Silly question I'm embarrased to ask.

[Red Wyrmling]

Hehe, , I feel kinda embarrased to ask this since I'm an experienced player and DM but I have to do it because it's been on my mind for too long.

The fact that I'm a DM just makes it worse. I'm truly ashamed.

In the group I master for there is nobody who really likes to play a rogue, why? I don't know the fact remains that because of this I've rarely had rogue's with a BA high enough to allow them to make multiple attacks.

Now one of player's runs along in the group performing sneak attacks.

While I claim that a sneak attack does not require an all-out attack he claims it does. So he stubornly refuses to take more then one attack when he does his sneak attack.

Of course you people understand the rarity of a player willing to take the worst result volluntarily, yet I feel bad about it.

I think that a rogue with 2 attacks per round can perform 2 sneak attacks, or am I wrong?

 

[drunkmoogle]

You are correct. To optimize sneak attacks, you often have to go the route to get the most attacks possible. As long as the conditions for a sneak attack still apply to your next iteritive attack, you get SA damage dice.

There are some situations where you can only get in one sneak attack from a full attack:
1) You denied your opponent Dex to AC from an Invisibility spell, which ends after the first attack.
2) You've feinted your opponent, in which he loses his Dex to AC for your next melee attack.

 

[Particle_Man]

A sneak attack is simply an attack that does extra damage, under certain conditions. A rogue that is entitled to 2 attacks in a round can make 2 sneak attacks in that round, assuming conditions are right (opponent lost dex bonus to ac, opponent is flanked, that sort of thing). The rogue does not have to make a full round attack, or an "all out" attack, to make a sneak attack. [This is why some rogues like to go the two weapon fighting route, by the way].

Oh, and put more traps in the campaign. Trap their pillows if you have to. They will learn to appreciate the rogue or they will die horribly.

 

[Planesdragon]

I think that a rogue with 2 attacks per round can perform 2 sneak attacks, or am I wrong?

Nope, you're spot-on.

EVERY TIME a rogue (or assassin, or other sneak-attacking character) makes an attack against a target who is either flanked, flat-footed, or without his dex bonus against the rogue, the rogue can roll extra sneak-attack damage.

Yes, this makes properly-used rogues into the deadliest characters in a fight (a 20th level dual-wielding Rogue with opportunist and two flaming short swords can make seven attacks against a given target in a round, doing as much as 7d6+70d6+7d6 (fire) damage--an average damage of 294 points per round, before critical hits or misses or flat damage bonuses, and with a potential high of 504)

This was intended on the part of the D&D designers. If your player thinks it's too tough, consider using a different system for rogues. IMC I use the "non Sneak Attacking Rogue" variant from Unearthed Arcana, and I call them "Adventurers" instead.

 

[rrealm]

This should clear up some of this sneak attack confusion: Rules of the Game: Sneak Attacks

 

[dcollins]

Note that the key information in the article above is at the bottom of Part 3, here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040302a

Also, here's some snippets from the Main FAQ:

I don’t see any limit on the number of sneak attacks a rogue
can make in a round. Suppose a high-level rogue is hiding.
Two villains walk within 5 feet of her. Can the rogue use an
attack of opportunity as a sneak attack and then, assuming
she gets initiative, make as many sneak attacks as she has
attacks? Can she sneak attack each of the villains? What if
the rogue has a bow? If she has Rapid Shot, does this
increase the number of sneak attacks she can make?

A rogue deals extra damage with a sneak attack anytime the
target is denied Dexterity bonus to Armor Class or anytime the
rogue flanks the target, no matter how many attacks the rogue
makes. These conditions are not likely to occur during an attack
of opportunity, but if they do (such as when the rogue is
unseen), the rogue gets her sneak attack bonus damage. The
same holds true for ranged weapons (but see the next question),
provided that the rogue is within 30 feet of her target. Note that
sneak attacks are never possible when the rogue cannot see her
target.

Say a rogue attempts to perform a sneak attack on a
target and the target is flanked and engaged with another
character, but aware of the rogue. Does the rogue get the
extra damage dice for the sneak attack? My DM believes
that a foe that is aware of the rogue can protect itself and is
not subject to sneak attacks. I disagree.

Whenever a rogue attacks an opponent that the rogue flanks,
or who is denied a Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (such as
when caught flat-footed), the rogue’s attack is a sneak attack. It
makes no difference how many attacks the rogue makes or
whether the opponent is aware of the rogue or not. (Note that
opponents who are not subject to critical hits, such as
constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, and undead, are not
subject to sneak attacks.) Note that in earlier versions of the
game only the first attack a rogue made in a round could be a
sneak attack. That is no longer the case.

 

[The Souljourner]

Definitely can get multiple per round. Whenever the rogue attacks, you check to see if he qualifies for a sneak attack, if he does, it just happens. So while you're full attacking the guy you have flanked, every time you go to roll damage, you ask "do I qualify for sneak attack?" Answer: Yes, because I'm flanking him, so add sneak attack damage.

Otherwise, rogues would really suck (which might be why no one plays them in your campaigns )

-The Souljourner

 

[Red Wyrmling]

I am most gratefull for your advice. Next saterday I will talk to my player, smash his head to the table 3 or 4 times and then tell him to start using those sneaky attacks!

 

[Li Shenron]

I am most gratefull for your advice. Next saterday I will talk to my player, smash his head to the table 3 or 4 times and then tell him to start using those sneaky attacks!

Don't smash the player's head, just let him meet a couple of NPC Rogues with BAB 6+ or 2 weapons, let them flank him and do 2+ sneak attack each to him, so he learns he'd better do all of them when he can