Theif Items

[el_kalkylus]

Every thief can backstab with a katana. Valygars katana is no good for that.

Anywho... Fighter-thieves are good (19 str, 19 con and an extra -2 AC with half orc) and learn skills fast enough because the thief skills come fast. Fighter dualclassed to thieves are good too.
What's worse is the swashbuckler. Significantly lower HP than either, worse AC, worse THACO, far fewer proficiencies, no ability to backstab. Halfway into the game you have at least 100 points in each skill just about, then you just have too many skills.

Shadow dragon armor is the armor my half-orc fighter-thief wears. Best AC in the game.

SPOILER!!





Celestial Fury is a katana + 3 which can be found in the guarded compound in the temple district. It stuns upon hit unless the victim saves at gods knows minus what.

If you think that suits you then take it! It's a pretty good weapon though I never use it. If you want my opinion then a swashbuckler is a good choice - three slots for two weapon style and better traps.

Do you like backstabbing? No I don't mean YOU as in real life!! Heh heh, . If you don't then take the swashbuckler as dual wielding two long swords such as Adjatha The Drinker +2 and Daystar or Dragonslayer, is a very powerful combination!

BTW, if you said "yes" and mistook the question above then stay away from me!!! Hehe.

[Magness]

Regarding swashbucklers and katanas...

1. I think that that fact that a swashie can get only 1 * in katana is just a typo. I've read the kit file for swashies and it does have a 1 for katana, but 2 for every other weapon.

2. I disagree about a thief's best ability being backstab. I believe that a thief's most important ability (OK ...2) is Find Traps/Open Locks. All things considered, a party can get along without backstabbing. Finding Traps and Opening Locks is far more critical to the overall success of a party.

This is why I love swashbuckers. For their improved combat abilities, swashbucklers give up backstabbing. Works for me...

At 79,000 exp., the thief has enough points to handle every door and trap in the game, with some to spare for hiding. After that you're putting points on hide, and then detect illusions. It seems that a long term thief kit is pretty much a waste. And if your swashbuckler starts out becoming a dual wield master, he can't even use the bow until level 11, and he has to wait till 16 to be specialized in it. If the swashbuckler choose to dual wield and specialize in long swords, he'll wait til 21 to specialize in short bow.

[Entreri]

Multi-class and dual-class fighter-thief are better to me that thief alone. I Hate rogue thac0 and never I will play a Thief alone because of that. Dual class the fighter with exceptionnal strengh score to a thief and backstab after that is very deadly. The other way, the thief to a fighter too is very good, to backstab at a very low thac0 and grand mastery ... ouch! Celestial is my favorite weapon !! They should had make the weapon intelligent and make it speak to is weilder sometimes like it has found evil near or treasure ... They did not put in the game Charon's claw , another great blade that Artemis Entreri Did found and use or his vampiric dagger.