Sneak Attack and Falling Prone

[Matdeception]

For awhile now, our group has used Prone as a means to sneak attack people, however recently the arguments been raised that while a character is prone they don't lose their Dex bonus, meaning they can't be subjected to a sneak attack.

In the PHB the Status 'Prone' just says they subject recieves minus 4 ac to melee attacks, +4 against ranged, and he has to spend a move action in order to stand up. (Which provokes attacks of opprotunity)

Reading some wizard strats, they least the Grease spell as a means to drop people on their ass and open up Sneak attack for whoever the hell has it.

My question is thus, does falling prone/on your ass constitute losing your dex bonus( and hence opening up your sneak attack), or doesn't it?

 

[shilsen]

Falling prone does not constitute losing your Dex bonus.

The reason Grease works for sneak attacking people is because it requires a DC 10 Balance check to move or walk within it, and if you have less than 5 ranks in Balance, you lose your Dex bonus to AC while doing so.

 

[Elethiomel]

The Grease spell forces people to make Balance checks. If you are forced to make a balance check and do not have 5 ranks in balance, you will lose your dexterity modifier to AC and hence be susceptible to sneak attack.

Being prone does not make you susceptible to sneak attack.

Gah, ninjaed.

 

[Mistwell]

As far as I know, the condition of being prone does not have any impact on dex bonus, and does not permit sneak attacks in itself. You can still flank a prone target however, and do other things to get a sneak attack like Feint and other things. And as others said, once you stand up from being prone, you need to balance while in a greased area (but you don't have to balance while prone which seemed to be the focus of your question).

 

[irdeggman]

No you are not normally denied your dex bonus to AC when prone.

There are penalties and bonues to AC depending on the attack type (melee or ranged) being made against you. But it does not state you are denied your Dex bonus to AC so therefor you still get it (as long as you can move - rolling side to side is considered being able to move and not be constrained).

 

[frankthedm]

My question is thus, does falling prone/on your ass constitute losing your dex bonus( and hence opening up your sneak attack), or doesn't it?

It does not. However, since the group has been playing it that way for some time, it is hardly fair to change things midway through.

Especially since I suspect someone knew better, but stayed quiet untill all of a sudden their side was about to be affected by this ruling.

 

[Thurbane]

For awhile now, our group has used Prone as a means to sneak attack people, however recently the arguments been raised that while a character is prone they don't lose their Dex bonus, meaning they can't be subjected to a sneak attack.

In the PHB the Status 'Prone' just says they subject recieves minus 4 ac to melee attacks, +4 against ranged, and he has to spend a move action in order to stand up. (Which provokes attacks of opprotunity)

Reading some wizard strats, they least the Grease spell as a means to drop people on their ass and open up Sneak attack for whoever the hell has it.

My question is thus, does falling prone/on your ass constitute losing your dex bonus( and hence opening up your sneak attack), or doesn't it?

Much to my surprise, no. Our group played that being prone meant you were open for sneak attacks, which we all had assumed was RAW. Reading more thoroughly, being prone does not seem to make you lose your Dex bonus.

So the Bugbear fighter/rogue tripping machines from the ToEE PC game aren't strictly kosher (they always sneak attack you after you're tripped).