It says that rogues get their sneak attack dice when they perform this combat action. But do they get it added to the fort save DC?
It says that rogues get their sneak attack dice when they perform this combat action. But do they get it added to the fort save DC?
Coup de Grace: "If the defender survives the damage, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die."
If he took the damage, it's applied to the save.
If he didn't take the damage (immune to sneak attack but not crits, or fortification, or whatever) then the damage he didn't take wouldn't apply to the DC.
I´d say yes - the description says that the damage gets added to the Save DC. It does not say anything about the sneak damage being not added to the DC, so I would add it. Yes, CdGs by rogues get nasty that way - the way it should be.
EDIT: like grick wrote, unless other factors exclude the sneak damage being added in the first place.
Is a Coup de Grace considered a death attack? I.E. what's the official ruling on say ... a troll getting hit with one?
Troll keeps regenerating unless you apply fire or acid to him before that regeneration brings it over the death threshold (-hp=Con).
From the SRD:
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Coup de Grace: As a full-round action, you can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace (pronounced “coo day grahs”) to a helpless opponent. You can also use a bow or crossbow, provided you are adjacent to the target.
You automatically hit and score a critical hit. If the defender survives the damage, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. A rogue also gets her extra sneak attack damage against a helpless opponent when delivering a coup de grace.
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So yes you do.
Is a Coup de Grace considered a death attack?
Death attacks are not really well defined. It usually applies to spells with the [death] descriptor, or anything that specifically says it's a death attack.
what's the official ruling on say ... a troll getting hit with one?
Regeneration (Ex): "A creature with this ability is difficult to kill. Creatures with regeneration heal damage at a fixed rate, as with fast healing, but they cannot die as long as their regeneration is still functioning (although creatures with regeneration still fall unconscious when their hit points are below 0). Certain attack forms, typically fire and acid, cause a creature's regeneration to stop functioning on the round following the attack. During this round, the creature does not heal any damage and can die normally."
The effects of a troll being hit come down to if Regeneration actually stops any and all forms of death while active.