Is power attack damage multiplied on a critical hit?

[Legildur]

Don't make me come back there....

LOL!

 

[Infiniti2000]

If you want to accuse me of incorrect quoting, you'd better double check the source...

Not incorrect quoting, just insufficient quoting.

 

[Artoomis]

Just to settle the matter of what language is where:

PHB, page 306 (Glossary) "...Any extra damage dice...are not rolled multiple times..."

PHB, page 114 (Weapon Qualities) "...Extra damage over and above a weapon's normal damage, such as that caused by a sneak attack or the special ability of a flaming sword is not multiplied when you score a critical hit..."

PHB page 134 (Damage) "......Exception: Extra damage over and above a weapon's normal damage, such as that caused by a sneak attack or the special ability of a flaming sword is not multiplied when you score a critical hit."

PHB page 140 (Actions in Combat) "...Extra damage over and above a weapon's normal damage, such as that caused by a sneak attack or the special ability of a flaming sword is not multiplied when you score a critical hit..."

DMG page 26 (Behind the Curtain) "The reason that critical hits multiply all damage rather than just the die roll...Multiplying all damage, the roll and the bonuses, makes..."

DMG page 221 (Weapons) - "Some magic weapons deal additional dice of damage. Unlike other modifiers to damage, additional dice of damage are not multiplied when the attacker scores a critical hit."

SRD (Hypertext SRD) "...Exception: Extra damage dice over and above a weapon’s normal damage are never multiplied. "

SRD (Official, COMBAT file) "...Exception: Extra damage dice over and above a weapon’s normal damage are never multiplied."

Draw your own conclusions.

 

[Felix]

I think it's worth noting that the citations from the PHB on pages 114, 134, and 140 which say "Extra Damage" all reference extra damage from additional dice. While they don't say "Extra damage dice" like the other citations, they all do reference them indirectly.

 

[irdeggman]

Hey don't forget the "example" that I quoted earlier. It is the only example of how things stack and it clearly shows that the damage (but not dice) are multiplied.

 

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

Slightly different variation of the same question: assuming power attack damage is multiplied on a critical hit, how is multiplied power attack damage multiplied? E.g.:

If a 4th level fighter weilding a greatsword two handed power attacks for 4, he adds 8 (x2) to his damage. When he criticals, does he multiply the 4 damage from power attack by x3 or x4? Or another way of asking: do the normal rules for adding multipliers apply? Or do you multiply the power attack modifier before applying the critical?

At first, it doesn't seem like that big of a deal, until you consider a mounted creature weilding a lance two handed and power attacking. With spirited charge, he always gets a x3 multiplier on damage on a charge. So, does a paladin power attacking for 5 do: (1d8 + 10 + ...) x3 or (1d8 + ...) x3 + 20?

I don't have any specific rule text to back me up, but I think the second damage total is in the spirit of the rules. However, if you look at the way that most people handle power attacked criticals, I think everybody usually does the former.

NCSUCodeMonkey

 

[Artoomis]

Slightly different variation of the same question: assuming power attack damage is multiplied on a critical hit, how is multiplied power attack damage multiplied? E.g.:...NCSUCodeMonkey

Roll your damage twice (or thrice, or whatever). It's as simple as that.

In other words:

If a two-handed weapon, 18 STR (+4 damage) fighter uses power attack with a Spear, he gets 1d8 + 8 damage.

On a confirmed critical hit he gets (1d8+8) + (1d8+8) + (1d8+8).

 

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

Roll your damage twice (or thrice, or whatever). It's as simple as that.

In other words:

If a two-handed weapon, 18 STR (+4 damage) fighter uses power attack with a Spear, he gets 1d8 + 8 damage.

On a confirmed critical hit he gets (1d8+8) + (1d8+8) + (1d8+8).

Sweet. Well my lil' halfling paladin is going to have to get power attack (and an animated shield) real soon. For every 1 point he takes off his charging attacks, he'll be getting 6 extra damage!

NCSUCodeMonkey

 

[Hypersmurf]

Slightly different variation of the same question: assuming power attack damage is multiplied on a critical hit, how is multiplied power attack damage multiplied?

Part of your problem is considering Power Attack damage for a two-handed weapon to be 'multiplied'.

Mathematically, there might be no difference between:
"You may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to all melee damage rolls. If you attack with a two-handed weapon, or with a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands, this damage is doubled."

and

"You may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to all melee damage rolls. If you attack with a two-handed weapon, or with a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands, instead add twice the number subtracted from your attack rolls."

But in the first case, you are adding some damage and then multiplying it; in the second case, you are adding a larger amount of damage.

The first case might fall under the multiplication rule if the damage is later doubled; the second case does not, just as adding 1.5x Str bonus damage is conceptually (though not mathematically) different to adding Str bonus to damage, then multiplying that bonus damage by 1.5.

If you're multiplying your added damage, it falls under the multiplication rule if some other effect also multiplies your damage. If you're multiplying something that isn't damage to determine your added damage, it doesn't.

-Hyp.

 

[Artoomis]

Sweet. Well my lil' halfling paladin is going to have to get power attack (and an animated shield) real soon. For every 1 point he takes off his charging attacks, he'll be getting 6 extra damage!

NCSUCodeMonkey

Cool, eh? The hardest part is getting set up for the charge.