Can you critical on a eldritch blast?

[Drakeskull]

I was wondering if you can critical on an eldritch blast.

 

[Darkness]

Yes.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The general rule is that if it requires an attack roll and 'deals damage' (lethal damage, non-lethal damage, ability damage, or negative levels), it can critical.

-Hyp.

 

[AuraSeer]

What the Smurf said. Further, if no critical range or multiplier is listed, the default is 20/x2.

 

[Mystery Man]

Improved Crit is a nice feat for a warlock. . .

 

[Drakeskull]

imp crit

Would it be improved critical eldritch blast or ranged touch. And if you use hideous blow I would assume the eldritch blast is x2 and the weapon what ever it is or in that case would it not critical?

 

[Brain]

If a warlock was using hideous blow and rolled a critical with the weapon, I don't think the eldritch blast damage would multiply because it would be considered extra dice.

 

[Hypersmurf]

If a warlock was using hideous blow and rolled a critical with the weapon, I don't think the eldritch blast damage would multiply because it would be considered extra dice.

Yup.

That's explicitly how delivering a touch spell with an unarmed strike was treated in Tome and Blood, and thus implicitly how a spell-storing weapon behaves.

I'm not sure if this has been updated/clarified/changed/whatever in Complete Arcane...?

-Hyp.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Would it be improved critical eldritch blast or ranged touch. And if you use hideous blow I would assume the eldritch blast is x2 and the weapon what ever it is or in that case would it not critical?

I don't have C.Ar. but I'd guess it would be Improved Crit (Ray), it being a blast and all, though it might be an Energy Missle. Tome & Blood broke spells into several categories like ray (e.g. disintigrate) and energy missle (fire orb) for the purpose of Weapon Focus and even Specialization. 3.5 might have renamed them but I can't particularly see why.

As a warlock I'd be all over point blank, improved crit, and weapon (spell? spell-like?) focus. I'd also argue for farshot, not to extend the effective range but to decrease the range-based penalty but that'd be a house rule.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Improved Crit is a nice feat for a warlock. . .

Critical eldritch blasts are nasty. Almost as nasty as critical disintegrate.