[3.5] Increasing Sneak Attack Range?

[KevLar]

What the title says, basically. Is there a way to increase to increase Sneak Attack range? A feat, class ability, spell, magic item?

All I can think of is the cap ability of the Order of the Bow initiate, which comes rather late (15th level minimum) - though it works constantly and doubles the range. Anything else?

Thanks in advance. :)

[Tacoma]

You have a specially-made crossbow that fires a glider upon which your Pixie cohort rides - with his miniature crossbow that he can use to Sneak Attack. Your main attack is the delivery system for the eventual Sneak Attack!

You can probably incorporate some teleportation shenanigans so the two of you switch places at the last moment so you can Sneak Attack instead of him.

[Iku Rex]

The Crossbow Sniper (PHBII) feat increases your range to 60 feet.

The sniper's shot (SpC, Ass/Rgr/sor/Wiz 1, swift) spell lets you make ranged sneak attacks at any range for 1 round.

[Tacoma]

The sniper's shot (SpC, Ass/Rgr/sor/Wiz 1, swift) spell lets you make ranged sneak attacks at any range for 1 round.


Which suggests that a fourth-level version that lasts one round per level wouldn't be terribly unbalanced.

[only1doug]

What the title says, basically. Is there a way to increase to increase Sneak Attack range? A feat, class ability, spell, magic item?

All I can think of is the cap ability of the Order of the Bow initiate, which comes rather late (15th level minimum) - though it works constantly and doubles the range. Anything else?

Thanks in advance. :)

Snipers shot (SC pg 194) Assassin, sorcerer/wizard, ranger L1.
cast time: 1 swift action.
Effect: until the beginning of your next round all your ranged attacks can be sneak attacks regardless of distance.

Edit: ninja'd by laaaaaaag posting

[PinkysBrain]

Which suggests that a fourth-level version that lasts one round per level wouldn't be terribly unbalanced.
It's not really necessary though, you can just use a wand to cast it each round relatively cheaply ... unless you are a high level rogue/caster it would be the preferred way in fact, if you have to get 4th level spells from items it gets expensive fast.

[Fax Celestis]

The Crossbow Sniper (PHBII) feat increases your range to 60 feet.

The sniper's shot (SpC, Ass/Rgr/sor/Wiz 1, swift) spell lets you make ranged sneak attacks at any range for 1 round.

Or make a continuous item of it at (CL 1 * Spell Level 1 * Duration in Rounds 4 * 2000) 8000 gp.

[Zeful]

The Crossbow Sniper (PHBII) feat increases your range to 60 feet.

The sniper's shot (SpC, Ass/Rgr/sor/Wiz 1, swift) spell lets you make ranged sneak attacks at any range for 1 round.

Yay for sneak attacks from 3300ft away (Composite Longbow of distance+Far shot+10 range increments) All you have to do is make the DC330 spot check to be able to see your target (the cumulative +1 to DC for every 10ft between you and the target makes a +330 adjustment to DC on top of other factors) and you can deliver massive pain from almost 3/5 a mile away.

[KevLar]

OK, thanks everyone, I'll see what I can do with those. :)

[Tacoma]

No it's a silly part of 3E. In order to see something, you have to make a Spot check. This check is generally easy to do for people who aren't hiding and are out in the open in decent illumination.

Problem is, in standard dungeon dimness it's hard to see things that you should legitimately automatically see. And since there's a -1 penalty to Spot every 10 feet you get weird results like:

I'm standing atop a hill and looking down a street running downhill. Four blocks away (400 feet) there's a dude walking toward me. That's -40 to the Spot check, and it's impossible for me to see him. Even though in reality he would be pretty obvious.

This little story illustrates why DM discretion is pretty important, and why you cannot run D&D by RAW.

EDIT: Ninja'd by Kevlar removing his question, which was why the -330 Spot would matter.

[Zeful]

No it's a silly part of 3E. In order to see something, you have to make a Spot check. This check is generally easy to do for people who aren't hiding and are out in the open in decent illumination.

