Is Brutal Critical Damage Doubled? Understanding Critical Hits and Barbarian Fury
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The short and direct answer is: No, Brutal Critical damage dice are not doubled on a critical hit. While the core mechanic of a critical hit in D&D 5e involves doubling the number of damage dice rolled, abilities like the Barbarian’s Brutal Critical add extra damage dice that are not subject to this doubling. This distinction is crucial for understanding how to maximize damage output and accurately calculate results in combat. Let’s delve deeper into the nuances of critical hits and how Brutal Critical fits into the equation.
How Critical Hits Work in D&D 5e
Before we can explore Brutal Critical, it’s vital to establish how critical hits (crits) function within the standard D&D 5e ruleset. The basic rule is quite straightforward:
- Rolling a Natural 20: When a player rolls a natural 20 on an attack roll, it’s an automatic hit, regardless of the target’s Armor Class. This is a critical hit.
- Doubling Damage Dice: The standard consequence of a critical hit is doubling all of the attack’s damage dice. This does not mean doubling the final damage value, nor does it mean doubling any flat damage modifiers, such as your Strength modifier. It means that if you normally roll 1d8 for damage, you now roll 2d8.
- Modifiers Remain the Same: Modifiers to damage, such as your Strength modifier, weapon enchantment bonus, or bonuses from spells, are added only once, not doubled on a crit.
Example of a Basic Critical Hit
Let’s look at a straightforward example. A fighter with a longsword (1d8 damage) attacks and scores a critical hit. Normally, they would roll 1d8 and add their Strength modifier.
- Standard hit: 1d8 + Strength Modifier
- Critical hit: 2d8 + Strength Modifier
The key here is that we doubled the dice before applying any modifiers. The strength modifier is only added at the end and does not get multiplied.
Understanding Brutal Critical
The Barbarian’s Brutal Critical feature comes into play starting at 9th level. It provides an increase to damage during critical hits:
- Additional Damage Die: When you score a critical hit with a melee attack, you roll one additional weapon damage die on top of what the critical hit rules would normally grant you.
- Scaling Bonus: This bonus increases to two additional dice at 13th level and three additional dice at 17th level.
Brutal Critical and Crit Calculations
Let’s build on the previous example and bring Brutal Critical into the equation.
At 9th level, that same fighter becomes a 9th-level Barbarian (who uses a longsword) and scores a critical hit.
- Standard hit: 1d8 + Strength Modifier
- Critical hit without Brutal Critical: 2d8 + Strength Modifier
- Critical hit with Brutal Critical (9th level): 3d8 + Strength Modifier
As you can see, Brutal Critical adds one extra die to the pool of rolled dice, but that extra die is not doubled on the critical hit. The critical only multiplies the base dice, not those from abilities like brutal critical.
At 13th Level:
- Critical hit with Brutal Critical (13th level): 4d8 + Strength Modifier
At 17th Level:
- Critical hit with Brutal Critical (17th level): 5d8 + Strength Modifier
This illustrates the core point: the extra dice from Brutal Critical are added after the double damage dice from the base crit rule. This is consistent with how other damage-boosting effects operate in 5e – such as Sneak Attack or Divine Smite – and that those damage dice are also doubled if you get a critical. The Brutal Critical feature is not doubled by the critical hit, but its damage is added to the total amount of damage dealt.
FAQs About Critical Hits and Brutal Critical
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about critical hits and Brutal Critical, to help further clarify any confusion.
1. What exactly is doubled on a critical hit?
On a critical hit, you double the number of damage dice rolled for the attack. This includes weapon damage dice and any other damage dice from features like Sneak Attack or Divine Smite. Modifiers are not doubled.
2. Does the Barbarian’s Rage damage bonus double on a critical hit?
No. The flat bonus damage from your Barbarian’s Rage is added only once to the damage total. Only the damage dice are doubled on a critical hit.
3. Is there any way to increase critical hit damage beyond doubling dice and brutal critical?
Yes, there are several ways. Certain magic items, feats, and class abilities can increase damage dealt on a critical hit. These are often specific to the item, feat or class itself and would need to be evaluated separately.
4. Does the Sharpshooter feat’s +10 damage bonus double on a crit?
No. Static bonuses like the +10 damage from Sharpshooter are not doubled on a critical hit. Only damage dice are doubled.
5. What happens with Savage Attacks on a critical hit?
Savage Attacks, a Barbarian feature, adds another die after the main damage roll. It does not double. So if you used Savage Attacks and Brutal critical with a critical hit, only the dice are doubled but neither Savage Attacks nor Brutal Critical are doubled.
6. Does Brutal Critical work with all melee attacks?
Yes, Brutal Critical applies to any melee attack you make, as long as it’s a critical hit.
7. Can you use Brutal Critical while raging in heavy armor?
No, you can’t rage while wearing heavy armor as a Barbarian in D&D 5e. Therefore, you can’t trigger brutal critical if you can’t rage.
8. Does Divine Smite damage double on a critical hit?
Yes, Divine Smite damage dice are doubled on a critical hit. If a paladin uses Divine Smite during a crit, those extra d8s are also doubled. However, this does not affect the bonus damage from a Divine Smite, which is added only once.
9. How does Sneak Attack damage interact with critical hits?
Like Divine Smite, the damage dice from Sneak Attack are doubled on a critical hit. The number of dice you use for Sneak Attack is based on your Rogue level and is also doubled.
10. Does the Great Weapon Master Feat Damage Bonus Double on Crits?
No, the flat +10 damage bonus from the Great Weapon Master feat is not doubled on a critical hit, only the dice you roll are doubled.
11. Can I critical hit if I do not roll a 20?
Yes, other effects or weapons might increase your critical hit range. The most common example is the Champion Fighter subclass ability that lets them score critical hits on a roll of 19 and 20.
12. What are the chances of scoring a critical hit?
The standard chance of scoring a critical hit is 5% (1 in 20). With advantage on the attack roll, the chance increases to 19%.
13. Is 100% crit rate possible in D&D 5e?
No, it is not possible to achieve a 100% crit rate in D&D 5e with the base rules. If you have something that says you can and a DM allowed it, that’s specific to that game.
14. Is critical hit damage better than strength?
Whether Strength is better than crit damage is situational. Since Strength is a constant boost to damage on every hit and crit damage only applies sometimes it is beneficial to have both.
15. What is the best way to maximize critical hit damage?
To maximize critical hit damage you need high stats and abilities that increase your damage on a critical, such as sneak attack or smite.
Conclusion
While Brutal Critical is an excellent addition to the Barbarian’s combat prowess, its extra damage dice are not doubled on a critical hit. The ability enhances the results of your critical hits, but only the original weapon’s damage dice, along with any other damage dice added by features like Smite or Sneak Attack are doubled. By understanding these rules, players can accurately calculate their damage and strategize effectively in combat. This clear understanding ensures you are getting the most out of your Barbarian’s raging fury and maximizing the devastating potential of a critical hit!