A crit only happens on an attack roll so by rule that would be the only time you need to announce it. The total number doesn’t matter as it’s an auto hit and double the dice damage. On skill checks we normally have a “woohoo nat 20” then add modifiers to see if you succeed.
The only time a natural 20 is important is in an attack roll. You can distinguish it there by saying "critical hit". The actual number almost always doesn't matter because a natural 20 is an automatic hit. Additionally, if you are a champion fighter then there isn't any difference between a natural 20 and a natural 19, so there's no need to add any numbers
If your roll totals 20 but is not a critical hit then you can just say "hit AC 20".
I realize this is a couple of years old but I thought I correct it since someone resurrected the thread.
A champion fighter scores a critical hit on a 19. IF the 19 hits, then he would double all damage. In the rules a roll of 20 automatically hits and in addition it is considered a critical hit. A roll of 19 does not automatically hit.
The only time a natural 20 is important is in an attack roll. You can distinguish it there by saying "critical hit". The actual number almost always doesn't matter because a natural 20 is an automatic hit. Additionally, if you are a champion fighter then there isn't any difference between a natural 20 and a natural 19, so there's no need to add any numbers
If your roll totals 20 but is not a critical hit then you can just say "hit AC 20".
I realize this is a couple of years old but I thought I correct it since someone resurrected the thread.
A champion fighter scores a critical hit on a 19. IF the 19 hits, then he would double all damage. In the rules a roll of 20 automatically hits and in addition it is considered a critical hit. A roll of 19 does not automatically hit.
Rolling a 1 or 20 (or 19 for a feature like the one from Champion) on a d20 only matters for two things in 5e, and nothing else: attack rolls, and death saving throws.
My table has gotten into the habit of saying "crit success" or "crit failure" as those are the only two descriptors that are ever relevant.
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You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
The only time a natural 20 is important is in an attack roll. You can distinguish it there by saying "critical hit". The actual number almost always doesn't matter because a natural 20 is an automatic hit. Additionally, if you are a champion fighter then there isn't any difference between a natural 20 and a natural 19, so there's no need to add any numbers
If your roll totals 20 but is not a critical hit then you can just say "hit AC 20".
I realize this is a couple of years old but I thought I correct it since someone resurrected the thread.
A champion fighter scores a critical hit on a 19. IF the 19 hits, then he would double all damage. In the rules a roll of 20 automatically hits and in addition it is considered a critical hit. A roll of 19 does not automatically hit.
Unfortunately, that comment didn't make it into the Sage Advice compendium (which constitutes the official rulings).
"IMPROVED CRITICAL Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20"
"ROLLING 1 OR 20 Sometimes fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss. If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. In addition, the attack is a critical hit, as explained later in this chapter."
"CRITICAL HITS When you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice for the attack's damage against the target. Roll all of the attack's damage dice twice and add them together. Then add any relevant modifiers as normal."
Only a 20 automatically hits. When an attack is a critical hit, it doubles the damage die rolled. However, the rules do not say that a critical hit is an automatic hit. The rules say a 20 is an automatic hit and is also considered a critical hit.
Could the rules be clarified to say what JC seems to indicate that a critical hit is always a hit? Yes. However, as currently written, the only automatic hit no matter what the AC or modifiers only occurs on a 20.
P.S. In practice, it probably rarely matters since the cases where 20 would hit but 19 does not are likely to be fairly rare.
The only time a natural 20 is important is in an attack roll. You can distinguish it there by saying "critical hit". The actual number almost always doesn't matter because a natural 20 is an automatic hit. Additionally, if you are a champion fighter then there isn't any difference between a natural 20 and a natural 19, so there's no need to add any numbers
If your roll totals 20 but is not a critical hit then you can just say "hit AC 20".
I realize this is a couple of years old but I thought I correct it since someone resurrected the thread.
A champion fighter scores a critical hit on a 19. IF the 19 hits, then he would double all damage. In the rules a roll of 20 automatically hits and in addition it is considered a critical hit. A roll of 19 does not automatically hit.
Unfortunately, that comment didn't make it into the Sage Advice compendium (which constitutes the official rulings).
"IMPROVED CRITICAL Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20"
"ROLLING 1 OR 20 Sometimes fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss. If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. In addition, the attack is a critical hit, as explained later in this chapter."
"CRITICAL HITS When you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice for the attack's damage against the target. Roll all of the attack's damage dice twice and add them together. Then add any relevant modifiers as normal."
Only a 20 automatically hits. When an attack is a critical hit, it doubles the damage die rolled. However, the rules do not say that a critical hit is an automatic hit. The rules say a 20 is an automatic hit and is also considered a critical hit.
Could the rules be clarified to say what JC seems to indicate that a critical hit is always a hit? Yes. However, as currently written, the only automatic hit no matter what the AC or modifiers only occurs on a 20.
