Does a single critical hit trigger both Wounding and Bloodthirsty

critical-hitpathfinder-2e

I have a weapon with Wounding and Bloodthirsty. I attack a target (that is not taking any persistent bleed damage) with the weapon and score a critical hit.

Wounding will cause the attack to deal an extra 1d6 persistent bleed damage.

When you critically hit a target with a Bloodthirsty weapon, it becomes drained 1 if it is taking persistent bleed damage.

Does the target become drained 1?

Best Answer

Copying my answer from a related question...

It's unclear

I couldn't remember seeing a ruling on this, and that's no surprise as there is nothing in the Encounter Mode, Playing the Game: Encounters, Turns, nor Actions rules about simultaneous Effects. This issue reaches at least as far back as Pathfinder 1e's predecessor, D&D 3.5e.

There are generally two methods for resolving this

  • All effects that can occur simultaneously do so without affecting each other
    • Result: The target is not affected by Bloodthirsty's Drained because it "wasn't" bleeding until the attack.
  • The current turn holder decides the actual order of effects
    • Result: On your turn, you choose to apply Wounding's persistent damage, then Bloodthirsty's Drained 1; if you critically hit an Attack of Opportunity (or similar), the target's player (probably the GM) chooses for it to become bleeding but not Drained.

Addendum:

I did miss one option, which I have seen used but haven't come across a lot of formal community support for:

  • The owner of the abilities chooses the order of effect.
    • Result: the Runes work together in all situations
      • has the benefit of being simple
      • however, all simultaneous effects will be resolved in the most punishing way possible

Ask your GM which they use, or request which ruling that you consider to be more fun play.