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Message: <blockquote data-quote="auburn2" data-source="post: 8056803" data-attributes="member: 6855259">Yes if you dodge you can't take another action (which could be an attack or could be something else).  It absolutely is an advantage to the party, albeit not always a signficant one.  That is not the point though -  the point is that it does deny SA in most cases and if that cost for the enemy is better than suffering a sneak attack he is going to do it.  As I said when I posted it, dodge is a high cost.  But if for example said dodger is the enemy "tank" guarding the front line while the other enemies in the back hurl damaging spells or ranged attacks or my favorite - man siege weapons then that it is a very viable option.  If a particular enemy who is likely going to get attacked by the rogue is not going to do a lot of damage anyway, why wouldn't he dodge? Heck he might dodge even if there is no rogue.  Take an example - Goblins are fighting along the front line.  They do on average 5 points of damage per hit.  A 3rd level rogue is going to hit them for an extra 10 if he gets SA and he just saw his two buddies get skewered by the Rogue on the last 2 turns.  Why wouldn't that enemy give up his 5 points of damage to take dodge and save 10 on himself ... or more if the dodge causes a miss?As for the other stuff I posted, it depends.  Intelligent enemies are not going to be stupid though and just attack whoever is nearest every round using whatever their default attack is.  That is not a viable strategy for intelligent enemies unless the party is overmatched (which should rarely happen).  In the games I DM and in the games I am a player -  in most battles between humanoids both sides (party and enemy) routinely do things other than attacking to get advantages in the battle.  Rogues themselves routinely do things other than attacking (and that itself eliminates SA).  Further a rogue who is immoblized is generally inneffective in battle and if an enemy can do that without sacrificing comparable combat power himself he is going to.  If I can get three Goblins to peel off from the larger battle and knock prone and then grapple a 5th level rogue - that is a "win" for the enemy because taking a 5th level rogue effectively out of  the battle is worth taking 3 goblins out of the fight.  They will do that to fighters too, but not as often because it is not as effective.  Fighters will still hit you hard even while grappled and sometimes even while prone.</blockquote>

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