Combat: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
| Line 150: | Line 150: | ||
===Critical Hits=== | ===Critical Hits=== | ||
hit — another | |||
A critical hit means that you roll your damage more than once, with all your usual bonuses, and add the rolls together. Unless otherwise specified, the threat range for a critical hit on an attack roll is 20, and the critical | |||
'''Exception:''' [[Precision damage]] [[bonus damage]] (such as from special magic weapon properties like flaming) are '''''not''''' multiplied when you score a critical hit. | |||
: | <div style="margin-left:1.5em"> | ||
==== Critical Threat ==== | |||
A critical threat is a normal to-hit roll, but the natural die result was greater than or equal to your weapon's (or attack's) Critical Threat Range. | |||
==== Critical Confirmation Roll ==== | |||
A critical confirmation roll is the second to-hit roll. If it equals or exceeds the target's AC, it confirms the critical hit. Even if this roll misses, the first roll (that resulted in a critical threat) is resolved as a hit. | |||
==== Critical Threat Range ==== | |||
Sometimes your critical threat range is greater than 20. That is, you can score a critical threat on a lower number. If you roll a natural die result on your d20 attack roll that equals or exceeds your attack's critical threat range, it is '''always''' treated as a critical threat (and therefore it is always a hit, even if the confirmation roll fails), regardless of the target's Armor Class. | |||
A number of feats exist that can increase your critical threat range, such as [[Critical, Improved (Feat)|Improved Critical]] and [[Critical, Epic (Feat)|Epic Critical]]. In addition, some racial traits, class features, and magic weapon properties can also increase critical threat range. Unless the ability states otherwise, these generally stack additively with each other. In no cases does an improvement to a critical threat range multiply the existing critical threat range; it is '''always''' additive, and nearly always only increases the range by an additional +1. | |||
==== Critical Hit Multiplier ==== | |||
Some weapons or attacks can inflict greater than double damage on a critical hit. For example, a [[Longsword_(Weapon)|Longsword]] has a critical threat range of 19-20, and a critical multiplier of x3. This means it inflicts triple damage on a confirmed critical hit, rather than merely double damage. Some weapons even have a x4 critical multiplier (such as the [[Heavy_Pick_(Weapon)|Heavy Pick]]). | |||
There are very few feats, racial traits, or class features that increase a weapon's critical hit multiplier, but they do exist. | |||
==== Crit Format ==== | |||
There is a standard format for describing a weapon's critical threat range and its critical hit multiplier. Some examples of this format are: | |||
::'' | ::''/ :''' The weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 19 or 20 (instead of just 20) and deals double damage on a confirmed critical hit. | ||
::'' | ::'':''' The weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 18, 19, or 20 (instead of just 20) and deals double damage on a confirmed critical hit. | ||
: | ::'''19-20 / x3:''' The weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 19 or 20 (instead of just 20) and deals triple damage on a confirmed critical hit. | ||
: | ::'''x4:''' The weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 20 (only), and deals quadruple damage on a confirmed critical hit. | ||
: | <div> | ||
==== Spells and Critical Hits ==== | |||
A spell that requires an attack roll can score a critical hit. Any offensive spell that does not require an attack roll cannot score a critical hit. By default, spells only critically threaten on a natural 20, and only deal double damage on a confirmed critical hit. However, feats, traits, class features, and even some spells, may be able to modify this. | |||
If a spell causes ability damage or drain (see [[Status Conditions]]), the damage or drain is doubled on a critical hit. | |||
==== Combat Maneuvers and Critical Hits ==== | |||
Combat maneuvers cannot critically hit, since they are skill rolls, not attack rolls. However, skill checks can critically succeed, granting a bonus (usually +5) to the skill check result. This can be helpful, since an exceptionally high [[Maneuver Offense]] result will often provide a greater effect than one that merely equals the target creature's [[Maneuver Defense]] value. However, in no case does a combat maneuver deal multiplied damage due to a critical result. | |||
{{:Splash Weapons}} | {{:Splash Weapons}} | ||