So i was rolling some of my attacks just to test modifiers when i rolled a nat20 with a dagger attack, I then began to wonder if the crit damage would cascade down the line of damage instances if i chose to invoke the booming blade cantrip, i'm an 8th level artificer so by default the target would take an extra 1d8 thunder damage on impact and 2d8 thunder damage if they willingly moved before the start of my next turn. however natural 20s result in double the dice sou would the target instead take the 2d4+4 from the dagger then 2d8+4 thunder damage on impact and 4d8+4 thunder damage if they moved or would the crit effect only apply to the dagger hit, if the crit damage did cascade i would do somewhere in the realm of over 40 damage, i did a test for myself and ended up dealing a total of 11 slashing damage and 36 thunder damage adding up to 47 damage, this feels a bit too powerful even for a crit considering the fact that i'm eighth level
Critical hits only affect the damage of the attack, so only the 1d4 dagger damage and the 1d8 initial thunder damage would be affected. Also, the +4 from what I assume is a stat bonus is only applied once for the dagger hit, and is not added to either of the booming blade damage rolls. So a critical hit with booming blade and a dagger would do 2d4+4 from the dagger, 2d8 from the initial booming blade damage, and 2d8 if they move, for an average of 27 damage if they move and 18 if they don't.
As far as I know, any damage die depending on the attack roll and not gated behind a secondary die roll or effect are doubled for a critical hit.
Your example: Level 8 artificer attacking with a dagger and booming blade. Assuming +4 is the stat bonus.
Damage on a critical hit is: 2d4 +4 + 2d8 ... the damage caused by moving happens later and isn't affected by the critical hit.
Other examples:
A dagger that does d6 poison damage would be : 2d4+4 + 2d6
A dagger that does d6 poison damage on a failed save would be: 2d4+4 ... roll save ... apply d6 damage
A paladin smiting with a first level spell slot (not attacking an undead or fiend) on a crit with a greatsword and 18 stat would be: 4d6+4 + 4d8 (crit smite)
A 5th level rogue using sneak attack on a crit with a short sword and 20 attack stat would be: 2d6+5 + 6d6 (5th level sneak attack crit)
No. Something very funky is going on with your damage sources.
What all are you adding together?
It should be 2d4+(+4 dex mod?)+(2d8thunder) and if they move another 2d8.
Average of 18, or 27 if they move, from a crit by a booming blade dagger.
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I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
at level 5 the extra damage form booming blade increases to 2d8, a crit doubles this and there is a spell damage modifier it is not automatically applied but it exists
it would do an average of 44, also funny side anecdote, i was doing a mock dnd duel with my friend who had a level 20 character, instantly rolled a dagger crit and once again dealt 47 damage. After three rounds he took 87 damage and i took none
at level 5 the extra damage form booming blade increases to 2d8, a crit doubles this and there is a spell damage modifier it is not automatically applied but it exists
The movement damage is not doubled on a critical hit. Critical damage doubles an attacks damage dice, or the dice used for the damage done by the attack; because the booming blade damage is delayed (happens after the attack, when the hit creature moves) it is not doubled by the critical hit. Your spell damage modifier is only applied when specified in a spell's description. Because booming blade has no such specification, your spell damage modifier is not used, only your weapon damage modifier, as is IS specified that " the target suffers the weapon attack’s normal effects"
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I write homebrew and don't publish it. (evil, I know)
it would do an average of 44, also funny side anecdote, i was doing a mock dnd duel with my friend who had a level 20 character, instantly rolled a dagger crit and once again dealt 47 damage. After three rounds he took 87 damage and i took none
2d4+(+4 dex mod?)+(2d8thunder) and if they move another 2d8.
The average here is 18. 27 if they move.
I have no idea how or why you're coming up with 44 or 47. But it is wrong.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
the second 2d8 is doubled t 4d8 due to teh crit, after 5th level BOTH sets of damage increases by 1d8 also my math might have been off, and you forgot the spell damage modifier, it isn't automatically applied but if you look at teh character sheet it is there
Spell damage, in many cases (including Booming Blade), does not add your spell modifier to damage; it only uses it when specified by certain abilities, such as a Warlock's Agonizing Blast cantrip or a Evocation Wizard's Empowered Evocation ability. Your spell modifier is used in calculating your save DC and your Spell Attack Modifier. Booming Blade does, however, specify a target still suffers the normal effects of the attack, so you would use your Attack Damage Modifier for the initial attack, being dexterity for a dagger. As stated above, the damage delt by moving is not doubled because the Critical Hit rules specify that they only apply to damage dealt with the initial hit.
the second 2d8 is doubled t 4d8 due to teh crit, after 5th level BOTH sets of damage increases by 1d8 also my math might have been off, and you forgot the spell damage modifier, it isn't automatically applied but if you look at teh character sheet it is there
The damage effect that triggers if they move isn't part of the critical hit, and it isn't doubled. It is a secondary effect.
