Sneak attack question

[Shadeus]

I read the rules on sneak attack and it says once per round. What if the rogue uses an area effect power (like blinding barrage)? Does each person in the area effect take the sneak attack damage or it is just one of them?

Once per round, when you have combat advantage against an enemy and hit that enemy with an attack that uses a crossbow, a light blade, or a sling, the attack deals extra damage. If you have dealt Sneak Attack damage since the start of your turn, you cannot deal it again until the start of your next turn. You decide whether to apply the extra damage after making the damage roll. As you advance in level, your extra damage increases.

 

[blackice001]

Aah interesting question shade

My thoughs are that an ambush is suposed to be a powerfull one sided attack. This seems to be written for exactly that purpose. You role to hit each target, however you only roll damage once and apply it to all targets you hit.

Ie if are you only rolling damage once then your only dealing sneek attack damage once (but the attack hits multiple foe), So therefore, a single attack ( granted AOE) still deals damage once, but to all targets hit during that one attack...

heheh totaly goes either way, and I can see people argueing it either way. I'd say in the event of an ambush where suprise is achieved and combat advantage is applied to the entire group. you could get sneek attack on all monsters hit during that singe action attack.

But, I'd be happier with an official decision. Ug.. DnD v4.4?

 

[Dalzig]

Once per round means once per round. The enemy it is talking about is singular. If they wanted it to affect every creature you have CA against, it would talk about enemies instead of enemy.

 

[Stogoe]

One target means one target.

 

[Syrsuro]

"once per round when you have combat advantage agaisnt an enemy..."

Once per round, one target, one attack. If one could nuke the world from orbit, gaining combat advantage against every man, woman, child and flumph on it, you would still only get sneak attack damage once on a single target. You do, however, get to choose which target to apply the damage to after you roll the attacks and (normal) damage, so if you have a badly damaged target you really want to drop among the group you can choose to apply the damage to that target if you roll low or to a different target if you roll high damage and are confident it will die without it. Or you can choose to apply the sneak attack damage to the target you criticalled (maxing the sneak attack damage as well).

But it can still only be applied to a single target each round.

Carl

 

[Shadeus]

Thanks for the feedback. It looks like the concensus is that it applies to one enemy. As for the once per round, damage is rolled once...so it's once per round.

I wish there was something more definitive than relying on the wording of "an enemy" within the description, but it looks like that's the best we'll get.