Rouge sneak attack with any weapon

[ffanxii4ever]

Half-elf Rogue with a racial substitution from APG can have proficiency with any one weapon, martial or exotic, instead of Skill Focus. Take an Elven Curve Blade for a finessable 1d10 with an 18-20 and a bonus vs. sunder. That makes a pretty nasty Rogue right there, and it still benefits from the -1/+3 bit of Power Attack. Or just take the greatsword and make a Strength-based Rogue. With Pathfinder's less-sucky version of Sneak Attack, you can make a pretty deadly thug-style Rogue, if you're willing to drop some of your sneaky stuff.

Not to mention, you can take the Thug (Rogue) Archetype!

 

[pawsplay]

"You want to sneak attack... with a ballista???"

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

"You want to sneak attack... with a ballista???"

Would YOU expect to get shot in the face with a log? I think not!

 

[James Jacobs]

Yeah; the way Pathfinder (and 3.5/3.0) model the "It's harder to sneak attack someone with a greatsword" is that rogues do not gain proficiency with greatswords automatically. If they do, via a feat or multiclassing or a race, then they can sneak attack as easily with a greatsword (or whatever weapon) as a dagger.

Sneak attack, though, covers a LOT of variables, including but not limited to the stabbing someone when they don't know you're there. You can use it when you're attacking someone before they have a chance to react and get their defenses up even if they DO know you're there (such as when you go before them on the first round of combat) and you can get them when they're surrounded (via flanking) and you can get them if you distract them with a fake-out attack (via feint, using a Bluff check) and so on.

It's just that the phrase "Sneak Attack" is easier to write and sounds cooler than "enemy is unprepared or unsuspecting attack."

 

[pawsplay]

Probably the main reason that sneak attack damage was not based on a weapon in the first place (as with double damage on a backstab, in earlier editions) was to neutralize some of the advantages of a greatsword.

 

[Philosopher]

"You want to sneak attack... with a ballista???"

"Well, there's nothing against it in the rules..." I would have given XP for the reference, but I apparently need to spread some first.

 

[Particle_Man]

Hey even back in 1st ed AD&D a half-orc fighter/thief or fighter/assassin could backstab with a two-handed sword.

Also, the swashbuckler archetype gives a rogue access to one martial weapon, which could be greatsword.

 

[pawsplay]

Hey even back in 1st ed AD&D a half-orc fighter/thief or fighter/assassin could backstab with a two-handed sword.

Also, the swashbuckler archetype gives a rogue access to one martial weapon, which could be greatsword.

Then, in AD&D 2e, they decided the Achilles' region didn't exist.

 

[Alzrius]

Getting back to basics for a moment...a rogue that's flanking deals sneak attack damage on every hit when making multiple attacks (such as with TWF) right?

It's come up in my game, and for some reason I'd always thought sneak attack damage applied for only one attack per round.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Getting back to basics for a moment...a rogue that's flanking deals sneak attack damage on every hit when making multiple attacks (such as with TWF) right?

Yes. Don't worry, the medium BAB, TWF penalties, and d6 HD more than make up for the advantages.

It's come up in my game, and for some reason I'd always thought sneak attack damage applied for only one attack per round.

That's 2E Backstab.