Backstabbing

[Dante Tier]

Hey kids, this is probably a silly question. How do you backstab? I assume you have to be a thief, and hidden in shadows, and using a melee weapon. I've got that part, but when I attack, my damage isn't backstab damage. Am I doing something wrong? any help would be appreciated

[Dante Tier]

As a side note to any veteren thiefs... what are the best skills to put your points into? moving silently, Hide in shadows, pick pockets...? What's worthless?

[Sir Exxon]

To backstab, you have to Hide in Shadows and Move Silently.

[Dante Tier]

Thanks for your response! Care to field my continuous onslaught of questions?
How do you move silently? Is there a button like with HiS? or is it an automatic thing if you have enough points in that skill? Also, when you attack when you're Hiding in Shadows, you automatically leave the shadows. It makes sense as to WHY that happens, but does that effect your Backstab multiplier? is that supposed to happen?

[Seraph]

Hide in Shadows and Move Silantly are both applied when you use the "Hide in Shadows" button in the game.

[Zarr]

Originally posted by Dante Tier: Hey kids, this is probably a silly question. How do you backstab? I assume you have to be a thief, and hidden in shadows, and using a melee weapon. I've got that part, but when I attack, my damage isn't backstab damage. Am I doing something wrong? any help would be appreciated

You didn't mention if you were behind the enemy or not, you need to attack when you are behind the enemy to backstab it doesn't work if you stab the front or side of them.

[Dante Tier]

Am I correct in assuming Backstab multipliers only apply to melee weapons? Is seems to me that the reason for a backstab modifier is that the victim cannot see the attacker, so the victim cannot defend and can be struck in the most tender of tenders. That being said, wouldn't it make sense that a bolt, bullet or arrow could do the same thing? Of course, I'm putting real life variables into a game... but I was just wondering

[Zarr]

Originally posted by Dante Tier: Am I correct in assuming Backstab multipliers only apply to melee weapons? Is seems to me that the reason for a backstab modifier is that the victim cannot see the attacker, so the victim cannot defend and can be struck in the most tender of tenders. That being said, wouldn't it make sense that a bolt, bullet or arrow could do the same thing? Of course, I'm putting real life variables into a game... but I was just wondering

Yes your correct you can't backstab with a ranged weapon only melee weapons.

[Grammar]

Yeah, you must be behind enemy with a non-ranged weapon that a singleclassed thief can use. In addition, you must be hidden & the enemy must be vulnerable to backstabs (certain enemies, such as Beholders, are immune to backstab).

About the thievery points: All of them have their uses. Some of the more useful ones (These depend upon how you want your thief to be used)
Pick Pockets - I'm not a big fan of this really. Just buy thievery potions to boost pick pockets if you want. I typically boost this last of the skills that I focus on
Find Traps - As this includes disarming them, this can be quite important. However, a priest with find traps can work just as well. This is still a good skill to boost as you also get experience for disarming traps.
Open Locks - Quite useful for getting items, it also makes you gain experience for every lock opened. Knock will do the job just as well. It will open EVERY door that can be picked. Most quest doors however, are opened with a key if they are locked. They typically cannot be lockpicked.
Hide in Shadows - If you want to backstab, this is a must. If you have no interest in backstabbing, forget it. A wizard eye or just careful scouting is just as good if you don't want to backstab. However, Assassins should focus on getting this up to 100.
Move Silently - Relatively high (in relation to 100 that is), I haven't ever needed higher than 100 in any skill except maybe open locks and pick pockets as far as I know. I'd only recommend getting this if you're getting hide in shadows
Detect Illusion - I suppose this could be useful. I can't recall EVER using it, however.
Place Traps - Bounty Hunter needs this =). It's also a good skill to boost up to 100. Don't bother going above that though. Traps can be extraordinarily useful.

[The Dude]

There was a recent thread on this recently. It turns out that there's no value in putting points in hide in shadows - that's because your chances of successfully hiding are one half the sum of your hide in shadow plus your move silently.

So, it's better to put all those points into move silently where you get that added benifit of a longer time being invisible while you're in transition - coming out of hiding.

As for the other scores, the consensus seems to have been that getting find traps and lockpicking to 100% was probably good enough for SOA, but some people said you want to get them a bit higher, esp if you're going to TOB. I've been using 105% and if I ever get TOB I'd got to 125%.

Set traps and Detect Illusions - no point in going over 100%

Pickpocketting was more controversial. If you want to be able to pickpocket absolutely anyone you probably need over 200%, but you can do very well with much less - and there are always those potions of thievery you can use when necessary.