If a character gets sneak attack from a class or prestige class that is not a rogue, what is the intent of effective rogue level.
For example, for a character that is rogue 7/halfling opportunist 4, is his rogue level effectively 11 or 7, for purposes of being able to overcome improved uncanny dodge?
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I don't see anything in the Halfling Opportunist PrC that says its levels stack for the purpose of Uncanny Dodge.
I believe only classes that grant Uncanny Dodge increase your effective level for that purpose.
EDIT:
If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.
The relevant text is this, Nefreet:
This defense denies another rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does.
This is about overcoming Imp Uncanny Dodge, not having it.
RAW, it only counts Rogue levels (Ninja would count, too). You could argue it works for Vivisectionist alchemists, but it's iffy.
At 1st level, a vivisectionist gains the sneak attack ability as a rogue of the same level. If a character already has sneak attack from another class, the levels from the classes that grant sneak attack stack to determine the effective rogue level for the sneak attack’s extra damage dice (so an alchemist 1/rogue 1 has a +1d6 sneak attack like a 2nd-level rogue, an alchemist 2/rogue 1 has a +2d6 sneak attack like a 3rd-level rogue, and so on).
That part seems to specify damage dice only. The first line somewhat implies that it would work for Uncanny Dodge, but it's iffy. No where in the Sneak Attack class feature does it mention counting as a Rogue for overcoming Improved Uncanny Dodge.
Something I wished they fixed from 3.5
Well, if both classes give sneak attack, wouldn't they stack to overcome imp uncanny dodge?
No. The only things that stack are things that say they stack. As an example uncanny dodge stack, and sneak attack has nothing to do with effective rogue levels. Sneak attack is just based on sneak attack die.
Jeez, don't get so heated up about it...
Quite the contrary, sneak attack has everything to do with Improved Uncanny Dodge.
What I was indeed wondering was if any other class than rogue that grants sneak attack dice were meant to stack or qualify as effective rogue levels for that purpose. Not whether they are now, but *meant to*.
When 2 Rogues meet, they Compare their Uncanny Dodge (or more Specifically Improved Uncanny Dodge) IUD is the Class Ability that grants the immunity to Sneak Attack by other Rogues, Not Sneak Attack. Classes that offer Uncanny Dodge stack to determine who has priority (as stated in the Improved Uncanny Dodge entry)
just to be clear- a 15th level Rogue & a 16th level Rogue meet on opposite sides of a fight, the 16th level Rogue sneaks up behind the 15 & stabs him (no sneak attack), meanwhile the 20th level Rogue who is 4+ levels above either of the other Rogues would get his Sneak attack against both.
I do understand your point; yes, it sure is improved uncanny dodge which gives you the immunity against sneak attack damage; but what really boggles me, is that you deliberately keep ignoring the fact that IUD only prevents Sneak Attack damage from flanking (nothing else!) and only if the attacker doesn't have high enough rogue levels. So, in that perspective IUD has everything to do with Sneak Attack and vice versa.
Would this mean that if you gain Improved Uncanny Dodge no class but a rogue could use sneak attack?
That would include Assassin and a lot of other PrC's along with some archetypes and new classes (Slayer).
RAW, Improved Uncanny Dodge only cares about rogue levels vs. stacking levels from classes that grant Uncanny Dodge (barbarian 2+, assassin 2+, shadowdancer 2+, stalwart defender 3+, rogue 4+, ninja 4+).
RAI, I would imagine that if a class stacks with (or substitutes for, like ninja) rogue levels for the purposes of sneak attack dice (vivisectionist alchemist, assassin, inner sea pirate, master spy, red mantis assassin, sleepless detective, arcane trickster 2+, halfling opportunist 2+, lion blade 2+, pain taster 2+, aspis agent 3+, bellflower tiller 3+, low templar 3+), it would also stack for the purposes of flanking an enemy that has Improved Uncanny Dodge.
(Oddly, unlike other archetypes/PrCs that give Sneak Attack, sandman bard 5+ does not say the bonuses on damage stack.)
just to be clear- a 15th level Rogue & a 16th level Rogue meet on opposite sides of a fight, the 16th level Rogue sneaks up behind the 15 & stabs him (no sneak attack), meanwhile the 20th level Rogue who is 4+ levels above either of the other Rogues would get his Sneak attack against both.
Actually, the 20th level Rogue would still have to flank the other two rogues in order to get Sneak Attack. The other two rogues still have Uncanny Dodge and do not lose their Dex to AC when flatfooted or when attacked by unseen/invisible assailants. The 20th level Rogue would have to flank one of the other rogues to get Sneak Attack.
Any of the rogues could get sneak attack against any of the other rogues in this scenario by successfully feinting or by rendering their target stunned, helpless, pinned, or cowering.
But, if two characters with IUD meet in battle and neither has rogue levels and/or sneak attack dice pool, they would end up none the wiser both. IUD vs. IUD has no effect whatsoever, it's the sneak attack, or more specifically, rogue levels, that matter against IUD, if anything.
Plus I didn't say, or at least didn't mean to say, that Sneak Attack in itself would overcome IUD, rather, the effective rogue level in conjunctiom with sneak attack, when it would even have some effect.
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No. IUD has nothing to do with it. Only levels in "Rogue" (and by extension, Ninja) can overcome IUD.
If a class states that it counts as "Rogue" for purposes of overcoming IUD then that would work, too, but I am unaware of any classes that state that.
(as I mentioned up thread)