Mechanic

Critical Hit

Critical Hits deal +100% extra damage (i.e. twice as much damage) by default. Critical Damage Bonuses can further modify this value.
0.5.4d
Current data

Catalog version 0.5.4d

No direct 0.5 patch change is linked to this page. The displayed values are current for catalog version 0.5.4d.

What Critical Hit does

Current rules

A Critical Hit is a successful Critical Hit Chance check made by a Hit. It deals +100% extra damage by default, so the Hit deals twice its normal damage before any further change from Critical Damage Bonus.

Default damage
A Critical Hit has +100% extra damage by default. Critical Damage Bonus changes that extra-damage value; it does not change the chance to Critically Hit.
Attack base chance
Most weapon Attacks start from the equipped martial weapon's displayed base Critical Hit Chance. Unarmed Attacks have 5% base Critical Hit Chance. A Skill can state a different base or fixed rule.
Spell base chance
Spells and some other Skills use the base Critical Hit Chance listed on that Skill. A weapon's Critical Hit Chance does not normally replace a Spell's listed base unless an explicit effect says it does.
Calculation order
Add modifiers written as +X% to Critical Hit Chance to the applicable base first. Apply the combined increased and reduced modifiers to that result, then apply separate more and less multipliers.
Critical Hit check
A Skill use normally rolls a Critical Hit threshold and compares the applicable chance for each enemy it Hits. Conditional effects such as Critical Weakness can therefore make the same use Critically Hit one enemy but not another.
Sustained and Channelling Skills
Sustained Skills make an independent Critical Hit Chance roll for each different time they deal damage. Channelling Skills roll for each cast interval rather than keeping one result for the entire channel.
Accuracy and Evasion
An Attack must Hit before it can deal a Critical Hit. When the Hit can be evaded, Evasion is checked again after a critical result and can downgrade it to a non-critical Hit.
Critical Weakness
Each stack gives Hits against that target +0.5% to Critical Hit Chance. It stacks up to 20 times and lasts 4 seconds per stack unless another effect states a different duration.
Maximum chance
Critical Hit Chance normally cannot exceed 100%. An explicit maximum can lower that cap for a supported Skill, while a reroll mechanic can change the effective result without raising the displayed chance.

Examples and reroll mechanics

6 cases
01
Increased chance

7% base with 100% increased Critical Hit Chance gives 14% final chance: 7% x 2.

Related: Critical Damage Bonus
02
Added base before increased chance

7% base with +1% to Critical Hit Chance and 100% increased Critical Hit Chance gives 16% final chance: (7% + 1%) x 2.

Related: Critical Weakness, Struck Through
03
Lucky and Unlucky

Lucky Critical Hit Chance rolls twice and keeps the more favourable result. Unlucky rolls twice and keeps the less favourable result.

Related: Lucky, Unlucky
04
Bifurcated Critical Hits

Two independent Critical Hit checks are made. Either success makes the Hit critical; if both succeed, Critical Damage Bonus applies twice. Luck applies separately to both checks.

Related: Bifurcates Critical Hits, Garukhan's Resolve
05
Inevitable Critical Hits

A failed Critical Hit Chance check is rerolled until it succeeds. The Hit has 30% less Critical Damage Bonus for each reroll.

Related: Forced Outcome
06
Prevented Critical Hits

An effect that prevents Critical Hits takes priority over an effect that would make a Hit always critical.

Related: Resolute Technique

Rare monster modifiers

1 linked

Limits and exceptions

5 rules
  • 100% increased Critical Hit Chance does not mean a 100% final chance. It doubles the applicable base before other multipliers.
  • Critical Hit Chance and Critical Damage Bonus are separate stats. Check the Skill's final Critical Hit Chance in the detailed Skill information panel.
  • Damage over time does not separately roll a Critical Hit. The Critical Hit check belongs to the Hit that may create or affect another effect.
  • Skills that use two weapons simultaneously calculate each hand separately. A critical result from either hand makes the combined Hit a Critical Hit, but does not retroactively give critical damage to the hand that failed its check.
  • Minions and other allies use their own Critical Hit Chance unless an effect explicitly applies the player's value to them.