Sneak Attack and Damage Reduction

[extreme_tactician]

So here is my question. If I hit with a sneak attack and inflict for example 5 damages + 30 of sneak attack to an enemy with damage reduction 10/-, how much damage do I inflict? The two scenarios I can think of are:
1. 30 = 0 (because the 5 damages are absorbed by DR) + 30 (by sneak attack)
2. 25 = 5 + 30 -10 (normal damage + sneak attack minus damage reduction)

And another hypothesis would be that since 5 is not enough to overcome the DR, I do not inflict any damage at all.

Thanks for your help

[TriOmegaZero]

You add Sneak Attack to weapon damage before subtracting Damage Reduction, meaning the second option you listed.

Edit: Straight from Jason.

[bigkilla]

If your basic attack does not penetrate the DR you do not deal sneak or any other precision damage.

[Deadmanwalking]

bigkilla wrote:

If your basic attack does not penetrate the DR you do not deal sneak or any other precision damage.

This is not true in Pathfinder, though it was in 3.5. TriOmegaZero is entirely correct.

[Sangalor]

bigkilla wrote:

If your basic attack does not penetrate the DR you do not deal sneak or any other precision damage.

Where does it say that? I just checked for precision damage, sneak attack and damage reduction and could not find it. Please enlighten me :-)

[Dabbler]

Sangalor wrote:

bigkilla wrote:

If your basic attack does not penetrate the DR you do not deal sneak or any other precision damage.

Where does it say that? I just checked for precision damage, sneak attack and damage reduction and could not find it. Please enlighten me :-)

It's in 3.5, it does not apply in Pathfinder which made sneak attack a lot better.

[Sangalor]

Dabbler wrote:

Sangalor wrote:

bigkilla wrote:

If your basic attack does not penetrate the DR you do not deal sneak or any other precision damage.

Where does it say that? I just checked for precision damage, sneak attack and damage reduction and could not find it. Please enlighten me :-)

It's in 3.5, it does not apply in Pathfinder which made sneak attack a lot better.

Thanks :-)

[bigkilla]

Sangalor wrote:

bigkilla wrote:

If your basic attack does not penetrate the DR you do not deal sneak or any other precision damage.

Where does it say that? I just checked for precision damage, sneak attack and damage reduction and could not find it. Please enlighten me :-)

"Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack"

But apparently that has been changed to not effect sneak attack and stuff like Flaming now.

I have been going by the old rule.... no one ever seems to play Rogues.

[extreme_tactician]

Thanks guys. I read the thread at the link posted by TriOmegaZero and I guess that the word of a lead designer clarifies any doubts. By the way, I used the Pathfinder approach to sneak and DR even with 3.5: now I see that was just a house rule, but it just makes more sense.

[Dabbler]

bigkilla wrote:

Sangalor wrote:

bigkilla wrote:

If your basic attack does not penetrate the DR you do not deal sneak or any other precision damage.

Where does it say that? I just checked for precision damage, sneak attack and damage reduction and could not find it. Please enlighten me :-)

"Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack"

But apparently that has been changed to not effect sneak attack and stuff like Flaming now.

Well sneak attack IS part of the damage of an attack, the way I figure it. Effects like stunning fist do not work through DR unless the target takes damage. Flaming is not specifically covered, but the way I usually work it is that if the target is susceptible to fire, well, it still got hit by fire, so the damage counts. Other effects that require damage, like vorpal, do not take effect because they need to do damage.

[TriOmegaZero]

bigkilla wrote:

"Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack"

But apparently that has been changed to not effect sneak attack and stuff like Flaming now.

See, that line doesn't clearly delineate if Sneak Attack damage is separate from regular damage for the purpose of 'damage from an attack'. You could argue (and I'm sure many have) both that it is all damage and that Sneak Attack is a special effect. Still, no need to stir up that old chestnut again. :) Rogues suck bad enough as it is.

[Deadmanwalking]

bigkilla wrote:

But apparently that has been changed to not effect sneak attack and stuff like Flaming now.

It never should've applied to Flaming. That's elemental damage and dealt with entirely separately (ignoring DR but being susceptible to things like Fire Resistance or Immunity).