What happens: Extra damage + Ability damage

[Fyermind]

Rough example:
Wizard 3 rogue 1
has sneak attack +1d6
Has point blank shot
casts ray of stupidity (1d4+1 int damage as a ranged touch attack)

The target is unsuspecting (flat footed) and withing 30 feet, and so this is a sneak attack and a point blank shot.

Point blank shot is mentioned specifically in Complete Arcane as boosting accuracy but NOT damage on ability damage only ranged touch attacks, so the ray has +1 to hit +0 to int damage from that. What about sneak attack?

What about other things that increase damage? Is there a general rule stated anywhere that has +damage =/= + ability damage on an attack dealing only ability damage?

Otherwise can we determine that because it specifically nots that point blank shot doesn't add to damage that most bonuses would?

1d4+1d6+1 int damage (average 7 in damage or enough to drop many monsters in 1 or 2 hits almost all of the time) from a level 4 character seems a tad too powerful, especially considering this could probably be done at level 1 against some foes and definitely at level 2.

What about lesser shivering touch? and other melee spells that deal ability damage on an attack without dealing damage?

What about other forms of damage than ability damage? Some forms of hit point damage are particularly brutal (yes I mean VILE damage). What about negative energy damage? Can I sneak attack a inflict moderate wounds? Can I sneak attack a gravestike cure minor wounds against a zombie? What about sneak attack positive energy attacks to things healed by positive energy? Sneak attack + golemstrike + fire damage on a iron golem... extra healing?

I am looking for RAW if is exists dictating what to do in these circumstances.

[gorfnab]

From the article Rules of the Game: All About Sneak Attacks, Part Four (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040309a)


Spells as Sneak Attacks

Any spell that requires an attack roll and deals damage can be used in a sneak attack. In this case "damage" is normal damage, nonlethal damage, ability damage, or energy drain. You can sneak attack with a Melf's acid arrow spell, but not with a magic missile spell.

Ranged spells are effective as sneak attacks only at ranges of 30 feet or less (just like any other ranged sneak attack).

A successful sneak attack with a weaponlike spell inflicts extra damage according to the attacker's sneak attack ability, and the extra damage dealt is the same type as the spell deals. For example, a 10th-level rogue who makes a successful sneak attack with a Melf's acid arrow spell inflicts 2d4 points of acid damage, plus an extra 5d6 points of acid damage from the sneak attack (note that continuing damage from this spell is not part of the sneak attack). Spells that inflict energy drains or ability damage deal extra negative energy damage in a sneak attack, not extra negative levels or ability damage. For example, a 10th-level rogue who makes a successful sneak attack with an enervation spell deals 1d4 negative levels plus an extra 5d6 points of negative energy damage.

If the sneak attack with a weaponlike spell results in a critical hit, the damage from the spell is doubled but the extra sneak attack damage is not doubled (as with any sneak attack).

With spell effects that allow you to make multiple attack rolls, such as the energy orb spells or the Split Ray feat from Tome and Blood, you must treat the effect like a volley -- only the first attack can be a sneak attack.

[Fyermind]

From the article Rules of the Game: All About Sneak Attacks, Part Four (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040309a)

Great. Does that cary over for other types of bonus damage (say inspire courage or ranged spell specialization?)

[Keld Denar]

Inspire Courage boosts all to hit, but it only benefits WEAPON damage, so that is moot.

Ranged Spell Specialization would be converted to negative energy damage, though.

[NoldorForce]

From the article Rules of the Game: All About Sneak Attacks, Part Four (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040309a)Be wary of quoting Rules of the Game. Not only is it not a rules source of its own (it's designed to compile the existing rules), but Skip Williams sometimes gets things wrong. (To be fair, everything you quoted is correct and corroborated in other sources.)

[Fyermind]

The question about IC is still valid due to weapon-like spells as introduced (poorly) in complete arcane.

As a general rule does added damage to ability damage become negative energy damage? Where is/are instances of that rule in published material?

Apparently if one had an attack dealing 1d6+1 points of vile damage and no other effects then added sneak attack +4d6+8 the attack would deal 5d6+9 vile damage and very much annoy anyone who hoped to recover from the encounter.

[NoldorForce]

The question about IC is still valid due to weapon-like spells as introduced (poorly) in complete arcane.

As a general rule does added damage to ability damage become negative energy damage? Where is/are instances of that rule in published material?

Apparently if one had an attack dealing 1d6+1 points of vile damage and no other effects then added sneak attack +4d6+8 the attack would deal 5d6+9 vile damage and very much annoy anyone who hoped to recover from the encounter.Rules Compendium addresses this to a degree. (Page 136) Everything in the RotG quote is correct, but it only applies to weaponlike spells. Other abilities like the shadow's Strength Damage (which does exactly what it sounds like) aren't under this purview, so by default they end up dealing more (!) ability damage instead. In addition, that's only precision damage that gets converted to negative energy; nonmagical things that increase weapon damage are not subject to these same conversions. Bardic music is magical, however, and per that same page doesn't add any sort of damage unless it says otherwise.

Honestly things would have been much less convoluted if WotC had simply said that effects which could boost weapon damage get auto-converted to negative energy if they aren't dealing hit point damage...but they couldn't get that act together until 4E. So we're stuck with a hilarious mess.