Backstab or sneak attack?

[Rankor]

Which do you all prefer? I set it for sneak attack, but am missing the 5X damage my high-level thief did with a backstab. Any opinions?

Cheers,

Rankor

[Darkman]

I am not sure what you mean exactly by "sneak attack", but backstabbing can be very powerful but also very risky as well as it can put your thief into dangerous positions. I found myself using backstab alot in BG1 to great success, but I have not used it much so far in IWD. Perhaps my thief is too busy detecting traps to worry about being sneaky

[Debaser]

yeah, what exactly do you mean by "sneak attack" Rankor? i'm pretty sure backstab is the only special thief attack.

[DeadDancingShape]

the sneak attack is something added in IWD, the ability of creating an handcap to an ennemy when attcking by side or in the back, in the middle of battle, uncloaked. The ennemy is easier to hit after that. To have access to it you must select it in theset up menu. I personaly like both, i wish you could use them at the same time. Each time i have sneak on, i can only think about backstabbing and vice versa.....

[Rankor]

Yep, DeadDancingShape got it right, it is in How but not in either of the BG games(or IWD for that matter). I think I read somewhere that it is implemented from the new 3rd edition rules, but am not sure. I agree with you DDS, I always want to do the one that I don't have selected.

By the way, I like your name Debaser. I wanna be, be a debaser...

Rankor

[Lifetime]

You need a Fighter/Thief to be able to reliably pull off Backstabs at the lower levels, otherwise your thief is in a really really bad way.
Sneak attacks tend to be less effective, since you can only sneak attack every enemy only once in a combat and the negative effects of the sneak attack dont last very long. And in IWD its not really trouble to hide your thief and backstab, but it IS difficult to get past a whole bunch of monsters to attack at their flanks. Moving around is always easier when you're not in combat, so sneak attack issint as useful as it sounds.

[Debaser]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rankor:


By the way, I like your name Debaser. I wanna be, be a debaser...

Rankor

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i am UN CHIEN....ANDALUCIA!!!!!!

[Rankor]

LOL Debaser,

Have you seen that movie from the 20's? Dali and Bunuel, verrrrry cool.

Rankor

(sorry, a little off topic... [img]smile.gif[/img]

how do u do a backstab and/or sneak attack?

[Lord Teppenwolfe]

I prefer the backstab to the sneak attack. I don't always use my thief to pull, but I like the tactic that I"m using now. I'll use Sense Traps initially until I am confident that there are no traps in my line of "pulling" the monster back to my awaiting party.

Once done, I go into the shadows to scout and decide what enemy I will pull first. In cases where I have a clean shot at just one enemy, I will make sure that I'm hidden in the shadows, and maneuver my way behind them and then 'BAM' they get it in da back! I'm really glad that i found that Fire Dagger early on in the game as it now lends itself to my main plan of attack.

Every now and then the thief takes a hit, but it's not so bad. He seems to hold his own in most cases. Once I get back to the spot where I've set up base, the undead that the cleric summoned seems to take the agro off the thief. So then he hides and then moves in for a second backstab.

I'm sure that as I progress in the game, I'll get better but this tactic seemed to really work in the Vale.

Lord Teppenwolfe