Ambush Feats

Ambush feats allow you to use your sneak attack ability to inflict an additional harmful or hindering effect upon an opponent, sometimes at the cost of one or more of the extra damage dice you normally deal with a successful hit. You must declare your intent to use an ambush feat before making your attack roll, and your sneak attack must deal at least one extra die of damage (that is, you can’t reduce the number of extra damage dice to zero). You can apply multiple ambush feats to the same attack as long as you still deal at least one extra die of damage with the attack.

The sudden strike class feature of a ninja is the equivalent of sneak attack for the purpose of qualifying for ambush feats.

Creatures immune to extra damage from sneak attacks are also immune to the secondary effects created by ambush feats. Even if a creature is vulnerable to sneak attacks, if your attack deals no damage to the creature (for example, if it is negated by the creature’s damage reduction), the secondary effect doesn't occur.

Although the skirmish class feature of a scout doesn't count as sneak attack for the purpose of qualifying for feats, a scout with the Swift Ambusher feat can combine sneak attack and skirmish extra damage for the purpose of qualifying for ambush feats. Even with this feat, a scout can’t sacrifice skirmish bonus damage to gain the benefit of an ambush feat.

ARTERIAL STRIKE [AMBUSH]

Your sneak attacks target large blood vessels, leaving wounds that cause massive blood loss.

Prerequisites: Sneak attack ability, Base attack bonus +4

Benefit: If you hit with a sneak attack, you may choose to forgo +1d6 of extra sneak attack damage to deliver a wound that won’t stop bleeding. Each wound caused in this manner saps an extra 1 point of damage per round from the victim, until the victim receives the benefit of a DC 15 Heal check or any cure spell or other magical healing. Wounds from multiple arterial strikes result in cumulative bleeding loss (two successful arterial strikes cause an extra 2 points of damage per round until healed). You may deliver only one bleeding wound per successful sneak attack.

CONCUSSION ATTACK [AMBUSH]

Your attacks can damage your opponent’s ability to think clearly.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +3d6

Benefit: Your successful sneak attack imposes a –2 penalty on the target’s Intelligence and Wisdom checks, as well as on any Intelligence and Wisdom based skill checks, for 10 rounds. If you use this feat a second time on a target before 10 rounds have elapsed, the effect of the first use expires.

Using this feat reduces your sneak attack damage by 2d6.

CRAVEN [AMBUSH]

Like most sly rogues, you are a dangerous coward. However, your sneak attacks deal more damage than normal.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack class feature, Cannot be immune to fear

Benefit: You take a -2 penalty on saving throws against fear effects. However, when making a sneak attack, you deal an extra 1 point of damage per character level.

DEAFENING STRIKE [AMBUSH]

Your stealthy attack leaves your foe’s head ringing.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +4d6

Benefit: Your successful sneak attack causes the target to be deafened for 3 rounds. If you use this feat a second time on a target before 3 rounds have elapsed, the effect of the first use expires.

Using this feat reduces your sneak attack damage by 3d6.

DEADLY PRECISION [AMBUSH]

You empty your mind of all distracting emotion, becoming an instrument of deadly precision.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack class feature, Dex 15, Base attack bonus +5

Benefit: You have deadly accuracy with your sneak attacks. You can reroll any result of 1 on your sneak attack's extra damage dice. You must keep the result of the reroll, even if it is another 1.

DEAFENING STRIKE [AMBUSH]

Your stealthy attack leaves your foe's head ringing.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +4d6

DISEMBOWELING STRIKE [AMBUSH]

You can slash open your opponent to devastating effect.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +5d6, Weapon Focus (any slashing weapon)

Benefit: Your successful sneak attack with a slashing weapon for which you have selected Weapon Focus deals 1d4 points of Constitution damage in addition to its normal damage.

You can’t use this feat against the same target more than once per day.

Using this feat reduces your sneak attack damage by 4d6.

ELDRITCH EROSION [AMBUSH]

Your attack can weaken your foe’s resistance to magic.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +4d6, Knowledge (arcana) 1 rank

Benefit: Your successful sneak attack reduces the target’s spell resistance and power resistance by 5 (minimum 0) for 10 rounds. If you use this feat a second time on a target before 10 rounds have elapsed, the effect of the first use expires.

Using this feat reduces your sneak attack damage by 4d6.

FOE SPECIALIST [AMBUSH]

You are trained at how to damage a particular type of foe.

Prerequisites: Sneak attack +1d6, Base attack bonus +4

Benefit: Choose a type of creature , you deal an extra 1d6 points of damage on successful sneak attacks against that type of creature. (The selected type cannot be construct, elemental, ooze, plant, or undead, since those types are not subject to critical hits.)

Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new creature type from among those that remain eligible.

HAMSTRING [AMBUSH]

You can wound your opponents’ legs, hampering their movement.

Prerequisites: Sneak attack ability, Base attack bonus +4

Benefit: If you hit with a melee sneak attack, you may choose to forgo 2d6 points of extra sneak attack damage to reduce your opponent’s base speed by half. This speed reduction ends after 24 hours have passed or a successful DC 15 Heal check or the application of any cure spell or other magical healing is made. Creatures immune to sneak attack damage and creatures with no legs or more than four legs can’t be slowed down with a hamstring attack. It takes two successful hamstring attacks to affect quadrupeds. Other speeds (fl y, burrow, and so on) aren't affected. You may use this ability once per round.

