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The executioner assassin has the following power

Encounter

No Action

Trigger: You hit an enemy within 5 squares of you with an attack using a weapon.

Effect: The target takes 1d10 extra damage. If the target is helpless, this damage is maximized.

My question is the following.

Most striker extra damage features are maximized on a critical hit. Is this feature also maximized on a critical or only under the circumstances listed? Or is it maxed on a critical as well.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I believe only extra damage in terms of [W] is maximized, but I can't give you a reference at the moment. \$\endgroup\$
    – dpatchery
    Commented Aug 8, 2011 at 18:26
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    \$\begingroup\$ this cannot be correct as both Hunter's quarry and Sneak attack (both phrased as d6 or d8 with a feat) are maximized on a critical \$\endgroup\$
    – wax eagle
    Commented Aug 8, 2011 at 18:26
  • \$\begingroup\$ ahh yes, good point. Related: rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/4749/… \$\endgroup\$
    – dpatchery
    Commented Aug 8, 2011 at 18:28
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    \$\begingroup\$ Note that a coup de gras is a standard action and requires you do be adjacent to the target. This power allows you to do max damage to a helpless target at range or as part of any other weapon hit. \$\endgroup\$
    – dpatchery
    Commented Aug 8, 2011 at 18:33
  • \$\begingroup\$ Also allows max damage to a helpless target on a minor action attack (once you get those). \$\endgroup\$
    – Snowbody
    Commented Apr 2, 2012 at 15:43

1 Answer 1

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Yes, the extra damage is maximized on a crit.

From the Players Handbook FAQ:

  1. Which dice do I maximize when scoring a critical hit?

Only the dice you would normally roll to calculate damage are maximized. If another bonus (like from a weapon or feat) causes you to roll extra damage dice when scoring a critical hit, those dice are rolled as normal.

And from consensus on the WotC forums:

Which dice do you max on a critical hit? If a bonus (like from a weapon or feat) causes you to roll extra damage dice when scoring a critical hit, those dice are not maxed. Other dice like hunter's quarry, sneak attack, warlock's curse, etc. are all maxed. Discussed here and in the 4e PHB FAQ.

I see no reason that a power that triggers on a hit is any different from anything else like a class feature such as Sneak Attack or the free action granted by the Hunter's Quarry power.

As summarized by jprete:

The procedure here is something like the following: figure out what the damage roll would be without a critical hit, considering all effects; maximize that; and then go ahead and add bonus effects that only trigger on a crit, without maximizing them

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  • \$\begingroup\$ And the implication is that powers like a Half Orc's Ferocious Assault also are maxed on a crit \$\endgroup\$
    – Simon Withers
    Commented Aug 8, 2011 at 18:38
  • \$\begingroup\$ The damage from Hunter's Quarry isn't an action, unlike this power. (Designating a Quarry is, of course.) \$\endgroup\$
    – okeefe
    Commented Aug 8, 2011 at 18:55
  • \$\begingroup\$ @okeefe - because the damage from both Hunter's Quarry and Sneak Attack are optional (they can be foregone if you want to) they could also be seen as No Action powers similar to the exe assassin's power here \$\endgroup\$
    – wax eagle
    Commented Aug 8, 2011 at 19:10
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    \$\begingroup\$ So it seems like the procedure here is something like the following: figure out what the damage roll would be without a critical hit, considering all effects; maximize that; and then go ahead and add bonus effects that only trigger on a crit, without maximizing them. \$\endgroup\$
    – jprete
    Commented Aug 8, 2011 at 20:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ @jprete - yes, that is an excellent summarization - I'll update my answer to include it \$\endgroup\$
    – Simon Withers
    Commented Aug 9, 2011 at 1:10

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