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Originally posted by Ran
Sneak Attack: 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.
1. Sneak attack is applied whenever your target is in a situation that he should loose his dex, even if he keeps it for any reason.
Okay, my vision on sneak attack here is the key, and I have never thought it any other way, until now... but it was how I understood from my very first read of the books... [/B]
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As I have read the post I noticed that how i (and my group) handle sneak attack differs from the norm, and i just pointed that even when it seems clear it can be quite unclear... Anyway, i like our way, uncanny dodge is a lot good the way we play, but I gotta talk to everyone about how we are gonna use it.
And besides, how we handle it doesn't give us a problem like closing eyes or ud vs feint...
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Okay, I will continue the topic.
1. Uncanny Dodge is very unclear, but from all statements I have read (FAQ and so on) it become clear that the even then is not supposed to create more situations, it speaks about those that everyone already use their Dex bonus, or penalties, so Uncanny Dodge is applied, in fact, whenever you are attacked by invisible foes and/or you are caught flat footed, no others. But it leaves some problems still...
2. When you are fighting two rogues that are flanking you and you only have Uncanny Dodge (not the improved) you are subject to sneak attacks because of flanking, but closing your eyes (and thus making them invisible) doesn't help you, and I will have to go on non-rules to say why. Uncanny Dodge allows you to retain your Dex bonus to AC when attacked by an invisible foe based on your preternatural reaction and to do so you must have clues to where the attack is coming from, when you close your eyes you are, in fact, making absolutely everything invisible, and you must defend yourself from every single position, that makes a bad defense, no edx bonus to ac anymore, even with Uncanny Dodge, and by being as flanked they mean that you are defending yourself from more than one side, like in flanking, but since it is from far more, Uncanny Dodge would never apply, and your clues would, in fact, be reduced a lot.
Synthesis.
--Flanked: watching enemies that are on opposite sides of you, improved uncanny dodge addresses this situation, since you kind of learn to fight without the need of looking directly at one or the other foe.
--Attacked by invisible: you are wathcing every clue to "where the enemy is coming" that usually helps just a moment before he strikes, what is enough for someone with Uncanny Dodge to retain his Dex bonus to AC.
--Eyes Shut: You are unable to "detect" the attack before it strikes home, making you an easy target you are in a situation that you have to defend from everywhere, which makes you open vital spots to every single direction, you cannot retain dex on ac because you are, in fact, unable to react, you don't have a clue to the attack.