Firing into melee and ranged sneak attacks.

[Flexor the Mighty!]

A couple questions.

1. If you have targets in melee combat with your party members is there a penalty to your to hit roll? I seem to remember a -4 or something but I can't find it in the 3.5 book. If there is nothing to the roll then you can just fire into a mass of melee combatants and not suffer any negative to your to hit roll or worry about hitting your comrades?

2. You can sneak attack with a bow when your opponent is flatfooted right? Ok what if the foe does not know the thief is there, made a hide check to stay hidden before he fires, but he is in combat with someone else in the party? Ftr1 is fighting Orc1 in melee combat, in Round 2 the hidden rogue attacks with his bow, can he get sneak attack damage?

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Found the answer to question 1, it was in there I just didn't see it.

 

[TheGogmagog]

1. there is -4 penalty to firing into melee (negated by the precise shot feat), and a probable -4 for cover from those in melee. If the rogue is able to move perpendicular to the two combatants, or attack the 'back' of the one closest to him.

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...

It looks like you can sneak attack through cover (reflected in the +4 to AC) but not concealment (reflected by % miss chance). You typically need cover or concealment to hide. If you are hidden by magical darkness or behind concealment from fog/trees or if your target is hidden by a concealment effect like blur you can't sneak attack.

2. The Complete Adventurer says the opponent is flat footed with respect to you and you can sneak attack them. I think this is the most common ruling, you have to confirm with your DM though.

 

[Patlin]

2. You can sneak attack with a bow when your opponent is flatfooted right? Ok what if the foe does not know the thief is there, made a hide check to stay hidden before he fires, but he is in combat with someone else in the party? Ftr1 is fighting Orc1 in melee combat, in Round 2 the hidden rogue attacks with his bow, can he get sneak attack damage?

In my games, if the opponent cannot see you due to the hide skill, we treat it *exactly* the same as if the opponent cannot see you due to invisibility. Others (notably FrankTheDM, as I recall) rule differently. The rogue gets sneak attack damage.