Crit hit dmg question

[Craig1234]

Just a quick questions on the crit mechanics (presuming that the crit confirmation is successful). Some time the books say roll again and sometimes says multiply by x. I'm wondering if what the real difference is and if it matters which way you do it as long as its consistent. So, for example, let's use a critical hit with a shortsword.

The short sword deals 1d4 dmg, and is an x2 crit. Is it better (or make any difference at all) to roll 2d4 rather than to roll 1d4 and multiply by 2?

Thanks

[Lord Lupus the Grey]

It has no differense at all, I think.

And shortsword makes 1d6 damage, 1d4 is a dagger :)

[Craig1234]

oops, thanks. I'm thinking multiplying might skew the numbers up a bit, since you can't get an odd number, but I'm not sure if it all balances out in the wash.

[Lord Lupus the Grey]

If You get 1 and mulitply it - you will be really upset. Lesser chance is to get two 1s. BUT! When you get maximum 4 on roll... :)

Just ask your DM BEFORE making a roll ;)

[Craig1234]

There's the problem, I'm the DM (first time, though I've been a player before), and I'm leading a group of people who have never even played. The switch in roles has really got me thinking of things differently now, though. As a player, I wouldn't have thought twice about this.

[Thymus Vulgaris]

Rolling twice smoothes things out with results leaning more towards the mid values, whereas multiplying gives results towards the extremes more often, but on average it makes no difference. In the groups I play in we just do whatever we feel like, but have to decide before we roll.

[BuwaroElexion666]

I don't know really what is better, as I have only used one way: roll twice or however many times the damage is. While I may be a bit biased since I've done it this way since my first character, I think it is the best because, as Lord Lupus the Grey stated, It would be really upsetting if you multiply your 1 damage.

[Craig1234]

ok, that's the way I was leaning (2d6, not multiplied), but was curious if that was unusual out there in the real fantasy world.

[CrystalSpellblade]

PRD wrote:

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.

It's what they have on the PRD, if you want to strictly go by that. Your average damage will stay the same, but you'll see more spike than rolling multiple times.

[Drake Brimstone]

Multiplied Dice are rolled, the references to multiplying a number refer to damage bonuses that can be multiplied on a critical hit.

[Lipto the Shiv]

I am of the opinion that rolling multiple dice is the better option, because rolling multiple dice is always a better option.