Rules question: crit with a sneak attack?

[NMcCoy]

A simple question, but I'm having a hard time determining the answer. The fact that you choose whether to apply sneak attack after rolling your initial damage would seem to suggest that you don't maximize the SA dice. On the other hand, the wording of the critical hit section implies that the only thing that isn't maximized is bonus dice as a result of a crit (from a magic/high crit weapon).

Is there an official answer to this?

 

[Zsig]

I could be wrong but i believe the only thing that is maxed on a crit is the [W].

Which means, no, extra dice from Sneak Attack is not affected. (You still have to roll it).

EDIT:
Just look up on page 278, on the "Extra Damage" part it clearly states that if extra damage is a die roll, it's not maximum damage.

 

[greyscale1]

Zsig, I am not 100% but I believe the rule on page 278 is referring to the 'critical only' extra dice, like the magic item bonus and the bonus from vicious weapons, etc, high crit weapons.

I think it works like this:

You crit
All damage you would roll on a normal hit is maximized, no roll (this includes ranger marks, sneak attacks, etc)
All special critical effects are rolled.
These are added together, total damage.


Since all the damage stacking and etc is so carefully considered and balanced in 4e, I don't think it would be a huge problem if sneak attack got maximized too. At least, thats what I got from the rules when I read them. Though the statement on 278 gave me a moment of pause as well. Re read it and tell me what you think.


EDIT: I just looked it up. It very specifically states what I just said above.