Snake Strike

[Mister Andersen]

Where does it say you can use only 1 free action a round?

[Psion]

Where does it say you can use only 1 free action a round?

In surprise rounds, second printing, step 4 order of combat, pg. 323.

"When a character may act during a surprise round, he may perform 1 free action, 1 half action, or 1 full action of his choice. He may not split this full action into 2 half actions, nor may he perform more than 1 free action during the surprise round."

As for the nitpick... you are still one more action up on your opponent.

[Morgenstern]

Yes, the draw weapon AND feint are performed as a single free action (a real winner for surprise rounds).

Nitpick alert! Since one can only perform one ( free / half / full ) action, a Snake Strike during a surprise round wouldn't really do anything.

For yourself, sure. But for my buddy here, being able to get my weapon out AND setting this bozo up for him could be a real plus.

The limits on surprise rounds mean that you might get a chance to lose your flat-footed condition before the other guy pops you. But if you're walking around weapons safed & stowed, you are not exactly ready for a surprise encounter, now are you ?

[Toccata]

Thanks for the answers. I imagine both Snake Strike / the additional targets from the Shifty talent really become powerful with the possibility to perform ranged Feints - something that I believe was in Practice Makes Perfect. Now combine that with ninjas living for flat-footed opponents... hmm.

Yes, the draw weapon AND feint are performed as a single free action (a real winner for surprise rounds).

Nitpick alert! Since one can only perform one ( free / half / full ) action, a Snake Strike during a surprise round wouldn't really do anything. Sine it is the surprise round, the opponent is probably flatfooted anyway - and there's no action left to take advantage of the bonus Sneak Attack damage, which will be gone by the start of the next round.

At the beginning of their initiative count, right? Or did that change in 2.0 and I didn't notice?

[nil]

At the beginning of their initiative count, right? Or did that change in 2.0 and I didn't notice?

The description for Snake Strike says that the "benefit is lost at the end of the current round", the current round being the surprise round. If the wording were "this benefit last for one full round" then your version would apply.

For yourself, sure. But for my buddy here, being able to get my weapon out AND setting this bozo up for him could be a real plus.

The limits on surprise rounds mean that you might get a chance to lose your flat-footed condition before the other guy pops you. But if you're walking around weapons safed & stowed, you are not exactly ready for a surprise encounter, now are you ?

Well, since our character can act during the surprise round, it's safe to assume the opposition is not, and thus is flatfooted. A Feint action would only make sense if a teammate already successfully attacked an opponent, thus ending his flatfooted condition, and if there was yet another teammate acting after our character that could take advantage of the now newly flatfooted opponents after our hopefully successful Feint action.

Concerning the usefulness of Snake Strike during the surprise round : Drawing the weapon for free isn't that good since Quick Draw is the prerequisite for Snake Strike, so our character could just draw his weapons at the start of the next round and it'd work out the same - since he can't use them during the surprise round. Being able to do the Feint as a free action isn't necessary either, since you're limited to one action during the surprise round anyway and could do the Feint as a regular half action. In fact, using Snake Strike during the surprise round wastes one of the "once per opponent" uses with no real special effect.

[Morgenstern]

Nope, you're right. I was thinking of an earlier incarnation fo the surprise round rules (earlier, as in probably first edition ). Strike my observation the Snake Strike adds any utility to the surprise round that you don't already have from Quickdraw.

[nil]

In fact, by itself, the Quick Draw feat doesn't provide a benefit during the surprise round either - whether you can draw your weapons as a free or as a regular half action makes no difference, since you're limited to just one action.

[Morgenstern]

*sigh*

[nil]

Okay, okay, I'll be silent now! Promise! 

I just don't like those part of the new rules for the surprise round.

[Toccata]

At the beginning of their initiative count, right? Or did that change in 2.0 and I didn't notice?

The description for Snake Strike says that the "benefit is lost at the end of the current round", the current round being the surprise round. If the wording were "this benefit last for one full round" then your version would apply.

Oh, right. Gotcha.

[Antilles]

I smell new errata comin' down the pipes.

[Morgenstern]

Nope. Working as intended.

[Toccata]

If you're planning on getting a surprise round, hopefully you already have a weapon readied, if you ask me.

Snake Strike feels like more of a "Surprise, I've got another weapon" type tactic to me. That or iaijutsu.

[Ezram]

That "Derringer up the sleeves trick" was mostly emulated in Alien Resurrection 

[wowz316]

Not sure where this comes from for snake strike:

Benefit: Once per opponent per combat, as a free action, you may draw 1 weapon you have not yet used during the current combat and take a Feint action. If this action is successful, you also inflict 1 die of sneak attack damage with your next successful attack against the opponent using the weapon drawn. This benefit is lost at the end of the current round.

But the wording on my copy of FC goes like this.

Snake Strike

Benefit: Once per opponent per combat, as a free action, you
may draw 1 weapon you haven’t used during the current combat
and use it to Feint 1 opponent. With success, your attacks inflict
1 die of sneak attack damage until end of the current round.

It says attacks, meaning plural. If a feat grants you an ability to attack 4 times such as flashing weapon, does this mean the added sneak attack dice is applied to all 4 attacks? (whether flatfooted or not)