Fantasy Craft Q&A Thread!

[Crafty_Alex]

OK, so here's the deal - sneak attack works exactly the way it always has. Can the character suffer critical hits? Is the character not hidden? Can you reach the target's "vitals" with your attack? Then you can sneak attack them.

So, the CQB requirement (i.e. out to 30 feet) for ranged sneak attack still applies?

Walter

Does it say that in the damage description?

[Mister Andersen]

What's the difference between the Low Light Vision quality in the Dwarf talent, and darkvision I as granted by the Owl Nation and Night Fighting feats?

Bump

[prototype00]

The incubation period for the Sea Elder feat granted weakening poison is 1hr, by the chart. Does that mean that it'll take 1hr before it will take effect and deal the 2 str damage? If so, isn't it more of an out of combat ability at that point?

  Curious.

prototype00

[Crafty_Alex]

The incubation period for the Sea Elder feat granted weakening poison is 1hr, by the chart. Does that mean that it'll take 1hr before it will take effect and deal the 2 str damage? If so, isn't it more of an out of combat ability at that point?

  Curious.

prototype00

Someone can still succumb to poison damage after combat...

[prototype00]

The incubation period for the Sea Elder feat granted weakening poison is 1hr, by the chart. Does that mean that it'll take 1hr before it will take effect and deal the 2 str damage? If so, isn't it more of an out of combat ability at that point?

  Curious.

prototype00

Someone can still succumb to poison damage after combat...

Fair enough. Chalk my misunderstanding to the exciting thought of being the most venomous creature of the depths.

prototype00

[MugMug]

OK, so here's the deal - sneak attack works exactly the way it always has. Can the character suffer critical hits? Is the character not hidden? Can you reach the target's "vitals" with your attack? Then you can sneak attack them.

So, the CQB requirement (i.e. out to 30 feet) for ranged sneak attack still applies?

Does it say that in the damage description?

No. What the damage description actually says is the opponent's vitals must be "within reach." Since "reach" defines melee range, the damage description suggests attacks outside melee range are not capable of delivering sneak attack damage.

However, the thread of this conversation has indicated not only is ranged delivery of sneak attack an option, but that sneak attack "works exactly the way it always has." CQB range was previously a limitation on ranged delivery of sneak attack damage -- hence the question.

Walter

[Daedalus]

The incubation period for the Sea Elder feat granted weakening poison is 1hr, by the chart. Does that mean that it'll take 1hr before it will take effect and deal the 2 str damage? If so, isn't it more of an out of combat ability at that point?

  Curious.

prototype00

Someone can still succumb to poison damage after combat...

Fair enough. Chalk my misunderstanding to the exciting thought of being the most venomous creature of the depths.

prototype00

*bamf* Also the Venom Master trick (p. 222) *bamf*

[prototype00]

Ooh, nice! Question though, does a venomous claw attack gained the poisoned quality as stated in the venom master description? I ask only because keywords seem to be a big deal in Fantasy craft.

Gotta start looking for good covert feats...

prototype00

[Crafty_Alex]

No. What the damage description actually says is the opponent's vitals must be "within reach." Since "reach" defines melee range, the damage description suggests attacks outside melee range are not capable of delivering sneak attack damage.

However, the thread of this conversation has indicated not only is ranged delivery of sneak attack an option, but that sneak attack "works exactly the way it always has." CQB range was previously a limitation on ranged delivery of sneak attack damage -- hence the question.

Walter

Since my every effort in regards to sneak attack seems to confuse the hell out of the issue, let's look at 2.0's text:

