In general, no. Some specific undead (mostly incorporeal) are. You may be remembering v3.5
Undead Traits (Ex) Undead are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, phantasms, and patterns), paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). Undead are not subject to ability drain, energy drain, or nonlethal damage. Undead are immune to damage or penalties to their physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects. Undead are not at risk of death from massive damage.
Format: undead traits; Location: Immune.
no mention of immunity to precision damage (aka sneak attack)
Hi guys!
I'm pretty sure you can't, but I couldn't find it when we looked yesterday: are Undead immune to sneak attacks?
Fred
You didn't find it because it was one of the changes in Pathfinder. A very welcome one, too. Same goes for all precision stuff and critical hits!
Generally, you can sneak everything that isn't explicitly immune to it. Immune critters include elementals, oozes, incorporeal critters and other beasties with no discernible anatomy.
The reasons behind this (beyond making rogues useful as combatants in campaigns containing many COUPE monsters) is that even things like undead and constructs have weak points, even if they don't have classical vulnerabilities like hearts, brains, or major blood vessels. Precision attacks (like crits and sneak attacks) target these weak spots.
I think part of it also is. that how undead are depicted in fantasy getting limbs or other things chopped off is pretty common and crates simulate this. which is also why incorporeal are immune.
"Do undead have weak spots you can crit/sneak, I don't think so because they don't have working organs or such!" discussion incoming in 3...2...1...
Though Pathfinder concedes that corporeal undead do have vulnerable spots in their anatomy, there's no mention made about where those weak spots are. It might be fun to try devising some for the sake of those who have trouble imagining what they might be.
For instance, zombies are (according to most modern horror movies) universally susceptible to blows to the head. Skeletal creatures (including liches) have the entire structure of their upper bodies supported upon a thin column of vertebrae rising up from their pelvises. Knock a single vertebra out from the lower spine and everything above it comes crashing down. For ghouls and ghasts, who are so focused on biting and eating the flesh of the living, I'd hazard to say that their weak spot is their jaw; no jaw, no biting. Although a vampire's heart no longer pumps blood, it nonetheless remains their achilles heel. Though driving a wooden steak through its heart is particularly effective, violently thrusting anything at all into a vampire's heart will significantly cramp its style.
Pathfinder rule of thumb is that if it has a corporeal body and isn't an ooze or an elemental, you can crit and sneak attack it. Works for constructs too.
Anyone who has watched a Harryhausen movie can tell you that knocking a skeleton's head off causes it to bumble about humourously in search of it. That could qualify as a weak spot.
Hi guys!
I'm pretty sure you can't, but I couldn't find it when we looked yesterday: are Undead immune to sneak attacks?
Fred
Being undead doesn't make you immune to critical hits/ sneak attack anymore. It used to in 3rd edition, but in pathfinder they decided that there were too many things that were immune to critical hits and sneak attack, making rogues basically useless a lot of the time. So! They let you sneak attack, and instead gave a lot of undead some type of damage reduction.
Much better idea in my opinion.
| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Don't forget if you have a ghost touch weapon or spell in play you can precision damage and crit incorpreals.
Don't forget if you have a ghost touch weapon or spell in play you can precision damage and crit incorpreals.
Where is that rule at?
Don't forget if you have a ghost touch weapon or spell in play you can precision damage and crit incorpreals.Where is that rule at?
Under magic weapons:
Ghost Touch: A ghost touch weapon deals damage normally against incorporeal creatures, regardless of its bonus. An incorporeal creature's 50% reduction in damage from corporeal sources does not apply to attacks made against it with ghost touch weapons. The weapon can be picked up and moved by an incorporeal creature at any time. A manifesting ghost can wield the weapon against corporeal foes. Essentially, a ghost touch weapon counts as both corporeal or incorporeal.
Moderate conjuration; CL 9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, plane shift; Price +1 bonus.
Doesn't out and out say it, but it essentially makes incorporeal creatures count as not having that feature, so therefore any of the immunities. As long as the target was just incorporeal, a ghost touch weapon should be able to crit/sneak/precise damage.
If you were combating the ghostly incarnation of a gibbering mouther...
Welcome to pathfinder, where rogues can now sneak attack EVERY blue moon instead of every other blue moon.
Critical hits & Sneak Attacks(10/13/09)
Q: Can a PFRPG rogue use sneak attack on undead, constructs, etc. and same for critical strikes? In 3.5 you didnt get them so do you now?
A: (10/13/09 James Jacobs) Incorporeal creatures can't be sneak attacked or critically hit. But yeah, everything else (physical undead and constructs included) can be sneak attacked or critically hit unless they have special abilities that specifically protect them.[Source]
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/pathfinder-faq
On page 307 of the Bestiary 2,
Incorporeal Subtype: An incorporeal creature has
no physical body. An incorporeal creature is immune
to critical hits and precision-based damage (such as
sneak attack damage) unless the attacks are made using
a weapon with the ghost touch special weapon quality. In
addition, creatures with the incorporeal subtype gain the
incorporeal special quality (see page 298).
Hope this helps
On page 307 of the Bestiary 2,
Incorporeal Subtype: An incorporeal creature has
no physical body. An incorporeal creature is immune
to critical hits and precision-based damage (such as
sneak attack damage) unless the attacks are made using
a weapon with the ghost touch special weapon quality. In
addition, creatures with the incorporeal subtype gain the
incorporeal special quality (see page 298).Hope this helps
There it is right in prints thanks Dedlin
There it is right in prints thanks DedlinOn page 307 of the Bestiary 2,
Incorporeal Subtype: An incorporeal creature has
no physical body. An incorporeal creature is immune
to critical hits and precision-based damage (such as
sneak attack damage) unless the attacks are made using
a weapon with the ghost touch special weapon quality. In
addition, creatures with the incorporeal subtype gain the
incorporeal special quality (see page 298).Hope this helps
YW, and my group found that about three weeks ago and the rogues were super happy.
"Do undead have weak spots you can crit/sneak, I don't think so because they don't have working organs or such!" discussion incoming in 3...2...1...
Zombie head shots. It's classic in all zombie movies.
"Do undead have weak spots you can crit/sneak, I don't think so because they don't have working organs or such!" discussion incoming in 3...2...1...Zombie head shots. It's classic in all zombie movies.
And don't skeletons have an onyx gem that holds the magic animating them? Break that and they fall into a pile of bones.