Does critical hit ignores damage reduction?

[LH Almeida]

Self-explanatory question. I'm DMing a 3.5 pbf campaign, and my rogue just got a crit on an opponent who has DR10. Without the DR, he would've killed him, and whomever kills him gets a nice bonus. With the DR, however, the guy is left with 2 HP, and the prize is up to grab.

I know that, in some games, CH ignores DR, but what about D&D?

Thanks for the help.

 

[D'karr]

Critical Hits do not ignore Damage Reduction in 3.x rules.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Self-explanatory question. I'm DMing a 3.5 pbf campaign, and my rogue just got a crit on an opponent who has DR10. Without the DR, he would've killed him, and whomever kills him gets a nice bonus. With the DR, however, the guy is left with 2 HP, and the prize is up to grab.

How much damage did the critical hit deal before applying DR? Remember, if the basic attack damage doesn't get through DR, then you don't get to add the bonus damage from Sneak Attack.

Critical hits don't ignore DR, though, so it's a question of whether the enemy is left with 2 HP, or substantially more than that.

 

[Voadam]

How much damage did the critical hit deal before applying DR? Remember, if the basic attack damage doesn't get through DR, then you don't get to add the bonus damage from Sneak Attack.

Critical hits don't ignore DR, though, so it's a question of whether the enemy is left with 2 HP, or substantially more than that.

I don't believe that is correct.

Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury type poison, a monk’s stunning, and injury type disease. Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.

I don't believe sneak attack damage is a special effect that accompanies an attack after it does damage, I believe it is just more damage on the attack itself like extra damage from a strength bonus or a weapon enhancement bonus.

Sneak Attack

If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The rogue’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 every two rogue levels thereafter. Should the rogue score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, a rogue can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.

A rogue can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. The rogue must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A rogue cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

 

[LH Almeida]

How much damage did the critical hit deal before applying DR? Remember, if the basic attack damage doesn't get through DR, then you don't get to add the bonus damage from Sneak Attack.



Critical hits don't ignore DR, though, so it's a question of whether the enemy is left with 2 HP, or substantially more than that.

I see it in the same light as above. Sneak attack is part of the attack, therefore its damage counts together.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

I see it in the same light as above. Sneak attack is part of the attack, therefore its damage counts together.

I could have sworn that they explained this is one of the random side-bars in one of the various supplements. Since they didn't add it to the official FAQ, though, I don't see a problem with using the more generous interpretation.

 

[Wolf72]

I could have sworn that they explained this is one of the random side-bars in one of the various supplements. Since they didn't add it to the official FAQ, though, I don't see a problem with using the more generous interpretation.

I wonder if you were reading the part about things that are immune to criticals in general (oozes, golems)?

 

[miniaturehoarder]

http://www.d20srd.org Nearly all the 3.5 rules, free to use and abuse.

I could have sworn that they explained this is one of the random side-bars in one of the various supplements. Since they didn't add it to the official FAQ, though, I don't see a problem with using the more generous interpretation.

Certain effects that ride on the attack do get negated if DR soaks all the damage. The rules for damage reduction cover this on the most part.

Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury type poison, a monk’s stunning, and injury type disease. Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.

So if a snake bites a Stone Skinned wizard and all the damage is resisted, it's injury poison is negated. BUT if a mummy's slam damage gets negated, the victim is still saving vs Mummy rot because mummy rot is a CONTACT disease.

Whether or not Rogue's sneak attack is negated if the actual attack's damage would be is up to DM's discretion if they feel sneak is just damage added to the weapon or an 'effect'.