P.S. In practice, it probably rarely matters since the cases where 20 would hit but 19 does not are likely to be fairly rare.
Yes, I agree that this is a pretty niche case, but I don't think the clarification needs to be in the compendium to be official. It follows from the Champion ability where it says that "your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20" that a hit is scored. This is both a specific rule overriding a general one and a semantic interpretation that would indicate that you cannot miss a hit and score it, scoring the hit precludes missing it.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
The only time a natural 20 is important is in an attack roll. You can distinguish it there by saying "critical hit". The actual number almost always doesn't matter because a natural 20 is an automatic hit. Additionally, if you are a champion fighter then there isn't any difference between a natural 20 and a natural 19, so there's no need to add any numbers
If your roll totals 20 but is not a critical hit then you can just say "hit AC 20".
I realize this is a couple of years old but I thought I correct it since someone resurrected the thread.
A champion fighter scores a critical hit on a 19. IF the 19 hits, then he would double all damage. In the rules a roll of 20 automatically hits and in addition it is considered a critical hit. A roll of 19 does not automatically hit.
Unfortunately, that comment didn't make it into the Sage Advice compendium (which constitutes the official rulings).
"IMPROVED CRITICAL Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20"
"ROLLING 1 OR 20 Sometimes fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss. If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. In addition, the attack is a critical hit, as explained later in this chapter."
"CRITICAL HITS When you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice for the attack's damage against the target. Roll all of the attack's damage dice twice and add them together. Then add any relevant modifiers as normal."
Only a 20 automatically hits. When an attack is a critical hit, it doubles the damage die rolled. However, the rules do not say that a critical hit is an automatic hit. The rules say a 20 is an automatic hit and is also considered a critical hit.
Could the rules be clarified to say what JC seems to indicate that a critical hit is always a hit? Yes. However, as currently written, the only automatic hit no matter what the AC or modifiers only occurs on a 20.
P.S. In practice, it probably rarely matters since the cases where 20 would hit but 19 does not are likely to be fairly rare.
Whether intentional or not, you misquoted that passage to imply something it does not. There is no "In addition". Here is the actual quote on rolling a 1 or 20:
Sometimes fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss.
If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. This is called a critical hit, which is explained later in this section.
If the d20 roll for an attack is a 1, the attack misses regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC.
A critical hit is an automatic hit. By default, a critical hit can only occur when rolling a 20 on your attack roll. With a feature like the one from Champion, a critical hit occurs on a 19 or 20, and that is absolutely an automatic hit as well.
Ugh, which leads to differences between expanded criticals. Hexblade's curse doesn't have that "scored" language, for example.
Irrelevant. Critical hits are defined as above. Hexblade's Curse says a roll of 19 or 20, on an attack roll against the cursed target, is a critical hit. It's automatic.
[edit 2] To pre-empt anyone else bringing it up, there is no such thing as "confirming criticals" in 5e.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
A critical hit is an automatic hit. By default, a critical hit can only occur when rolling a 20 on your attack roll. With a feature like the one from Champion, a critical hit occurs on a 19 or 20, and that is absolutely an automatic hit as well.
While I think this makes the most sense and is probably the correct way to read the rules, I think there is also technically some room to interpret it the other way, where the automatic hit part of it is lost between the definition for rolling a 20 and the definition of a critical hit.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
A critical hit is an automatic hit. By default, a critical hit can only occur when rolling a 20 on your attack roll. With a feature like the one from Champion, a critical hit occurs on a 19 or 20, and that is absolutely an automatic hit as well.
While I think this makes the most sense and is probably the correct way to read the rules, I think there is also technically some room to interpret it the other way, where the automatic hit part of it is lost between the definition for rolling a 20 and the definition of a critical hit.
There is no room to interpret it any other way. A critical hit is defined as an automatic hit against the target. There is zero possibility of a situation in which you roll a critical hit, but don't actually hit the target... 0.00%
Specific equipment/features a creature may have to nullify a critical hit (like Adamantine Armor) are also irrelevant because the scope of this inquiry is focused on what a critical hit is to begin with.
"Confirming criticals" is not a thing in 5e, full stop.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
A critical hit is an automatic hit. By default, a critical hit can only occur when rolling a 20 on your attack roll. With a feature like the one from Champion, a critical hit occurs on a 19 or 20, and that is absolutely an automatic hit as well.
While I think this makes the most sense and is probably the correct way to read the rules, I think there is also technically some room to interpret it the other way, where the automatic hit part of it is lost between the definition for rolling a 20 and the definition of a critical hit.
There is no room to interpret it any other way.
