Critical Hits with Power Strike and Corroboration

[Xyrlove Woodsoul]

For what it is worth, I asked customer service if these things were maximized on a critical hit.
1. Power Strike
2. The orc racial power Furious Assault
3. The Executioners Weapon Finesse and Assassin Strike
4. The Thief's Backstab.
This was their reply. (Note: This answer came specifically from my Furious Assault question, but they gave the same answer for the other elements that I asked about).

"Thanks for contacting us here at Wizards of the Coast Game Support. Yes, Furious Assault's extra damage is maximized on a critical hit. This is the case for the vast majority of powers and class features that provide extra damage."

I also just asked if the extra damage from Promise of Storm is maximized on a critical hit, and I'm awaiting a reply, but I think the answer is going to be in the affirmative.

 

[Xyrlove Woodsoul]

Update: Ah, yes, the always dependable customer service (hence, why I said in the above 'for what it's worth').
This time they said that the extra damage from Promise of Storm isn't maxed on a crit, but I don't see how Promise of Storm is any different than say, Power Strike.
"Thank you for contacting Wizards of the Coast Game Support! I would be happy to assist you with your Dungeons & Dragons rules question. As described on page 217 of the Rules Compendium, when an attack scores a critical hit against a target, the target takes the maximum damage possible from the attack. Extra damage from a magic weapon or implement or a high scrit weapon can also increase the damage dealt on a critical hit by contributing extra damage. If this extra damage is a die roll, it is not maximized. The same is true for powers that deal extra damage since extra damage is always in addition to other damage and is not specifically included within the damage roll."
Maybe I should ask a third time for the tie-breaker!

 

[mneme]

That Promise of the Storm answer is random. And wrong.

 

[Xyrlove Woodsoul]

Haha. Yes, I have no faith whatsoever in CS. I don't even know why I ask them anything or why they even exist, to be honest. It's just that when I challenge my DM with one of her rulings she always wants me to be able to cite some kind of reliable source (she thinks CS is reliable haha).
After asking these same questions on the Wizard's board and the replies I got from posters with 5k, 6k, 20k # of posts, as well as my own reasoning, I'm convinced now that any No Action (or unspecified) extra damage that is triggered by a hit (and not extra damage due to a crit), is part of the original attack. Thus, that extra damage is maximized on a crit. My only "sticking point" now is, something like the extra damage from Furious Assault, which is a seperate action itself (a free action). According to CS *facepalm* Furious Assault is maximized on a critical hit.

 

[Ferghis]

If you're trying to use customer service as a source, you might as well use first edition initiative rules as a source. Seriously, put these in front of the DM: http://knights-n-knaves.com/dmprata/ADDICT.pdf

When s/he throws up his or her arms in frustration, explain that RPGs rules are long documents put together by several different people over a long period of time, and the language used occasionally strays from perfection. The intention of the rules in your case is to maximize all damage that would normally be rolled as a consequence of that hit, including power attack, warlock's curse, a magic weapon's (non-crit) extra damage power, or anything else that you could normally use with that hit. It's an easy intention to infer, and a simple rule to apply. Scrutinizing the documents like a cavillous academic is great fun for us crazies on the internet, but has dramatically diminishing returns at the gaming table.

 

[Xyrlove Woodsoul]

If you're trying to use customer service as a source, you might as well use first edition initiative rules as a source. Seriously, put these in front of the DM: http://knights-n-knaves.com/dmprata/ADDICT.pdf

When s/he throws up his or her arms in frustration, explain that RPGs rules are long documents put together by several different people over a long period of time, and the language used occasionally strays from perfection. The intention of the rules in your case is to maximize all damage that would normally be rolled as a consequence of that hit, including power attack, warlock's curse, a magic weapon's (non-crit) extra damage power, or anything else that you could normally use with that hit. It's an easy intention to infer, and a simple rule to apply. Scrutinizing the documents like a cavillous academic is great fun for us crazies on the internet, but has dramatically diminishing returns at the gaming table.

Like I stated. I don't have faith in CS, but our DM does. Yes, the extra damage rules are pretty straightforward. The only way they don't seem straightforward is if one nit-picks the words. I for one do not argue rules at the gaming table, but I think it is fair to do outside of the game. And, yes, arguing rules does have diminishing returns at the gaming table, but so does the DM straying from the rules to please his or her own fancy.