Sneak attack and ability damage

[James McMurray]

Can a rogue using a weapon that deals ability damage (such as a Rapier of Puncturing) use it to do a sneak attack that would deal 1d6 CON damage + xd6 sneak attack damage?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Yup. The sneak attack damage is negative energy damage when dealt with an attack that deals ability damage or level drain.

Note that the sneak attack damage is damage to hit points, not Xd6 Con drain.

You can't deal sneak attack damage with an attack that gives a penalty to an ability, but temporary or permanent ability damage is just fine.

(Oh, and I asked Monte - he said sneak attack damage on an attack that deals Vile damage is not itself Vile damage )

-Hyp.

 

[Skinwalker]

Yes. (Not including feats that allow dice of Sneak Attack bonus to count for special effects,) Sneak Attack damage deals hp damage in hp regardless of the attack form with which it is delivered. If you do it in a Str drain attack as a Sneak Attack, you are correct in thinking it does Str drain normally and the Sneak Attack as straight hp damage.

 

[James McMurray]

That's what I thought, but I figured I should make sure before giving an NPC the ability to do a touch attack as a sneak attack once per day.