More actions
When a creature rolls a natural 20 on an attack roll, the attack is a critical hit. Critical hits automatically land regardless of the target's AC, and the attacker also rolls twice the normal number of dice to determine damage dealt, including additional dice such as those from smites or combat manoeuvers. Modifiers and bonuses – including the creature's relevant ability score modifier and proficiency bonus – are not doubled.
Increasing the likelihood of critical hits
Reducing critical threshold
Some feats, class features, and items reduce the critical hit threshold by 1, allowing the creature to land critical hits by rolling either 19 or 20 on attack rolls. Multiple sources of this effect stack, allowing the critical hit threshold to go even lower than 19.
Equipment
Weapons
Unseen Menace (while the weapon is 
)
Bloodthirst → Improved Critical
The Dead Shot → Improved Critical
Knife of the Undermountain King → Organ Rearranger
Duellist's Prerogative → Elegant Duellist (while off-hand is empty)
Cloaks
Shade-Slayer Cloak → Stealthy Critical (while 
)
Armour and headgear
Covert Cowl → Covert Critical (while Obscured)
Dark Justiciar Helmet → Covert Critical (while Obscured)
Sarevok's Horned Helmet → Deathbringer's Sight
Conditions
(critical threshold is reduced by 2, available only in the The Dark Urge origin)
Consumables
Class features
Feats
(spell attacks only)
Illithid Powers
(Target's critical threshold is reduced by 5, but it is also vulnerable to all damage)
Guaranteed critical hits
There are also several ways to guarantee a critical hit.
- By applying
(e.g. from any of 
, 
) (attacks must be made from within 
Melee: 1.5 m / 5 ft 
(once per Long Rest)
Killer's Sweetheart (once per Long Rest after killing a creature)
(against 
creatures)
(once per Long Rest after consuming the +3 bonus from 
)- By applying
(e.g. from any of 
, 
) (attacks must be made from within - By applying
(from 
) (once per Short Rest, for the next attack made from within
