Does Crit Apply to Spells? Unraveling Critical Hits in D&D and Beyond
The question of whether critical hits apply to spells is a common point of confusion for both new and seasoned players of tabletop role-playing games, especially Dungeons & Dragons. The short answer is: yes, spells can critically hit, but it’s not quite as straightforward as it might seem. This article will dive deep into the mechanics of spell critical hits, how they work in various game systems, and what you need to know to maximize your damage output with spells.
The Core Mechanic: Attack Rolls and Critical Success
At its heart, the concept of a critical hit hinges on the attack roll. In D&D 5th Edition (5e) and similar systems, when you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll against a target’s Armor Class (AC), a natural 20 on the d20 automatically results in a critical hit. This is distinct from spells that require the target to make a saving throw, which cannot crit. When a critical hit occurs, the standard rule is to double the number of damage dice rolled.
The Difference Between Attack Rolls and Saving Throws
It is critical to understand the distinction between attack roll spells and saving throw spells. Attack roll spells require the caster to roll a d20 + their spell attack modifier against the target’s AC. If this roll meets or exceeds the AC, the spell hits. Examples include spells like fire bolt or ray of frost.
Conversely, saving throw spells force the target to make a saving throw against a specific ability, like Dexterity or Wisdom, based on the caster’s spell save DC. In this case, the caster doesn’t make an attack roll, and therefore, critical hits do not apply to saving throw spells. Examples include spells like fireball or hold person.
Critical Hits: Doubling the Damage Dice
The core of a critical hit involves doubling the number of damage dice. This means that if you cast scorching ray and normally roll 2d6 damage per ray, a critical hit would instead allow you to roll 4d6 damage per ray. Importantly, non-dice damage bonuses such as ability score modifiers, are not doubled on a critical hit. They are only applied once.
Critical Hits in D&D 5e vs. Other Systems
While the doubling of dice damage on a crit is a standard rule in 5e, it’s essential to recognize that other systems may implement critical hits differently. For example, in some older editions or homebrew rulesets, critical hits might instead do maximum damage plus some additional rolled damage, or have different triggers than just a natural 20. Always refer to your specific game’s rulebook for clarification.
One D&D and Critical Hits
It’s important to note the distinction between D&D 5e and some ongoing playtesting material like One D&D. One D&D alters the way critical hits work, specifically with spells no longer benefitting from critical hits. This means that as of writing this article, the traditional “spell attack roll critical” rule of 5e may no longer apply in the future, unless changed.
Maximizing Your Spell Criticals
Now that we’ve established that spells can indeed crit, let’s look at some ways you can try to maximize your chance to get them.
Crit Rate and Class Features
While you can’t usually increase your likelihood of a natural 20, some class features and items can impact your chances of achieving a crit. The Champion Fighter subclass, for example, can improve the range of critical hits to a 19 or 20 on weapon attacks. Some homebrew rules might alter this further. While not directly increasing crit rate for spells specifically, certain strategies may help by increasing the number of attacks you make overall.
Critical Strike Rating in Other Games
In games that aren’t D&D, such as video games or other tabletop systems, you may find mechanics like critical strike rating that increase your probability of critically hitting with a spell, but these aren’t standard features in D&D 5e, though homebrew may allow. For example, in some games, accumulating more rating might increase your chances by a percentage. It’s always game-specific.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To further clarify the nuances of critical hits and spells, let’s address some common questions:
1. Do Critical Hits Ignore Immunity?
No. Critical hits do not ignore immunity to critical hits. If a creature is immune to critical hits, it will take normal damage instead of doubled damage. However, it will still be affected by any other effects that are triggered by a successful hit.
2. Do Critical Hits Ignore Armor?
No. Critical hits do not ignore damage resistance, or damage reduction, which is sometimes referred to as “armor”. They only ignore “damage reduction”, not general damage resistance.
3. Does Improved Critical work with Spells?
Generally no, especially in 5e. The Improved Critical feature for the Fighter Champion subclass is very specific. It states it only works with weapon attacks. There are some Smite spells which technically use melee attacks, which could qualify depending on your DM. But generally spells that don’t require a weapon attack would not apply.
4. What does “Cast on Crit” mean?
The phrase Cast on Critical Strike (CoC) is usually from other systems and refers to a mechanic where a critical hit with an attack skill triggers linked spells. This is not a mechanic from D&D, but you might find similar effects through magic items or homebrew rules.
5. Do Spells Count as Magical Damage?
Yes, spells almost always count as magical damage. If a spell has a magical school or tradition listed, its damage is considered magical. This is important when dealing with creatures with resistances or immunities.
6. Do Crit do double damage?
Critical hits in D&D usually involve doubling the number of damage dice you roll and then applying all non-dice damage modifiers.
7. What is the Difference Between Spell Crit and Spell Damage?
Spell damage refers to the raw damage a spell deals, typically influenced by its level or the spell’s description. Spell crit is when a spell critically hits doubling the damage dice rolled. It’s a modifier on damage and not a type of damage itself.
8. How does crit affect damage?
Critical hits typically double the damage dice. There are some game systems that will have different multipliers that modify your damage.
9. Which is Better Crit Rate or Crit Damage?
This question doesn’t usually apply in D&D 5e as there are typically no means to increase crit damage except for rolling more dice on a natural 20 and some game systems, it is better to have an overall crit rate, but having some crit damage is also helpful.
10. What is the new crit rule 5E?
There currently aren’t new rules for 5e as of the writing of this article, there are currently playtest materials in One D&D, but they change the nature of critical hits.
11. Are 9th level spells worth it?
Yes, 9th-level spells are among the most powerful spells in D&D and have a massive impact.
12. Can you be proficient in spells?
Yes, all spellcasters are proficient with spell attacks. This means you add your proficiency bonus to your spell attack rolls. This is typically a key distinction for all characters and not just spellcasters.
13. What is a good crit?
In a gaming context, a “good crit” is when you land a critical hit that dramatically increases your damage output. In the context of credit, a “good crit” is a rating of 670-739 on a credit score.
14. Can you parry a crit?
This is not a common feature in 5e and will be more dependent on the game system in question. Some system, however, have a concept of parrying a crit.
15. Does a crit automatically hit?
Yes, a critical hit automatically hits regardless of the target’s AC. Similarly, a natural 1 always misses.
Conclusion
In conclusion, spells can critically hit in D&D 5e when they require an attack roll, but this is not universal and does not include saving throws. A critical hit doubles the damage dice, but not other non-dice damage bonuses. As rules and editions of various game systems evolve, understanding how critical hits work will ensure that you are prepared to maximize the power of your spells or weapons. Knowing when to use a spell with an attack roll versus a saving throw might be what changes the tide of battle in your favor.