Test Realm: Understanding Critical Hits and Blocks

As promised, I managed to get a good amount of research on Critical Hits and Blocks.  A few nights ago, Alric Ravensinger and I hopped into a few Practice PVP, each donning just the Spartan helmet that is given to all Wizards who listen to Dueling Diego's new lecture. 

Way too much pride?  Nah.

The Vicious Helmet gives the wearer +200 Max HP, and +15 Critical Hit Rating.   

What exactly is "Critical Hit Rating?"  How does having a larger or smaller amount affect my battles?

Our very own Sierra Starsong had this to pitch in: 

I've done a little study on Criticals with a wand (fixed damage amount). It looks like the Crit# is your % chance of getting a Critical hit with that spell type, your Crit# gets reduced by the target's Block# for a net chance. (I'm not sure if a Blocked Critical does regular damage or if it gets blocked completely.)

Yes, a Critical Hit does double damage.

Healing spells can get Criticals as well, healing twice as much, if you've got a Crit# in the appropriate school (or a universal one).

Thanks, Sierra!  Basically, having even one point in Critical Hit Rating (CHR) will give you an opportunity, albeit a small one, to double the value of your successfully casted spell.  If I "crit" on a 100-damage wand strike without any damage boost in that school, I will do 200 damage (on a non-resisting opponent) whether I have 5 CHR or 120 CHR.

However, if the opponent has some value in Block, it doesn't decrease my chance of doing twice my damage.  Instead, it is a passive bonus that directly affects the Wizard with the Block attribute; they have a chance on the same scale as CHR to completely nullify (that means cancel, void, ignore, etc.) the extra damage from Critical Hit.  So, if my wand attack "crits", and becomes Blocked, it means I'll still do 100 damage as normal, but my "crit" won't be counted at all.

Similarly, if I cast a Pixie--and "crit"--without any Incoming % or Outgoing % or heal-related charms, I will receive up to 800 recovered health, whether I have 5 CHR or 120 CHR.  "Up to" considers that there may be a Doom and Gloom and/or Infection in play.

Thanks for reading!