Questions tagged [sneak-attack]
For questions about "sneak attacks", the ability of a hidden character to strike for extra damage. This ability is often applied when attacking from hiding or when the enemy is distracted by other targets.
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Do rogues get sneak attack damage added to attacks made outside their turn?
PHB says 'once per turn,' so, it would seem that a Rogue with Sentinel, for example, could "consistently" deal Sneak attack twice per round (whether the enemy triggers an OA or the melee weapon attack ...
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Can the rogue repeatedly hide in combat to sneak attack the same enemy?
One of my players is a rogue and has been, on his turn, using Cunning Action to hide as a bonus action and immediately afterwards attacking. I have been ruling that this does work to grant him ...
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Can other damage (from class abilities/feats) be added to net attacks?
While reading the answer to Are attacks with nets always made with disadvantage?, it found a few feats that could help avoid the disadvantage (Crossbow expert and Sharpshooter).
My initial follow-up ...
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Can I choose which damage type my Sneak Attack does if my weapon does multiple types?
Sneak Attack has the same type as the rest of the attack, this is easy, unless there are multiple damage types.
A Flame Tongue does slashing (or piercing) damage, and fire. Can I chose the Sneak ...
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Can a Familiar aid a Rogue's Sneak Attack?
A Rogue character with the Arcane Trickster archetype chooses Find Familiar as her non-enchantment, non-illusion, 1st level spell. How does that creature interact with the Sneak Attack feature?
From ...
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What type of damage is Sneak Attack?
I have a Barbarian in my party who will be fighting versus Sneak Attack damage. The Spy from page 349 of the MM to be precise. When he rages he takes half damage from piercing, slashing and ...
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Can I sneak attack with Green-Flame Blade or Booming Blade?
Most spells can't be combined with sneak attack because 5e sneak attack specifies a finesse or ranged weapon attack.
However, booming blade and green-flame blade require you to "…make a melee attack ...
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Can a Rogue (D&D 3.5) use sneak attack on both the first and second attack?
I know this seems like a question you can simply Google but the answers vary and my clan is under the impression that I can only use it on my first attack (once per round) and not on my second attack.
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Does concealment allow a rogue to make sneak attack?
Can a rogue use cover or concealment in order to Hide, and thereafter make sneak attacks against enemies he is hidden from?
For example:
A rogue sneak attacks an ogre in melee, then runs behind a ...
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Can unarmed strike work with a rogue's sneak attack?
So a situation came up last night where a player with a monk/rogue was flanking (I use the optional flanking rules to grant advantage) an enemy. He was armed with a shortsword, but even with advantage,...
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In what situations would a target be denied a Dex bonus to AC?
I have an encounter coming up where my PCs will face a high level rogue. Naturally, I'd like to use his sneak attack ability, but I've never played a rogue before so I'm light on experience.
From the ...
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Does the Savage Attacker feat let you reroll Sneak Attack damage dice?
The Savage Attacker feat (PHB, p. 169) states:
Once per turn when you roll damage for a melee weapon attack, you can reroll the weapon’s damage dice and use either total.
Additionally, the rogue'...
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Can Sneak Attack be used when hitting with an improvised weapon?
The Mastermind rogue in my game was well hidden when he threw a flask of holy water at a shadow demon that attacked his ally. In the moment, it made the most sense to me to allow him to use Sneak ...
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Does advantage negate disadvantage (for things such as the rogue's Sneak Attack)?
In a recent question - Does sneak attack work against an invisible enemy? - it was pointed out that you couldn't Sneak Attack an invisible opponent because the rules specifically state that you cannot ...
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Is it possible to use Sneak Attack with the Magic Stone cantrip?
The description of the rogue's Sneak Attack feature says:
Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The ...
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What is required to be able to sneak attack with a spell or ranged attack?
I'm playing a 3rd level rogue, and I'm looking at at taking a few levels of sorcerer for the Draconic bloodline's claws, and as a prerequisite for the arcane trickster prestige class. Since I'm going ...
