These are some very think-y questions! Including a lot about beasts and monsters.
I want to clarify some things about my response to Sean. First, here are the three "roots" of critical hits in text. They're not intended to be in order, as I think they were simultaneous at this scale of history:
For anyone interested, I recorded a video chat I had with Sean about his experiences with Rolemaster (and mine, such as they were). This came about because he had talked about Rolemaster in the recent probability seminar, and I took note -- my play of the game in college was fairly unmemorable, but the game itself has a long-enduring fascination, and I've often thought about trying to do more with it.
Here's a blessed event insofar as I can finally talk about role-playing content and procedures that are ordinarily kicked down the road. For me, Adept Play is a rousing success insofar as ideas can be introduced and resolved enough so that "next ideas" can actually be addressed, and I don't have to spray down the entry point with fire-extinguisher foam or, for that matter, disinfectant.
The one thing I regret is not making up twenty characters across seven game titles and launching into fervent play right away. This was so much fun.