Question on Critters Immune to flanking and Rogue Sneak Attacks.

[Sorvantis]

I realize this question has probably been asked a million times, but I can't seem to get clarification on it....

If a critter is immune to flanking, like a Minotaur for example, and a rogue is flanking the creature, would it be safe to assume the rouge does not get sneak attack damage due to one of the prerequisite for Sneak Attack is having the creature flanked?

[DM_Blake]

In this case, "Flanking" is a game term. It is not simply the English word for having enemies on opposite sides. Because it is a game term, and because the rogue requires "Flanking" to be in effect to sneak attack (assuming the creature is not denied DEX), then any enemy that cannot be affected by "Flanking" cannot be sneak attacked because "Flanking" will never be in effect for that enemy.

Against such an enemy, the rogue could still look for ways to cause the enemy to lose its DEX modifier, such as with a feint, so that the rogue could still try to sneak attack.

[Lamontius]

Yeah, DM Blake has the right of it
Flanking can get you a sneak attack, but the real key is that sneak attack is actuated by the target's loss of its DEX modifier to AC
.
.
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For further clarification:

Enemy Subtypes Immune to Precision-based Damage (Sneak Attack):
• Elemental
• Incorporeal
• Ooze
• Protean (50% chance to ignore SA damage)

Enemy Subtypes Immune to Flanking
• Ooze (Immune to SA damage anyway)
• Swarm
• Elemental (Immune to SA damage anyway)

Enemy Subtypes Immune to Critical Hits
• Aeon
• Elemental
• Incorporeal
• Ooze
• Protean
• Swarm

also, a bit of a sidetrack, but your minotaur example is not ideal, because there is a big difference between:
never being caught flat-footed
and
not being able to be sneak-attacked and/or flanked

[Marakash Arkenrae]

*double ninja'ed!*

Actually it looks like minotaurs are not immune to flanking, but they cannot be caught flat footed.

Thus the rogue can't get sneak attack due to the minotaur being flat footed, but it could get it due to flanking.

Minotaur PRD

If a creature was immune to flanking then I would say the rogue could not get sneak attack from flanking, but it could if they were flat footed or denied their dex bonus for some other reason, like blindness, unless that creature or creature type specifically stated they did not take sneak attack damage.

[Lamontius]

Yeah, you are basically on point with what I was getting at, Marakash

As a rogue, your biggest worry are the four subtypes that are immune to precision damage, which makes them functionally immune to Sneak Attack, since your SA damage is precision damage:
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.
.

--------------------
- Elementals
- Incorporeals (unless you have ghost touch weapons or an elixir of spirit sight)
- Oozes
- Proteans (which only have a 50% chance to ignore the SA damage)
--------------------

So, essentially, your two biggest worries are Elementals and Oozes, since you have bascially no way to put your Sneak Attack on them.

Solution? One, carry a Amulet of Elemental Strife, which will at least let you bypass Elemental damage reduction. Two, carry some dust of acid consumption for those pesky acid-based oozes.

[Sorvantis]

Very good. Thank you all for the clarifications which finally put some light on this subject for me. Much appreciated all!

This is what I get for going from 1st Edition AD&D to playing Pathfinder.

[DM_Blake]

Well, welcome to Pathfinder which is certainly my favorite edition of them all.

[Claxon]

I want to point out, Minotaurs are immune to being flat-footed, but not necessarily to just being denied dex. These are not the same conditions. There are circumstances that allow for a creature to be denied dex without being flat-footed.