[3.5] Precise Strike feat for Assassin? Advices needed in feat selection.

[Lortharian Duin]

Dragon Magazine Compendium for 3.5 contains a list of feats among which I found Precise Strike feat.

Now, Precise Strike feat grants a sneak attack user to take away any number of dice of his sneak attack damage when making an attack that would qualify him for SA in order to add +2 circumstance bonus on attack roll for each die reduction he makes.
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First thought that came on my mind was: "WOW!!!", seriously?! +2 per die. Yeah, it comes with a price, rest SA in that round must have same dice reduction.
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Do I actually need this? I have a place for it on my 6th level feat, prerequisite is not a problem for any rogue even on 1st level?
I'm sneak attacking a target that is flat-footed or flanked, I already have a solid chance for hitting them. Not to mention Wraithblade spell and skill tricks I use to make my SA more effective and flawless in various situations.
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My question is...what you playgrounders think? Is this feat worth takin' for my assassin.
Current build: ranger 2/rogue 3/assassin 8/unseen seer 2/uncanny trickster 3/ x ?

my current feats are:
1st Quick Draw, Weapon finesse, Darkstalker via kind DM, Craven via flaw
3rd Flick of the Wrist
6th ???
9th Staggering Strike
12th Acrobatic Strike
15th Practiced Spellcaster (Assassin)
18th Craft Contingent Spell

Could there be a better feat to take? I'm asking your general thought about this.

[StreamOfTheSky]

My thing about Precise Strike is that, IMO, by the way it works, you can sack SA dice for the to hit bonus against a creature immune to sneak attack. You make the decision before rolling damage, and if you met the conditions for sneak attack, it is still a sneak attack even though the target will be immune to the damage.

Read this way, it is a nice fallback option against foes you'd normally be hosed against, just as dungeonscape's trapsense replacement to do half SA damage against immune foes is.

If your DM agrees with this interpretation, definitely take it. If he does not, it's still not a bad feat.... it's just that rogue is so feat starved between Darkstalker / Staggering Strike / Weapon Finesse / Craven / the TWF or archery feat tree... it just becomes hard to fit it in.

I do not like Flick of the Wrist or Acrobatic Backstab, though. Maybe if you dropped those you'd have more room for feats with the flaws.

If your DM didn't ban Wraithstrike, you do not need this feat to help you hitting, though. Not at all.

[Lortharian Duin]

My thing about Precise Strike is that, IMO, by the way it works, you can sack SA dice for the to hit bonus against a creature immune to sneak attack. You make the decision before rolling damage, and if you met the conditions for sneak attack, it is still a sneak attack even though the target will be immune to the damage.

Read this way, it is a nice fallback option against foes you'd normally be hosed against, just as dungeonscape's trapsense replacement to do half SA damage against immune foes is.

Agreed, boosting my hit in situation its simply needed, against foes that are immune on precision dmg. I did take Penetrating Strike ACF.


If your DM agrees with this interpretation, definitely take it. If he does not, it's still not a bad feat.... it's just that rogue is so feat starved between Darkstalker / Staggering Strike / Weapon Finesse / Craven / the TWF or archery feat tree... it just becomes hard to fit it in.

I do not like Flick of the Wrist or Acrobatic Backstab, though. Maybe if you dropped those you'd have more room for feats with the flaws.

If your DM didn't ban Wraithstrike, you do not need this feat to help you hitting, though. Not at all.

I got TWF from rangers combat style, advancing it further via Gloves of Balanced Hand or somethin' I haven't made up my mind about it yet. Those extra attacks at extra -5 I usually missed without Wraithstrike. I'll probably take ITWF instead of Acrobatic Strike.

Thing is, I Tumble a lot :smallbiggrin:, but yeah in comparison with TWF its a bit weak. Flick of the Wrist is taken because I'm using daggers, a lot of daggers, constantly drawing them against new enemies and making them flat-footed in heat of battle.