Sneak Attack Basic Question

[Orangekun]

So this is a pretty simple question, but something so broad I guess that Google just won't give me a straight answer. How many attacks per round can be considered sneak attacks?

I've seen multiple answers: sneak attack damage applies to all attacks made during the round in which the rogue's target is vulnerable to them (flat-footed, flanked, whatever); sneak attack damage only applies on the first attack made in that round.

Which is true?

[iDesu]

Any attack that qualifies deals sneak attack damage, so as long as your attacks still meet the requirements you still deal sneak attack damage.
From the d20srd

The rogue’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target.

[JellyPooga]

Sneak Attacks apply to all attacks made that qualify (i.e. whilst the target is either denied his Dex bonus to AC or the Rogue is Flanking the target).

So if you're making 3 attacks, whilst flanking the target, all three will get the Sneak Attack bonus damage.

A confusion that might have cropped up for you is one regarding the Feint special manoeuver. If you successfully Feint on one round, in the next round your target is only considered flat-footed for the next single attack. So a Feint-Full Attack combination will only result in one attack (the first one) being a Sneak Attack, unless the target is otherwise flanked or denied dex.

[Orangekun]

Wow! Thank you both for the quick replies!

With regards to Feint, I'm not entirely sure how it works. Is it a full round action? Also, it leaves your target flat-flooted for one round? I just want to clear up all confusion about the feat.

[Curmudgeon]

From the Bluff skill description:
A Bluff check made to feint in combat or create a diversion to hide is a standard action.

[BowStreetRunner]

There are two circumstances of which I am aware that are likely to cause confusion here. First, if you make multiple attacks in a situation where the first attack negates the condition that allows you to sneak attack, then only the first attack gains sneak attack damage. Second, there are some special attacks that prohibit applying precision damage (critical hit, sneak attack, sudden strike, and skirmish damage) to the bonus attacks.

An example of the first situation is using Invisibility (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/invisibility.htm) to make a sneak attack. Since the fist attack ends the Invisibility, subsequent attacks would not be counted as sneak attacks unless some other condition was present that negated the target's Dex bonus to AC or provided Flanking.

An example of the second situation is using Manyshot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#manyshot) to launch a sneak attack against a target. Manyshot specifically states that it applies precision damage only once.

[TuggyNE]

An example of the second situation is using Manyshot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#manyshot) to launch a sneak attack against a target. Manyshot specifically states that it applies precision damage only once.

More generally, according to the Rules Compendium, precision damage does not apply to multiple ("volley") attacks made as a standard action, but does apply to multiple attacks made as a full-round action — XPH's Greater Manyshot being a specific exception to this. So scorching ray will normally only get precision damage/critical hits on at most one of its rays, but if a Sorcerer applies metamagic to it, increasing the casting time to a full round, all the rays are eligible.

[tyckspoon]

More generally, according to the Rules Compendium, precision damage does not apply to multiple ("volley") attacks made as a standard action, but does apply to multiple attacks made as a full-round action — XPH's Greater Manyshot being a specific exception to this. So scorching ray will normally only get precision damage/critical hits on at most one of its rays, but if a Sorcerer applies metamagic to it, increasing the casting time to a full round, all the rays are eligible.

Except there's another more specific statement referring to only spells- only the first hit gets bonus damage (that's 'bonus damage' in general, not just Sneak Attack/precision damage- if for whatever reason you have Weapon Specialization in Rays, you only get that once.) I recommend ignoring it because it pointlessly neuters a lot of builds, but it is there.

[BowStreetRunner]

Except there's another more specific statement referring to only spells- only the first hit gets bonus damage (that's 'bonus damage' in general, not just Sneak Attack/precision damage- if for whatever reason you have Weapon Specialization in Rays, you only get that once.) I recommend ignoring it because it pointlessly neuters a lot of builds, but it is there.

There are enough quirky rules like this that as a rule of thumb we generally just go with the 'attack roll rule'. This is a house rule that condenses a lot of the complicated rules into one single rule - if there is one attack roll, then precision damage is only applied once (i.e. Manyshot), while if there are multiple attack rolls, then precision damage can be applied with each hit.

[gorfnab]

This may be of use to you:
Rules of the Game: All About Sneak Attacks (Part One) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040217a)
Rules of the Game: All About Sneak Attacks (Part Two) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040224a)
Rules of the Game: All About Sneak Attacks (Part Three) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040302a)
Rules of the Game: All About Sneak Attacks (Part Four) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040309a)

Rules Compendium - Page 42


A number of abilities in the game allow a creature to deal extra damage by striking a vital area. This category of abilities includes sneak attack and other abilities that work like it, such as a ninja’s sudden strike (Complete Adventurer 8) and scout’s skirmish (Complete Adventurer 12). For the sake of simplicity, the extra damage such abilities deal is referred to as precision damage. Several factors are important to keep in mind regarding this sort of damage.

Precision damage applies on any attack that meets the requirements of the ability that grants the damage. This includes multiple attacks made during a full attack. If conditions somehow change between multiple attacks, attacks that not longer meet the ability’s requirements can’t deal precision damage.


v.3.5 Main D&D FAQ (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20030221a)


If a rogue gets multiple attacks in a round (such as from
a high base attack bonus or the Rapid Shot feat), can she
make sneak attacks for all of them?

Yes, but only if each attack meets a requirement to be a
sneak attack. For instance, a rogue who flanks an enemy can
deliver a sneak attack with every melee attack she makes. A
rogue under the effect of a greater invisibility spell treats every
attack as a sneak attack, since she remains invisible despite
attacking. If later attacks in a round no longer meet any
requirement to be a sneak attack, they aren’t sneak attacks. For
example, a rogue under the effect of an invisibility spell would
deal sneak attack damage only with her first attack in a round,
because she turns visible as soon as she makes the attack.