There's a related thread currently about a specific ability (Celestial bloodline's Heavenly Fire), but Heavenly Fire doesn't actually deal positive energy damage.
At what point does this stop working and why:
1. A rogue 1 uses a scroll or wand of inflict light wounds on a flanked goblin. It takes negative energy precision damage from sneak attack (1d8+1+1d6 total damage). (As a side question, does the will save for half damage also apply to the SA damage?)
2. A rogue 1 uses a scroll or wand of inflict light wounds on a flanked vampire who was pretending to be a human. It takes (1d8+1+1d6) negative energy damage, but actually HEALS that amount due to being undead?
3. A rogue 1 uses a scroll or wand of cure light wounds on a flanked (or otherwise sneak-attack-able) ally. What happens?
Why? Please cite a rule.
The way I see it, the reasoning that can be used for SA on heals is that positive energy is a damage type. If I can sneak attack with a ray of frost, then I can sneak attack with any other energy type that is delivered with an attack roll. Damage is being dealt, even if it happens to be a negative amount.
The reasoning against it seems to only be a "common sense" argument. If you're being healed, you're obviously not taking damage.
Way I see it:
1) - Plausible but save for half damage would only apply to the spell damage.
2) - Vampire would heal 1d8+1 points of damage. Can't add sneak attack damage when it is not damage being dealt...it is healing (negative energy healing undead). Sneak attack damage doesn't apply.
3) - Same reasoning as 2 - living creature is healed 1d8+1 points - not receiving damage (you don't typically sneak attack an ally, and certinaly not applicable when not dealing damage). Sneak attack does not apply.
1. Yes, and the save will halve the whole thing.
2. Sneak Attack only increased damage, not healing. The vampire will heal 1d8+1 points.
3. See 2. The healing is not increased by sneak attack.
Healing is not 'negative damage'. There is no such thing as negative damage; all attacks deal at least 1 damage.
"Minimum Damage
If penalties reduce the damage result to less than 1, a hit still deals 1 point of nonlethal damage."
Healing is healing, damage is damage.
Been looking at too many different systems lately. Ignore all but question 1.