Ranged Sneak-Attack and Flatfooted

[Hidamen]

Hello All,

I've a doubt regarding sneak attacks.

If i have 2 members of my group flanking a monster and im a rogue with a bow, do i receive the flanking bonus to attack and/or do the sneak damage to the enemy ? The rules specify sneak is only dependent of flatfooted status.

Thanks

[tiornys]

Hidamen wrote:

Hello All,

I've a doubt regarding sneak attacks.

If i have 2 members of my group flanking a monster and im a rogue with a bow, do i receive the flanking bonus to attack and/or do the sneak damage to the enemy ? The rules specify sneak is only dependent of flatfooted status.

Thanks

You do not. Flanking only causes the target to be flat-footed for the creatures flanking the target, and only for melee attacks. CRB 476: "A creature is flat-footed (taking a –2 circumstance penalty to AC) to melee attacks from creatures that are flanking it." You need a more general source of flat-footed to gain the benefit on your rogue's ranged attacks.

[Hidamen]

Hidamen wrote:

Hello All,

I've a doubt regarding sneak attacks.

If i have 2 members of my group flanking a monster and im a rogue with a bow, do i receive the flanking bonus to attack and/or do the sneak damage to the enemy ? The rules specify sneak is only dependent of flatfooted status.

Thanks

Found the answer.

Page 476: Flanking was ambiguous on what happened if you made a ranged attack while within reach of a foe you are flanking. To make it clear that only melee attacks benefit from flanking, change the second sentence to read "A creature is flat-footed (taking a –2 circumstance penalty to AC) to melee attacks from creatures that are flanking it."

[breithauptclan]

Some common options to cause a general flat-footed condition that you need in order to use sneak attack with ranged weapons:

Grabbed from being grappled.
Prone from being tripped.
Bottled Lightning.

And if you pick up Dread Striker then any enemy that gets Demoralized will also be flat-footed to your ranged attacks.

[shroudb]

some other easy to access ranged flat-footed options are:

there are also some limited sources of ranged Feint that would make an enemy flat-ffoted for your ranged attacks.

and you can Create a Diversion to become hidden and sneak attack from range as well.

[YuriP]

Hide is a pretty efficient way to ranged rogues makes their opponents flat-footed independent from the distance. Just search for something that provides you cover hide behind it and begin the Strike.

If you want more cover options Halflings can get Distracting Shadows to get cover to Hide from allies.

Mid-level rogues can also get Precise Debilitations to grant the flat-footed condition until the end of your next turn allowing to keep the flat-footed for a long time without need to use extra actions while you keep hitting.