So there's direct evidence five posts before yours of someone who interpreted the other way.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
The only time a natural 20 is important is in an attack roll. You can distinguish it there by saying "critical hit". The actual number almost always doesn't matter because a natural 20 is an automatic hit. Additionally, if you are a champion fighter then there isn't any difference between a natural 20 and a natural 19, so there's no need to add any numbers
If your roll totals 20 but is not a critical hit then you can just say "hit AC 20".
I realize this is a couple of years old but I thought I correct it since someone resurrected the thread.
A champion fighter scores a critical hit on a 19. IF the 19 hits, then he would double all damage. In the rules a roll of 20 automatically hits and in addition it is considered a critical hit. A roll of 19 does not automatically hit.
Unfortunately, that comment didn't make it into the Sage Advice compendium (which constitutes the official rulings).
"IMPROVED CRITICAL Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20"
"ROLLING 1 OR 20 Sometimes fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss. If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. In addition, the attack is a critical hit, as explained later in this chapter."
"CRITICAL HITS When you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice for the attack's damage against the target. Roll all of the attack's damage dice twice and add them together. Then add any relevant modifiers as normal."
Only a 20 automatically hits. When an attack is a critical hit, it doubles the damage die rolled. However, the rules do not say that a critical hit is an automatic hit. The rules say a 20 is an automatic hit and is also considered a critical hit.
Could the rules be clarified to say what JC seems to indicate that a critical hit is always a hit? Yes. However, as currently written, the only automatic hit no matter what the AC or modifiers only occurs on a 20.
P.S. In practice, it probably rarely matters since the cases where 20 would hit but 19 does not are likely to be fairly rare.
Whether intentional or not, you misquoted that passage to imply something it does not. There is no "In addition". Here is the actual quote on rolling a 1 or 20:
Sometimes fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss.
If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. This is called a critical hit, which is explained later in this section.
If the d20 roll for an attack is a 1, the attack misses regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC.
A critical hit is an automatic hit. By default, a critical hit can only occur when rolling a 20 on your attack roll. With a feature like the one from Champion, a critical hit occurs on a 19 or 20, and that is absolutely an automatic hit as well.
Ugh, which leads to differences between expanded criticals. Hexblade's curse doesn't have that "scored" language, for example.
Irrelevant. Critical hits are defined as above. Hexblade's Curse says a roll of 19 or 20, on an attack roll against the cursed target, is a critical hit. It's automatic.
Just to clarify, the printing of the copy of the PHB I referenced (first printing, 2014) contains the specific wording "In addition, the attack is a critical hit, as explained later in this chapter." and is not errata'ed (https://media.wizards.com/2020/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf).
However, checking the 10th printing as well as the text on Roll20. It matches what you have quoted. I have to admit that I like things clarified but I hate stealth errata that isn't documented.
While I think this makes the most sense and is probably the correct way to read the rules, I think there is also technically some room to interpret it the other way, where the automatic hit part of it is lost between the definition for rolling a 20 and the definition of a critical hit.
The thing is, it doesn't matter if the "automatic hit" bit is an inherent part of critical hits or the 20 roll. Improved Critical (or whatever other exceptional feature is being debated) is explicitly assigning a specific outcome to rolling a 19, just like the general rules assign specific outcomes to a 1 and a 20. It'd be the same if you had an Improved Regular Hit that says you score hits on a 19, or a Worsened Regular Hit that says you miss on 2's. The outcome is hard-coded, there's nothing else to consider unless you somehow find yourself in a situation where two rules are trying to create exceptions for the same die roll and neither is more specific than the other.
A critical hit is an automatic hit. By default, a critical hit can only occur when rolling a 20 on your attack roll. With a feature like the one from Champion, a critical hit occurs on a 19 or 20, and that is absolutely an automatic hit as well.
While I think this makes the most sense and is probably the correct way to read the rules, I think there is also technically some room to interpret it the other way, where the automatic hit part of it is lost between the definition for rolling a 20 and the definition of a critical hit.
There is no room to interpret it any other way. A critical hit is defined as an automatic hit against the target. There is zero possibility of a situation in which you roll a critical hit, but don't actually hit the target... 0.00%
Specific equipment/features a creature may have to nullify a critical hit (like Adamantine Armor) are also irrelevant because the scope of this inquiry is focused on what a critical hit is to begin with.
"Confirming criticals" is not a thing in 5e, full stop.
Unless you have disadvantage.
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All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew (Mostly Outdated):Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
If you rolled a critical hit that implies advantage and disadvantage have already been considered. Putting it another way, if you have disadvantage and rolled a 4 and a 20, your roll was a 4 so you did not in fact roll a critical.
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A crit only happens on an attack roll so by rule that would be the only time you need to announce it. The total number doesn’t matter as it’s an auto hit and double the dice damage. On skill checks we normally have a “woohoo nat 20” then add modifiers to see if you succeed.
How's about a "tainted 20"?
That sounds like it could work.
When players get creative.
I realize this is a couple of years old but I thought I correct it since someone resurrected the thread.
