Duskblades, channeled spells, and criticals

[Thanee]

Yeah, that's a clear no. Spell damage is not multiplied.

Bye
Thanee

 

[shilsen]

Yeah, that's a clear no. Spell damage is not multiplied.

Bye
Thanee

Agreed.

This is what the FAQ has to say on it:

Q: If a duskblade scores a critical hit when channeling a spell through a melee attack, is the spell’s damage multiplied just like the weapon’s?

A: The rules aren’t as clear as they could be, but the Sage is inclined to say no. Here’s the key sentence, from the PHB II, page 20: “If the attack is successful, the attack deals damage normally; then the effect of the spell is resolved.” If you score a critical hit, the attack deals the normal (critical) damage. Then the spell resolves normally, but it’s just a rider effect applied due to the successful attack roll—you’re
not actually using the spell in the normal manner, so it can’t score a critical hit.

 

[TheGogmagog]

I thought there was a similar question a long time ago, about a monk unarmed damage and shocking grasp. The monk got to choose, a touch attack vs touch AC and double shocking grasp. Or an unarrmed strike, doubling unnarmed strike damage on a crit then adding the shocking grasp.

Good to know they re-confirmed specifially to the duskblade's ability.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I thought there was a similar question a long time ago, about a monk unarmed damage and shocking grasp. The monk got to choose, a touch attack vs touch AC and double shocking grasp. Or an unarrmed strike, doubling unnarmed strike damage on a crit then adding the shocking grasp.

This is currently described in Complete Arcane, p73: "If the unarmed strike scores a critical hit, damage from the spell is not multiplied."

The is the precedent I use when ruling on things like Duskblades channelling or Spell-Storing weapons.

-Hyp.

 

[xelloss_ssj]

I would call it as 1b, 2a, 3b. The spell and the weapon are separate, they're just delivered via the same attack roll.

I play a duskblade ruled exactly this way and I believe it's not unbalanced at all, just a bit more interesting.
Things like keen weapons or the improved critical feat makes critical feel al lot less exciting: but when rolling a 20 means 10d6 instead of 5d6 you put things back in the right perspective.
And having a critical spell every twenty is not the kind of thing that could disrupt your game.

If you really want to stick to the rules you should probably have spell not to have crits, but I can assure you that my 8th level duskblade, even allowing crits on channeled spells with a 20, had almost never achieved anything apart from being cool, you simply can't rely on rolling 20s.
Just one time a hydra got owned by a critical on a large greatsword (6d6+16), with 6 point of damage from power attack, a 10d6 shocking grasp channeled and another 10d6 from yet another shocking grasp, thanks to the weapon spell storing ability: that was cool but in three month from then I didn't see it happen again...

 

[evilbob]

Hyper and Thanee (and others) are right: the answers are A, A, and A.

This has actually been brought up before several times (including once by me) and hashed out pretty well in other threads.

 

[Mistwell]

Sounds like the FAQ has a reasoned answer that does not conflict with any other written rules or logic, so I'd go with the FAQ answer.