Sneak Attacks

[Mistwell]

Heh.

Sneak attack is so easy to negate it's almost trivial. Aside from creature type negation, you can also equip for it (+1 heavy fortification armor), and if you have concealment, you don't take sneak attack damage.

Of course, the expansion books make it equally easy to get around those issues. Like new magic items in Magic Item Compendium, and some feats here and there, that let you sneak attack undead (a weapon crystal), sneak attack constructs (a weapon crystal), and bypass concealment (trying to remember if it was a feat or a magic item - though a blindfold of darkness, which grants blindsight 30', will eliminate most concealment).

And heaven help you if the target you unload on lives through it, and they turn around and return the full attack favor.

This is why I prefer reach-weapon rogues and spring-attacking rogues and ranged-weapon rogues. Fewer attacks, but less danger of getting stomped.

 

[Hypersmurf]

If a target is flat-footed and a Rogue attacks three times with Rapid Shot, the precision-based Sneak Attack damage is added every time. Or perhaps you were talking about Manyshot?

'Volley' refers to several separate ranged instances arising from a single attack.

The original example was 3E shuriken, where a single attack sent three stars flying; precision damage only applied to the first (not the first to hit; the first star, whether it hit or missed).

In 3.5 shuriken are different, but we still have some examples of volleys; Manyshot is one, while Scorching Ray is another. Scorching Ray involves several rays and several attack rolls, which may be directed at one or multiple opponents, but as it is a volley, precision damage (like sneak attack) only applies to the first ray, whether that ray hits or misses.

Three separate attacks using Rapid Shot is not a volley.

Greater Manyshot is a volley, but with an exception permitted precision damage to apply to each arrow.

I think the easiest way to distinguish is using the rule that says you may observe the results of previous attacks before selecting targets for your next attack. With Rapid Shot, I can shoot goblin A, and then decide to take my second shot on goblin A or on goblin B once I've seen if he's still standing. With Scorching Ray, I need to decide if both rays are going at goblin A or one ray at each goblin before seeing the results of any particular ray... making it a volley.

-Hyp.