A champion fighter scores a critical hit on a 19. IF the 19 hits, then he would double all damage. In the rules a roll of 20 automatically hits and in addition it is considered a critical hit. A roll of 19 does not automatically hit.
I actually think that any critical is also an automatic hit, as clarified by Jeremy Crawford here: https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/582983674372718593
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
i do dirty or nat 20 but sometimes if it is dirty 20 i do "i got a 20... not natural"
I am leader of the yep cult:https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/82135-yep-cult Pronouns are she/her
Rolling a 1 or 20 (or 19 for a feature like the one from Champion) on a d20 only matters for two things in 5e, and nothing else: attack rolls, and death saving throws.
My table has gotten into the habit of saying "crit success" or "crit failure" as those are the only two descriptors that are ever relevant.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Unfortunately, that comment didn't make it into the Sage Advice compendium (which constitutes the official rulings).
"IMPROVED CRITICAL
Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20"
"ROLLING 1 OR 20
Sometimes fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss. If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. In addition, the attack is a critical hit, as explained later in this chapter."
"CRITICAL HITS
When you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice for the attack's damage against the target. Roll all of the attack's damage dice twice and add them together. Then add any relevant modifiers as normal."
Only a 20 automatically hits. When an attack is a critical hit, it doubles the damage die rolled. However, the rules do not say that a critical hit is an automatic hit. The rules say a 20 is an automatic hit and is also considered a critical hit.
Could the rules be clarified to say what JC seems to indicate that a critical hit is always a hit? Yes. However, as currently written, the only automatic hit no matter what the AC or modifiers only occurs on a 20.
P.S. In practice, it probably rarely matters since the cases where 20 would hit but 19 does not are likely to be fairly rare.
Yes, I agree that this is a pretty niche case, but I don't think the clarification needs to be in the compendium to be official. It follows from the Champion ability where it says that "your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20" that a hit is scored. This is both a specific rule overriding a general one and a semantic interpretation that would indicate that you cannot miss a hit and score it, scoring the hit precludes missing it.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Ugh, which leads to differences between expanded criticals. Hexblade's curse doesn't have that "scored" language, for example.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Whether intentional or not, you misquoted that passage to imply something it does not. There is no "In addition". Here is the actual quote on rolling a 1 or 20:
A critical hit is an automatic hit. By default, a critical hit can only occur when rolling a 20 on your attack roll. With a feature like the one from Champion, a critical hit occurs on a 19 or 20, and that is absolutely an automatic hit as well.
[edit]
Irrelevant. Critical hits are defined as above. Hexblade's Curse says a roll of 19 or 20, on an attack roll against the cursed target, is a critical hit. It's automatic.
[edit 2] To pre-empt anyone else bringing it up, there is no such thing as "confirming criticals" in 5e.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
While I think this makes the most sense and is probably the correct way to read the rules, I think there is also technically some room to interpret it the other way, where the automatic hit part of it is lost between the definition for rolling a 20 and the definition of a critical hit.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
There is no room to interpret it any other way. A critical hit is defined as an automatic hit against the target. There is zero possibility of a situation in which you roll a critical hit, but don't actually hit the target... 0.00%
Specific equipment/features a creature may have to nullify a critical hit (like Adamantine Armor) are also irrelevant because the scope of this inquiry is focused on what a critical hit is to begin with.
"Confirming criticals" is not a thing in 5e, full stop.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
So there's direct evidence five posts before yours of someone who interpreted the other way.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Well, they are wrong then, aren't they? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Just to clarify, the printing of the copy of the PHB I referenced (first printing, 2014) contains the specific wording "In addition, the attack is a critical hit, as explained later in this chapter." and is not errata'ed (https://media.wizards.com/2020/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf).
However, checking the 10th printing as well as the text on Roll20. It matches what you have quoted. I have to admit that I like things clarified but I hate stealth errata that isn't documented.
We say Dirty 20 since hearing it on Relics and Rarities.
The thing is, it doesn't matter if the "automatic hit" bit is an inherent part of critical hits or the 20 roll. Improved Critical (or whatever other exceptional feature is being debated) is explicitly assigning a specific outcome to rolling a 19, just like the general rules assign specific outcomes to a 1 and a 20. It'd be the same if you had an Improved Regular Hit that says you score hits on a 19, or a Worsened Regular Hit that says you miss on 2's. The outcome is hard-coded, there's nothing else to consider unless you somehow find yourself in a situation where two rules are trying to create exceptions for the same die roll and neither is more specific than the other.
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Unless you have disadvantage.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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Homebrew (Mostly Outdated): Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
If you rolled a critical hit that implies advantage and disadvantage have already been considered. Putting it another way, if you have disadvantage and rolled a 4 and a 20, your roll was a 4 so you did not in fact roll a critical.
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