I thought back stab was a full action?

[atom crash]

"Back stab" is a holdover from 1st and 2nd Edition. Since there is no facing in 3.0/3.5, the concept of the "back stab" is obsolete. In 3rd Edition, it is a "sneak attack" and doesn't necessarily involve actually being sneaky.

The easiest answer is this:

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. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 every two rogue levels thereafter. Should the rogue score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

<snip out part about nonlethal damage sneak attack>

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.

A sneak attack can take place at any time the above conditions are met, and this attack adds no time to the actual attack made. Thus, a sneak attack with a single attack costs a standard action. A sneak attack with a full attack is a full round action. It's the same mechanic, just extra damage.

Edit: ForceUser beat me to it.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

Simply put, there is only one condition that triggers a sneak attack: the opponent must be denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, which in 3rd ed. means he's "flat-footed." If a rogue catches an opponent flat-footed, he can sneak attack. Otherwise, he cannot. There are many ways a rogue can catch an opponent flat-footed. He can attack himn from a flank, provided at least one other ally is on the foe's other flank.

Actually, I thought as you did ForceUser that flanking an opponent allowed sneak attacks because they were denied their Dex to AC, but as I think more about it I remember arguing in game about this, and flank does NOT deny an opponent Dex to AC, but DOES allow sneak attack, assuming no other problems arise, such as improved uncanny dodge.

 

[apesamongus]

Not quite Felonious, one can be in flank position and not deny an enemy their dex to AC - as in improved uncanny dodge.

Even without improved uncanny dodge you aren't denied your dex bonus for being flanked.

 

[kenobi65]

A few comments, to clarify:

- Yes, flanking an opponent *can* allow the rogue to make a sneak attack, but flanking does *not*, in and of itself, result in the flankee being denied his Dexterity bonus to AC. However, flanking *does* give the flankers a +2 bonus to attack rolls.

- Yes, a rogue can use a ranged weapon to make a sneak attack, to a range of 30'. However, keep in mind that, if you are using a ranged weapon, you would not be considered to be flanking your target, even if you have an ally on the other side of the target. You can only be flanking if you and your ally are both threatening the target (i.e., have effective melee weapons).

 

[Lasher Dragon]

- Yes, a rogue can use a ranged weapon to make a sneak attack, to a range of 30'. However, keep in mind that, if you are using a ranged weapon, you would not be considered to be flanking your target, even if you have an ally on the other side of the target. You can only be flanking if you and your ally are both threatening the target (i.e., have effective melee weapons).

I don't know if it's by the RAW, I thought it was - but when a melee person is on one side of an opponent, and an archer or other ranged person is on the opposite side within 30', the archer gets flank, but the melee person does not. I could swear it's by the RAW but it may be a house rule, not sure.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Yes, what the others said.

Backstab is no more. Its place was taken by Sneak Attack which is much more versatile, and has bonus d6 instead of a multiplier. You can sneak attack whenever you either catch an opponent off-guard so he loses his dex bonus to AC (which includes being flat-footed at the beginning of combat, attacking from hiding, being invisible, some ways to restrain his movement, and if he's helpless, which is actually effective dexterity 0) and whenever you flank the opponent. You also get sneak attack on a coup-de-grace. And of course, the enemy mustn't be immune to sneak attack (which goes hand in hand with being immune to critical hits)

Sneak Attack isn't limited in any way, at least not regarding number of uses in any given time period. You can have it with every single attack that qualifies. Of course, if you attack out of hiding, you're no longer hidden after that, so this allows only one attack, but flanking can grant you several, as does greater invisibility and catching him flat-footed at the beginning of combat.

Maybe you have confused backstab with coup-de-grace? CdG can only be used on a helpless individual, is a full-round action that provokes and AoO, and allows sneak attack damage. CdG is an automatical critical hit (+SA if you have it), and even if the enemy survives that, a fort save against dying is due (DC = 10 + damage dealt, so if you CdG someone with SA, he's in trouble indeed).

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I don't know if it's by the RAW, I thought it was - but when a melee person is on one side of an opponent, and an archer or other ranged person is on the opposite side within 30', the archer gets flank, but the melee person does not. I could swear it's by the RAW but it may be a house rule, not sure.

That's a house rule. You cannot flank with a ranged weapon.

 

[Fieari]

Question on that last one. If two of your friends are flanking an opponent, and you are 20 feet away or so, can you use a ranged sneak attack? You may not be the one causing the flanking, but the opponent IS flanked...

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Question on that last one. If two of your friends are flanking an opponent, and you are 20 feet away or so, can you use a ranged sneak attack? You may not be the one causing the flanking, but the opponent IS flanked...

But not flanked by you. You have to be the one doing the flanking to get the +2 to attack/sneak attack benefit.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Simply put, there is only one condition that triggers a sneak attack: the opponent must be denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, which in 3rd ed. means he's "flat-footed."

Pretty good, except for this paragraph.

There are, in fact, two ways a Rogue may Sneak Attack an opponent.

One is if that opponent is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, and the other is if the opponent is flanked.

Being denied your Dexterity bonus is not quite the same as being Flat-Footed. Specifically, you are Flat-Footed only at the beginning of combat and only until your turn has come up (though there are spells or other abilities that can render someone Flat-Footed).

So, if you're Flat-Footed, you're denied your Dex bonus to AC. But if you're denied your Dex bonus to AC, you aren't Flat-Footed.

For instance, a Rogue can Feint an opponent in combat, and deny him his Dex bonus, but that opponent is not Flat-Footed.