Regardless of how one interprets an "attack" for these purposes, targets are never denied dexterity bonuses against AoE effects such as fireball, nor against auto-hits like Magic Missile. That alone should be enough to satisfy the intent of Sneak Attack with regards to RAW.
Regardless of how one interprets an "attack" for these purposes, targets are never denied dexterity bonuses against AoE effects such as fireball, nor against auto-hits like Magic Missile. That alone should be enough to satisfy the intent of Sneak Attack with regards to RAW.
I mentioned that before but someone conveniently ignored it, just like they ignored me ask the question about things normally requiring an attack, and did they understand another poster's position. We could have a troll in our midst.
If they respond to this, yet ignore things that are actually on topic, we have our answer.
Regardless of how one interprets an "attack" for these purposes, targets are never denied dexterity bonuses against AoE effects such as fireball, nor against auto-hits like Magic Missile. That alone should be enough to satisfy the intent of Sneak Attack with regards to RAW.I mentioned that before but someone conveniently ignored it, just like they ignored me ask the question about things normally requiring an attack, and did they understand another poster's position. We could have a troll in our midst.
If they respond to this, yet ignore things that are actually on topic, we have our answer.
Okay Wraith, I'm sorry, but I gotta call jerkiness on that. You attack the guy by calling him a troll, and then imply that should he choose to post to defend himself, he is in fact that. You put him in basically an impossible situation to have his name maligned no matter what he does. I'm not cool with you doing that to him no matter what opinions he may hold regarding the question at hand.
Lets just discuss the issue at hand, or move on from it.
I have no idea what you are talking about. I never called anyone a troll. I said we might have a troll.
|
Regardless of how one interprets an "attack" for these purposes, targets are never denied dexterity bonuses against AoE effects such as fireball, nor against auto-hits like Magic Missile. That alone should be enough to satisfy the intent of Sneak Attack with regards to RAW.
If they are unable to see you (say as per greater invisibility) or you have acted first in a round, they would happen to be denied their dexterity bonus when the AoE effect hit them.
Sneak Attack: If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.
The rogue's attack deals extra damage anytime her TARGET would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the TARGET actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her TARGET. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every two rogue levels thereafter.
If the spell can't have a target it can't sneak
Sneak Attack: If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.
The rogue's attack deals extra damage anytime her TARGET would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the TARGET actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her TARGET. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every two rogue levels thereafter.If the spell can't have a target it can't sneak
OH! That is a great point. Fireball certainly doesn't target a character. However, this still allows Magic Missile for instance to count, though we know it doesn't.
But at least were on the right track for qualifying why it doesn't work.
Magic missile does specifically say:
The missile strikes unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat, so long as it has less than total cover or total concealment. Specific parts of a creature can't be singled out. Objects are not damaged by the spell.
Which does sort of indirectly state that you couldn't use it to deal precision damage, which Sneak Attack is the most common example of.
Magic missile does specifically say:
The missile strikes unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat, so long as it has less than total cover or total concealment. Specific parts of a creature can't be singled out. Objects are not damaged by the spell.Which does sort of indirectly state that you couldn't use it to deal precision damage, which Sneak Attack is the most common example of.
The concept of Sneak Attack is even more abstract when you add in the Scout archetype. You couldn't use a spell with the Skirmisher class feature, since it specifies an attack action (which precludes a spell or even a wand) rather than just an attack, but it does Sneak Attack damage on a hit if the Rogue moves at least 10 feet first and the target does not have Uncanny Dodge. There's nothing about it being precision or catching the target unawares or even off balance. Move 10 feet, do extra damage, period.