Oh, and... Looking at RAW, it looks like sneak attack and critical hit damage is always of the same damage type as the weapon that proc'd it, no? So hitting someone with a successful sneak attack with a thrown flask of contact/inhaled poison or an alchemical item with a numeric descriptor in the damage/effects would also make the critical hit and sneak attack damage be of the same type, either adding damage or adding duration to the effect, depending on what the item in question does?
That seems fair, given that crit and sneak attack damage with a melee weapon mimics that weapon's damage type (including nonlethal damage), and given that so many of these items have relatively low save DCs, and that crits for thrown poisons and alchemic weapons only occur on natural 20s.
Yes, it seems that way by RAW.
Excellent.Oh, and if anyone is interested in the item that really inspired this build, look up the Rod of Ropes in Complete Scoundrel. Activating any of its functions is a move action. Here's what they do:
Button the First: Press once to begin extruding rope from one end at 60'/round, up to 300'. Press it twice to stop extruding rope. Press it a third time to withdraw the rope into the rod, with all knots untying themselves when they come within 30' of the rod.
Button the Second: Press once to sprout a leather wrist strap from one end and a trio of grappling hooks from the other. Press twice to launch the grapnel up to 300' in one round in the direction you point it. It stops extruding rope if the hooks strike something solid or if the user jerks back on the rod. Press thrice to retract the rope, drawing the rod towards the grapnel if it is secured, pulling up to 1000lbs at 60'/round. This can also be used to make ranged attacks against enemies within 30', dealing 1d6 damage and applying a bull rush with a +5 bonus on the grapnel's opposed check if the ranged attack is successful. Read that again. You read it right.
Button the Third: Press once to sprout grapnels from both ends of the rod. Press twice to launch them in opposite directions, up to 300' each, including the possibility of ranged attacking two enemies in the same manner if they were polite enough to stand with you directly between them. Press thrice to expand the middle of the rod slightly and sprout a pair of wrist straps, allowing the user to slide along the rope. As long as both ends are securely attached, the rope doesn't sag and can support up to 1000lbs.
Every cool grappling hook gadget you loved as a kid in one package for the low, low price of 4,000gp. Money well spent. xD
Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one not trying to game the system at every opportunity
Hey, I'm doing it for a good cause: gaming the system with things that would ordinarily be eschewed by any rightminded min/maxer.