Rogue Archetype: Sneak Attack Ace

[ParagonDireRaccoon]

Sneak Attack Ace Archetype

Sneak Attack Target: At 1st level a Sneak Attack Ace Rogue gains the Sneak Attack Target ability. This functions in a manner similar to a Paladin's Smite Evil. Once per day as a swift action the Sneak Attack Ace can designate a target. The Sneak Attack Ace adds their Dex or Int bonus to hit against the target (Dex or Int is chosen at 1st level and cannot be changed afterwards). The Sneak Attack Ace deals sneak attack damage against this target on a successful hit, without needing to flank the target or for the target to be denied their Dex bonus to AC.

The Sneak Attack Target effect remains until the target of the effect is dead or the next time the Sneak Attack Ace rests and regains her uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every four levels thereafter, the paladin may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Paladin, to a maximum of six times per day at 20th level.

Skill Points: A Sneak Attack Ace gains six skill points per level instead of eight.

Rogue talents: A Sneak Attack Ace does not gain a rogue talent at levels 6, 12, and 18.

[Vadskye]

So I can trade a trivial amount of noncombat utility and a few talents for the ability to godmode against bosses? Doesn't seem like a fair trade to me.

Note that I'm not saying it's overpowered relative to other classes. I'm saying it's overpowered relative to other rogue options.

[Petty Alchemy]

Vadskye wrote:

So I can trade a trivial amount of noncombat utility and a few talents for the ability to godmode against bosses? Doesn't seem like a fair trade to me.

Note that I'm not saying it's overpowered relative to other classes. I'm saying it's overpowered relative to other rogue options.

Godmode? I don't even get to apply my second best stat as a deflection bonus to AC!

[chaoseffect]

Vadskye wrote:

I'm saying it's overpowered relative to other rogue options.

I agree with you, but at the same time pretty much anything is overpowered in comparison to official Rogue options. Rogue could use a boost and this offers it, but I can't help but feel this would be better suited as part of some sort of base Rogue rewrite instead of an archetype.

[Tenshi no Shi]

Really the problem is with the sneak attack rules in general. They are very situational, favouring melee over ranged.

Really the simple fix for rogues is give them improved feint as a bonus feat, and then make a rogue talent that says "Once per round the rogue can make a feint as a free action." Also allowing to feint on ranged attacks would definitely help ranged rogues

These three things would allow the rogue to sneak attack at least once per round, and still allow them to make full attack actions in combat. While they might not be as godly as a fighter, they would still be quite deadly.

Though facing rules from 3.5 Unearthed arcana plus the simplified acrobatics rule for tumble make them deadly without all this.

[Vadskye]

chaoseffect wrote:

I agree with you, but at the same time pretty much anything is overpowered in comparison to official Rogue options. Rogue could use a boost and this offers it, but I can't help but feel this would be better suited as part of some sort of base Rogue rewrite instead of an archetype.

I agree. If this was a core class feature in a new version of a Rogue, I wouldn't be complaining. (Well, I would, but for different reasons). It just doesn't fit as an "option"; experienced players will recognize that it's better than other options, and newbies will continue to have weak rogues. Better to make options just be options, and fixes just be fixes, instead of trying to combine the two.

[ParagonDireRaccoon]

I agree. But I think the rogue could use an option that is more powerful than the existing options.

A fair number of rogue talents are only situationally useful, and trap sense is a lot less useful than in previous editions with fewer traps in most adventures. A lot of rogue abilities and options could be given up without taking away from what a rogue can do. I think sneak attack ace should be a base rogue feature, maybe some of the developers at Paizo will consider it for the next update.

To make it a base rogue feature, I'd make it one of a rogue's abilities at 1st level. Then I would allow a rogue to purchase extra uses with a talent at levels 6, 10, 16, and 20. I'd give rogue's the option of getting a bonus to attack and damage equal to 1/4 their class level as a favored class bonus option.