Do crits automatically hit even while at a disadvantage?

[xroads]

Last weekend a friend of mine told me that natural 20’s always hit… even if you’re at a disadvantage. Is this correct? And can you tell me where in the PHB it discusses this?

[SharkForce]

if you rolled a 20 and a 2 while having disadvantage, you only rolled a 2. the 20 was not your roll, it was thrown away, because disadvantage means you only get the lower number.

[Slipperychicken]

At disadvantage, you take the lower die, so you would need both dice to roll nat 20s. The chance for this to happen on a given roll is 0.25%, or one quarter of one percent.

[Chadamantium]

Unless he rolled 2 20s. Disadvantage means taking the lower number regardless of what the higher number is. Just like having advantage would mean taking the higher number even if he rolled a 1.

Don't have my book to clarify. Im sure someone around here can quote it.

[1Forge]

It says in the combat section (under rolling a 1 or 20) that natural 20's are instant successes and 1 instant failures. EX: You try to wake up and have advantage because of your keen senses, rolling a one means you dont wake up for that round no matter what (yes even if a frost giant is screaming in his ear) conversely if you are trying to grapple a cyclops to the ground and you roll a 20 you instantly pin that one-eyed freak then and there. That tis the power of the natural 20, it changes weather you shoot youself in the foot, or if a bard shoots down a mighty dragon with his fathers arrow.

EDIT: They're right if he had disadvantage and rolled a 20 and a 2 he has to use the two. Unless the DM rules otherwise (the PHB dosent exactly cover that situation but i think it's implied)

[KorvinStarmast]

Post deleted since 1Forge revised his post.

Warm regards. :smallsmile:

[1Forge]

I edited my post after reading through the PHB

[Easy_Lee]

As others have said, the result of your roll is the higher or lower of your two die rolls when you have advantage or disadvantage. That said, you just gave me an idea for an interesting house rule or feature.

Underdog's Secret
When rolling with disadvantage, if either of your die rolls is a 20, you use the 20.

So you still succeed less often, but are actually more likely to roll a crit and power through. Could be fun.

[1Forge]

As others have said, the result of your roll is the higher or lower of your two die rolls when you have advantage or disadvantage. That said, you just gave me an idea for an interesting house rule or feature.

Underdog's Secret
When rolling with disadvantage, if either of your die rolls is a 20, you use the 20.

So you still succeed less often, but are actually more likely to roll a crit and power through. Could be fun.

I'd make it an item from my worlds "priests of the 4th wall" or my settings "Dungeon masters avatar"

[xroads]

(the PHB dosent exactly cover that situation but i think it's implied)

Well, that's a bummer. I was hoping to find it spelled out somewhere in the PHB. My friend runs the game all the time for Adventurer's League and he was pretty convinced that the natural 20 did in fact ignore the disadvantage penalty.

[1Forge]

Yeah thats a DM's call though it does give an example whith rolling a 1 and something else, that suggests that rolling the 1 isn't set in stone so 20's might not either. It's honestly a DM call (I rule that nat 20's are instant successes even out of combat no matter what, and 1's are failures no matter how simple the task) Talk to your DM.

[Yagyujubei]

Well, that's a bummer. I was hoping to find it spelled out somewhere in the PHB. My friend runs the game all the time for Adventurer's League and he was pretty convinced that the natural 20 did in fact ignore the disadvantage penalty.

advantage/disadvantage supersedes a critical hit. it takes effect when you're actually rolling the die and dictates you take the lower or higher depending upon adv./disadv.

whatever you actually rolled on those die is resolved afterwards, further more, the book only says that rolling a 20 hits regardless of AC and multipliers, nowhere does it mention anything about overcoming adv./disadvn

lastly im just curious, does your friend believe that if you roll a 19 and a 1 with disadvantage you autofail? what happens if you have advantage or disadvantage and roll a 20 and 1? according to his interpretation the universe implodes because a 20 auto hits and a 1 auto fails and breaks the system.

[KorvinStarmast]

Well, that's a bummer. I was hoping to find it spelled out somewhere in the PHB. My friend runs the game all the time for Adventurer's League and he was pretty convinced that the natural 20 did in fact ignore the disadvantage penalty.Nothing in the rules says that a 1 or 20 causes the adv or disadv rules to be ignored.

[ronlugge]

Well, that's a bummer. I was hoping to find it spelled out somewhere in the PHB. My friend runs the game all the time for Adventurer's League and he was pretty convinced that the natural 20 did in fact ignore the disadvantage penalty.

Speaking as someone who runs adventurer's league, a crit occurs after advantage/disadvantage, luck (feat), luck (halfing trait), and so on and so forth are resolved.

Edit:

Can't give you exact pages, but the logic is that you don't roll a 20 until you've resolved disadvantage and actually gotten the 20.

[Yagyujubei]

there's no need for excerpts from the book though, seriously.

if you don't resolve adv./disadv. first, then rolling a 1 and a 20 in the same advantage or disadvantage roll will break the game. If playing in a certain way breaks the game, it likely isn't the right way...just sayin

[burninatortrog]

Last weekend a friend of mine told me that natural 20’s always hit… even if you’re at a disadvantage. Is this correct? And can you tell me where in the PHB it discusses this?

This is correct, but note that if you have disadvantage on a roll you'll need both dice to come up 20.

[JNAProductions]

Yeah thats a DM's call though it does give an example whith rolling a 1 and something else, that suggests that rolling the 1 isn't set in stone so 20's might not either. It's honestly a DM call (I rule that nat 20's are instant successes even out of combat no matter what, and 1's are failures no matter how simple the task) Talk to your DM.

Ack! Fumble rules!

[1Forge]

Ack! Fumble rules!

Yes all the fumble rules... and more:smallbiggrin: