Veiled Attack — Sword and Cloak Fighting
The cloak flicks across the defender’s eyes; the sword arrives a heartbeat later. Veiled Attack is the art of using cloth, movement and surprise to open a gap in an opponent’s guard. It rewards timing and nerve, not a hidden magical property of the cloak.
At a Glance
| Feat | Veiled Attack |
|---|---|
| Style | One-handed sword with an off-hand cloak |
| Effect | Distract a foe, strike past its guard and deal extra precision damage |
| Training | Fencing and hand-to-hand deception |
| Favoured weapons | Rapier, shortsword and comparable blades |
| Adventurers | Fighters, rogues, scouts and duellists |
Rules by Edition
Veiled Attack — D&D 2024
General Feat (Prerequisite: Level 4+, Dexterity 13+, proficiency with a Finesse weapon)
Cloak Diversion. While holding a cloak in one hand and a Finesse weapon in the other, you can use a Bonus Action to distract one creature within 5 feet of you that can see you. Make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by that creature’s Wisdom (Insight) check. On a success, you have Advantage on the next melee attack roll you make against that creature with the held weapon before the end of your turn.
Hidden Edge. When that attack hits, it deals an extra 1d6 damage of the weapon’s type. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn. A creature that cannot see your cloak’s movement is not a valid target for Cloak Diversion.
Example: A duellist with Dexterity 18 (+4), Proficiency Bonus +3 and Sleight of Hand proficiency contests a guard’s Insight. On a successful diversion, the duellist attacks with Advantage and deals 1d8 + 4 Piercing plus 1d6 Piercing on a rapier hit.
Veiled Attack — D&D 2014
Feat (Prerequisite: Dexterity 13+, proficiency with a one-handed Finesse weapon)
Cloak Feint. You can hold a cloak in your off hand and use a Bonus Action to feint at a hostile creature within 5 feet that can see you. Make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by the creature’s Wisdom (Insight). On a success, your next melee weapon attack with a Finesse weapon against that creature before the end of this turn has Advantage.
Veiled Strike. If the advantaged attack hits, add 1d6 damage of the weapon’s type. Use this bonus only once on your turn. The cloak itself is not a weapon; a creature that cannot perceive the diversion cannot be feinted with it.
Example: An 8th-level fighter throws a cloak across a swordsman’s view, wins the contested check, then attacks with a shortsword for 1d6 + Dexterity modifier plus another 1d6 on a hit.
Veiled Attack — Pathfinder 1e
Combat Feat · Prerequisites: BAB +6, Weapon Finesse, Bluff 5 ranks, proficiency with at least one one-handed light or Finesse-compatible sword.
Benefit. With a cloak in your off hand, you can attempt to feint one adjacent opponent as a swift action. Make a Bluff check against the normal feint DC of 10 + opponent’s base attack bonus + opponent’s Wisdom modifier, or 10 + the opponent’s Sense Motive bonus if that produces a higher DC. Apply any other normal feint restrictions, including against mindless or nonhumanoid creatures.
On a successful feint, your next melee attack with a light weapon or weapon eligible for Weapon Finesse against that foe before the end of your turn denies the target’s Dexterity bonus to AC and deals an additional 1d6 precision damage if it hits. This extra damage is not multiplied on a critical hit; creatures immune to precision damage do not take it. You can use Veiled Attack no more than once per round.
Example: A duellist with Bluff +15 feints a guard whose feint DC is 20. On a success, the next rapier hit denies the guard’s Dexterity bonus to AC and deals the usual weapon damage plus 1d6 precision damage.
Veiled Attack — D&D 3.5e
General Feat · Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6, Sword and Cloak Fighting, Weapon Finesse and proficiency in rapier, scimitar, shortsword, longsword or a comparable sword.
Benefit. When you successfully distract a melee opponent with your cloak using Sword and Cloak Fighting, you can conceal the following sword thrust. Your next melee sword attack against that opponent in the same round ignores its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class and deals an additional 1d6 sneak attack damage on a hit. This bonus is precision damage, is not multiplied on a critical hit and does not affect a creature immune to sneak attacks.
Limit. You can make one Veiled Attack each round. A failed cloak diversion uses the action normally required by Sword and Cloak Fighting and does not set up the follow-up strike.
Example: A human fencing master with BAB +9 distracts a rival with his cloak. The next rapier attack that round denies the rival’s Dexterity bonus to AC and deals 1d6 extra precision damage.
In the Duel
The Cloak at the Tavern Door
Two armed men face each other in a narrow tavern doorway. One drops his cloak over a lantern, leaving the other half-blinded by the sudden change of light, and lunges before his opponent can retreat. The party can intervene by moving the lantern, pulling the cloak free or forcing the duellists into the open yard, where the distraction is less effective.
Steel Beneath the Mantle
A travelling fencing master uses a folded mantle to disguise the angle of his sword. A rival who has watched the trick once may move out of reach rather than meet the next thrust. A bystander with a long staff can threaten the cloak hand, while another can draw the master away from his chosen footing.
Resolving the Opening
| The opponent | Can the cloak help? | The consequence |
|---|---|---|
| An armed guard watching the duellist | Yes, if the feint succeeds | The sword finds a narrow gap in the guard |
| A creature that cannot see the cloak | No visual feint | The attacker must use another tactic |
| A second guard outside the immediate duel | Not affected by the first diversion | The second guard can still act normally |
Sources and Licensing
The D&D 3.5e feat is attributed to Shadowfoot in the historic Wizards Community player-created rules archive. The original forum link is no longer reliable, so its mechanics are paraphrased here. D&D 2024, D&D 2014 and Pathfinder 1e versions are original playable feats using their respective action and skill rules. Encounters and combat examples are original.
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