sneak attack with spell clarification

[trentonjoe]

Is this statement true according to the published rules?

Ray of frost is a ranged touch spell, ranged attacks do not count for flanking, thus, a ray of frost will never inflict sneak attack damage to a foe who is aware of the mage's presence.



or is it possible to get the sneak attack damage if the mage/thief is engaged with his opponet and flanking?

Thanks.

 

[Crothian]

You cannot get a ranged sneak attack through flanking that is correct.

He can be aware of you and still be in a situation that denies him his Dex bonus thus granting you a neak attack. Climbing is one such situation.

 

[Bobbystopholes]

If the mage/cleric/rogue is adjacent to the foe, flanking him, then does a ranged touch attack (lets say he keeps the spell, surviving any AoO) would he be flanking then even with the ranged attack? This would also be a question for a second level Order of the Bow Initiate.

 

[Crothian]

Under normal conditions you do not threwaten the area around you with ranged attacks. So, a ranges spell attack does not threaten the area so you can't flank.

The OotBI 2nd level abbility allows him to fire without provoking an AoO. It does not allow him to take AoO or threaten the area around him. So, again, the answer is no.

 

[FANGO]

Isn't "flanked" a condition independent of the opponent? An example being a bad guy that is flanked by two good guys, and a good guy shoots at the flanked bad guy...doesn't the shooting good guy still get bonuses for flanking? For some reason I seem to recall hearing this somewhere, though it may have been a house rule type of thing....

 

[Geoff Watson]

No, only the guys actually doing the flanking get the flanking bonuses.

For the original question:
If the target has lost his Dex bonus(eg stunned), he can be sneak attacked.
Flanking matters not for ranged attacks.

Geoff.