Is it possible to get sneak attack damage to AoE spells, like fireball?

[thorr-kan]

Is it possible to get sneak attack damage to AoE spells, like fireball?

I suddenly find myself wanting the roll ALL the d6s.

[Karl Aegis]

No. Sneak Attack normally doesn't apply to area attacks or volley attacks.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Search for the mailman build guide. You're welcome.

[Zancloufer]

You can only apply sneak attack damage to anything that requires a attack roll.

That does include just about every ray spell though. Stuff like (Split Ray) Scorching Ray for example can hit quite a few targets and you can apply sneak attack to it.

[Eldonauran]

Yes, it is certainly possible but requires heavy level investment: specifically the tenth level capstone of the Arcane Trickster prestige class (Surprise Spells).

[Caudex Capite]

Yes, it is certainly possible but requires heavy level investment: specifically the tenth level capstone of the Arcane Trickster prestige class (Surprise Spells).

It's important to note that only the Pathfinder Arcane Trickster has this capstone ability; the 3.5 version doesn't get anything along those lines. But yeah, in a PF game, Arcane Trickster can definitely do it, albeit only versus flat-footed opponents.

[ericgrau]

You can only apply sneak attack damage to anything that requires a attack roll.

That does include just about every ray spell though. Stuff like (Split Ray) Scorching Ray for example can hit quite a few targets and you can apply sneak attack to it.

IIRC per rules compendium or complete mage or some such the sneak attack damage only applies to 1 ray in a multi-ray attack though. Quicken spell for a 2nd sneak attack works though.

[Menzath]

IIRC per rules compendium or complete mage or some such the sneak attack damage only applies to 1 ray in a multi-ray attack though. Quicken spell for a 2nd sneak attack works though.

Which I think is dumb. If it can apply to other multiple attacks in a turn, be them melee or ranged, already then why not multiple spell attacks? Hell it can even apply to off-hand hits too.
Some things in rules compendium make as much sense as core rules.

[Zaq]

The Rules Compendium does, however, allow multiple sneak attacks on volley attacks that take a full attack or a full-round action. So if you happen to be a Sorcerer using your Split Ray Scorching Ray and therefore you’re spending a full-round action on it, all of those attacks can be sneak attacks.

[Zaq]

That would be pretty weird.. but it doesn't work, the rules in that same compendium say so later in the book.

...Really? Huh. I was looking at page 42 for the “full-round action = cool” rule. What page is the contradiction on?

[Troacctid]

Which I think is dumb. If it can apply to other multiple attacks in a turn, be them melee or ranged, already then why not multiple spell attacks? Hell it can even apply to off-hand hits too.
Some things in rules compendium make as much sense as core rules.
It's actually from the weaponlike spell rules in Complete Arcane. Rules Compendium only reprinted it. And it's true for all damage bonuses, not just precision damage. Any bonus to damage applies only to the first attack a spell makes each round, regardless of whether that attack hits or misses.

[thorr-kan]

Thanks folks.

[Mordaedil]

DO note that there is not need to add sneak attack to fireballs, it is far more effective to simply level up and apply full casterlevel d6's to your attacks rather than applying sneak attack, which increases every other level, to your fireballs.

The way around that is by using Arcane Trickster and not suck, I guess.