Decisive Strike and Crit clarification

[j_spencer93]

Ok since decisive strike does x2 and on a crit it would do x2 again is that ([1d8+4 x2] x2) or 1d8+4x3? Do all multiplying damage effects just follow the stacking rule on a crit? And what if in a normal attack you have two attacks that say double damage, would that instead make it x3?

[Fax Celestis]

All multiplicative effects are additive.

It's easier to think of stuff in terms of +x%. x2 x2 x4 is really +100%+100%+300%, or +500%, which is x6.

[j_spencer93]

ok thank you. Idk why i have trouble with this concept but i do.

[Phelix-Mu]

ok thank you. Idk why i have trouble with this concept but i do.

Like most people, you probably spent considerable time and effort in some kind of educational setting in which they endeavored to inscribe certain laws of mathematics deep inside your consciousness. Thus, when some random book suggests that one of the basic operations of mathematics that you've known for years is actually an entirely different operation, it is understandably confusing. It doesn't help that they don't always repeat their version of the multiplication rule, but do occasionally call it out as not applying, IIRC.

However, this is still a step toward mathematical sanity, whereas, in earlier editions, so little of the game was based on any kind of simple, structured system that really weird stuff cropped up. At least 3e uses things like formulas and stuff with some reliability (even if they aren't always explicitly called out, they are often there). Back in 2e, there was a ton of stuff that was basically arbitrary, leaving it to DMs to try to prune the system into some modicum of sensibility/internal consistency.

But, then again there is stuff like CRs, which purport to be based in some kind of logic, but actually are just horribly misleading in many cases.

C'est la vie.

[j_spencer93]

Lol i was just in college finite math

[Darrin]

All multiplicative effects are additive.


Only when you're multiplying abstract modifiers/dice, such as damage.

SRD: "When applying multipliers to real-world values (such as weight or distance), normal rules of math apply instead."

[Fax Celestis]

I did say "effects".