Damage Roll Penalties & Critical Hits

[Panask]

If for some reason you have a penalty to your damage rolls, and you score a critical hit, do you roll your full damage (including original hit and critical) first and then subtract the penalty, or does the penalty apply both to the original hit damage and the crticial damage separately? This came up in the context of an attacker who was "sickened," which applies a -2 penalty to damage rolls.

Thanks.

Panask
Servitar to Baldur

 

[ThirdWizard]

Both, just like a bonus would.

 

[AuraSeer]

You apply the modifier before the critical. It's the same as if your strength modifier were lowered.

If you normally do 1d6 damage, then get sickened or strength-drained so your damage is 1d6-2, then your x2 critical will be 2d6-4.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I've always been inclined to apply the "minimum 1" rule before multiplying.

So if your cat scratches for 1d3-4 (minimum 1), then on a critical it scratches for 1d3-4 (minimum 1) + 1d3-4 (minimum 1).

-Hyp.

 

[Infiniti2000]

I've always applied the minimum 1 rule after multiplying because the minimum 1 rule is based on a single hit, not multiple hits. But, it can easily go either way, based on the fact that you roll the "damage twice, just as if the attacker had actually hit the defender two times." So, these two conflicting statements are a puzzle. Note that the glossary definition of multiplying as Tordek's damage listed as 4d8+24, and not 1d8+6+1d8+6+1d8+6+1d8+6. If his "bonus" was a minus 1, the total damage would follow this example as 4d8-4 and not 1d8-1+1d8-1+1d8-1+1d8-1.

 

[Hypersmurf]

But, it can easily go either way, based on the fact that you roll the "damage twice, just as if the attacker had actually hit the defender two times." So, these two conflicting statements are a puzzle.

Yeah. I've just always felt that if a hit deals a minimum of 1 damage, a critical hit should deal a minimum of more-than-1 damage. Just as if you'd actually hit the defender two times

-Hyp.

 

[glass]

I've just had a quick look at the SRD, and it says:

A critical hit means that you roll your damage more than once, with all your usual bonuses, and add the rolls together. Unless otherwise specified, the threat range for a critical hit on an attack roll is 20, and the multiplier is x2.

To me, that suggests that you don't multiply penalties (penalties aren't bonuses). Id the text in the PHB different?


glass.