Improved Sneak Attack: good, bad or broken?

[hammymchamham]

Allowing it to stack, and be taken more than once, is just asking for trouble.

I think both Improved Sneak Attack and Superior Sneak Attack would have to be limited such that each feat can only be taken once. IMO, this was the designers' intent in both T&T and Mercenaries, and I suspect its absence in the feat descriptions was unintentional.

I agree 100%. Even taking it TWICE is overpowering. dealing twice the sneak attack damage (d8 becomes 2d6) is WAY to powerful.

 

[Caliber]

OOC, what other "easy decision" feats are already out there -- if any -- in your opinion? Would you include Weapon Specialization and Spellcasting Prodigy in such a list?

I wouldn't really consider those must haves. Spellcasting Prodigy is probably pretty close to being a must-have, but limiting to 1st level does make it a little bit less of a "duh" choice.

NO Rogue would go without Improved Sneak Attack. After all, that is what they focus on, Sneak Attacks.

Sure Casters want more spells and better DCs, but some want to do Item Creation, Metamagic, or something else, so Spellcasting Prodigy isn't always for them. Improved Sneak Attack is always for Rogues.

In a campaign I play in (although we are currently in hiatus) a Rogue took a feat very much like this (although hers was from DNW)

The feat wasn't too unbalancing, but only because she was already far behind on the average party power curve. The feat went a pretty far way to bringing her closer in line with everyone else.

In a standard DnD game, I would think it would be a slight bit overpoweing. YMMV.

 

[haiiro]

In a campaign I play in (although we are currently in hiatus) a Rogue took a feat very much like this (although hers was from DNW)

Does DNW stand for Deeds Not Words?

How does the DNW feat differ from ISA -- or is there no real difference (just wording, etc.)?

 

[Murrdox]

What do you folks think of the "Quicker than the Eye" feat in Songs and Silence?

Personally, I think this feat allows the rogue to sneak attack WAY too often. Heck, they don't even have to TRY. The Rogue uses his bluff check, the victim uses his spot check? If the rogue keeps his bluff maxed, then no creature or human will ever have a chance of beating it.

 

[hammymchamham]

What do you folks think of the "Quicker than the Eye" feat in Songs and Silence?

Personally, I think this feat allows the rogue to sneak attack WAY too often. Heck, they don't even have to TRY. The Rogue uses his bluff check, the victim uses his spot check? If the rogue keeps his bluff maxed, then no creature or human will ever have a chance of beating it.

If the rogue flanks, they get SA. With quicker than the eye they have to use a MeA and only get one attack. If they have 1 or 2 other attacks, they give those up for the possibility of doing a SA (roll to bluff, roll to hit AC, might bluff, might not; might hit, might not.) And its harder to bluff non-humanoids.

If you want your rogue to be able to sneak attack without flanking, all you need is improved invisibility or a ring of blinking. And with Use Magical Device, a rogue can do so without aid from the Wizard, get a +2 to his attacks, and deny his target dex to AC.

 

[Caliber]

Does DNW stand for Deeds Not Words?

How does the DNW feat differ from ISA -- or is there no real difference (just wording, etc.)?

Yeah it does. The DNW feat says it increases to a d8 (ie, no intimation that it might be able to be taken more than once) and I think it has different prerequisites. No idea what those might be though.

I don't really think the prerequisites are a point though. All the versions of this feat have prereqs, that pretty much any Rogue will meet whether they try or not. And when they DO meet those prereqs, every single one of them will take it.

 

[Trine]

As far as I know, the only feats that can be taken multiple times specifically state that they can be taken multiple times. Examples: Weapon Focus, Toughness, Improved Critical, Weapon Proficiencies, etc.

Just because it doesn't say you can't doesn't mean you can.

 

[haiiro]

Doh.

I think you're absolutely right, Trine.

 

[hammymchamham]

Just because it doesn't say you can't doesn't mean you can.

No one said you could take this feat multiple times, Aloïsius said it would be worse if it could be taken multiple times.

 

[Pagan priest]

Not quite as "must have" as all that. The rogue I am currently running will not take it any time soon. While it would be nice, it would slow down my quest to become a shadowdancer. After that, however, I just might be interested. Since the DM is increasably tight fisted with magic treasure, at 12th or 15th level, having that kind of increase in damage potential will be very important.