Sneak Attack & Backstab

Let anyone trade an "attack advantage" for extra damage dice? I can dig it. It gives players with high attack bonuses and/or re-rolls something else to play with, at the least. What about sacrificing multiple advantages for a greater damage bonus? For example if combat advantage is worth +1d6, could prone and flanking be worth 2d6? What if the target is also stunned? It reminds of me a system that Josh mentioned a few weeks ago, where you modified DCs with something like advantages and drawbacks, with each benefit giving you a +2 and each drawback a -2, for a final modifier.

Anywho, other bits mentioned are that (at least currently) rogues have a Sneak Attack cap of +10d6, and I guess can make two attacks overall. Heck, if rogues can make a one-two punch with a full bonus I am fine by that. It is way better than making a bunch of extra attacks that probably won't hit, anyway.

He also drops Rogue Fighting Technique as something that they could get at 2nd-level--allowing them to pick up Combat Maneuvers, skill-type abilities, more Sneak Attack, or specialize in rogue-type weapons--which reminds me of those rogue special features you got in 3rd Edition (including the non-magical daily ability to roll with an attack), as well as talent trees in Star Wars: Saga Edition and D20 Modern. It is not concrete, but it is at least a blurry glimpse as to what might be going on.

The only part of the post that worried me is that the bit about how 10d6 bit helps the rogue "hit the expected damage value". If it is the expected average, then picking anything else but Sneak Attack at each opportunity ends up being a kind of trap option. I would much prefer a rogue who goes pure Sneak Attack to be doling out more than what is expected, making it a compelling choice.