drop your item you were using as a projectile. Make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to catch it, otherwise it lands 10 ft away from you.
16. You drop your item you were using as a projectile. Make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to catch it, otherwise it lands 20 ft away from you.
17. Your weapon flies 1d20x10 ft in a random direction (roll a d4 for direction.) You must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.

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18. You get tangled in your weapon and your weapon flies 1d20x10 ft in a random direction (roll a d4 for direction.) You must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.
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19. You hit yourself in the face. You take 1d6 + 2 damage and must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of the next round.
20. You hurt yourself so bad, you fly backwards 20 ft and take 1d10 damage. You can make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be stunned until the end of the next round.