Most Generally Applicable Sneak Attack [3.5]

[subject42]

Things are getting hairy in a campaign that I'm playing, and I'm working on a backup character in the event that I die.

I've never played a rogue before and would like to give it a try, but there's a small problem with playing a rogue in this campaign.

At present almost every enemy that we have fought has been undead, a robot, a zombie robot, a robot zombie, and elemental, an aberration, an abberant zombie elemental, or an ooze, or a swarm. I wouldn't be surprised if we ran into an elemental swarm of robot zombie oozes soon.

The DM isn't actively trying to hose rogues, but the setting tends to lean toward enemies that can't be affected by sneak attacks. Since that's a key class feature of rogues, I'm looking for any advice you can suggest for making sneak attack work on as many enemies as possible.


So far I've thought of getting a magical tattoo of Grave Strike, which would take care of the undead problem. Any other suggestions?

[JeenLeen]

The weapon crystals in Magic Item Compedium: there is one that lets you get critical hits on undead and one that lets you get critical hits on constructs (which I assume robots are). It might also say you get sneak attack, but if they are now vulnerable to your critical hits, they should be vulnerable to your sneak attacks, I imagine, even if it is not explicitly stated.

There are some level 1 spells, such as Grave Strike which you mentioned. I think one exists for constructs. If multi-classing makes sense, you could take a level as a spellcaster to unlock those level 1 spells.

There are also bracers in Magic Item Compedium that let you, 3 times per day, sneak attack an enemy ususally immune to sneak attack. I forget the name, though.

[The Rose Dragon]

Try Penetrating Strike or Disruptive Attack from Dungeonscape and PHB II, respectively. They are both Sneak Attack variants (that you have to sacrifice a class feature to get) that affect enemies immune to sneak attacks.

[Curmudgeon]

You want the Penetrating Strike alternative class feature (Dungeonscape, page 13). You give up trap sense to gain the ability to do 1/2 normal sneak attack damage to normally sneak-immune creatures -- but only when you flank them. It still won't work against Elementals, Oozes, and Swarms, since creatures of those types can't be flanked.

The swift action spells are Grave Strike (undead), Vine Strike (plants), and Golem Strike (constructs), all in Spell Compendium. Since Rules Compendium made the spell trigger time the same as the casting time, you can make use of wands of these spells with Use Magic Device.

The weapon augment crystals (Greater Demolition for constructs and Greater Truedeath for undead) require a +3 weapon to attach to.

Since you're going to have much of your damage halved, boost it with Craven (Champions of Ruin). Craven adds 1 point of damage per character level to your sneak attack. As this isn't damage dice, it gets multiplied on a critical hit.

[Kaiyanwang]

Dungeonscape there is an ACF for rogue, Penetrating Strike. Allows to deal half SA on flanked enemies.

Saves the day and incite teamwork. I recommend this, saved one player of mine a lot of times.

EDIT: never hoped to beat NINJAS about SA.

[subject42]

Thanks for the head's up on penetrating strike. Is Craven a feat?

[RTGoodman]

Yes, it's a feat (and a darn good one). It's in Champions of Ruin, as Curmudgeon said.

[JeenLeen]

Also, in Complete Champion, there's an alternative class feature that lets you sneak attack undead at 1/2 sneak attack dice. It also loses Trap Sense, so you can't have it and Penetrating Strike. I don't recall it requiring flanking, but it's limited to undead.