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If a creature has an ability that will auto-confirm any critical hits, does the critical still have a chance to be negated by effects like Fortification?
For example, a Ranger with the Quarry ability used his standard action to study his target. He now has a +2 attack and any critical threats he rolls are automatically confirmed. However, the target is wearing medium fortification breastplate armor.
Yes. Fortification occurs after the determination of if there will be a critical hit or not.
Threat
Confirmation <---auto crits treat this as an auto success
Fortification <---negates a successful crit
All automatic confirmation does is to avoid the roll to confirm the critical hit. It is no different than actually rolling the number you need to confirm the critical hit. Fortification has a chance of negating a critical hit. Therefore fortification can negate a critical hit cause by someone with the ability to automatically confirm a critical hit. Automatic conformation does not guarantee a critical hit. Things that are immune to critical hits do not take extra damage because the roll is automatically successful, neither do those that make the fortification roll.