[3.5] Arcane Channel Crit

[Keld Denar]

If my friend's Duskblade Arcane Channels a Shocking Grasp with his falcheon, and he rolls a critical hit, is just the weapon damage (etc) multiplied? Or is the Shocking Grasp also a crit?

[tyckspoon]

Pretty sure it's just the weapon hit; a channeled spell is treated like bonus damage on the hit, like Sneak Attack or the Flaming property, instead of being its own weapon-like (and therefore crit-able) attack.

[Snowbluff]

The spell itself crits on a 20 (Weaponlike spells, CArc, IIRC). If you get a nat 20, I would say the spell crits. Otherwise, it doesn't crit.

You can take Imp Critical (Melee Touch Spell), I think. That would be pretty boss.

[Amphetryon]

The spell itself crits on a 20 (Weaponlike spells, CArc, IIRC). If you get a nat 20, I would say the spell crits. Otherwise, it doesn't crit.

You can take Imp Critical (Melee Touch Spell), I think. That would be pretty boss.

True if the SPELL requires a to-hit roll; considerably more fuzzy when the spell's to-hit is tied to the weapon.

[Keld Denar]

Yea, I was thinking that it wouldn't. When you Arcane Channel, you only roll 1 attack roll, and that is the weapon attack roll. You don't roll an attack with the spell.

Anyone have any citations?

[Roguenewb]

I have no citations.

You are using the melee attack to deliver the touch spell, the melee attack *is* the spell's attack roll, and you deal extra damage equal to the melee weapon.

In Pathfinder, it's made clear that when using the Magus's spellstrike, this is *exactly* how channel hits work. Since the magus is largely what the Duskblade should have been, I'd work backwards. My understanding of the rules in CArc and PHB 2 is that what pathfinder did is *clarify* not change. Frankly, you won't see it break anything.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

You can only crit if you make an attack roll. In this instance, the attack roll is for the weapon. The spell doesn't have an attack roll, therefore it cannot crit.

[Fable Wright]

The text says that you "Deliver the spell through the weapon." I see this as meaning that the Duskblade casts the touch spell and holds the charge, and discharges it through their weapon in lieu of using their hand. You can crit when you make a touch attack with a held touch spell, as per the rules of weapon-like spells, so why wouldn't you be able to do so when you make an attack with your normal weapon?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

You can score a critical hit with anything for which you make an attack roll.

With Arcane Channeling you don't have to make an attack roll for the spell, it's automatically delivered if the weapon's attack roll hits. The only attack roll being made is for the weapon, so that's all that can crit. The spell can't crit if he didn't make a separate attack roll for it.

[Keld Denar]

I'm more inclined to agree with Schneekey on this one (never thought I'd say that out loud...). There is no attack roll for the actual spell. It is simply piggy backing on the weapon attack.

[ThiagoMartell]

A player of mine once showed up a ruling stating that it did indeed crit. It was years ago so I can't remember where he did find it, though. Maybe it was a Sage answer or something like that.

I think it does not crit.

[jaybird]

I'd say it crits - look at the Magus, which is basically the same thing.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I'd say it crits - look at the Magus, which is basically the same thing.

PF=/=D&D 3.5
The magus allows you to effectively TWF with weapon and spells, Duskblade OTH delivers the spells through the weapon.

I think RAW the weapon damage would be multiplied; but the spell damage won't; but I am thinking it could be a cool houserule to let the Duskblade decide which will crit, if he chooses the weapon it would crit on it's normal threat range; but if he chooses to crit with spells he would only crit on Nat 20 (unless he took Improved Critical: Spells).

[Gwendol]

It is the weapon that delivers the critical damage, in case of the spell the weapon is but a conduit.
To argue for the opposite would be to say that the weapon hits a vulnerable spot, and that therefore, the spell also makes more damage. That the spell being channeled is a touch spell is of little consequence in this case: other classes gain channeling abilities (Ordained Champion) that do not require the spell to be a touch spell.

[Diarmuid]

Not a direct citation, but I checked the section on Touch Spells and using a natural or unarmed attacked for delivering them and there's no mention of how to handle a crit there either.

All it says is that "If the attack hits, you deal normal damage for your unarmed attack or natural weapon and the spell discharges. If the attack missed, you are still holding the charge".

I would have to agree that you're removing the attack roll from the spell, and therefore it cannot crit. Otherwise every duskblade I ever make from now on is getting himself a keen falchion =).