HEAD SHOT [AMBUSH]

By striking at your opponent’s head, you can temporarily disrupt his thought processes.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +6d6, Weapon Focus (any bludgeoning weapon)

Benefit: Your successful sneak attack with a bludgeoning weapon for which you have selected Weapon Focus leaves your foe confused for 1 round. A successful Will save (DC 10 + the number of extra damage dice normally dealt by your sneak attack + your Dex modifier) negates this

effect. If you use this feat a second time on a target before 1 round has elapsed, the effect of the first use expires. Using this feat reduces your sneak attack damage by 5d6.

Special: You must be able to reach your foe’s head to use this feat with a melee attack.

IMPEDING ATTACK [AMBUSH]

Your strikes render your target temporarily clumsy and awkward.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +4d6

Benefit: Your successful sneak attack imposes a –2 penalty on the target’s Strength and Dexterity checks, as well as on any Strength and Dexterity based skill checks, for 10 rounds. If you use this feat a second time on a target before 10 rounds have elapsed, the effect of the first use expires.

Using this feat reduces your sneak attack damage by 3d6.

IMPROVED SKIRMISH [AMBUSH]

With a few extra steps, you gain even greater benefits from your skirmishing combat style.

Prerequisite: Skirmish +2d6/+1 AC

Benefit: If you move at least 20 feet away from where you were at the start of your turn, your skirmish damage increases by 2d6 and your competence bonus to AC from skirmish improves by 2.

Normal: A scout’s bonus damage and AC bonus apply if she moves at least 10 feet away from where she was at the start of her turn.

Special: A scout can select Improved Skirmish as one of her scout bonus feats.

MERCIFUL STRIKE [AMBUSH]

You can strike a creature’s vital areas without killing it.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +2d6

Benefit: Your successful sneak attack deals nonlethal damage. When using this feat, you can ignore the usual –4 penalty on attack rolls for attempting to deal nonlethal damage with a lethal weapon.

Using this feat reduces your sneak attack damage by 1d6.

MIND DRAIN [AMBUSH]

Your attack can weaken your opponent’s mental powers.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +2d6, Power point reserve

Benefit: Your successful sneak attack drains power points from your target equal to its manifester level (minimum 1). If this attack reduces your target to 0 power points, the opponent also loses any psionic focus. A target that has no power points when you make the sneak attack is not affected by this feat. You can’t use this feat on the same target more than once per round.

Using this feat reduces your sneak attack damage by 1d6.

PRECISE STRIKE [AMBUSH]

You are skilled in finding your opponent's weakness and striking where it hurts most.

Prerequisites: Sneak attack ability, Dex 13

Benefit: When making an attack that would qualify as a sneak attack, you may take away any number of dice from your sneak attack damage and add a +2 circumstance bonus on your attack roll for each die reduction you make. You may convert as many of your dice from your sneak attack damage as you wish in this manner. However, if you make more than one sneak attack during a round and are using this feat, you must convert the same number of dice for each one.

PERSISTENT ATTACKER [AMBUSH]

Once you find a target’s weak point, you can easily strike it again.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +5d6

Benefit: If your sneak attack hits, your first attack against that creature on your next turn is also considered a sneak attack even if it wouldn't normally qualify.

Using this feat reduces your first sneak attack’s damage by 4d6. The resulting second sneak attack deals its full extra damage.

STAGGERING STRIKE [AMBUSH]

You can deliver a wound that hampers an opponent’s movement.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack ability, Base attack bonus +6

Benefit: If you deal damage with a melee sneak attack, you can also deliver a wound that limits your foe’s mobility. For 1 round (or until the target is the beneficiary of a DC 15 Heal check or any magical healing that restores at least 1 hit point, whichever comes first), your target is treated as if it were staggered, even if its nonlethal damage doesn't exactly equal its current hit points. A target can resist this effect by making a successful Fortitude save (DC equal to damage dealt). Multiple staggering strikes on the same creature do not stack. This feat has no effect on

TELLING BLOW [AMBUSH]

When you strike an opponent’s vital areas, you draw on your ability to land crippling blows to make the most of your attack.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack ability

Benefit: When you score a critical hit against a target, you deal your skirmish or sneak attack damage in addition to the damage from your critical hit. Your critical multiplier applies only to your normal damage, not your skirmish or sneak attack damage. This benefit affects both melee and ranged attacks.

THROAT PUNCH [AMBUSH]

By making a precise punch to the throat, you can render a target unable to speak effectively.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +3d6, Improved Unarmed Strike

Benefit: Your successful sneak attack delivered with an unarmed strike temporarily hinders the target’s ability to speak. For the next 3 rounds, the target takes a –5 penalty on any skill check requiring speech and has a 50% chance of failure when casting a spell with a verbal component or activating a magic item with a command word. Multiple uses of this feat don’t increase the duration beyond 3 rounds. Using this feat reduces your sneak attack damage by 2d6.

Special: You must be able to reach your foe’s neck to use this feat.

UNDO RESISTANCE [AMBUSH]

You learn to use cold iron weapons to unravel your opponent’s magical defenses with a well-placed sneak attack.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack ability, Sudden strike, or Skirmish ability

Benefit: If you successfully deal sneak attack damage with a cold iron weapon, you reduce the target’s spell resistance by 1 point per die of sneak attack damage. Multiple uses of this feat stack. Undo Resistance can reduce a target’s spell resistance to 0, but not below 0. Spell resistance reduced in this manner returns to normal 1 hour after the last sneak attack.

Special: You also gain this benefit with skirmish and sudden strike damage.