backstabbing

[Stratos]

Originally posted by browns1977: Did you ever get your backstab or sneak attacks to work? If so how? I have been trying to get my thief to do it but it doesn't seem to work. Is there a message that says Back stab (X) damage?

To do a 'Sneak Attack' you have to enable it in the config. program and it replaces the regular Backstab. Please read my above post for some more info.

To do a regular Backstab you need to:
1. Equip a 'thief weapon' meaning a weapon that a single class thief can use. If you multi or dual class your thief you might get access to more weapons but you can still only backstab with 'thief weapons'.
2. Hide in shadows.
3. Get behind an enemy and hit. Note that you actually need to hit to backstab successfully. Some enemies are immune to backstab, I believe all undead are.

Hope this helps further.

[Roboghost]

I'm playing a Halfling F/T...but can only use thief weapons. My exception is that he can use the Long Bow, but not Composite Bow. HEY! They won't let him into the Thieves' Guild if he does.

One helpful weapon is the staff for backstab (especially Skellies). The game engine seems to make the bad guys notice when a thief-type is about to give them a hard time--the monsters will turn their back on two mean fighters pounding on them to deal with the thief first! When you use the staff, they will usually ignore the thief doing their dirty deed.
If you want to piss off my imaginary Thieves' Guild, then go ahead and use any extended weapon to poke 'em in the back with (usually only monsters occupied with fighters). Also, if you want to backstab them with a lone thief, be sure to be protected from spells and have to ability to run real fast. I prefer my thief to get up there in levels before I attempt lone attacks. Of course I play in HoF mode, so this route is why I do take.

Current party [all races/most spells/most items (except Paladins')]:
Half-Elf Fighter
Gnome Fighter
Dwarf Cleric (Good)
Human Druid
Halfling Fighter/Thief
Elf Mage

Chow!

[NobleNick]

Stratos,

Thank you for the step-by-step clarification!

Undead are immune to backstab? Now I am ***REALLY*** glad I didn't try to backstab a Drowned Dead in the middle of a group of Barrow Wights whilst being serenaded by a Wailing Virgin!

(Off-topic Edit, wherein I gloat a whole lot): Speaking of Drowned Dead, the life expectancy of one of these guys when he hits my front line is 1-1/4 of a round, if he's uninjured! I have a:

DC Fighter(10)/Druid(13) armed with +5 sling and +5 large sword
DC Cleric(12)/Fighter(13) armed with +4 sling and "The Giving Star"
DC Ranger(10?)/Cleric(12?) armed with +3 sling and "Misery's Herald"
DC Fighter(10)/Thief(14?) armed with +5 long bow and +5 axe (forget names)
Bard(16?) armed with (Who cares? She is ALWAYS singing or casting...)
MC Gnome Thief(14?)/Illusionist(12?) armed with +1(?) short bow

The Bard is singing War Chant, of course (unless a Wailing *!%#@ is nearby); the Gnome is doing about 2 HP of damage per round with her short bow; and I typically have no other buffs going. I try to arrange the frontline four into a shallow "U" so that the D.D. makes contact with all four simultaneously. The party usually takes one hit off of him before he is (re-)laid to rest. If I have a chance to soften him up before contact, then he will typically only last 3/4 of a round. Single Barrow Wights, as fast as they are, still typically don't even get the chance to close to melee range. Having four HEAVY melee types that also have other skills is Pha-a-at!! I am soo-o-o-o glad I learned to DC!

What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party on!!


[ 09-05-2003, 07:34 PM: Message edited by: NobleNick ]

[Lymond]

Like it seems is the case with many people here, backstab is not something I spent any time using, or seeing if it worked successfully. I always assumed that if I was hiding in shadows and attacked someone, that was a backstab.

As for it being an actual "back" stab, I don't think it has to be. Although the game is very sophisticated, I don't think it factors in the direction an entity is facing. Of course it does to some degree, but I think more for the display than the game play.

Nevertheless, after reading these posts I paid more attention and was able to successfully backstab. I will try more to see exactly how I did it, but it was one of two things. First, I hit the button you use to disarm locks and pickpocket. I can't be sure, but that didn't really do anything. Although it didn't say, it's probably safe to assume that the snow troll had nothing to steal. So then I clicked on the hide in shadows face, then immediately clicked on the troll. The result was:

Elisa - Backstab Quintuple Damage
Snow Troll - Takes 45 piercing damage from Elisa.

Also, I was armed with a short sword. The snow troll was already fighting another character. Maybe that helped?

Lymond

[NobleNick]

Lymond,

Thanks! I am sure I have never seen that kind of message before. Now that the game is almost over for me, I'm getting excited about trying this out.

Sounds like you are in Gloomfrost.

What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party on!!