Problem is, in standard dungeon dimness it's hard to see things that you should legitimately automatically see. And since there's a -1 penalty to Spot every 10 feet you get weird results like:

I'm standing atop a hill and looking down a street running downhill. Four blocks away (400 feet) there's a dude walking toward me. That's -40 to the Spot check, and it's impossible for me to see him. Even though in reality he would be pretty obvious.

This little story illustrates why DM discretion is pretty important, and why you cannot run D&D by RAW.

EDIT: Ninja'd by Kevlar removing his question, which was why the -330 Spot would matter.

Which makes targeting spells in battle a nuscense, a 20th level rogue can reliably see 230ft off just skill ranks alone, and could maybe get another 50ft with some good Wisdom boosts. Compare to a Wizard who can only see (reliably) 20ft because of his +2 from Wisdom, or can't (reliably) see at all because of a wisdom penalty.

[KevLar]

Ninja'd by Kevlar removing his question, which was why the -330 Spot would matter.
Yes, I removed the question (which was what Spot checks have to do with Sneak Attack range in particular, not ranged attacks in general), because I realized that Zeful meant that Sneak Attack is already a given, at any range, from the Sniper's Shot spell. Sorry for the confusion.

Also, it's her question. (Though I realize that the mug of Jonathan Pryce in my avatar doesn't help much.)
:)

[PinkysBrain]

Or make a continuous item of it at (CL 1 * Spell Level 1 * Duration in Rounds 4 * 2000) 8000 gp.
I wouldn't allow custom magic items with continuous single duration spells ... with normal casting there are severe limits on how many of these spells can be active at the same time because you can effectively not pre-buff at all.

At the very least I'd add a greater multiplier for single round duration spells (there were no non discharged single round duration spells when the DMG was written).

[BobVosh]

I wouldn't allow custom magic items with continuous single duration spells ... with normal casting there are severe limits on how many of these spells can be active at the same time because you can effectively not pre-buff at all.

At the very least I'd add a greater multiplier for single round duration spells (there were no non discharged single round duration spells when the DMG was written).

Why are you hating on custom magic +20 to hit continuous items? They work completely fine.

[Tacoma]

Um, because with a couple feats you can change 10 of that into +10 AC or +10 damage? Because +1 to hit and damage is normally 2,000 GP (4,000 for non-slot) and +20 to hit should be (20x20x1000) 400,000 GP and epic instead of 8,000 GP and probably CL 3?

Dang. I bet that was rhetorical :smalleek:

[BobVosh]

Um, because with a couple feats you can change 10 of that into +10 AC or +10 damage? Because +1 to hit and damage is normally 2,000 GP (4,000 for non-slot) and +20 to hit should be (20x20x1000) 400,000 GP and epic instead of 8,000 GP and probably CL 3?

Dang. I bet that was rhetorical :smalleek:

What is a rhetorical? :frown:

[Tacoma]

What is a rhetorical? :frown:

It is when you are more clever than I expected :/ (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhetorical)

[shadowfox]

Order of the Bow Initiate: Extended precision (the class's 10th level ability), which extends the class' Ranged Precision (and any sneak attack damage, if they have any (and it applies to the shot)) to 60 ft.

Found in the Complete Warrior, pages 68-69.

[Ganurath]

Order of the Bow Initiate: Extended precision (the class's 10th level ability), which extends the class' Ranged Precision (and any sneak attack damage, if they have any (and it applies to the shot)) to 60 ft.

Found in the Complete Warrior, pages 68-69.Found at level 10 of that PrC that doesn't advance sneak attack, roguish skills, and has obscure requirements like Craft and Knowledge (religion.) I'll take Crossbow Sniper any day. All it costs is two feats (Crossbow Sniper itself and the prerequisite Weapon Focus) to double your sneak attack range, with a literal added bonus of half your Dex to damage.

Of course, if you can get your DM to allow Sniper's Eye on a continuous item, do it. Don't expect him to let you keep it, though.