Sneak Attacking With Other Weapons


Rules Questions

Radiant Oath

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

I was wondering if the sneak attack feature may be used with weapons that aren't light and aren't rapiers. I thought that was the case, but looking at the SRD again seems to have removed that stipulation. I'm confused now. If I wanted to play, say, a Low Templar that wasn't originally a rogue, could I sneak attack with a longsword? Or am I basically limited to rapiers, short swords, and the like?


They work with all weapons and were never restrict to light weapons.

Sczarni

You can sneak attack with anything. The stipulation is that you cannot use a lethal weapon to deal non-lethal damage AND get sneak attack damage. E.g., using a dagger to deal subdual with a -4 does NOT net you sneak attack.

Light weapons and rapiers are typically used because they are valid weapons for the weapon finesse feat and result in lower penalties for TWF. Rapiers are especially used for their greater crit range. Even if you can't confirm the crit, an 18 is an automatic hit with a rapier, and that range widens with the proper feats or enhancements.

Radiant Oath

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
concerro wrote:
They work with all weapons and were never restrict to light weapons.

Weird. Why was I thinking they were? *confused*


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Corren28 wrote:
Even if you can't confirm the crit, an 18 is an automatic hit with a rapier.

NO.


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an 18 is not an auto-hit. only a 20 is auto-hit.
if your critical threat range is larger, you can crit more, but you still need to hit the AC first.


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Increased Threat Range

Sometimes your threat range is greater than 20. That is, you can score a threat on a lower number. In such cases, a roll of lower than 20 is not an automatic hit. Any attack roll that doesn't result in a hit is not a threat.

Sczarni

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Quote:
Increased Threat Range Sometimes your threat range is greater than 20. That is, you can score a threat on a lower number. In such cases, a roll of lower than 20 is not an automatic hit.

See how you guys are? Gonna make me go and read and learns stuff and eat my own words.

I stand corrected. :P


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Corren28 wrote:
I stand corrected. :P

Ya, but you deserve props for actually accepting it like a BOSS.


like a SIR!


concerro wrote:
They work with all weapons and were never restrict to light weapons.

Woot!

The Gamemaster wrote:
You're going to backstab him with a ballista?
Nimble the Thief wrote:
Uh huh.
The Gamemaster wrote:
With a f@(#ing siege weapon?
Nimble the Thief wrote:
Uh huh.

I have to go watch The Gamers again now.

Dark Archive

Yes, you may sneak attack with a siege weapon. Provided the target is within 30 feet. I'm curious how this is managed with a catapult... :p

Grand Lodge

You can sneak attack with a boulder.

This means Giant Rogues can sneak attack with a thrown boulder within 30ft.


A sneak attack with a boulder seems just normla to me, after all yu do not need to targett a vital spot if you can target the entire body :)


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

isn´t there a monster feat for better sneaking when you are large?

Grand Lodge

Nightstalker. Ignore all size penalties to stealth.

Combined with Hellcat Stealth, you can have a Stone Giant that hides right next to you.


That makes me think about 3.0 when they introduced monsters with class levels and there was this shadowdragon/rogue who used to sneak up to people and sneak attack them.


Umbranus wrote:
That makes me think about 3.0 when they introduced monsters with class levels and there was this shadowdragon/rogue who used to sneak up to people and sneak attack them.

I must have missed that one.

I still remember, however, the Black Dragon with Assassin levels in 3.5.

Invisibility + Stealth + True Strike + Power Attack + Sneak Attack + Death Attack = OMFG!!


Some call me Tim wrote:
concerro wrote:
They work with all weapons and were never restrict to light weapons.

Woot!

The Gamemaster wrote:
You're going to backstab him with a ballista?
Nimble the Thief wrote:
Uh huh.
The Gamemaster wrote:
With a f@(#ing siege weapon?
Nimble the Thief wrote:
Uh huh.
I have to go watch The Gamers again now.

Because dere's no kill liek OVAHKILL!

Shadow Lodge

Dust Raven wrote:
Yes, you may sneak attack with a siege weapon. Provided the target is within 30 feet. I'm curious how this is managed with a catapult... :p

Just get Sniper's Goggles.


From Sneak Attack
Bonus damage from sneak attacks is precision damage.
So if the weapon in question does not allow for precision say an object larger than the target body (not just vital attack point) there would be no bonus dmg.
Yes a bolder targets all of the vitals, that is why it should do Massive DMG in part for the fact that it does hit all of the vitals.
Just my take on it


repillager wrote:

From Sneak Attack

Bonus damage from sneak attacks is precision damage.
So if the weapon in question does not allow for precision say an object larger than the target body (not just vital attack point) there would be no bonus dmg.
Yes a bolder targets all of the vitals, that is why it should do Massive DMG in part for the fact that it does hit all of the vitals.
Just my take on it

This thread was long dead.

Raising it from its death to post an opinion that doesn't match the rules was uncalled for :).

The rules on SA do not care about weapon size or target size. Only that the target is flat-footed/denied dex/flanked.


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Maybe they were trying to sneak attack by making a comment the OP couldn't defend themselves against properly.


would a sneak damage work with the boulder head mace . for the first 30 feet in the line ?

The head of this +1 heavy mace is made from a single piece of roughly spherical granite. Once per day the wielder can command the mace to release this head, which grows to the size of a Large boulder and rolls quickly in a direction the wielder specifies. The boulder rolls in a straight line up to 60 feet, trampling everything in its path for 3d8+5 damage (Reflex half DC 19). The boulder collapses into rubble and dust at the end of its path or if it encounters an obstacle it cannot break through or roll over, creating a 10-foot-square area of difficult terrain. A new stone mace-head grows on the weapon's haft over the next 24 hours, and it is unusable as a weapon until the head regrows.


Nope. No attack roll, no sneak attack. The boulderhead mace's ability is more akin to an area effect (line) spell than a thrown boulder, and you can't (usually) sneak attack with a lightning bolt. (I'm not sure where 30 feet enters into the mix at all.)


blahpers wrote:
Nope. No attack roll, no sneak attack. The boulderhead mace's ability is more akin to an area effect (line) spell than a thrown boulder, and you can't (usually) sneak attack with a lightning bolt. (I'm not sure where 30 feet enters into the mix at all.)

A ranged weapon only gets sneak attack damage if you're within 30 feet of your target:

The rogue’s attack deals extra damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every two rogue levels thereafter. Should the rogue score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

But blaphers is correct, you need to make an attack roll to get sneak-attack damage.

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