Seeking Weapons

[zlorf]

Do seeking weapons allow a thief to sneak?

I understand that they always hit, when you aim in the right square. Is it assumed that
any successful attack by a thief is a sneak attack when the sneak attack requirements
are met?

The only issue i have is that with Seeking weapons is that the thief cannot aim in at someone vital area for a sneak attack because it may hit the target anywhere.



Cheers
Z

 

[Dross]

Do seeking weapons allow a thief to sneak?

I understand that they always hit, when you aim in the right square. Is it assumed that
any successful attack by a thief is a sneak attack when the sneak attack requirements
are met?

The only issue i have is that with Seeking weapons is that the thief cannot aim in at someone vital area for a sneak attack because it may hit the target anywhere.

I'm inclined to say no because (as you say) the weapon will home in on the target. I'd be inclined to say that there would need to be a statement along the lines of: this ability removes any concealment from the target, allowing precision damage such as a rogue's sneack attack.

I do wonder whether this reasoning removes critical hits though.

 

[Darklone]

Why should it? There's nothing in the critical hit section that you can't crit someone with concealment.

 

[zlorf]

I'll play it that it doesnt sneak saying that even though the seeking weapon automatically hits, the concealment still prevents a thief from directly attacking a vital spot on the creature.

Crits shouldnt matter, its just implys that your attack does more damage than a normal attack. Where a sneak is pinpointing a vital spot for extra damage.

I guess there is a slim chance that a seeking weapon may hit a vital spot. but that
would be a DM call, maybe a small %.

Cheers
Z

I'm inclined to say no because (as you say) the weapon will home in on the target. I'd be inclined to say that there would need to be a statement along the lines of: this ability removes any concealment from the target, allowing precision damage such as a rogue's sneack attack.

I do wonder whether this reasoning removes critical hits though.

 

[robberbaron]

A Seeking weapon doesn't 'always hit'. It merely ignores goes round stuff in the way (that it can go round). You still have to hit - it isn't Magic Missile - and criticals should work as normal.

If you are within 30' and the target has lost it's DEX bonus to AC then I would think you could add your sneak attack damage.

 

[zlorf]

Fair enough, but add concealment into the mix, ie fog. If a monster has concealment or is displaced or blured , all factors that make sneaking difficult. Does the seeking weapon which bypass the concealment after a successful attack allow you to sneak, if the conditions are met, ie defender has no dex
THis was the main reason for the question.

Cheers
Z

A Seeking weapon doesn't 'always hit'. It merely ignores goes round stuff in the way (that it can go round). You still have to hit - it isn't Magic Missile - and criticals should work as normal.

If you are within 30' and the target has lost it's DEX bonus to AC then I would think you could add your sneak attack damage.

 

[robberbaron]

I'd say yes, but that is just me.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

All the seeking property does is give you the Improved Precise Shot feat, for that weapon only. It removes miss chances, so if miss chance was the only thing keeping it from being a sneak attack, then yes, it allows sneak attack, of course. Note, neither the weapon property nor the feat stop total concealment, so it's not even that powerful. Really, there's so many more legitimate areas to ask whether sneak attack should apply. Oh well, as long as the UA variant feats for sneak attacks exists, rogues can make DMs rue the day they tried to cheat them out of their rightfully earned d6's!

EDIT: And what's all this about auto-hitting? Seriously, where did that even come from?