Allowing sneak attack on non-critable enemies

[ShadowfireOmega]

I'm going to be starting up a campaign soon, and one of my future players is planning on taking up the rogue class. Thing is, I plan on using a lot of undead and constructs in my campaign, and I know how frustrating it can be to be a rogue in these situations. Is there anything out there (weapon enchants, feats, alternative class features) that enable sneak attacks on normally immune enemies?

If not, would one of the following be more or less balanced?

Disruptor enchantment:
Disruptor enchantments let you use a portion of your sneak attack bonus against a certain type of enemy (chosen at time of enchantment). Disruptor has three levels of enchantment, each allowing more of the sneak attack damage to apply.
Disruptor I - Allows 1/3 sneak attack die to be used;Price +1 bonus.
Disruptor II- Allows 2/3 sneak attack die to be used;Price +2 bonus
Disruptor III- Allows full sneak attack to be used;Price +3 bonus

or

Enable Critical from Netbook of Feats
Allows you to choose one type of creature normally immune to critical hits and be able to crit/sneak attack them.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Complete Champion p51 has the Death's Ruin alternate class feature, which replaces a Rogue's Trap Sense class feature. This allows the Rogue to still get half his sneak attack dice (rounded down) against undead, when circumstances would allow him to deliver sneak attacks.

Spell Compendium has the spells Grave Strike and Golem Strike, both have a swift action casting time and allow the caster to sneak attack undead or constructs respectively for one round. Per the Rules Compendium a wand takes the same action to activate as the spell being used. He can invest in UMD and put a wand chamber in each of his weapons to always have those available when needed. He'll probably also want a few ranks in Knowledge: Religion and Knowledge: Arcana so he can recognize when he's fighting an undead or construct.

[Venger]

Complete Champion p51 has the Death's Ruin alternate class feature, which replaces a Rogue's Trap Sense class feature. This allows the Rogue to still get half his sneak attack dice (rounded down) against undead, when circumstances would allow him to deliver sneak attacks.

Spell Compendium has the spells Grave Strike and Golem Strike, both have a swift action casting time and allow the caster to sneak attack undead or constructs respectively for one round. Per the Rules Compendium a wand takes the same action to activate as the spell being used. He can invest in UMD and put a wand chamber in each of his weapons to always have those available when needed. He'll probably also want a few ranks in Knowledge: Religion and Knowledge: Arcana so he can recognize when he's fighting an undead or construct.

In addition to these options, dungeonscape's penetrating strike acf allows him to target crit immune enemies, and the truedeath and destruction weapon crystals from magic item compendium allow him to affect undead and construct type enemies respectively

Though from your thread title, I thought you were going to ask if you should just outright allow him to treat undead and constructs normally with regards to precision damage.

Honestly balancewise, I would say that's a decent houserule. These types have these features partially because they make up a fairly small portion of monsters overall assuming random enemy generation. If your custom campaign has a lot of undead and/or constructs in it by design, then by default, your rogue will not be able to use the thing he invested the bulk of his character resources in in combat, and depending on starting level and such, it might be a while before he's allowed to meaningfully contribute. meeting the conditions for sneak attack's already difficult enough, letting him actually use it once in a while won't break the game.

[zlefin]

you could use pathfinder's rules for sneak attack; which lets it apply to many more types than in 3.5. (they also applies to other precision damage sources).

if not that then i'd second the appropriate weapon crystals.

[ShurikVch]

Bane of the Clockwork is a 3rd-level Monk ACF from Dragon #351, which allow to crit Constructs with unarmed strike (and make them vulnerable to the Stunning Fist)

Wormhunter PrC (Dragon #338) at 3rd level may select Smite Undead gift, which allow to crit (and SA) Undead; also, spells of "Cure ..." line, when cast on you, would work as if they were Empowered and Maximized. Note: this PrC is accessible to a single-class Rogue

Skullclan Hunter PrC (Miniatures Handbook) 2nd-level CF Divine Strike allow to make SA damage to Undead; the PrC required Turn Undead and Good alignment

[gorfnab]

The Razing Strike feat from Complete Adventurer sort of works for character with casting and sneak attack abilities.

