The strongest thief!!!

Nope. Get your thief to become invisible (use hide in shadows, take the appropriate potion or have someone cast a spell on him), then run up behind your target and attack it. If it's backstabbable (things like jellies and dragons aren't) and your weapon is one that can be used for backstabbing, you'll hit and do anywhere up to five times as much damage as you would otherwise. Unfortunately you can't hide in shadows when you're in the vicinity of a non party member, so unless you stock up on invisibility potions or you have a thief/mage, it's only good once per battle. The other problem is the thief THAC0 isn't the best. Having a fighter/thief fixes this.

wow so many cool thiefs I myself is a fighter/mage/thief, he's great. he has good stealth and trap setting, and of course he wields celestial fury. i just love this guy

Artea Silverheart

[el_kalkylus]

To those that don't know what detect illusions or move silently is, I'll explain. With detect illusions, you can see invisible characters if you have pressed the detect-trap-button (but still be backstabbed ). Move silently allows you to stay in shadows for a longer period of time. This is more important than to hide in shadow.

About the Kensai/thief, he CAN use a ranged weapon. A Kensai can still use axes, and a throwing axe is considered a normal axe.

[el_kalkylus]

Artea, I have heard a lot about this fighter/mage/thief combo. It really sounds great to have some thieving skills, be able to backstab, have a fighter's THACO and AC, can specialize in weapons, and can cast spells like stoneskin and mirror image. If I play this game again (that is if I have more time), I will certainly go for this combo. It seems it doesn't matter if you gain levels very slow, because you have all these great knowledge already from the beginning.

I find using the invisible potions isn't that helpful. While I have a chance at a backstab, it means I have to drink the potion, move behind the enemy and attack again. Wastes too many attacks to do so, especially if there are other mobs to be beaten down. I can see how this would be useful if your AC isn't so good or if you don't do that much damage otherwise, but as the main battle tank, the invisibility potions usually don't get used.

[el_kalkylus]

I usually use the potion when all monsters attack me. Then the monsters start attacking the others, and you can peacefully backstab one of them (which usually means death to the target), and go fight the other monsters when no monster is attacking you. I do more damage than a normal fighter/thief, and can go around hitting while the monsters has their attentions elsewhere. Another use of the potion is to backstab a great fighter, then if he is not dead, just use you potion and make another backstab (he will then be dead for certain, unless you have a critical miss ). As I said before, G.W, I think my Kensai/thief deals out more damage, being a kensai and all (at least in middle-game).

When I said my thief could backstab 202 in one blow, I meant that he could do it without any magic or potions or girdles, just the +3 Celestial fury.

Besides, G.W, what do you mean you waste a lot of attacks by using the potion and backstab? It takes about 1 sek to use potion run behind the target (normally, they haven't had time to turn around), then backstab 50-200 damage (normally 70-120).

It seems to take one or two seconds to drink the potion and if you are struck at this time you are interrupted. It then seems to take another second for the spell effect to take place. Then add one or two seconds to get behind the monster. That's three or four attacks. Then there's a chance you just do a normal attack instead of a backstab, am I right?

[el_kalkylus]

You gotta be kidding me. It takes 0.00001 sek for the potion to take effect, and as I said before, you are usually already behind the monster. And the backstab takes 1 sek! That's 1 attack. If you are not behind the monster, it will not take too long but it's DEFINATELY worth it, since you won't get hurt.

Let us assume that you get 4 attacks in that time, then you will probably get hit too, AND the backstab is x5 damage. Of course you have a better chance of making a critical hit with 4 attacks, but then again the monster will probably be dead by then, unless you are fighting a good monster that will hurt you alot. The backstab is worth the time, even if it takes longer for you.

If you are right behind the monster, the backstab never fails. Besides, if the monster is moving and you are behind it, you can click attack, and it will 99 times out of 100 backstab it.

[el_kalkylus]

Hmm, as always I have to exagerate (how do you spell it?). Maybe not 0.000001 sek, but pretty fast, and the thing about backstabbing 99 out of 100 I can't really say anything about, but it has worked all the time for me.

Now I understand why it takes 2 sek for the potion to take effect for you. You have drinked another potion just before, and you have to wait about 5-6 seconds to drink the other potion.

Hmm, I guess that makes sense about the potion gulp delay. I assumed because those healing potions took some time (one round) the invis potions took as long, but it was really the fact that it was my second potion.