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Is sneak attack affected by resistance/immunity to weapon attacks?
Sneak attack says:
Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.
...
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Reckless Attack + Sneak Attack synergy?
I'm trying to help out one of my players optimize his character. His desired path is the Unofficial Drizzt Do'Urden build but tweaked it a little according to his taste by going
Fighter 1 > Barb 1 >...
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Can I use Silent Image as an adjacent enemy for Sneak Attack?
Sneak attack says:
You don't need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the
target is within 5ft of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and you
don't have disadvantage on the attack ...
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Can you get Sneak Attack with any weapon as a Swashbuckler?
Basically, one of my friends says that you can get Sneak Attack with any weapon if you are a Swashbuckler. The swashbuckler ability says that you can get sneak attack with any weapon attack as long as ...
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Can a hidden attacker shoot around the corner?
In our D&D 5e games, I am not sure how to handle the following situation relating to stealth:
Enemies are in a room. The rogue stays outside, stepping to the side in order to be able to hide. Now,...
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Can Siege Weapons trigger Sneak Attack and other weapon-based class features?
The criteria for a Rogue's Sneak Attack is
The Attack must use a Finesse or a ranged weapon.
The criteria for an Eldritch Knight's soulbound weapon is
Over the course of 1 hour short rest, you ...
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Can a rogue use sneak attack with weapons that have the thrown property even if they are not thrown?
For weapons like the spear that have the Thrown property, can a Rogue use sneak attack with them?
Thrown is considered a ranged attack and Sneak Attack specifies that "The attack must use a finesse or ...
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Does sneak attack damage do max damage on a critical hit?
I have been trying to find an official ruling on this. In our campaign currently the DM says that one of the sneak attack die will do max damage, and I roll for the other one.
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Is your mount an enemy of your target in terms of triggering sneak attack?
I was working on building a Zorro character and this question came up: if a rogue is riding on a mount, is that mount considered an ally, or, specifically, an "enemy" of your target?
One of the ways ...
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If I have Extra Attacks, when can I decide which one is a sneak attack?
So, if a character multiclasses to a point where they have multiple attacks in a round, I assume you can decide once the hit has been confirmed by the DM, but before you roll damage, whether you make ...
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Can a Rogue exploit a tiny familiar for automatic Sneak Attack in melee?
A Rogue's Sneak Attack can be triggered "if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it". This other enemy may be a familiar. Being tiny, a spider familiar can mount the Rogue without limiting ...
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Damage roll on critical hit with multiple abilities/spells?
I have built a 5th Level Rogue Swashbuckler who took Magic Initiate feat at Level 4 to do some extra damage with Booming Blade and Green Flame Blade.
When using a normal rapier with Booming Blade at ...
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Can a Swashbuckler use Sneak Attack every turn on an isolated target?
This question is somewhat related to Can you get Sneak Attack with any weapon as a Swashbuckler?
One of my players is a Swashbuckler Rogue, and we debated if he could use the Sneak Attack on every ...
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The descriptions of the Swashbuckler rogue's Rakish Audacity feature in XGTE and SCAG disagree. Which is correct?
In the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide (p. 136), the second paragraph of the Swashbuckler rogue's Rakish Audacity feature description reads:
In addition, you don't need advantage on your attack roll ...
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Can a multiclassed rogue/Arcane Archer fighter use Sneak Attack on a Piercing Arrow?
If a multi-classed rogue/Arcane Archer fighter (XGtE) is using the Piercing Arrow option for Arcane Shot, can he use Sneak Attack on one of the creatures damaged by the effect?
Can he do it even if ...
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Does an invisible ally adjacent to a rogue's target enable Sneak Attack?
Let's say a teammate is invisible and within 5' of a creature, but not attacking it (and therefore maintaining invisibility). Would a Rogue be able to deal sneak attack damage to that creature every ...
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When does a hidden opponent that is moving become visible?
Directly inspired by the question, When does a hidden opponent that is attacking become visible?.
