Sneak attack while swallowed?

[AnonymousOne]

I know this is a bit ambiguous but I was wondering what the sages of ENworld thought about the idea of allowing the rogue to get their sneak attack while inside of a monster.

Here are the relevant parts of the SRD on SA and Swallow Whole.

Swallow Whole
A swallowed creature is considered to be grappled, while the creature that did the swallowing is not. A swallowed creature can try to cut its way free with any light slashing or piercing weapon (the amount of cutting damage required to get free is noted in the creature description), or it can just try to escape the grapple. The Armor Class of the interior of a creature that swallows whole is normally 10 + ½ its natural armor bonus, with no modifiers for size or Dexterity. If the swallowed creature escapes the grapple, success puts it back in the attacker’s mouth, where it may be bitten or swallowed again.

Sneak Attack
If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The rogue’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target.

I don't see why a Rogue can't Sneak attack from the inside.

 

[Storme]

I can.

You can't sneak attack while grappled. Swallowed is the same as being grappled for the subject.

 

[AnonymousOne]

Right but you can't sneak attack in a grapple because the opponent retains his Dex Bonus against you in the grapple.

There is no Dex bonus while swallowed.

 

[Three_Haligonians]

My first thought was "it's pretty easy to hit a creature's vital spots when you are right next to them!" So I guess at first glance, I'd say yes.

However, someone may be able to provide an effective counter argument with a closer analysis of the RAW.

J from Three Haligonians

 

[javcs]

Can the rogue see vital organs from within the gullet of the creature?
Debatable, but improbable, especially since after the amount of damage, the rogue gets out automatically and the hole closes immediately afterwards.
Can the rogue see while swallowed?
Iffy, depends on race, buffs, and items.

However, no modifiers for size or Dexterity doesn't mean that the creature is flat-footed or otherwise 'denied Dexterity'. The wording does not 'deny Dex' to AC, making it arguable that Dodge bonuses can be applied. The wording indicates that Dexterity is treated as though it were 10, ie modifier of +0.

That would not fly with most DMs I know.

As I recall, there was something put out by WotC, wherein Lidda was Swallowed Whole, and the player wanted to know if she could sneak attack. The DM's decision was no.

 

[Pell-Mell]

According to the D&D FAQ, a rogue can sneak attack while swallowed, assuming they can see. The information is on page 23.

 

[Kmart Kommando]

If the rogue is being grappled by enemy X, and enemy Y is being grappled in an adjacent square by anyone at all except the rogue, then the rogue could stab at enemy Y and get sneak attack, because he is not involved in the grapple with enemy Y, so enemy Y is denied his Dex bonus to the rogue.

If the rogue gets grappled, grapple something else near him so he isn't completely useless.

Oh, and sneak attack from the inside is authorized.
Due to the creature not being able to see you (effectively invisible, beware the T-Rex Barbarian with Uncanny Dodge), not because the vitals are right next to you.

 

[jaelis]

The FAQ says you can (as long as you can see), and there's a fair basis for it in the rules.

But my own fervent opinion is that you can't because you can't actually see or reach the creature's vitals. Obviously, you can attack its stomach, but I think any monster that makes a business of swallowing things alive would have a stomach designed to take a little wear and tear. For instance, you can cut a human-size hole in it and it seals back up with no lasting effect. That doesn't sound like a particularly delicate organ to me.

The relevant rule is

A rogue can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. The rogue must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A rogue cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

 

[eamon]

You could rule it either way. Balance wise, rogues are already at an advantage since they are likely to hold a light weapon, or be able to grasp one, unlike heavily armored fighters or weaponless monks + wizards.

You might require an appropriate knowledge check just to keep it from being abused, should you seek a middle ground.

I'd say the rules would allow it, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing. The rules certainly don't explicitly address it, so you'll need to do some winging anyhow.

Swallowing mechanics don't make much sense anyhow (what do you mean muscular action closes the hole?). The problem with allowing it is that it means that almost all creatures can be swallowed safely, yet some are absolutely lethal when swallowed. That means that swallowing creatures should be careful; yet the descriptions of such abilities don't mention that, and as a DM you're liable to forget it. Basically, it's odd for a creatures to leave it's vitals exposed at all, and a rogue only get's the chance when he outwits one or is simply too fast. If a rogue can sneak attack, does that mean a swallowing creature is exposing it's vitals systematically? That doesn't sit well, but it's not a huge problem - hence my feeling that it could go either way.

 

[Shape D.]

I ran across this in a game I ran a few years ago, I think the best option is to give the Rogue a choice.......

You can either cut you're way out, or try and do the extra damage......

When you're in it's stomach it's vitals aren't between you and the outside world, they're up. (or down and back if you're going for the liver.)