Magical Sneak Attack Q

[Xarlen]

I'm curious about something.

Sneak attacks can be used with spells. That's obvious. However, the damage Dealt by sneak attacks, what works and what doesn't?

For example, you have three spells. Magic Missile, Acid Arrow, and Ray of Enfeeblement.

You have a rogue3/Wiz 7.

Now, the rogue casts each spells, each in a potential that he has a sneak attack.

The magic missile does 4d4+4 force damage, +2d6 sneak attack damage. What damage is that? Force?

Melf's does Acid damage. Now, does it do extra damage when it hits, for the sneak attack damage?

Ray of Enfeeblement does Str Damage. Assuming the person fails the Will save, does the sneak attack damage do Str damage too? Thus you have 1d6+4 + 2d6 str damage ?

 

[IceBear]

I hope Forrester doesn't see this thread

You can only sneak attack with spells if you have to roll an attack roll and the spell causes damage, and it only affects the initial strike, not the subsequent damage.

IceBear

 

[Xarlen]

Oh, I know. You can't do it with an area effect spell, etc.

So Magic Missile is out. However, Ray of Enfeeb and the Acid arrow (The first round) works, ne?

Another example is the Vampiric Touch. The d6 adds to the damage taken and gained.

Speaking of which: Spectral hand can't flank, right?

 

[IceBear]

No Ray of Enfeeblement is out too. It doesn't do hitpoint damage. A spell that normally only causes ability damage isn't going to cause hitpoint damage and that's all sneak attacks do. A sneak attack signifies hitting your opponent in a vunerable spot - hitting them in the kidney with a ray isn't going to drain more strength points.

I'll have to check Vampiric Touch, but if the spell states that with a touch attack you cause 1d6 points of damage and ALL the damage caused is transferred to you as hitpoint gain, then ya, it would work.

IceBear

 

[Xarlen]

Man!

I was looking to incompasitate the fighter with a Ray of Enfeeb.

 

[tleilaxu]

i think it says in the dmg that ray of enfeeblement would work. rays have a crit threat of 20 with a x2 multiplier.

 

[Geoff Watson]

Ray of Enfeeblement doesn't do ability damage, it gives them a penalty to strength, so no sneak attack.
This matters as it can be dispelled, and has a fairly short duration.

Geoff.

 

[RogueJK]

A spell that normally only causes ability damage isn't going to cause hitpoint damage and that's all sneak attacks do. A sneak attack signifies hitting your opponent in a vunerable spot - hitting them in the kidney with a ray isn't going to drain more strength points.

Actually, you can sneak attack with a spell that causes ability damage.

From page 79 of Tome & Blood:
"Spells that inflict energy drain or ability damage deal additional negative energy damage on a sneak attack... For example, a 10th level rogue who makes a successful sneak attack with an enervation spell bestows 1d4 negative levels and deals 5d6 points of negative energy damage."

However, Geoff Watson is correct. You can't sneak attack with Ray of Enfeeblement, since it imposes a strength penalty instead of causing ability damage.

[Edit] Edited to clarify what I was trying to say.[/Edit]

 

[hong]

Actually, you can sneak attack with a spell that causes ability damage.

From page 79 of Tome & Blood:
"Spells that inflict energy drain or ability damage deal additional negative energy damage on a snaek attack... For example, a 10th level rogue who makes a successful sneak attack with an enervation spell bestows 1d4 negative levels and deals 5d6 points of negative energy damage."

However, ray of enfeeblement does neither; it inflicts an enhancement penalty to Str. For the same reason, multiple RoEs on the same target don't stack.

 

[IceBear]

Thanks for clearing that up - I hadn't looked at the rules in Tome and Blood so I was going purely by memory.

IceBear