[RPG] If I take a feat that allows Critical Hits on undead, can I make sneak attacks too

dnd-3.5esneak-attackundead

Maybe this question has a very simple answer, but I'm not sure how this works.

The SRD says about the Rogue's Sneak Attack: "Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks."

Does that mean that if I somehow can critical on a target that would normally be immune, that I can make sneak attacks against it too?

Best Answer

Rules-as-Written it depends on whether your ability temporarily removes or negates the target's immunity, or bypasses or ignores it. If it is of the former two options, you can certainly sneak attack the target while it is no longer immune to critical hits. If it is of the latter two options you cannot do so, as the target is still technically immune to critical hits from your perspective, you are just critting it anyways.

Rules-as-I-Think-They-Should-Be If your game ignores non-combat mechanics (like the skill system), rogues need sneak attack to be effective. I don't know of any ability that bypasses immunity to critical hits, but letting that ability also bypass immunity to sneak attack seems like a good idea. Critical hit stuff is normally overpriced anyways.

Keep in mind that Rules-as-Written this only bypasses the immunity to sneak attacks gained from immunity to critical hits; undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures will still be immune to sneak attacks anyways, because you can only sneak attack living creatures with discernible anatomies. In relation to your question's title, then, the answer is no, but in relation to, for example, a hypothetical fey-type monster that happened to be immune to critical hits, the answer would be yes.

Rules-as-I-Think-They-Should-Be if you can crit a creature, you can hit its vital spots. Sneak attack immunity based on type reflects a creature having no vital spots you can hit. Thus I think if gain the ability to bypass crit immunity a creature normally has, you should also bypass any type-based and anatomy-based immunity they also possess.

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