Critical hits and spells that dont do HP damage.


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The rule is:
SRD said:
Spells and Critical Hits
A spell that requires an attack roll can score a critical hit. A spell attack that requires no attack roll cannot score a critical hit.
To find out what a critical hit means, we see:
SRD said:
A critical hit means that you roll your damage more than once, with all your usual bonuses, and add the rolls together.
Sure, you can crit with a ray of enfeeblment, but doubling 0 damage gives you 0 damage.

Ability damage is damage. More importantly:
SRD said:
If an attack that causes ability damage scores a critical hit, it deals twice the indicated amount of damage (if the damage is expressed as a die range, roll two dice).
 


Yes, negative levels and ability damage and drain DO double on critical hits. Makes undead very nasty and this mean an enervation can kill [and thus convert to a wight*] a character up to 8th level on a lucky roll.

A character with negative levels at least equal to her current level, or drained below 1st level, is instantly slain. Depending on the creature that killed her, she may rise the next night as a monster of that kind. If not, she rises as a wight.
 


Question said:
What about negative levels?
It depends on the negative level. Per Energy Drain:
SRD said:
If an attack that includes an energy drain scores a critical hit, it drains twice the given amount.
I don't think that enervation, for example, will give the victim 2d4 negative levels on a critical. It is neither damage nor energy drain.
 

Infiniti2000 said:
It depends on the negative level. Per Energy Drain:
I don't think that enervation, for example, will give the victim 2d4 negative levels on a critical. It is neither damage nor energy drain.

Complete Arcane uses Enervation as an example on p86:
"Likewise, a critical hit with an energy-draining spell deals twice its normal damage. A critical hit with an enervation spell bestows 2d4 negative levels, for example."

It also uses it as an example of a weaponlike spell dealing energy drain, which adds Xd6 negative energy damage on a Sneak Attack.

-Hyp.
 


Infiniti2000 said:
What's your ruling sans Complete Arcane?

Well, I consider Enervation to be energy drain... just energy drain with a note that the negative levels cannot become permanent. So I agree with Complete Arcane when it uses Enervation as an example of an energy-draining spell, and would rule the same way. If they didn't provide the example, I would :)

-Hyp.
 

Infiniti2000 said:
It depends on the negative level. Per Energy Drain:
I don't think that enervation, for example, will give the victim 2d4 negative levels on a critical. It is neither damage nor energy drain.
Necromancy school, black ray of crackling negative energy, spell lists the only reason the negative levels do not go perm because they don't last long enough... If it quacks like a duck...

Enervation
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray of negative energy
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You point your finger and utter the incantation, releasing a black ray of crackling negative energy that suppresses the life force of any living creature it strikes. You must make a ranged touch attack to hit. If the attack succeeds, the subject gains 1d4 negative levels.

If the subject has at least as many negative levels as HD, it dies. Each negative level gives a creature a –1 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, ability checks, and effective level (for determining the power, duration, DC, and other details of spells or special abilities).

Additionally, a spellcaster loses one spell or spell slot from his or her highest available level. Negative levels stack.

Assuming the subject survives, it regains lost levels after a number of hours equal to your caster level (maximum 15 hours). Usually, negative levels have a chance of permanently draining the victim’s levels, but the negative levels from enervation don’t last long enough to do so.

An undead creature struck by the ray gains 1d4x5 temporary hit points for 1 hour.
 

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