From the Player's Handbook, page 194:
If you are hidden -- both unseen and unheard -- when you ...
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How many times does Sneak Attack damage apply with several attacks?
I've designed for a campaign a duo of rogues. My character is as Sniper, and his follower is a Knife Mistress. Couple of questions about them.
Our party is about to ambush several trolls. My Sniper ...
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Can a rogue's sneak attack feature be used on objects?
The Rogue's Sneak Attack says
Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an ...
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Precision damage and damage reduction
So reading through the rules on damage types and damage reduction they read as the following summary
Bludge\Peirc\Slashing yadda yadda these can have damage reduction
Then it says energy - Not ...
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Does Mirror Image enable Sneak Attack?
This question is related to this other question and builds on that.
From some of the answer provided in the linked question, it would seem that the RAI for proccing sneak attack is that the enemy ...
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Crossbows or bows: which is better for sneak attack archery and why?
I apologize if this comes off as a subjective question as I know no other way to put it.
But from a Purely Objective Standpoint, which one would be better if you plan to make a sneak attack archer and ...
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Effective sneak attacks with spells [closed]
Update: Turns out there was an FAQ in 2013 which states that spells like scorching ray only get sneak attack applied ONCE (or to one ray) instead of each ray getting the sneak attack. Due to this the ...
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Why can I not sneak attack with Magic Missile?
I have been brewing up a character build that uses Toppling Spell to knock creatures prone with Magic Missile. I stumbled across Kobold Style, specifically Kobold Groundling, and realized that if I ...
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Rogue using Dual Wield and Sneak Attack
I have heard that when a rogue dual wields, the rogue has one primary action which is used to attack main hand and a bonus action which is used to attack off hand.
My question is: can the rogue ...
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How to sneak attack in the dark?
Backstabbing and darkness go together in most RPGs that I ever played. However, in Pathfinder you actually have to see what you're doing if you want to sneak attack. How else are you going to hit the ...
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I've stolen your fireball, now what?
So, for the first time ever, I have someone in my group playing a spellthief. (woohoo!)
However, it got me thinking, and the answer doesn't quite spell itself out (wow, the pun).
When a spellthief ...
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Does immunity to damage from nonmagical attacks negate a rogue's Sneak Attack damage?
My party came across an encounter against a creature that is supposed to be immune to damage from non-magical attacks. This isn't much of a problem for us, as we have magic weapons. But our rogue ...
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Does an attack against an illusory duplicate from the Mirror Image spell trigger the Sentinel feat?
If I'm playing a Rogue with the mirror image spell and possess the Sentinel feat, do I get an opportunity attack if an enemy attacks me in melee but hits a mirror image instead?
Would this trigger ...
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What is the highest number of sneak attacks that a Pure/High Level Rogue (Level 17+) can make in one round?
Rogues only get one sneak attack per turn. Which means that they can only get it once on their turn and once with their reaction (through Sentinel or a Battle Master's Commander's Strike or an Attack ...
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Should a rogue be denied a hide attempt if he is around a corner of a hall and his position is known, and it is the only place to hide? [duplicate]
I am having trouble understanding why the hide and sneak attack rule is applicable to a rogue hiding at the corner of a long hall.
If a rogue shoots an arrow down the hall and hits his target on the ...
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Can I use the Deadeye Shot feat with ranged-touch spells (rays)?
I was wondering if I can use the Deadeye Shot feat (Dragon Compendium) with a spell like scorching ray (ranged-touch) for example.
The feat description says that you have to ready action a ranged ...
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Rogue sneak attack and what does it mean to be an enemy? [duplicate]
The Rogue can sneak attack if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it. What constitutes being an enemy - Hostile intent or hostile actions or just being a passive ally?
An ally of the ...
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Is there a basic list of ways in which a low-level Rogue can get advantage for sneak attack?
I'm looking through the PHB and I don't see any simple list of ways for a rogue to get advantage in combat. At high levels, a Rogue might have a special subclass such as Assassin that might allow ...