Only one sneak attack per spell???

[Ahrimon]

Why is it that a rogue can attack multiple times and get sneak attack damage on each attack while a rouge/caster can only get sneak attack once no matter how many attacks he gets with a spell? I can't think of very many spells that let you make multiple attacks in a round. Scorching ray is one that I know of. Is it so unballanced that a rogue caster would get sneak attack with a spell that attacks multiple targets?

 

[HellHound]

Because its a standard/attack action. Rogues can't get multiple sneak attacks with a standard action. This is especially important using the 3.0 energy orb spells, which could be broken up into as many orbs as the caster has levels. Combined with the Arcane Trickster, the damage potential goes through the roof.

 

[Ahrimon]

But even if a caster used a full round action to be precise with every attack from his spells, he still only get's sneak attack once. It just doesn't seem fair to me. A caster is sacrificing a lot in casting abilities to get decent sneak attack damage.

 

[Infiniti2000]

How does the caster use a full round, exactly? It's not possible. The spell is a standard action (or not), but regardless the attacks come as part of the spell, they are not attack actions themselves (in the same sense as a full attack action).

 

[Diirk]

How does the caster use a full round, exactly?

If he's a sorcerer and he metamagics it !

 

[Caliban]

But even if a caster used a full round action to be precise with every attack from his spells, he still only get's sneak attack once. It just doesn't seem fair to me. A caster is sacrificing a lot in casting abilities to get decent sneak attack damage.

If the spell allows you to take a full round attack action to make multiple attacks (i.e. chill touch, produce flame) you can make multiple sneak attacks with it. Scorching Ray does not have this option.

A Rogue/Druid with Produce Flame could sneak attack on every ranged touch attack when using a full round attack action (assuming the target is denied their dex bonus).

 

[ARandomGod]

Because its a standard/attack action. Rogues can't get multiple sneak attacks with a standard action. This is especially important using the 3.0 energy orb spells, which could be broken up into as many orbs as the caster has levels. Combined with the Arcane Trickster, the damage potential goes through the roof.

Sure they can. Improved Multishot.


Anyhow. Personally I allow it in my games, and so do the other GM's in my group. We agree, it seems to make perfect sense. You make multiple attack rolls and you get multiple opportunities for a sneak attack. We never even thought of making them "take a full round action" to do so, but it's an interesting thought nonetheless.

However, seeing that you're in "Rules" section, the answer to your question is that they can't by RAW. If I can read your "why" as permission to think outside the RAW, then the why is because RAW is often silly, and feel free to allow it. It's never broken games I've played in or GM'd.

 

[TheEvil]

I don't think it is particularly silly. You may not agree with it, and it may or may not be overpowered depending on your campaign (a certain all-plant BG line-up comes to mind...), but the basic gist is that you can't get any more sneak attacks then you could using an equivelent action. This seems like very sound reasoning. As far as a sorcerer using metamagic feats, I think the closer comparison would be a charge action: full-round, but you still only get one sneak attack. Even Manyshot only allows you to do sneak attack damage once. I am not sure about Dual Strike, not having Complete Adventurer handy.

 

[irdeggman]

I think there are two things here.

One if a spell has multiple attacks (like a split ray) then it is treated like a volley (see the comment on many shot above) in which case only the first one is allowed to be counted as a sneak attack. Note a rogue using multiple arrows (due to his BAB) gets to apply his sneak attack to all of them, but if using many shot only the first in the "series" counts. Same logic applies to spells.

The other case is when the caster is allowed to cast mutlple spells in a round. For example a swift spell (or quickened one) and a standard spell. Both of these should be counted as sneak attacks as long as the conditions for a ranged sneak apply.

 

[ARandomGod]

I think there are two things here.

One if a spell has multiple attacks (like a split ray) then it is treated like a volley (see the comment on many shot above) in which case only the first one is allowed to be counted as a sneak attack. Note a rogue using multiple arrows (due to his BAB) gets to apply his sneak attack to all of them, but if using many shot only the first in the "series" counts. Same logic applies to spells.

The other case is when the caster is allowed to cast mutlple spells in a round. For example a swift spell (or quickened one) and a standard spell. Both of these should be counted as sneak attacks as long as the conditions for a ranged sneak apply.

Or spells which aren't attacks themselves, but allow later attacks, like Chill Touch. If you can attack multiple times in a round with Chill Touch (which grants an unarmed touch attack but requires that you make those attacks), then you can sneak with each one.

Note that a rogue using manyshot has the option of taking a feat so that all of them get sneak attack damage applies. It wouldn't be too far a stretch to allow a similiar feat for mages. Although since improved multishot has enough prereq's that it can't be taken until relatively high level, you'd want to put in something to keep the level of the multispell sneak feat to similiar levels. Probably the ability to cast spells of level X would do it best.