| Stephen Ede |
If a Wight delivered an Energy Drain through a Weapon with a crit range of 18-20 instead of it's slam attack (20x2) does a 18 confirmed deal a crit for both the weapon damage and the Energy Drain, or does it require a natural 20 to get the Energy Drain critical as well?
IIRC the latter is how touch attacks delivered by a natural attack with improved crit works. i.e. a 19 crits the natural attack but not the spell, a 20 crits both.
Thanks
| Bob Bob Bob |
Energy Drain doesn't crit (technically).
Energy Drain (Su) This attack saps a living opponent's vital energy and happens automatically when a melee or ranged attack hits. Each successful energy drain bestows one or more negative levels (the creature's description specifies how many). If an attack that includes an energy drain scores a critical hit, it bestows twice the listed number of negative levels. Unless otherwise specified in the creature's description, a draining creature gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level it bestows on an opponent. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour. Negative levels remain until 24 hours have passed or until they are removed with a spell, such as restoration. If a negative level is not removed before 24 hours have passed, the affected creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 draining creature's racial HD + draining creature's Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature's descriptive text). On a success, the negative level goes away with no harm to the creature. On a failure, the negative level becomes permanent. A separate saving throw is required for each negative level.
Format: energy drain (2 levels, DC 18); Location: Special Attacks and individual attacks.
Instead there's a clause in the text of Energy Drain that says if the attack that Energy Drain is a rider effect on crits, double the number of negative levels. So it would trigger on any crit, however it always only multiplies by two (not the weapon's critical modifier).