| Neal Litherland |
So, question for the room. When you deal sneak attack damage with a spell, is the extra damage considered to be of the same type? The capstone for the Arcane Trickster suggests that's how sneak attack with spells works, but I'm looking for any official rulings or page numbers that confirms this.
Thanks!
| CampinCarl9127 |
Yes it is the same type, as well as precision damage. For instance, a sneak attack scorching ray would be "precision fire damage", so either immunity to precision damage or immunity to fire damage would negate it.
For example, an arcane trickster cannot damage a red dragon with a sneak attack fireball because it's entirely immune to the fireball itself, which is where the sneak attack damage is coming from, because it's all considered fire damage.
| Neal Litherland |
Yes it is the same type, as well as precision damage. For instance, a sneak attack scorching ray would be "precision fire damage", so either immunity to precision damage or immunity to fire damage would negate it.
For example, an arcane trickster cannot damage a red dragon with a sneak attack fireball because it's entirely immune to the fireball itself, which is where the sneak attack damage is coming from, because it's all considered fire damage.
It's good to know I'm on the right track there, but where is this officially confirmed in the rules? Also, dumb question, but is there some clarification that says you CAN'T do this with cure spells that require a touch attack? It seems stupid to give you bonus d6s on healing spells, but I'd rather have a book telling me no than just agreeing with a DM that said scenario is taking things too far.
| CampinCarl9127 |
I think there's an official FAQ about it floating around something, but I don't remember where it is and haven't bookmarked it. Hopefully somebody else can help you find it.
You can certainly sneak attack with a cure spell. However it doesn't increase the healing, it would cause additional damage if used against an undead.
| wraithstrike |
CampinCarl9127 wrote:It's good to know I'm on the right track there, but where is this officially confirmed in the rules? Also, dumb question, but is there some clarification that says you CAN'T do this with cure spells that require a touch attack? It seems stupid to give you bonus d6s on healing spells, but I'd rather have a book telling me no than just agreeing with a DM that said scenario is taking things too far.Yes it is the same type, as well as precision damage. For instance, a sneak attack scorching ray would be "precision fire damage", so either immunity to precision damage or immunity to fire damage would negate it.
For example, an arcane trickster cannot damage a red dragon with a sneak attack fireball because it's entirely immune to the fireball itself, which is where the sneak attack damage is coming from, because it's all considered fire damage.
Sneak attack is not a damage type, and it is not it's own attack. So it makes sense to have it follow the damaging source.
As for critting with cure spells only damage can crit, and healing is not damage. Damage is actually defined in the game.
I think the next quote should answer both questions.
Damage
If your attack succeeds, you deal damage. The type of weapon used determines the amount of damage you deal.
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Damage reduces a target's current hit points....
edit: I was assuming the cure spell was being used to heal when I was saying it can't crit.
| wraithstrike |
I forgot to add this.
A critical hit means that you roll your damage more than once, with all your usual bonuses, and add the rolls together. Unless otherwise specified, the threat range for a critical hit on an attack roll is 20, and the multiplier is ×2.
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Magical Healing: Various abilities and spells can restore hit points.
| dragonhunterq |
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I don't think there is any 'official' confirmation. It's just a logical extension of the rules.
Sneak attack deals 'extra damage'. If you hit with a bludgeoning weapon that's extra bludgeoning damage, if you hit with fire it's extra fire damage.
Is there a reasonable argument for it to be blanket 'untyped damage' or something that I'm missing?
It was probably in a 3rd edition book as I can't locate it right now, (but it is a good houserule if it isn't clarified in PF somewhere) and that is sneak attack is always HP damage, but of the same type as the spell, so a ray of enervation sneak attack would deal negative energy damage.
| Stephen Ede |
Paizo Employee Jason Bulmahn Lead Designer Jun 3, 2010, 09:10 pm | FLAG | LIST
| FAQ | REPLY
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Jason Bulmahn
DR does not negate sneak attack damage. The sneak attack damage is not a special effect that accompanies the attack, it is part of the damage roll.
Hope that clears it up.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing
By the RAW of that post sneak attack damage must be the same damage as the spell effect.