Can that score a critical?

[Barmy Gith]

How do you know what can score a critical hit, specifically with regard to spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities? It is my understanding that rays that inflict damage, like scorching ray and polar ray work, but what about things like enervation or ray of enfeeblement. This question largely came about when a priest with the death domain power (death touch) confirmed a critical with his touch attack against a PC. This raised the question, should the death priest roll twice the normal amount of d6 to determine the outcome of the death touch? (it's the no save, just die if the damage exceeds your current hit points power for those who do not remember, from the PHB) We ended up coming up with some sort of compromise, but I'd like to know if anyone has a clear idea about how to handle these type of situations. Never know when a similar situation might occur. Thanks in advance for any advice I receive.

 

[Palskane]

As far as I know, any spell which requires an attack roll to be made can critical. All spells which can critical, threaten on a natural 20 and have a critical multiplier of x2.

 

[frankthedm]

enervation: Yes, though contested by some

ray of enfeeblement: No, it is a penalty, not damage

death touch: No, it is not damage.

 

[Hypersmurf]

As far as I know, any spell which requires an attack roll to be made can critical.

Any spell which requires an attack roll and deals damage (where damage is hit point damage, ability damage, or negative levels).

A spell which simply inflicts a penalty, like Ray of Enfeeblement, cannot.

-Hyp.

 

[frankthedm]

As far as I know, any spell which requires an attack roll to be made can critical. All spells which can critical, threaten on a natural 20 and have a critical multiplier of x2.

But the critical hit can only increase damage, ability score damage, ability score drain or energy drain.

 

[Palskane]

D'oh! Yeah sorry. I should have mentioned that.

 

[Barmy Gith]

Thanks for all the good answers. Those answers were precisely what I was looking for.