[Rynjin]

Yeah, just use Pathfinder's Sneak Attack. It's still weak as hell even with the change, so no balance issue.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

There are weapon crystals for sneak attack different types that immune to SA.
There are gloves in the same book that let you SA and Crit 3/day.

You can also use the Lightbringer Rogue from Expedition to Castle Ravenloft page 208.

[skunk3]

There's already fairly inexpensive weapon crystals in the Magic Item Compendium that allow you to sneak attack constructs and undead. The greater versions of the crystals are only 10k IIRC. Much better than taking a pointless ACF or blowing a feat.

[ShurikVch]

Dragon #297 have Destructive Attack feat, which allow Assassin's Death Attack to affect Constructs, Plants, and Undead.
Besides the SoD effect, victim will also suffer all of SA damage (apparently, regardless of save result)
It's [epic] feat, but there is very little of "epic" about it: prerequisites are Death Attack, Improved Death Attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#improvedDeathAttack), Power Attack, and Str 21
IDA is the only [epic] thing there, but still doable pre-Epic, if you would disregard the [epic] tag

[DrMotives]

In Complete Champion, there are actually 2 ACF allowing sneak attack on undead. One is the already mentioned Death's Ruin, the other is Holy Stalker, and a single rogue can take both if they choose. Holy Stalker uses a rogue "special ability" choice, and it allows you to add +2 damage worth of Positive Energy for every die of sneak attack you have when sneak attacking undead. So, a rogue with 5d6 of regular sneak attack and both features will sneak attack undead for 2d6+10. At 6d6 regular, they can deal 3d6+12 to undead.

[ShadowfireOmega]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I don't think the crystals would be able to help much for a while, as the greater versions are the ones that allow the sneak attacks and they cost a bit more than they'll have for a while. I think I'll just do it case by case. Undead an constructs would be a yes, something like oozes or swarms would be a no.

[Venger]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I don't think the crystals would be able to help much for a while, as the greater versions are the ones that allow the sneak attacks and they cost a bit more than they'll have for a while. I think I'll just do it case by case. Undead an constructs would be a yes, something like oozes or swarms would be a no.

That seems like a good solution.

[ericgrau]

^ I agree it is a good solution and there's little to worry about since it's been done before. It is a power boost to rogues, but not much of one and it's not like they were the strongest class to begin with. The alternatives would be to say "My campaign is full of undead and constructs, don't play a rogue" or "Here's how you spend a bunch of resources just to function normally. Often this wouldn't be a bad deal to get either undead or construct SA, but for my particular campaign it's going to get pricey because you need both."

[zlefin]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I don't think the crystals would be able to help much for a while, as the greater versions are the ones that allow the sneak attacks and they cost a bit more than they'll have for a while. I think I'll just do it case by case. Undead an constructs would be a yes, something like oozes or swarms would be a no.

that sounds pretty much like how pathfinders rules for it work. so you might wanna copy their selections of what it does/doesn't work on.

[HighWater]

I had the same issue, except that I didn't realize in advance that my campaign was going to be very Undead-heavy. In the end, I introduced an "artifact" that allows the Rogue full S/A damage (and crits) vs undead (while also being very much a plot driver). To assure you: with the rest of the Party being a Bard, a Cleric, a Ranger and a Sorcerer, allowing the Rogue to Sneak Attack Undead is NOT overpowered.

In other news, Disruptive Attack makes for a pretty interesting alternative: Rogue can debuff enemies with a -5 to AC when hitting them in a way that would normally be a Sneak Attack by giving up the S/A damage. This works even if the enemy is normally immune to S/A. The Rogue has to trade in Uncanny Dodge, but if the Rogue gets it again through another class (say, Assassin PrC), this can be quite interesting.

[SirNibbles]

Skullclan Hunter PrC (Miniatures Handbook) 2nd-level CF Divine Strike allow to make SA damage to Undead; the PrC required Turn Undead and Good alignment

If I recall correctly, this one makes every hit- not just attacks that would be Sneak Attacks- deal SA damage to undead. It could possibly stack with some ACFs to deal more than full SA damage on an actual SA, depending on your DM's interpretation.