Concerning Operative Trick Attack

[CannedVan]

Are Oozes, Elementals, Incorporeal, and other creatures without physical anatomies immune to the bonus damage dealt by trick attack?
It doesn't make sense that a creature immune to critical hits is also not immune to trick attack bonus damage. I was running the Dead Sun Book 4 Adventure Path and the scavenger slime (p 31) has blindsight (vibrations). How can that creature be subject to the trick attack of an operative with the ghost specialization? He was trying to use the poking field exploit to make a trick attack.

Also, does the trick attack bonus damage double on a critical hit?

Finally, some of the associated specialization skills used to make a trick attack have a +4 bonus on them, which seems really high to me; is this correct?

Thank you

[Ravingdork]

Unless something specifically and clearly states otherwise, Trick Attack works on all enemies. If the flavor of the attack doesn't suit the situation, change the flavor for that instance. Mechanically, it still works, even if you can't follow the rules of the skill the trick attack is being used with (such as not having cover or concealment for Stealth, or speaking the target's language for Bluff).

And yes, it multiplies on a critical hit.

The reason many of the associated specalization skills have a +4 bonus is because they are NOT Dexterity-based. Operatives are assumed to have a high Dexterity. Without the +4, operatives choosing associated specializations that weren't Dexterity-based would be at an inherit disadvantage when using their primary class abilities. The +4 is meant to counteract that.

There was one that got it wrong though and had to be errata'd though; ghost I think (currently showing as a Dexterity skill WITH the +4, which IS really high in that case).

You're welcome.

[Robert Gooding]

A creature is only immune to something if it specifically says it is

Yes all damage is doubled

with the exception of the ghost specialization yes they are correct. The ghost specialization has been errata’d

Also the operative op threads have been thrashed to death please refer to them

[HammerJack]

No, those creatures are not immune to trick attack.

Yes, the bonus damage doubles on a critical hit.

Yes, those skills have a +4 to the trick attack roll. The only exception is the Ghost specialization, which was errataed to provide only a +1 bonus to stealth rolls to trick attack.

[Robert Gooding]

You’re getting it in surround sound

[Xeall]

While everyone has already answered the question, Trick Attack is not Sneak Attack from Pathfinder. It is using your skills to your advantage to create a chance to do more damage. If the creature has vibrations, the ghost uses a series of vibrations to confuse the slime as to their location and exposes a gap in the armoured shell

[Owen K. C. Stephens]

HammerJack wrote:

No, those creatures are not immune to trick attack.

Yes, the bonus damage doubles on a critical hit.

Yes, those skills have a +4 to the trick attack roll. The only exception is the Ghost specialization, which was errataed to provide only a +1 bonus to stealth rolls to trick attack.

Just to pick one correct response at random:

Correct. :D

[Scott Olman]

A question, I have an operative that has specialized in explorer. What I need to figure out is what are my total bonuses when I roll in an attempt to perform a trip attack. Example: I have a +11 survival. So do I apply the “Associated Skills: Culture and Survival. You can attempt a Survival check with a +4 bonus to make a trick attack by using your surroundings” from explore and would that equal a total bonus ( +11 “survival” + (+4 bonus) which would equal to a +15 when I make my roll?

[Kishmo]

Scott Olman wrote:

+11 “survival” + (+4 bonus) which would equal to a +15 when I make my roll?

Yep, you've got it! You use your regular ol' skill bonus, +4. The extra +4 is customarily added in for Specialization skills that aren't based off of Dexterity, so that Operatives are free to pick Specializations with non-Dex based skills without feeling like they're making sub-optimal choices.