• Sneak attack damage only affects characters.
• Sneak attack damage is granted by class and feat abilities, as well as a limited number of other character options, and always grants a number of bonus d6 damage dice. When a character possesses 1 or more dice of sneak attack damage, he may use them to augment the damage of each attack made against a target he’s flanking (see page 341), or who’s helpless or vulnerable.
• When sneak attack damage augments an attack’s damage, it is not applied separately; instead, it is added to the attack’s damage and they’re applied together as one result (e.g. when
a character makes an attack with 1d8 lethal damage and may apply 1d6 sneak attack damage, the character rolls 1d8, scoring a 6, and 1d6, scoring a 4, for a total damage result of 10).
• Unless otherwise specified, sneak attack damage may augment any attack — even an attack that inflicts subdual damage (in which case the sneak attack damage is subdual, not lethal).
• Sneak attack damage may only augment the damage of a Standard Attack action.
• Sneak attack damage may not augment the damage of any attack that’s converted from subdual to lethal, or vice versa.
• Sneak attack damage may not augment an attack targeting a character who is immune to critical hits, who is hidden to the attacker, or whose vitals are out of reach (per the GC’s discretion).
• Sneak attack damage may only augment an unarmed or melee attack, or a ranged attack against a target within CQB range. Beyond that, the accuracy required to hit the target’s vitals cannot be managed.
• With each successful sneak attack, the target suffers 1 stress damage.
• Action dice may not be spent to boost sneak attack damage.

Emphasis mine.

Mastercraft is about cutting back the signal-to-noise ratio. If we don't say you can't do it, you probably can. "Vitals out of reach" in 2.0 did NOT just mean "out of melee Reach" - it simply meant "unable to accurately be hit" which goes back to D&D 3.0's original iteration. But in Fantasy Craft, unlike 2.0, we did not expressly limit sneak attack damage to CQB - thus, it is not limited by range. That is what I meant.

In this case, "vitals out of reach" can and does remain a GM option - a character whose every vulnerable spot is covered (seen only through an arrow slit, entombed in an iron sarcophagus, etc) can be ruled to be immune to sneak attack if the GM feels it fair to do so. That's another thing Mastercraft tries to do - empower GMs to apply logic to the rules. But ranged headshots are just as viable as they were in 2.0...or moreso.

[Crafty_Alex]

Ooh, nice! Question though, does a venomous claw attack gained the poisoned quality as stated in the venom master description? I ask only because keywords seem to be a big deal in Fantasy craft.

Gotta start looking for good covert feats...

prototype00

I would allow that. Venomous is simply poisonous plus the character makes his own poison.

That may be worth clarifying - venomous came later in the game than poisonous.

[Morgenstern]

I have to admit every time I hear "vitals are out of reach" the only thing that pops into my head is evil wizards who have stashed their heart somewhere else. Like in a different county level of somewhere else, ussully in a very heavy stone box .

Hmm. I think I hear a spell calling out to be formalized...

Or possibly a really cool path.

[mach1.9pants]

I have to admit every time I hear "vitals are out of reach" the only thing that pops into my head is evil wizards who have stashed their heart somewhere else. ....

Well my 'vitals' are not in my chest!

[Sletchman]

I have to admit every time I hear "vitals are out of reach" the only thing that pops into my head is evil wizards who have stashed their heart somewhere else. Like in a different county level of somewhere else, ussully in a very heavy stone box .

Hmm. I think I hear a spell calling out to be formalized...

Or possibly a really cool path.

One of my players desperately wants to be a lich, who's vitals would be an innocuous object somewhere not near bad guys.  That'd be a cool path type thing, if you're looking for suggestions.

Back on topic, would it be unbalancing to just say "first range increment" for sneak attacking at range, and probably ranged flank at Dex Score x 5ft, but only if some attackers are actually adjacent [and opposite without wolfpack feats]?  If flanking at Dex Score x 5ft is too good then may Dex MOD x 5ft [which always struck me as somewhat short a range, maybe some kind of feat tree could spawn from my ramblings].

[MugMug]

Mastercraft is about cutting back the signal-to-noise ratio.

I thought my interpretation was pretty simple.

thus, it is not limited by range.

I very much appreciate the clarification.

That's another thing Mastercraft tries to do - empower GMs to apply logic to the rules.

Incidentally, I checked mail during work today and found the hardcopy had arrived. I brought it back to the office and was showing it off to a buddy of mine who quit gaming back when D&D 2e was released. His favorite section of the book was "Running Fantasy Craft," and for good reason.

Walter

[Agent 333]

What's up with the Artisan specialty giving you Practiced Crafting, when there are no Crafting Checks that you can technically fail?