The only modifier you're applying is the ability modifier you add to your melee attacks, from the dagger. Spell modifiers are only added if something specifically says to add them. Booming Blade doesn't.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
So i was rolling some of my attacks just to test modifiers when i rolled a nat20 with a dagger attack, I then began to wonder if the crit damage would cascade down the line of damage instances if i chose to invoke the booming blade cantrip, i'm an 8th level artificer so by default the target would take an extra 1d8 thunder damage on impact and 2d8 thunder damage if they willingly moved before the start of my next turn. however natural 20s result in double the dice sou would the target instead take the 2d4+4 from the dagger then 2d8+4 thunder damage on impact and 4d8+4 thunder damage if they moved or would the crit effect only apply to the dagger hit, if the crit damage did cascade i would do somewhere in the realm of over 40 damage, i did a test for myself and ended up dealing a total of 11 slashing damage and 36 thunder damage adding up to 47 damage, this feels a bit too powerful even for a crit considering the fact that i'm eighth level
Critical hits only affect the damage of the attack, so only the 1d4 dagger damage and the 1d8 initial thunder damage would be affected. Also, the +4 from what I assume is a stat bonus is only applied once for the dagger hit, and is not added to either of the booming blade damage rolls. So a critical hit with booming blade and a dagger would do 2d4+4 from the dagger, 2d8 from the initial booming blade damage, and 2d8 if they move, for an average of 27 damage if they move and 18 if they don't.
I write homebrew and don't publish it. (evil, I know)
As far as I know, any damage die depending on the attack roll and not gated behind a secondary die roll or effect are doubled for a critical hit.
Your example: Level 8 artificer attacking with a dagger and booming blade. Assuming +4 is the stat bonus.
Damage on a critical hit is: 2d4 +4 + 2d8 ... the damage caused by moving happens later and isn't affected by the critical hit.
Other examples:
A dagger that does d6 poison damage would be : 2d4+4 + 2d6
A dagger that does d6 poison damage on a failed save would be: 2d4+4 ... roll save ... apply d6 damage
A paladin smiting with a first level spell slot (not attacking an undead or fiend) on a crit with a greatsword and 18 stat would be: 4d6+4 + 4d8 (crit smite)
A 5th level rogue using sneak attack on a crit with a short sword and 20 attack stat would be: 2d6+5 + 6d6 (5th level sneak attack crit)
so they would take 47 damage? dang cantrips are under rated
No. Something very funky is going on with your damage sources.
What all are you adding together?
It should be 2d4+(+4 dex mod?)+(2d8thunder) and if they move another 2d8.
Average of 18, or 27 if they move, from a crit by a booming blade dagger.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
at level 5 the extra damage form booming blade increases to 2d8, a crit doubles this and there is a spell damage modifier it is not automatically applied but it exists
it would do an average of 44, also funny side anecdote, i was doing a mock dnd duel with my friend who had a level 20 character, instantly rolled a dagger crit and once again dealt 47 damage. After three rounds he took 87 damage and i took none
The movement damage is not doubled on a critical hit. Critical damage doubles an attacks damage dice, or the dice used for the damage done by the attack; because the booming blade damage is delayed (happens after the attack, when the hit creature moves) it is not doubled by the critical hit. Your spell damage modifier is only applied when specified in a spell's description. Because booming blade has no such specification, your spell damage modifier is not used, only your weapon damage modifier, as is IS specified that " the target suffers the weapon attack’s normal effects"
I write homebrew and don't publish it. (evil, I know)
2d4+(+4 dex mod?)+(2d8thunder) and if they move another 2d8.
The average here is 18. 27 if they move.
I have no idea how or why you're coming up with 44 or 47. But it is wrong.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
the second 2d8 is doubled t 4d8 due to teh crit, after 5th level BOTH sets of damage increases by 1d8 also my math might have been off, and you forgot the spell damage modifier, it isn't automatically applied but if you look at teh character sheet it is there
Critical doesn't double the secondary (moving) damage, if that's what you were referring to as the second 2d8.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Spell damage, in many cases (including Booming Blade), does not add your spell modifier to damage; it only uses it when specified by certain abilities, such as a Warlock's Agonizing Blast cantrip or a Evocation Wizard's Empowered Evocation ability. Your spell modifier is used in calculating your save DC and your Spell Attack Modifier. Booming Blade does, however, specify a target still suffers the normal effects of the attack, so you would use your Attack Damage Modifier for the initial attack, being dexterity for a dagger. As stated above, the damage delt by moving is not doubled because the Critical Hit rules specify that they only apply to damage dealt with the initial hit.
I write homebrew and don't publish it. (evil, I know)
The damage effect that triggers if they move isn't part of the critical hit, and it isn't doubled. It is a secondary effect.
The only modifier you're applying is the ability modifier you add to your melee attacks, from the dagger. Spell modifiers are only added if something specifically says to add them. Booming Blade doesn't.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
see, this was what I was asking, this was the whole point of this thread
KthunkTheBarbarian nailed it on the very first reply :)
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Good thing that literally every reply answered that question then!