Critical Hit and Power Attack

[Anthelios]

If you use Power Attack to add, say, +2 to your damage and score a critical hit, is the damage added by Power Attack multiplied like strength? Or is it treated as "Extra" damage, like the damage from a sneak attack?

 

[Telperion]

From SRD 3.5

Multiplying Damage: Sometimes you multiply damage by some factor, such as on a critical hit. Roll the damage (with all modifiers) multiple times and total the results. Note: When you multiply damage more than once, each multiplier works off the original, unmultiplied damage.
Exception: Extra damage dice over and above a weapon’s normal damage are never multiplied.

The exception is that extra damage dice aren't multiplied. You are already risking a bad Attack Bonus by using Power Attack, so there's no reason to penalize you any more. So, that's how a charging, raging, power attacking, great axe wielding, magically buffed, barbarian does such a ridiculous amount of damage.

 

[UltimaGabe]

So, that's how a charging, raging, power attacking, great axe wielding, magically buffed, barbarian does such a ridiculous amount of damage.

Speaking of which, I once saw a 1st-level Barbarian deal over 50 points of damage to a 1st-level Rogue NPC who only had 2 hit points left. The DM rolled him a Death-From-Massive-Damage save, just for the heck of it, and he failed.

"You strike the rogue with your greataxe, and he explodes."

One of my first D&D experiences.

 

[shilsen]

Speaking of which, I once saw a 1st-level Barbarian deal over 50 points of damage to a 1st-level Rogue NPC who only had 2 hit points left. The DM rolled him a Death-From-Massive-Damage save, just for the heck of it, and he failed.

"You strike the rogue with your greataxe, and he explodes."

One of my first D&D experiences.

Heh! That's a situation which officially counts as "spiflicated" in my game.

 

[Darkness]

Speaking of which, I once saw a 1st-level Barbarian

I have a similar story involving a 1st-level orc Barbarian PC and an 8 HD barbazu.

The barbazu had almost no hp left and was being grappled by the half-celestial paladin PC.

The barbarian, raging, swung his greataxe, Power Attacked, and got a crit.

He had Str 26 (22+rage) so the crit did: 3d12+36+3 (this was 3.0, so PA didn't do extra dmg with 2-h weapons).

He rolled like 12, 10, 10 on the 3d12, doing about 70 damage to the poor devil. Which would have killed it even at full hp.