RichardAK
2012-10-21, 02:05 PM
I have a question about the interaction between two abilities: Sniping Mastery and Legendary Sniper. The former is a special ability listed in Races of the Wild, p. 160; it is a class feature available to Halfling Rogues at 10th level if they take the 10th-level racial substitution level. Its description is as follows:
Sniping Mastery (Ex): A halfling rogue who has hidden at least 10 feet away from her target can make one or more ranged attacks, then immediately hide again as a free action. She takes only a –10 penalty on her Hide check to do so (rather than the normal –20; see page 76 of the Player’s Handbook).
This substitution feature replaces the standard rogue’s special ability gained at 10th level.
The latter is an epic feat from issue 297 of Dragon Magazine, p. 29. It's description is as follows (I've only quoted the benefit for brevity's sake):
Benefit: If you've already successfully hidden at least 10 feet away from your target, you can make one ranged attack and then immediately hide again as a move equivalent action without suffering a penalty to your Hide check.
In addition, when you make a sneak attack with a ranged weapon, you deal +1 point of damage per sneak attack die you deal.
So, to sum up, Sniping Mastery lets you hide again as a free action with only a -10 penalty to the Hide check, while Legendary Sniper lets you hide again as a move action with no penalty hide check.
Here's my question: do these abilities stack or overlap? That is, would a Halfling rogue with both abilities be able to hide again as a free action with no penalty (i.e., the abilities stack), or would he have to choose between hiding again as free action with a -10 penalty or hiding again as a move action with no penalty (i.e., the abilities overlap)?
Incidentally, it seems clear that the +1/die of SA damage from Legendary Sniper applies to any ranged sneak attack, whether it was from hiding or not, so it seems obvious to me that, regardless whether the two abilities stack or overlap, the damage bonus would apply either way. Am I wrong about this?
Sniping Mastery (Ex): A halfling rogue who has hidden at least 10 feet away from her target can make one or more ranged attacks, then immediately hide again as a free action. She takes only a –10 penalty on her Hide check to do so (rather than the normal –20; see page 76 of the Player’s Handbook).
This substitution feature replaces the standard rogue’s special ability gained at 10th level.
The latter is an epic feat from issue 297 of Dragon Magazine, p. 29. It's description is as follows (I've only quoted the benefit for brevity's sake):
Benefit: If you've already successfully hidden at least 10 feet away from your target, you can make one ranged attack and then immediately hide again as a move equivalent action without suffering a penalty to your Hide check.
In addition, when you make a sneak attack with a ranged weapon, you deal +1 point of damage per sneak attack die you deal.
So, to sum up, Sniping Mastery lets you hide again as a free action with only a -10 penalty to the Hide check, while Legendary Sniper lets you hide again as a move action with no penalty hide check.
Here's my question: do these abilities stack or overlap? That is, would a Halfling rogue with both abilities be able to hide again as a free action with no penalty (i.e., the abilities stack), or would he have to choose between hiding again as free action with a -10 penalty or hiding again as a move action with no penalty (i.e., the abilities overlap)?
Incidentally, it seems clear that the +1/die of SA damage from Legendary Sniper applies to any ranged sneak attack, whether it was from hiding or not, so it seems obvious to me that, regardless whether the two abilities stack or overlap, the damage bonus would apply either way. Am I wrong about this?