Sneak Attack - Ranged Bow Attack

[RubADuck]

I'm not the biggest fan of Pathfinder and my knowledge is pretty limited so my question is:
Am I understanding Sneak attack correct that I can't use it with Bows, like in 5e.
I know enemies need to lose their AC boost from Dex or have to be engaged in combat with an ally... even then I need to attack as a melee?
Is there an EARLY, Lv3, way to get Sneak Attack working with Bows?

[Max Kojote, M.SC]

No, if they're denied their dex bonus to AC, you can sneak attack them as long as you're within 30 feet (key thing here, you may just simply be too far away). By level 3, your options for making people vulnerable to your sneak attack would be the Vanish spell, or attacking before they do in the first round (everyone is flat-footed until they first act).

[RubADuck]

Originally posted by Max Kojote, BIE:

No, if they're denied their dex bonus to AC, you can sneak attack them as long as you're within 30 feet (key thing here, you may just simply be too far away). By level 3, your options for making people vulnerable to your sneak attack would be the Vanish spell, or attacking before they do in the first round (everyone is flat-footed until they first act).

Ye like I said, I'm not a big fan of the overcomplicated Pathfinder set... so I only understand like 1/10 of it
So I can't use sneak attack after the first round without the use of spells or fighting skills?
Is there some kind of Feat? I know in pathfinder they just throw around with tons of half useless half mandatory feats...
If there is one, what is the prereq. for it?

[Immortal Reaver]

If enemy is engaged in melee by 2 characters, enemy counts as flanked. And SA works on flanked creatures.
Engaged as in melee is set to target that enemy with melee weapon.

[RubADuck]

Originally posted by Immortal Reaver:

If enemy is engaged in melee by 2 characters, enemy counts as flanked. And SA works on flanked creatures.
Engaged as in melee is set to target that enemy with melee weapon.

So I need 2 frontliners attacking 1 enemy to then have the third character (slayer) to be able to use sneak attack on them?....
I know exactly why 5e is more popular
Sorry. I'm just frustated that this game is in pathfinder and not 5e^^

[Immortal Reaver]

Originally posted by RubADuck:

So I need 2 frontliners attacking 1 enemy to then have the third character (slayer) to be able to use sneak attack on them?....
I know exactly why 5e is more popular :laughing_yeti:
Sorry. I'm just frustated that this game is in pathfinder and not 5e^^

Yes.
That or what Max Kojote said, deny enemy DEX bonus to AC. Note not only Invisibility, but blinding enemies (like with Glitterdust) also works. Sleep spell/hex also works.
Honestly in RTwP it is easy to use, you just click 3 guys on same enemy and get SA bonus. Position does not matter,

In PnP flanking sucks. You have 4 people, and it is impossible to have most people work together to do it. And in PnP position matters, you actually have to have one in front and one in back of enemy for it to be considered flanked.

[darkholyPL]

Originally posted by RubADuck:

I know exactly why 5e is more popular :laughing_yeti:
Sorry. I'm just frustated that this game is in pathfinder and not 5e^^

This is Pathfinder 1e, and when it was new, or 'current' it was more popular that DnD of that time (which was the ..not so much liked 4e).
But that's neither here nor there, since this is a videogame and not PnP.
DnD 5e kinda sucks for videogames btw.

[Baltar777]

Originally posted by Immortal Reaver:

Originally posted by RubADuck:

So I need 2 frontliners attacking 1 enemy to then have the third character (slayer) to be able to use sneak attack on them?....
I know exactly why 5e is more popular :laughing_yeti:
Sorry. I'm just frustated that this game is in pathfinder and not 5e^^

Yes.
That or what Max Kojote said, deny enemy DEX bonus to AC. Note not only Invisibility, but blinding enemies (like with Glitterdust) also works. Sleep spell/hex also works.
Honestly in RTwP it is easy to use, you just click 3 guys on same enemy and get SA bonus. Position does not matter,

In PnP flanking sucks. You have 4 people, and it is impossible to have most people work together to do it. And in PnP position matters, you actually have to have one in front and one in back of enemy for it to be considered flanked.

I cant speak towards this too much; but I was surprised that it didnt matter where my rogue was standing in Wrath for the Sneak Attack to work. But then upon thinking about it, if theyre already engaged in melee with one enemy, forcing us to perfectly position a character 'behind' another character would have just been a chore to do each time.

Im sure they discussed this and decided on, hey, if the enemy is already engaged in melee and a rogue joins in, we will just count that as sneak instead of making them rotate around the enemy until theyre in the right spot.

[anfindel13]

Don't forget that if an attacker is mounted, it counts as flanking, as both they and the mount are attacking. So ranged attack on any mob being attacked by a mounted front-liner would be a sneak attack.

[hilburnashua]

Even worse, in PnP only way for the sneak attack an opponent with a ranged weapon is if they are flatfooted. Well, with Snap Shot and flanking, which as other have said is much harder to accomplish, you could sneak attack with a bow.

One of the few things WotR is ez mode compared to tabletop, flanking and sneak attack.

[RubADuck]

Originally posted by anfindel13:

Don't forget that if an attacker is mounted, it counts as flanking, as both they and the mount are attacking. So ranged attack on any mob being attacked by a mounted front-liner would be a sneak attack.

Well I guess that is one way to get it faster, thanks for the hint.

[mk11]

If you play turn-based what counts as engaged in melee with a character? Is it just in melee range of a character with a melee weapon or do they have to have been the last enemy attacked by that character? Does a kineticist with kinetic blade engage enemies?

[Artisan Alex]

Originally posted by mk11:

If you play turn-based what counts as engaged in melee with a character? Is it just in melee range of a character with a melee weapon or do they have to have been the last enemy attacked by that character? Does a kineticist with kinetic blade engage enemies?

They just have to be in melee range - though watch out if you're using reach weapons as that doesn't count if you're staying at arms length

[RubADuck]

Originally posted by Artisan Alex:

Originally posted by mk11:

If you play turn-based what counts as engaged in melee with a character? Is it just in melee range of a character with a melee weapon or do they have to have been the last enemy attacked by that character? Does a kineticist with kinetic blade engage enemies?

They just have to be in melee range - though watch out if you're using reach weapons as that doesn't count if you're staying at arms length

I scrapped my idea of a ranged slayer, instead for a melee one. :/

[malkavius77]

Originally posted by RubADuck:

Originally posted by Artisan Alex:

They just have to be in melee range - though watch out if you're using reach weapons as that doesn't count if you're staying at arms length

I scrapped my idea of a ranged slayer, instead for a melee one. :/

Ranged slayers work great particularly a dual throwing axe one. It's hilarious watching them throw 10 axes at the speed of light like a spinning tornado of doom.