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Nanase NOT smash?

- At egscomics 

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Thank you, everyone, for your patience during the EGSNP break! I really, really needed it. I'll probably take another short break after this storyline is over, though I might not. I'll figure it out when we get there.

My understanding of sneak attacks in some games is that they're not necessarily that sneaky? This might just be because of video games, but when I think of a sneak attack, I think of an attack outside of battle that no one was ready for, but I suppose it also makes sense that an attack could be sneaky mid-battle.

It IS my understanding that being hit by an unexpected attack mid-battle is a thing that can actually happen. Apparently, when people fight for real, it's not even turn-based? It's all very strange.

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Comments

Jared Fattmann

I mean... what you're thinking of as a sneak attack does matter for the Assassin subclass's Assassinate ability.

AstroChaos

Probably the most critical thing to keep in mind with sneak attacks, or surprise rounds really... YOUR character might think they are being SUPER sneaky... even when you as the player know you just rolled a 2 on the die. You can think you have slipped in under the cover of darkness like the coolest ninja, and not realize the guy on the watchtower saw you doing your comically exaggerated sneak walk and already quietly passed the word along to ambush you.

Otter Annason

i played a scoot-and-shoot rogue in 5e for a while, i could hide and fire my autobow as a sneak during combat--the idea is the opponent doesn't know where the shot is coming from thus loses many advantages. Usually had an action remaining with which i could move and hide again each time. Of course, the opponent(s) were usually also occupied with a couple tanking fighters at the same time, which helps a lot

James David White

The most common strat is that if you flank the enamy, where you have one person in front of and one person behind you can always do a sneak attack. But there are many other fun things you can do to be sneaky in battle.

wargrunt42

One of the major differences in sneak attacks in video games and TTRPGS is that once you blow your cover, at least in most video games I play, there's no option for going back into hiding. In D&amp;D, you can always try to make another hide or stealth check to get the enemy to lose track of you, so long as it's feasible to do so. For instance, if you were to get into a fight in a wide open plain in broad daylight with no cover, you'd be hard pressed to find an opportunity to get a sneak attack in. In a barely lit dungeon however, there should be opportunities galore! It's all about taking advantage of the environment and the distractions provided by your allies.

John Beattie

Originally, it was called backstab, and it was exactly what it said on the tin. You got behind an enemy who didn't know you were there and you could get extra damage on your attack. It was normally only useful in the first round of combat, after which point thieves weren't much use in the fight. Later editions opened up more cases where it could be used to make the thief (now a rogue) useful beyond that first hit.

Kendra Kirai

In D&amp;D, at least in 3.x, which is the last time I actually paid attention to Sneak attack damage you get sneak attacks any time you get flanking, assuming you have the right feats. I had a Catfolk who got it every time she moved a certain amount in a round via the 'Skirmish' feat, I believe it was.

IvyReed

Larry got 'Doctor Strange Quantum Multi-versed' with that version of himself that played an RPG and turned into an elf girl. They've been nothing but helpful and normal the entire time! Good for her.

Some Ed

Also, backstab had to be a stab, which was why sword thieves were treated with a lot of distain. "You could get one attack in a fight that matters after which all your fighting stinks, but no, you insist on being mediocre in combat all the time." To be clear, by `mediocre` here, I mean its original meaning of ordinary and average, rather than its more recent `poor quality` meaning.

John Beattie

No feats needed. In 3.x, Rogues automatically got sneak attack when they flanked (so long as they weren't fighting something immune to sneak attack, like constructs or undead). In 4e, flanking granted combat advantage, which gave rogues sneak attack. In 5e, flanking itself is an optional rule, but you get sneak attack anytime you have an ally adjacent to the target, so flanking would still get sneak attack.