Hi
Could someone please clarify how critical hit damage works.
The rules entry says roll your damage more than once with all your usual bonuses and add together.
Assume a level 5 character has a Greataxe and does D12+6 (and D12 + 12 on power attack) damage as standard with x3 multiplyer
So is it:
1. 3D12 + 18 damage on a critical hit
3D12 + 36 on power attack
or
(literally interpreting the "roll" part)
2. 3D12 + 6
3D12 + 12
Number 1 is how I always understood it and Number 2 is my groups interpretation (and was stuck with during Rise of Runelords (Skinsaw i believe) where it was realise how much a power attacking critical hit from some of the giants/orges could inflict...
A critical hit means that you roll your damage more
than once, with all your usual bonuses, and add the rolls
together. Unless otherwise specified, the threat range for a
critical hit on an attack roll is 20, and the multiplier is ×2.
Exception: Precision damage (such as from a rogue’s
sneak attack class feature) and additional damage dice
from special weapon qualities (such as f laming) are not
multiplied when you score a critical hit.
So for a Greataxe 1d12+6 ( 1.5 * str a +6 assumes an 18-19 Str score)
Power attack is
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all
melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain
a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to
damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making
an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed
weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon
that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modif ier on damage
rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are
making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary
natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches
+4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases
by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must
choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and
its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage
does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal
hit point damage.
So for Greataxe 1d12+6 (18-19 Str) a power attack will be 1d12+9 (2+1(50% more for a 2 handed weapon). The only way you get 1d12+12 would be if your BAB is +4 or higher (just laying it out).
So we know that to have a 1d12+12 power attack our barbarian has to be at least level 4 with an 18 str. Personally I'd expect that to be a minimum for most Barbs at level 4 as they have 1 stat point from leveling and wouldn't be surprised to see them get a +str item or magical boost by that level either.
Crit for the power attack is (1d12+12) + (1d12+12) + (1d12+12).
If the greataxe is magical (say +1 - he's only 4th level) then it would
be:
(1d12+12+1)+(1d12+12+1)+(1d12+12+1).
If the Barb was level 5 and had a level of rogue (just for instance) and perhaps he was really lucky and had a flaming greataxe +1 we would get (on a crit):
(1d12+12+1)+(1d12+12+1)+(1d12+12+1)+1d6 fire + 1d6 sneak attack.
As the flaming and sneak attack dmg are separate from the weapon damage as far as criticals go.
The short version of the above is that Option #1 is correct :)
If anything more is required:
Notice how criticals say "with all your usual bonuses", while for instance the Vital Strike feat says "before adding bonuses". This means that criticals multiply strength, power attack, weapon specialization and so on, while Vital Strike does not.