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*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Sneak Attack and Touch Spells
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<blockquote data-quote="UltimaGabe" data-source="post: 3950690" data-attributes="member: 16019"><p>First off, making a touch attack with a spell (sneak attack or no sneak attack) is completely different from making a regular unarmed attack with a spell on top of it (sneak attack or no sneak attack). Meaning, you can't roll to see if you hit, and go with whichever your roll would allow. If all you're doing is making a touch attack with the spell, and you roll way higher than their touch AC, you can't decide, "Okay, since I rolled so well, I'm gonna add in my unarmed damage." And if you're trying to attack with your fist with the added spell, and you roll low, you can't say, "Well, since I at least touched him, I'm gonna just apply the spell." The decision is made before you made the roll. This is especially important because making an unarmed attack with a spell on it provokes an attack of opportunity, unless you have Improved Unarmed Strike.</p><p></p><p>Let's say you're trying to Sneak Attack with a touch spell (like Shocking Grasp). Assuming you catch the enemy flat-footed, or are flanking your target, you just make a touch attack roll. Assuming you hit their touch AC, you deal the damage of the spell (in this case, electricity), PLUS the Sneak Attack damage (in this case, also electricity, since the spell is what's causing the Sneak Attack, and thus the Sneak Attack damage is that of the spell). Keep in mind, though, that this can only be done with spells that deal damage- Bestow Curse doesn't deal damage (at best it imposes a penalty), so it can't be used to Sneak Attack. But, assuming it deals damage, the Sneak Attack is the same type as the spell. Scorching Ray deals fire damage (though only to one of the rays), and even the lowly 0-level Ray of Frost can deal 9d6 Sneak Attack if cast by an 18th-level Rogue. In the case of spells that deal irregular damage types (that is, Ability Damage or Negative Levels, which are counted as damage for purposes of whether you can Sneak Attack with them), the additional damage from Sneak Attack is Negative Energy damage, not Ability Damage or additional negative levels. (So if a Shadow took levels in Rogue, and made a Sneak Attack with its Strength Drain ability, it would deal additional Negative Energy damage.)</p><p></p><p>Attacking with an unarmed strike is a completely different option (and in most cases a terrible choice). In that case, you make an actual attack roll (not a touch), and if you hit the target's AC (after they make an AoO if you don't have IUS), you deal your d3 nonlethal damage plus the spell's effect. If that was a Sneak Attack, the Sneak Attack is nonlethal damage, regardless of the spell.</p><p></p><p>Hope that helps!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="UltimaGabe, post: 3950690, member: 16019"] First off, making a touch attack with a spell (sneak attack or no sneak attack) is completely different from making a regular unarmed attack with a spell on top of it (sneak attack or no sneak attack). Meaning, you can't roll to see if you hit, and go with whichever your roll would allow. If all you're doing is making a touch attack with the spell, and you roll way higher than their touch AC, you can't decide, "Okay, since I rolled so well, I'm gonna add in my unarmed damage." And if you're trying to attack with your fist with the added spell, and you roll low, you can't say, "Well, since I at least touched him, I'm gonna just apply the spell." The decision is made before you made the roll. This is especially important because making an unarmed attack with a spell on it provokes an attack of opportunity, unless you have Improved Unarmed Strike. Let's say you're trying to Sneak Attack with a touch spell (like Shocking Grasp). Assuming you catch the enemy flat-footed, or are flanking your target, you just make a touch attack roll. Assuming you hit their touch AC, you deal the damage of the spell (in this case, electricity), PLUS the Sneak Attack damage (in this case, also electricity, since the spell is what's causing the Sneak Attack, and thus the Sneak Attack damage is that of the spell). Keep in mind, though, that this can only be done with spells that deal damage- Bestow Curse doesn't deal damage (at best it imposes a penalty), so it can't be used to Sneak Attack. But, assuming it deals damage, the Sneak Attack is the same type as the spell. Scorching Ray deals fire damage (though only to one of the rays), and even the lowly 0-level Ray of Frost can deal 9d6 Sneak Attack if cast by an 18th-level Rogue. In the case of spells that deal irregular damage types (that is, Ability Damage or Negative Levels, which are counted as damage for purposes of whether you can Sneak Attack with them), the additional damage from Sneak Attack is Negative Energy damage, not Ability Damage or additional negative levels. (So if a Shadow took levels in Rogue, and made a Sneak Attack with its Strength Drain ability, it would deal additional Negative Energy damage.) Attacking with an unarmed strike is a completely different option (and in most cases a terrible choice). In that case, you make an actual attack roll (not a touch), and if you hit the target's AC (after they make an AoO if you don't have IUS), you deal your d3 nonlethal damage plus the spell's effect. If that was a Sneak Attack, the Sneak Attack is nonlethal damage, regardless of the spell. Hope that helps! [/QUOTE]
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Sneak Attack and Touch Spells
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