[RPG] Does concealment allow a rogue to make sneak attack

dnd-3.5esneak-attack

Can a rogue use cover or concealment in order to Hide, and thereafter make sneak attacks against enemies he is hidden from?

For example:

  • A rogue sneak attacks an ogre in melee, then runs behind a wall and hides. Having successfully hidden, the rogue runs out the next round and attacks the ogre again. Can he make Sneak Attack?
  • The party is walking through the woods when one is hit by a rogue sniper, who remains hidden. The sniper deals sneak attack damage. The party is now aware of the sniper, but all fail their Spot checks and can't see him. Do the rogue's subsequent attacks deal sneak attack damage?

Rules-as-written, does hiding due to concealment, total concealment or cover explicitly allow you to make sneak attacks? Invisibility or a blinded opponent specifically do, but is there a rule somewhere that you lose Dexterity to AC against opponents who are merely hidden?

Best Answer

Coming Out From Behind The Wall

Maybe. Here's the thing. If the Rogue has to come into the open to do this, he's no longer hiding (you can't hide in the open). No spot check is needed to see the Rogue if he just walks out into clear sight of the Ogre, he's no longer hidden. As he's no longer hidden, he'll need some other condition to allow for a Sneak Attack (flanking for example).

This is one of the reasons why Hide In Plain Sight is so good. If you had that, the Rogue could attempt to remain hidden even out in the open and this would work. Shadowdancers for example can stay hidden if they're near a shadow. That would include the shadow of the wall or the Ogre itself, making it a LOT easier to attack while hidden.

Rules Compendium Changes

The Rules Compendium (page 92) adds some extra things to Hide, if you're using it. Those address coming out from hiding a bit differently. In this case the answer would be Yes, if you can make the new Hide check as detailed below.

Move between Cover: If you’re already hiding thanks to cover or concealment, and you have at least 5 ranks in Hide, you can make a Hide check (with a penalty) to try to move across an area that doesn’t offer cover or concealment without revealing yourself. For every 5 ranks in Hide you possess, you can move up to 5 feet between one hiding place and another. For every 5 feet of open space you must cross between hiding places, you take a –5 penalty on your Hide check. Movement speed penalizes the check as normal.

Sneak up from Hiding: You can sneak up on someone after emerging from a hiding place. For every 5 feet of open space between you and the target, you take a –5 penalty on your Hide check. If your Hide check succeeds, your target doesn’t notice you until you attack or perform some other attention-grabbing action. Such a target is treated as being flat-footed with respect to you.

Sniper

Yes. It's specifically mentioned in the Hide skill:

If you’ve already successfully hidden at least 10 feet from your target, you can make one ranged attack, then immediately hide again. You take a -20 penalty on your Hide check to conceal yourself after the shot.

Being aware of someone isn't enough to prevent Sneak Attack. If the spot checks fail against the new hide check, then the Rogue is hidden again and can continue to sneak attack.

Hiding and Sneak Attack

Yes, being hidden with Hide makes you effectively invisible, which normally allows Sneak Attack. Again from the Rules Compendium (p. 92):

If you’re successfully hidden with respect to another creature, that creature is flat-footed with respect to you. That creature treats you as if you were invisible (see page 76).

Related Topic