Eyes In the Back Of Your Head Question

[piusXI]

Hi all,

This is my first post to ENWorld's message board.

I play an 8th-level Cleric with unusually high Wisdom, and was considering taking the Eyes in the Back of Your Head feat from Sword and Fist at 9th level. Was this feat intended to prevent sneak attacks, or does it simply remove the +2 bonus to flanking attacks and nothing more? Since the rogue's ability to sneak attack is based on the defender's attention being split, one could argue that it should be denied by such a feat. Furthermore, one with such awareness of surroundings (Wis 19+) should be expected to deal with rogues better than others could. On the other hand, nothing is said about sneak attacks explicitly in the description, and the feat certainly doesn't sound quite like the uncanny dodge that rogues and barbarians get as they advance in level. What do you think? Thanks for any help you can give.

Pius XI, Holy Messenger of Kuon

 

[Dr. Zoom]

It will not prevent sneak attacks or flanking. It helps against those attacks by denying the attacker the +2 to the attack roll, but if they hit, sneak attack damage will apply.

If the feat intended to deny sneak attacks, it would say so in the description. It does not have the same effect as Uncanny Dodge (cannot be flanked).

 

[dr_nukem]

Sneak Attack: Any time the rogue's target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks the target, the rogue's attack deals extra damage. The extra damage is +1d6 at 1st level and an additional 1d6 every two levels thereafter. Should the rogue score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

It does NOT say that any time the rogue flanks a target, or get's a +2 to his attack from such a situation, the attack is a sneak attack.

Furthermore, since EitBoYH does not explicitly state that it prevents a sneak attack (as Uncanny Dodge does), it doesn't.

Now, that is how I would interpret the rules. Having said that, I would not argue feircely against a house ruling in our group if the majority of the players (and the DM) thought EitBoYH should deny a rogue a flank-sneak attack. And I'M the rogue in the group!