Launch Bolt Critical Range

[Ferronach]

Hello one and all!

I have been DMing a game for a few friends for the better part of a year now and have come up against a certain "bone of contention" with them a few times now.
Out of respect for my players, I am reaching out for your take on the Launch Bolt cantrip (Can't find an SRD link, but a quick google will find it if uncertain :smallwink:)


You cast this spell on a crossbow bolt, causing it to fly at a target of your choice as if you had fired it from a light crossbow, using a ranged attack roll. The bolt has a range increment of 80 feet. Any properties of the crossbow bolt (such as magical abilities, masterwork quality, and so on) or feats you possess (such as Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus [light crossbow], and so on) apply. Drawing a bolt for this spell is a free action. - From Spell COmpendium p.130, red highlighting mine

The sticking point is highlighted in red. My players argue that this means that the crit range of the crossbow applies to their roll to hit. I can see their point, but argue that it is a spell doing the work, so it would fall to the standard spell critical of nat. 20.

Any thoughts or input are greatly appreciated!

[Xervous]

Looks like it takes the light crossbow statblock, with the 80ft range increment being a listing of convenience,. 19-20/2x is the appropriate threat range. Though there is ambiguity on what size light crossbow it references, presumably one that matches the size of the bolt... but seeing it’s “as if you...” that would mean you incur the typical penalties for improperly sized weapons and wouldn’t be able to use it on bolts that are too large or too small since You couldn’t shoot a light crossbow of that size.

[Asmotherion]

Hello one and all!

I have been DMing a game for a few friends for the better part of a year now and have come up against a certain "bone of contention" with them a few times now.
Out of respect for my players, I am reaching out for your take on the Launch Bolt cantrip (Can't find an SRD link, but a quick google will find it if uncertain :smallwink:)



The sticking point is highlighted in red. My players argue that this means that the crit range of the crossbow applies to their roll to hit. I can see their point, but argue that it is a spell doing the work, so it would fall to the standard spell critical of nat. 20.

Any thoughts or input are greatly appreciated!

I tend to agree with your players here. The line suggests it would also benefit from anything applicable to the light crossbow, including range, feats etc. Thus, a Crit range of 19-20 seems to be within the benefits.

[ngilop]

Normally a spell would be a 20 only, but as it is specified in the spell itself it acts as if you had fired it from a light crossbow, with the addition that any feats you have related to such apply. The only conclusion one can have is that it uses the light crossbow's normal crit range, modified by any feat, such as improved critical, that the PC in question might have.

[Spiderswims]

Any thoughts or input are greatly appreciated!

A blot fired by the Launch Bolt cantrip was a crit range of 20. The same as any weapon like spell with an attack roll.


Even if you say the bolt gets the crit range of "a light crossbow" as if it was fired by one. The obvious question is "what light crossbow?".

I guess a player might say if they are touching a light crossbow with a 17-20 crit range then that crit range is "somehow" magically transferred to the spell from the light crossbow. Except the spell does not say it does that. The same way you can't touch a light crossbow +5 of flaming and then have the Launch Bolt spell send out a blot +5 of flaming.

And if the caster is not touching a light crossbow and the caster wants to "pick a light crossbow" somewhere to "take" a crit range from....that is something way beyond the spells power. Like would the caster buy a light crossbow with a crit range of 17-20, hang it on the wall of their home and then travel world wide and "use" that light crossbow crit range for every casting of Launch Bolt?

Or simply put the spell uses any mundane or magic on the crossbow bolt AND and mundane or magic the caster personalty has to effect the crossbow bolt. But simply put, there is no light crossbow...so no "light crossbow mundane or magic" effects the crossbow bolt.



BUT....all that being said. The 19-20 crit range is really "nothing", so just let them add it. If it really somehow bothers you, just boost the monsters and foes a tiny bit. Give the goblins hide armor not leather armor, for example.

[Drelua]

A blot fired by the Launch Bolt cantrip was a crit range of 20. The same as any weapon like spell with an attack roll.


Even if you say the bolt gets the crit range of "a light crossbow" as if it was fired by one. The obvious question is "what light crossbow?".

I think anytime it says a light crossbow, without any further stipulation, it's reasonable to assume that it means a regular one, with stats as listed in the PHB. If the loot from a pregenerated module said "a light crossbow," would you let players argue that it should be a +5 keen speed light crossbow, because it doesn't say that it isn't? Probably not. Making that assumption here would be just as unreasonable to me, and even if you think otherwise I don't see how this reasoning leads to the conclusion that the spell shouldn't function like any light crossbow. Just because a player could maybe try to argue that "a light crossbow" can be read as "any light crossbow of the caster's choosing" doesn't mean that the spell shouldn't function like any light crossbow at all, when the spell clearly says it does.

So yeah, agree with most people here. "As if you had fired it from a light crossbow" should mean that it crits as if you had fired it from a light crossbow. The specific rule in this spell overrides the general rule for most spells.

[Ferronach]

Thanks for all of the feedback, much appreciated!

I think i will let them have the crit range. I was on the fence before but yea, what's an extra 1 on the range going to do aside from make them feel better?