If a target survives beheading/it does not occur, vorpal sword deals additional damage instead.
Such a creature instead takes an extra 6d8 slashing damage from the hit.
On a crit, we are to double the damage dice.
Because the beheading only occurs on nat20, and it also triggers a crit, does this mean that vorpal sword deals additional 12d8 slashing damage in total? (if the crit is not prevented)
Best Answer
Double those dice on a critical!
The Vorpal Sword states:
The order of events is:
The extra 6d8 is the damage dealt upon rolling the Natural 20 if , and damage dice are doubled on a critical hit.
Crawford agrees via Twitter:
Another view
It is a bit weird that the activation for damage is the same as that for Critical Hits. Why not just have the damage be 12d8 to account for critical hits (and say that it isn't doubled.)
On one side, I think it's reasonable to say that damage is dealt outside of the critical hit - but on the other, non-immune to beheading creatures are killed outright and 6d8 is unlikely to kill something outright at the level at which a character has a this Legendary Magic Item.
12d8 damage actually seems more reasonable to deliver if it's not auto-killing. It's just weird to have the damage occur with the same roll as a critical and then immediately doubling the dice.