Petrified while wearing Adamantine Armor?

[Oramac]

How would you all rule this? One of my players has a set of Adamantine Plate armor, and failed their save against Hold Person in my last session. The next round, they were hit by a melee attack. Now, normally when petrified the melee attack auto-crits. But Adamatnine armor prevents critical hits.

So, how would you have ruled this?

[MaxDPSsays]

They will get hit for normal damage. They are still immune to critical hits even if they are paralyzed.

[Unoriginal]

Did the hitter specifically try to avoid the armor?

[Vaz]

They will get hit for normal damage. They are still immune to critical hits even if they are paralyzed.

This. You can choose to rule how you see fit (r.e Unoriginal).

[qube]

How would you all rule this? One of my players has a set of Adamantine Plate armor, and failed their save against Hold Person in my last session. The next round, they were hit by a melee attack. Now, normally when petrified the melee attack auto-crits. But Adamatnine armor prevents critical hits.
adamantine armor doesn't "prevent crits" - it says crits "do normal damage".

So, hold person auto-crits ... for normal damage.

Likewise, for example, if the attacker has great weapon master, he gets an additional attack as bonus action (as GWM says you do when you crit).

[Kane0]

When wearing Adamantine armor any critical hit against you becomes a normal hit.
In lieu of any extra information I'd rule that the adamantine armor protects you against the critical hit like it usually does. Thats literally its only function.

[DarkKnightJin]

adamantine armor doesn't "prevent crits" - it says crits "do normal damage".

So, hold person auto-crits ... for normal damage.

Likewise, for example, if the attacker has great weapon master, he gets an additional attack as bonus action (as GWM says you do when you crit).

In my DMG it says "any critical hit against you becomes a normal hit".
So Adamantine armor does provide immunity from critical hits.

[Contrast]

For reference there was a Sage Advice on this (https://www.sageadvice.eu/2017/01/21/if-a-player-is-wearing-adamantine-armor-do-they-still-take-critical-damage-while-incapacitated/).


The wording appears to preserve the autohit nature of a crit (as the critical hit becomes a normal hit) but its unclear to me if it still triggers things which proc on a crit (like the extra attack from GWM - I've never noticed the wording for half orc and barbarian extra crit damage is slightly different before either).

I would likely rule that they don't trigger.

[DarkKnightJin]

For reference there was a Sage Advice on this (https://www.sageadvice.eu/2017/01/21/if-a-player-is-wearing-adamantine-armor-do-they-still-take-critical-damage-while-incapacitated/).


The wording appears to preserve the autohit nature of a crit (as the critical hit becomes a normal hit) but its unclear to me if it still triggers things which proc on a crit (like the extra attack from GWM - I've never noticed the wording for half orc and barbarian extra crit damage is slightly different before either).

I would likely rule that they don't trigger.

Since the crit is no longer a crit, they would indeed not be triggered. RAW, with Sage Advice to back you up.

[Asmotherion]

Let's see, since it protects from critical hits, but now he is paralised, how about removing the auto-critical damage, and rather aplying it only on rolls of a natural 20 (unless a feature says otherwise, such as the champion feature). This would represent a hit on some exposed spot of the armor.

[Beelzebubba]

Let's see, since it protects from critical hits, but now he is paralised, how about removing the auto-critical damage, and rather aplying it only on rolls of a natural 20 (unless a feature says otherwise, such as the champion feature). This would represent a hit on some exposed spot of the armor.

It also represents the creeping 'just this one little thing' complexity that eventually forces a do-over with a new edition. Be careful.

I'm leery of adding more exceptions to an already heavily exception-driven game.

[imanidiot]

In my DMG it says "any critical hit against you becomes a normal hit".
So Adamantine armor does provide immunity from critical hits.

Not exactly. Immunity to critical hits would mean that whatever had that ability would take no damage from critical hits. Adamantine Armor makes the critical hit a normal hit. No immunity involved. It's semantics but in this context it matters.

[DarkKnightJin]

Not exactly. Immunity to critical hits would mean that whatever had that ability would take no damage from critical hits. Adamantine Armor makes the critical hit a normal hit. No immunity involved. It's semantics but in this context it matters.

Immune to critical hits. Not immune to damage.
The hit does damage as normal. Things that proc when a crit is had don't get triggered.

[Kane0]

Adamantine armor is an uncommon magic item with a single benefit, negating crits. Crits usually happen about 5% of the time, it certainly wouldnt be OP For it to function against other means of obtaining crits against the wearer (such as a hold person spell).

[Coffee_Dragon]

Hm, is there any possibility of ruling special material items to be mundane despite being listed among the magical items? (I believe some have for instance argued healing potions may be considered mundane by virtue of also being listed in the PHB.)

[Kane0]

Sure there is, it's all the purview of the DM in any case.
There are references in adventures to various mithril and adamantine treasures, though they aren't weapons/armor.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

This is really going to depend on how you fluff petrification in your game.

Does the target's gear petrify, too? If so, then that armor isn't stopping anything, because it's rock.

If not, it should still protect their stone body.

[Oramac]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the input. I ended up ruling that the armor still negated the crit, for many of the reasons pointed out here.

[Asmotherion]

It also represents the creeping 'just this one little thing' complexity that eventually forces a do-over with a new edition. Be careful.

I'm leery of adding more exceptions to an already heavily exception-driven game.

Well, truth is, in the end, I'd go with whatever gives of the better story... you know how it goes. If it's the players who got the enemy, and get to roll a natural 20 wile they got the guy under Hold Person, I think they deserve that critical. On the other hand, if it's a player with full HP and one of their opponent zombies (the necromancer's minion's perhaps?) gets to roll a natural 20, maybe it will be a good oportunity to put some presure on the group?

In the end, rules are rules, but if the story gets better by adding an occasional exception as a DM, (or an occasional plot armor) it's your call to make... Just don't kill everyone for no reason, and don't hesitate to kill if they deserve to be killed.