Spell it out for me: Sneak Attack

[FCWesel]

Okay, do me a favour. Please, assume that I am a total newbie and explain to me WHEN I can Sneak Attack and When I cannot. Thanks.

 

[BeauNiddle]

Okay, do me a favour. Please, assume that I am a total newbie and explain to me WHEN I can Sneak Attack and When I cannot. Thanks.

1) you CAN'T sneak attack if the enemy has concealment (darkness, blur, thick foliage, etc.) or if you can't reach vital spots (DM adjudication, very rarely used). You also CAN'T sneak attack if your opponent has no vital spots (undead, constructs) or discernable anatomy (oozes, elementals).

2) You CAN sneak attack whenever you are flanking an opponent (in melee of course, fun debate about invisible allies ignored) or your opponent is denied their dex bonus (flat footed, climbing, balancing, stunned, etc.)

3) special case - on multiple blows from a single attack roll (3.0 shurikens, multiple elemental orbs, possibly Manyshot) you only apply sneak attack to the first projectile.

[is ranged sneak attack still limited to 30ft in 3.5, it was in 3.0]

As long as 2 is applicable and 1 isn't you can sneak attack (yes even on multiple itterative attacks)

 

[Anabstercorian]

That's pretty much it, yeah.

 

[cats_claw]

That's pretty much it, yeah.

OK, so if a rogue is hidden, can he come out of hiding an sneak attack someone that is within is movement? i.e. can he move 25' and sneak attack someone that is IN COMBAT?

Does the rogue have to beat a listen with move silently? But since facing is not a concern, wouldn't the opponent just see them coming?

Could a rogue only sneak attack if they are hidden and someone passes within his reach?

catsclaw

 

[Piratecat]

Nice summary.

 

[Pbartender]

OK, so if a rogue is hidden, can he come out of hiding an sneak attack someone that is within is movement? i.e. can he move 25' and sneak attack someone that is IN COMBAT?

Yes he can, but...

Does the rogue have to beat a listen with move silently?

Correct, the Rogue must make a Hide/Move Silently check (at -20, since he's moving and attacking) opposed by the victim's Spot/Listen check. Of course, depending on your DM, they may alter that rule to make it a little easier for the Rogue to sneak up on that arguably distracted opponent.

Of course, this is why most Rogues in this situation will simply sneak attack from concealment with their shortbow (you can sneak attack with a ranged attack, as long as the target is within 30').

Also, you can use a bluff check to feint an opponent and concequently sneak attack them...

From the SRD:

Feinting in Combat: You can also use Bluff to mislead an opponent in melee combat (so that it can’t dodge your next attack effectively). To feint, make a Bluff check opposed by your target’s Sense Motive check, but in this case, the target may add its base attack bonus to the roll along with any other applicable modifiers.

If your Bluff check result exceeds this special Sense Motive check result, your target is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) for the next melee attack you make against it. This attack must be made on or before your next turn.

Feinting in this way against a nonhumanoid is difficult because it’s harder to read a strange creature’s body language; you take a –4 penalty on your Bluff check. Against a creature of animal Intelligence (1 or 2) it’s even harder; you take a –8 penalty. Against a nonintelligent creature, it’s impossible.

Feinting in combat does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

 

[Abraxas]

Correct, the Rogue must make a Hide/Move Silently check (at -20, since he's moving and attacking) opposed by the victim's Spot/Listen check.

Actually, the -20 applies to sniping and isn't applicable to coming out of hiding to make a melee sneak attack.

From the PHB, pg.76

Sniping: If you’ve already successfully hidden at least 10 feet from your target, you can make one ranged attack, then immediately hide again. You take a –20 penalty on your Hide check to conceal yourself after the shot.

 

[Pbartender]

Actually, the -20 applies to sniping and isn't applicable to coming out of hiding to make a melee sneak attack.

I beg to differ...

From the SRD:

It’s practically impossible (–20 penalty) to hide while attacking, running or charging.

Now, I grant that this passage is open to a great deal of DM interpretation. But it amounts to the same thing as 'sniping', but during melee combat (we could call it 'ambushing'?). There is no other specific rule that deals with ambushing someone from a hiding place. Looking at it again, the intent is most likely a penalty to hide after you've attacked someone.

There's also penalties based on how far he moves before he ambushes that guy... No penalty for a half move (<15' for a medium character), -5 for a full move (15'-30'), and -20 for running or charging (though they say nothing about double moves, I'd personally rule it was -10 to split the difference).

If the enemy hears or sees you before you reach him, then you won't be able to sneak attack them.

 

[Abraxas]

Yes definitely a difference of opinion on those passages regarding when the -20 applies, but thats why were discussing this.

My gaming group uses the -20 when you don't have to move (target moves within an area you threaten while hiding) or when sniping (ranged attack and hide again).

In our games, characters without the HiPS special ability normally can't leap out and attack and still be hiding because of the "You need cover or concealment in order to attempt a Hide check." (PHB - pg.76) requirement listed in the description of the hide skill. If they no longer have cover or concealment they can't even attempt to hide. However, other PCs engaging a foe (or other enemies in the melee) can provide cover, and thats what the sneaky PCs in our group wait for before moving in to attack. If a PC/or other oppopnent is between the target and our sneaky friend, they provide our sneaky friend cover and he can then attempt to hide wrt the target, at -20 + other penalties depnding on how he moves. IMO this is how the rules as written work, but I've been wrong before ​

On top of all this he still has to be unheard also - probably not to hard when there's a lot of fighting going on ​

In the next game I run, however, I'm going to houserule and use a -10 penalty to the hide check and the distance between the target and the hiding character can be no more than 1 foot per (rank in the hide skill + racial modifiers to hide).​

 

[Hypersmurf]

Of course, this is why most Rogues in this situation will simply sneak attack from concealment with their shortbow (you can sneak attack with a ranged attack, as long as the target is within 30').

Notice that there's actually no distance limitation on sneak attacking with a melee attack.

A 3E Kraken with Rogue levels can sneak attack with a tentacle from 100 feet away, because it's not a ranged attack.

More likely, however, an Arcane Trickster can Sneak Attack with a Spectral Hand delivering a touch spell (Shocking Grasp, for example), from over 100 feet away... because a Spectral Hand is explicitly a melee touch attack.

Assuming his target is denied Dex, of course. Which is easily done, since as a melee attack, the Spectral Hand attack is eligible for use with Feint (or Improved Feint)... even though you're feinting from 100 feet away

-Hyp.