I removed a post that was really not contributing to the discussion.
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RE: Enervation
Doesn't deal damage, means it doesn't qualify for crits.Maybe I'll be corrected by one of the developers, but I was under the impression that if a spell requires an attack roll and has a quantifiable effect (as opposed to a merly qualitative effect) then it can result in a critical hit. Thus, hit point damage, ability damage, ability drain, negative levels, and the like can be doubled via a crit...but something akin to Ray of Exhaustion cannot result in a critical hit.A crit only occurs for actual damaging spells, not energy drain, or ability damage. This was brought up in the faq, as linked below.
I have to disagree. That link you supplied was about feats and adding additional damage not a critical.
I believe the rules are that if you have an attack roll (range touch attack) that you threarit with a natural 20 which means double damage, temp or real on spells, or if the description differs. Information on attack rolls is found on p178.
The only difficulty with the crit damage for this spell is that it inflicts negative levels.
Specifically for spells with attack rolls, it states in the core rule book that such attacks can score a critical (p 184). It also states that if the threat range and critical damage for an attack is not detailed then it is 20 x2. This statement is contradicted, or perhaps clarified on p185 as it states that touch attacks can be crited if the spell does damage.
Only issue is if negative level does damage. I believe it does. It is not clear in the core rule book but if an effect to a drain can kill you even if temporary drain then surely that is damage.
....
*hits one of you with touch of peace and activates*
Just wait.
Give me a few days.
The favor will be for the monks.
>.> Better watch out. I'm coming for you.
Ok. In what way do you deal 500 a round without Nightsticks to expand your Persisting abilities?
What? Are you asking for an explanation of ridiculous, hyperbolic statements?
Masika - I flagged your post for FAQ as there is some confusion about what spells can crit and what can't.
In 3.5, one of the complete books had listed several things that could crit. However, Pathfinder seems very specific in that the spell must deal damage.
From PRD:
"If a ray spell deals damage, you can score a critical hit just as if it were a weapon. A ray spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit."
Negative Levels from PRD:
"[Negative levels] cause a character to take a number of penalties.
...
In addition, the creature reduces its current and total hit points by 5 for each negative level it possesses. "
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/glossary.html#energy-drain-and-negative- levels
I prefer that spell criticals be limited to direct damage, as anything else could create all kinds of odd issues.
Also, allowing various other kinds of spells to crit just makes higher level casters more powerful, and weakens direct damage in comparison. While I don't completely buy the "casterz rule, direct damage sux" argument, I would still be inclined to keep it simple by limiting crits to the rules as written.
Critical hits only apply to damage, whether that damage is to hit points or ability scores. Negative levels are not damage and are not multiplied on a critical hit. Theoretically you could still deal a critical hit with an enervation, but it wouldn't increase the number of levels drained.
What? Are you asking for an explanation of ridiculous, hyperbolic statements?
It's neither, honestly -- but it wasn't my character and I don't know the full details of the build.
Given the player, I don't doubt for a minute that it was legit, though.