So, fellow player took a archer rogue, and has taken snap shot+ greater snap shot, allowing him to threaten out to 15ft, so, It seems logical that he now can flank at up too 15ft correct? The GM is iffy, but I feel it works out fine, rogues need a little bit of leeway imo.
No, per the rules and developer commentary, flanking applies to melee only. He can provide flanking, but he cannot benfit from flanking and it will not allow him to make sneak attacks.
However, this is going to turn into a huge arguement as several posters will probably come in and profess to the contrary.
Seems to me by RAW you would be considered flanking but only out to 10 feet. 5' with Snap Shot and +5' more with improved snap shot. Greater just give you bonus to hit on attacks of opportunity.
To flank you need two allies who can threaten and be directly opposite each other around an enemy. If you use melee weapon you get +2 flanking bonus to hit. So as long as you can threaten and be in the right position you are flanking.
Now if you are rogue using flanking means you apply sneak attack. It doesn't matter if you get +2 to hit or not. If you use a ranged weapon you need to be with 30' as well. So seem to me that you could sneak attack with out +2 to hit at 10 feet range. You could do that for lot fewer feats with reach weapon. Going the snap shot route required a 5 feat investment and +9 BAB. So that 8th level till you do this at 5 feet and 13th at 10 feet. Not gaming breaking for sure.
Now I'm not sure what the developer commentary is that Claxon is referring to, I'm just going on what rules say the way I read it. I don't see anything ambiguous or confusing.
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From the PRD section on flanking:
When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by another enemy character or creature on its opposite border or opposite corner.
From Sneak attack:
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.
Flanking only happens if you are making a melee attack. If you threaten with a ranged weapon you can provide flanking for another ally engaged in melee with that target, but you can't benefit from it.
Now I'm not sure what the developer commentary is that Claxon is referring to, I'm just going on what rules say the way I read it. I don't see anything ambiguous or confusing.
I don't recall the thread, but one of the developers stated explicitly that flanking refered to melee only. It came up because people tried to argue that you couldn't get the benefits of flanking (the +2 to hit) but that you could still be considered flanking while threatening with a ranged weapon. Which would have allowed for sneak attack.
Which of course, was poppycock.
easiest fix for him is a goz mask and a wand of obscuring mist
From the PRD section on flanking:
When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by another enemy character or creature on its opposite border or opposite corner.From Sneak attack:
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.Flanking only happens if you are making a melee attack. If you threaten with a ranged weapon you can provide flanking for another ally engaged in melee with that target, but you can't benefit from it.
I don't read it like that. It takes two to flank and all this say is you +2 when attack with melee weapon. In order to flank you need to be able to threat.
When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by another enemy character or creature on its opposite border or opposite corner.
So you are flanking if you are the other enemy character or creature. As rogue all you need to be is flanking to get sneak attack. You don't need the +2 bonus to hit.
Now you might be able to argue that snap shot only threatens on attack of opportunity.
From PRD
While wielding a ranged weapon with which you have Weapon Focus, you threaten squares within 5 feet of you. You can make attacks of opportunity with that ranged weapon. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity when making a ranged attack as an attack of opportunity.
Seems like attack of opportunity is an example but it could be all that you can do with Snap Shot. This could be the intent of the snap shot tree as Greater Snap Shot is all about the attack of opportunity.
This make more sense than changing wording on how flanking works with the rogue to say the +2 is required.