D&D (2024) Rogue's Been in an Awkward Place, And This Survey Might Be Our Last Chance to Let WotC Know.

[mellored]

Why can't there be a feat boosting sneak attacks?

Why can't there be a spell improving sneak attacks?

Is there any other spell, feats, or items that affect only a single class feature?

There are items that work better for some classes, but I don't know of any that are class specific.

Maybe something like.

"Once per turn, when you roll a 1 for damage, you can maximize that die".

Works for anyone, but best when you roll a lot of dice such as sneak attack.

Or

"When you attack from hidden, you get..."

 

[James Gasik]

Is there any other spell, feats, or items that affect only a single class feature?

There are items that work better for some classes, but I don't know of any that are class specific.

Rod of the Pact Keeper.

EDIT: Staff of the Woodlands is Druid-only, but doesn't affect class features.

EDIT, EDIT: Ditto for the Holy Avenger, Paladin-only.

 

[Mistwell]

You do know you're repeating yourself?

Yes because you asked the same question again so...yes? The answer didn't change?

I dunno Capn, why did you ask if I know if I am repeating myself?

Just because people enjoy other things about a class has never been a good argument for ignoring the design space of this thing.

Yeah, it is a really super good argument for saying "this doesn't need to be fixed." It's the best argument there is - people like it the way it is right now. YOU might not like some aspects of it, but when the super majority is rating it satisfied or very satisfied, including the individual elements of it, that's a really quite good argument for ignoring changing it.

Instead, this is an argument perfectly suited to be brandished when you yourself dislike a proposed change.... but conveniently ignored when you like some other change.

I have not done that. I pretty routinely will say things like, "Well, I liked beast templates for the druid, but it seems like a majority do not agree with me on that, so oh well." And then I don't bring it up again. Nothing convenient about it. Can you find an example of me doing otherwise? Bet you can't.

 

[Mistwell]

Cool story bro.

Now back to your top 10 list of why sneak damage cannot possibly be targeted by improvements, while nearly everything else in the game can be helped one way or another.

Go.

Are you having a bad day, or is behaving this way just something you do to make yourself feel better? Honest question which I'd like an answer to. Because, given that was a pretty inappropriate response which seems to have come out of nowhere given my tone was polite and responsive, I am curious what triggered you to go that direction since you normally don't do something like that around here to people? Did I say something which I should have said differently which mistakenly came across as aggressive or something?

 

[Willie the Duck]

I’m not saying a feature that improves sneak attack would be oddly specific, I’m saying that asking for a feature to improve sneak attack damage specifically, as opposed to something to increase a rogue character’s damage output generally, is odd. Why is it so important to you that your rogue’s damage output be increased via sneak attack rather than some other means?

Honestly, this sounds like a good way not to have all your eggs in one basket. Let's make a hypothetical quality (applicable to class feature, feat, or item) called 'extra-finesse.' Maybe 'once per round, deal +xDy damage with an attack with a weapon which can use Dex as the combat ability.' If it is tied to Sneak Attack, it can only make your existing high-damage attack (potentially overkill). If you don't tie it to SA, it can proc on any other attack your build manages to have. Or heck, bone-simple benefit for you combat-oriented rogue subclass: 'hits harder: you get +2 hit/+2 damage on all attacks.'

 

[tetrasodium]

Again the insinuation increased sneak damage is less than healthy.

Please explain to me what would break if there was a rogue subclass that just got bonus sneak dice.

Why would a +1 tablespoon of awkwardness ruin your game if it provided its magic bonus also to sneak attacks and to sneak damage? Why can't there be a feat boosting sneak attacks?

Why can't there be a spell improving sneak attacks? Maybe something like Hex or Hunter's Mark but where you got a bit extra damage in return for the spell only boosting sneak damage, not all damage?

I honestly have no idea.

Why do you fight so hard avoiding having to admit none of the above would come even close to breaking the class or the game?

Why not just simply agree it is inexplicable how WotC has maintained the impressive discipline to never, not once, release an effect that increases sneak damage?

Still, I'm completely stumped.

No I was explicit about those less than healthy reasons in the post where I explained the question in detail. Here it is after trimming out the explanation you objected to. Coincidentally it also shows two examples of problems it would cause.

Spoiler: quote friendly c&p from that post

After all of that it looks very much like the only benefit of items that add sneak dice specifically seems to be that they would stack with elemental weapons & guarantee the party rogue is always the most deserving PC for such an item no matter what. That's probably not a good or even reasonable need to justify such a magic item... Can you give a good reason why such an item is needed mechanically or should even exist?

Note the bolded bit. I'm literally asking you to sell us on the hypothetical unstated merits of such an item for a third time. If there are good reasons for items like you are pushing for that are not met entirely by a broad class of items & spells that already exist... tell us instead of this runaround.

 

[James Gasik]

No I was explicit about those less than healthy reasons in the post where I explained the question in detail. Here it is after trimming out the explanation you objected to. Coincidentally it also shows two examples of problems it would cause.

Spoiler: quote friendly c&p from that post

After all of that it looks very much like the only benefit of items that add sneak dice specifically seems to be that they would stack with elemental weapons & guarantee the party rogue is always the most deserving PC for such an item no matter what. That's probably not a good or even reasonable need to justify such a magic item... Can you give a good reason why such an item is needed mechanically or should even exist?

Note the bolded bit. I'm literally asking you to sell us on the hypothetical unstated merits of such an item for a third time. If there are good reasons for items like you are pushing for that are not met entirely by a broad class of items & spells that already exist... tell us instead of this runaround.

Would it be better if there existed an item, let's call it an "Assassin's Dirk" that gave whoever used it 2d6 Sneak Attack (stacking with existing Sneak Attack)?

 

[tetrasodium]

Would it be better if there existed an item, let's call it an "Assassin's Dirk" that gave whoever used it 2d6 Sneak Attack (stacking with existing Sneak Attack)?

I asked why these kind of items were needed, what they are named & how many dice they add is a different thing (maybe this thing?). Isn't this just giving the hypothetical item a name?

 

[mellored]

Would it be better if there existed an item, let's call it an "Assassin's Dirk" that gave whoever used it 2d6 Sneak Attack (stacking with existing Sneak Attack)?

Why not just +2d6 poison damage once per round?

I just don't see why it needs to be attached to sneak attack.

 

[James Gasik]

I asked why these kind of items were needed, what they are named & how many dice they add is a different thing (maybe this thing?). Isn't this just giving the hypothetical item a name?

Your complaint was that giving Rogues an item that stacks with elemental weapons would be bad. This is a weapon, thus it doesn't stack with elemental weapons, and it's something anyone can use, so it doesn't necessarily go to a Rogue.