Critical Mastery feat question

[Crimson Blade]

I'm currently making a Critical Hit build, and I couldn't find an answer to this in the RAW. Basically, when I crit a creature and apply two Critical feats to it as per the usage of the feat Critical Mastery, can I wait to see if the creature fails or succeeds the check against the critical feat before choosing which one to apply second?

For example, if I have the Bleeding Critical, Stunning Critical and Blinding Critical feats, can I attempt to first apply Stunning Critical against my enemy, and then decide whether to use Blinding Critical (if it fails) or Bleeding Critical (if it succeeds) after I see the results?

[MrCharisma]

I don't think so.

The effects aren't happening in sequence, they're happening at the same time - so you wouldn't know whether one had succeeded before appplying the other.

I don't think there's actually anything written about this though, so ask your GM (I'm not an expert here).

[Crimson Blade]

MrCharisma wrote:

I don't think so.

The effects aren't happening in sequence, they're happening at the same time - so you wouldn't know whether one had succeeded before appplying the other.

I don't think there's actually anything written about this though, so ask your GM (I'm not an expert here).

Yeah, I couldn't see anything on the message boards about it, but I was thinking the same thing as you. It probably wouldn't make too much sense for effects to be staggered in that situation.

[MrCharisma]

Yeah that's how I usually tbink about it.

My Bloodrager with Cornugon Smash and a Cruel Weapon can't inflict Shaken and Sickened in 1 hit because the effects happen at the same time, so the enemy wasn't shaken when the Cruel weapon hit.

Critical Mastery is a little less clear because the 2nd effect doesn't depend on the first, but I think the reasoning still stands. In the situation you described the second effect (Bleed/Blind) kind-of DOES depend on the first.

Having said that, unless there's a clarification somewhere we don't know of (and there couldd be) this really does seem like something not covered by the rules. It can't hurt to ask the GM - the worst they can do is agree.

[Crimson Blade]

Yeah, very good point.
With the Bleed/Blind thing, that depends more depends on me than depends on the first succeeding.
Thanks for the advice my guy, I'll check those rules with my GM :)

[Ryze Kuja]

Both are chosen when you confirm the critical hit. So no, you cannot choose one, see if it affects the target or not, and then choose another.

All of the individual Critical feats say “when you confirm a critical hit, you blind/exhaust/cause bleeding, etc.” And Critical Mastery lets you apply two on the same critical, so both are chosen as soon as you confirm the critical.