A couple of rules questions....

[mavriskyla]

I thought about posting this here since this is a rules question and it's not directly related to either DMing or Optimization...

Anyway, I have the following two questions that I cannot find adequate information in the SRD/rulebooks:

1) "Racial bonuses" to skills overlap or stack with each other? Case in mind, race+inherited+acquired template, e.g. a halfling gets a +2 racial bonus to move silently. We apply to it both an inherited template that gives a racial bonus to move silently, let's say +4 and the vampire template, which gives another +8. What will be the final bonus? +8, since it's the bigger one? +14 in case they overlap? The +8 of the vampire surpasses the +4 of the inherited template but stacks with the halfling's +2 for a total of +10?

2) How exactly do the following abilities interact: "uncanny dodge" (not improved uncanny dodge, the basic one) and sneak attack. The exact wording of sneak attack is:

would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not)

If I get this correctly, uncanny dodge let's you keep your dexterity bonus to AC, but technically you're still considered flat-footed so you can be sneak-attacked. Am I right?

I hope I'm not posting in the wrong place, if I am please move this to the appropriate sub-forum.

Thanks!

[PhaedrusXY]

No. You can't be sneak attacked when flat-footed if you have Uncanny Dodge. See the part about "a rogue four levels higher than you can still sneak attack you"? That would make no sense if what you are saying is true.

Also, this is probably a better place for things like this: http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=142.0

Welcome to the boards.

[woodenbandman]

Again, I'm going to disagree with Phaedrus because I believe that the part that says WOULD is key. Any situation that would deny a target its dex bonus qualifies it for sneak attack, but the target has an ability that allows it to retain its dex bonus to armor class. Furthermore, it doesn't say that the flat-footed condition is negated, just the negative effects of it, similar to how an undead is not immune to the effects of a harm spell, it just has a different effect for them.

I'm arguing this because it doesn't seem that the DND people would build immunity to an entire class into the first level of another class. I'm obviously exaggerating  this but one way it's very very strong and another way it's mildly useful, and I think that DnD leans to the mildly useful for the melee classes.

[Bozwevial]

The thing is, Uncanny Dodge is not immunity to an entire class. You can still deal sneak attack damage by flanking, feinting, or any means that deny someone their Dexterity bonus to AC without causing them to be flat-footed/being invisible. (At least, flanking works up until Improved Uncanny Dodge, but that's another can of worms.)

The way I understand it, sneak attack is dependent on catching an opponent off guard. Uncanny Dodge lets you react to an attack you're unaware of, thus denying the opponent the chance to catch you off guard.

[/2cp]