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Criticals and double dice
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<blockquote data-quote="Jonathon Robinson" data-source="post: 7405902" data-attributes="member: 6950524"><p>I think the best way to look at it is if the extra damage requires another roll to see if it hits.</p><p></p><p>If there is no additional roll to the extra damage (e.g. Sneak Attack, Flame Arrows) then the extra damage is considered part of the hit and you roll double the number of dice on a crit. If the extra damage requires another roll (e.g. Poisoned Dagger that requires a CON save, Arrow of Slaying that requires a CON save, Lightning Arrow that requires a DEX save (hit or miss)) or a full turn to pass (e.g. Witch Bolt, Fire Bolt or other fire spells which ignites the target) then it is a secondary effect that is triggered off of the initial effect and therefore subject to another "does it crit?"</p><p></p><p>Damage on Savings Throws are not subject to critical hits (most of them do half damage on a miss instead).</p><p></p><p>I think it is most clear on effects such as Eldritch Blast, or simply Extra Attack, that if one of the beams does a critical hit, the others don't automatically crit. I'm unsure why anyone would try to apply crit bonus dice to secondary effects when a) savings throws are not subject to critical hits and b) it requires another d20 roll to see if the secondary effect hits. There's nothing suggesting an auto-crit on a hit for secondary effects.</p><p></p><p>I'm unfamiliar with Booming Blade but Witch Bolt is an interesting one as there is a ranged spell attack and then 1d12 lightning damage every turn afterwards. It is clear that a critical hit would do 2d12 damage but on subsequent turns will the spell still do 2d12 damage? I personally don't think it makes sense to apply the critical hit beyond the initial round it was cast but there's definitely wiggle room in the rules. </p><p></p><p>All in all it would be great if the rules were clear on critical hits on secondary effects but in the groups I've played the question about critical hits on secondary effects has never even come up (except for Witch Bolt and we agreed as a group that the additional damage only worked on the first "hit").</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jonathon Robinson, post: 7405902, member: 6950524"] I think the best way to look at it is if the extra damage requires another roll to see if it hits. If there is no additional roll to the extra damage (e.g. Sneak Attack, Flame Arrows) then the extra damage is considered part of the hit and you roll double the number of dice on a crit. If the extra damage requires another roll (e.g. Poisoned Dagger that requires a CON save, Arrow of Slaying that requires a CON save, Lightning Arrow that requires a DEX save (hit or miss)) or a full turn to pass (e.g. Witch Bolt, Fire Bolt or other fire spells which ignites the target) then it is a secondary effect that is triggered off of the initial effect and therefore subject to another "does it crit?" Damage on Savings Throws are not subject to critical hits (most of them do half damage on a miss instead). I think it is most clear on effects such as Eldritch Blast, or simply Extra Attack, that if one of the beams does a critical hit, the others don't automatically crit. I'm unsure why anyone would try to apply crit bonus dice to secondary effects when a) savings throws are not subject to critical hits and b) it requires another d20 roll to see if the secondary effect hits. There's nothing suggesting an auto-crit on a hit for secondary effects. I'm unfamiliar with Booming Blade but Witch Bolt is an interesting one as there is a ranged spell attack and then 1d12 lightning damage every turn afterwards. It is clear that a critical hit would do 2d12 damage but on subsequent turns will the spell still do 2d12 damage? I personally don't think it makes sense to apply the critical hit beyond the initial round it was cast but there's definitely wiggle room in the rules. All in all it would be great if the rules were clear on critical hits on secondary effects but in the groups I've played the question about critical hits on secondary effects has never even come up (except for Witch Bolt and we agreed as a group that the additional damage only worked on the first "hit"). [/QUOTE]
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