Magical Sneak Attack Q

[Weeble]

So what spells would a Rogue/Spellcaster use for sneak attack?

Would Shocking Grasp work?

 

[RogueJK]

So what spells would a Rogue/Spellcaster use for sneak attack?

Any spells that require an attack roll and inflict hit point damage, ability damage, or energy drain.

Would Shocking Grasp work?

Yes. It requires an attack roll, and it does hit point damage. Therefore, you are able to sneak attack with it.

 

[Xarlen]

Like that Arcane Trickster smacking a vampiric touch for 11d6. Ouch.

No one answered my earlier question: Can a Spectral Hand flank?

 

[RogueJK]

No one answered my earlier question: Can a Spectral Hand flank?

Yes, it can. It say so right in the spell description.

"The hand can flank targets like a creature can."

 

[Uller]

No one answered my earlier question: Can a Spectral Hand flank?

Yes. Says so right in the spell description. It attacks from your direction, though, so you need an ally opposite you.

The other question is: If the target is denied his Dex bonus can you sneak attack through the spectral hand? I would say yes as long as the caster is within 30' but I don't know if that is supported by the rules or not.

 

[Uller]

No, it can't. It is smaller than size Small, and therefore doesn't threaten an area (0 ft. reach). Thus, it cannot flank.

From the SRD:

"The hand always strikes from the character's direction. The hand can flank targets like a creature can."

So you have a situation like this:

XAX
XMX
XXX
XXX
XXX
XCX

X= space
A= Ally
M= Monster
C= Caster attacking with Spectral Hand

The caster definately gets a flanking bonus for his attack(says so in the spell description). You could argue that when A is attacking, the spectral hand does not threaten M and therefore, A gets no flanking bonus...

Edit: RogueJK editted his post...so my quote above in no longer accurate...But I'm leaving my post because I think it illustrates nicely a situation in which spectral hand can be used to flank. Someone may find it useful.

 

[RogueJK]

From the SRD:

"The hand always strikes from the character's direction. The hand can flank targets like a creature can."

I saw this part of the spell description right after after I had posted that, so I edited my post. I must have missed it as I glanced over the spell the first time.

Normally, though, a creature smaller than Small can't flank. This is, obviously, an exception to the rule, since they included that statement in the desciption.

 

[kreynolds]

So what spells would a Rogue/Spellcaster use for sneak attack?

Weeble, Energy Drain is a nice spell to sneak attack with. Not only are you already inflicting 2d4 negative levels, which causes the victim to lose 5 hit points for each negative level gained, but they also then suffer +5d6 negative energy damage from your sneak attack. Pretty nasty!

 

[Uller]

I saw this part of the spell description right after after I had posted that, so I edited my post. I must have missed it as I glanced over the spell the first time.

Normally, though, a creature smaller than Small can't flank. This is, obviously, an exception to the rule, since they included that statement in the desciption.

[devil's advocate]It says "...can flank like a creature can..." so one could argue that it flanks like a Tiny creature: not at all.
[/devil's advocate]

I seriously doubt that is what is meant(otherwise, why mention it at all?), but there you go. My guess is that for the purpose of flanking, it just counts as an attacking or threatening creature in the direction of the caster. So in the example I gave above, both A and C are considered flanking M once C attacks with the hand. However, if you put a creature next to M, C in no way threatens that creature(so no AoOs or anything like that).

 

[Caliban]

Weeble, Energy Drain is a nice spell to sneak attack with. Not only are you already inflicting 2d4 negative levels, which causes the victim to lose 5 hit points for each negative level gained, but they also then suffer +5d6 negative energy damage from your sneak attack. Pretty nasty!

You don't lose 5 hit points when you get a negative level. The creature who drains you gains 5 temporary hit points, but they don't come off your hit point total.