Can you critical Ray of Enfeeblement?

[Legildur]

Situation came up in our game a couple of nights back where the Necromancer PC rolled a natural 20 for his ranged touch attack roll and then confirmed the critical. There was some debate as to whether you could critical iwith RoE, but we decided to run with the critical.

On reflection I think we might have been wrong to allow it as RoE imparts a strength penalty, whereas only spells that do 'damage' can benefit from a critical. And by my reading, a penalty is not damage.

Clarification please?

 

[Staffan]

Exactly right. A penalty is not damage, and should not be doubled on a crit.

 

[shilsen]

What Staffan said.

 

[Legildur]

Thanks for the confirmation, though my Necromancer friend will not be happy when I bring this up

Maybe he'll take it out on my monk when he DMs (I'm lucky enough to have 2 groups with basically the same crowd with DMs swapping).

 

[Methos of Aundair]

Spells and Critical Hits: A spell that requires an attack roll can score a critical hit. A spell attack that requires no attack roll cannot score a critical hit.

From my understanding a spell that requires a to-hit roll can critical and the spell effect is doubled just as a critical is. Say you cast an enervation spell and you roll a confirmed critical hit, the target would receive 2d4 negative levels. The same would go for a Ray of Enfeeblement. On a confirmed critical with a RoE you would do 2d6+2/per 2 caster levels.

From my understanding, with spells it does not matter whether it is considered damage, a penalty, negative levels, or whatever; it is still doubled.

 

[Hypersmurf]

From my understanding, with spells it does not matter whether it is considered damage, a penalty, negative levels, or whatever; it is still doubled.

Tome and Blood clarifies this. A critical may be achieved with a 'weaponlike spell'; a weaponlike spell is one that a/ requires an attack roll, and b/ inflicts damage, where damage is defined as hit point damage, ability damage, or negative levels.

Ray of Enfeeblement is the example used for 'not a weaponlike spell'.

-Hyp.

 

[Methos of Aundair]

Originally posted by Hypersmurf

Tome and Blood clarifies this.

Just read the T&B clarification, thanks for pointing that out.