newbie question - how does backstabbing work?

Thrar · Post by **Thrar** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 4:54 am

when setting AI they can, but i cant seem to do it myself. how?

Wolf_pd · Post by **Wolf_pd** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 5:17 am

You mean you yourself as a thief, or when not using AI? When being a thief yourself, it's just all about standing behind them and stick him

Eerhardt · Post by **Eerhardt** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 5:18 am

Backstabbing is only usable by Thieves and Stalkers.
Step 1: Make sure you have a weapon selected, which you can use for backstab (daggers, katana's, ... bladed weapons usually do the trick, but basically anything your thief can use will be good)
Step 2: When you look at the bottom of the gamescreen there's a button with a face split in half. This is the stealth button. You should click this button when there are no enemies (red circles) around. If all goes well, you'll receive a message "Hide in Shadows succeeded". Whether it works or not depends on a lot of things (the presence or absence of shadows, the percentage of your character's Hide in Shadows skill - see Character Record screen,etc...).
Step 3: While still in Stealth Mode, move behind the character you want to backstab.
Step 4: Attack the character in the back and your attack will count as a backstab
note: you may want to turn the AI off before attempting a backstab, since some scripts trigger a premature attack

Thrar · Post by **Thrar** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 5:22 am

about step 3+4, i have to stand behind him, and right next to him? cuz usually when i try he just uncloaks and does a normal attack.
ty

Wolf_pd · Post by **Wolf_pd** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 5:29 am

Your enemy has to have his back to you and you have to be next to him. When you're not next to him, it will only count as a normal attack. When you backstab, he will also uncloak, but there is a chance that you hit and get a backstabdamage (times x)

Pebz · Post by **Pebz** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 6:55 am

In order to backstab someone you have to be right behind him/her, invisible, and have a melee weapon useable by thiefs armed.

Backstabbing basicly only works on small-medium sized humanoid creatures... backstabbing dragons or golems is futile.

Moleman · Post by **Moleman** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 3:03 pm

Could someone explain this: the rune assassins (in the skinner quest) could make a backstab from the front of me... I thought backstab is possible only from the back.

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 4:12 pm

Originally posted by Moleman
Could someone explain this: the rune assassins (in the skinner quest) could make a backstab from the front of me... I thought backstab is possible only from the back.

Noticed that, too. It's very illogical, much like ennmy mages being able to continue their spells even though they take damage. Guess even a game such as BG2 has its flaws...

Moleman · Post by **Moleman** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 4:42 pm

I thought all characters in BG play by the same rules.

Eerhardt · Post by **Eerhardt** » Thu Mar 14, 2002 1:15 am

it's all in the name

Minor spoiler: High Level Ability for Thieves
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Since they're called Assassins, I think it has something to do with the ToB High Level Ability Assassination for Thieves. In the description of this ability it says "this ability allows every strike in the next round to act as a backstab, using the Thief's existing backstab modifier to determine damage".

Sojourner · Post by **Sojourner** » Thu Mar 14, 2002 1:31 am

Originally posted by Moleman

I thought all characters in BG play by the same rules.

Nope - some of the characters in the game use "cheese" or outright cheat, instead of using good AI. But at least it's better than in IWD - where it's glaringly obvious there's a lot of cheese and cheating on the game's part

- at least to someone who's poking around the game internals with IE.

nephtu · Post by **nephtu** » Thu Mar 14, 2002 11:52 am

More backstab crap

Is backstab level dependent?

I just restarted with a new party, and I'm being pretty careful about invisibility, AI off, placement, etc. but I still fail to BS a lot, where Yoshimo was backstabbing essentially every time, even when I wasn't super careful

Moleman · Post by **Moleman** » Thu Mar 14, 2002 12:01 pm

Re: More backstab crap

Originally posted by nephtu
Is backstab level dependent?

I just restarted with a new party, and I'm being pretty careful about invisibility, AI off, placement, etc. but I still fail to BS a lot, where Yoshimo was backstabbing essentially every time, even when I wasn't super careful

Backstab multiplayer (i.e. how much damage is been done) is level dependant but otherwise, no. Of course you have to make a successfull attack in order to BS, that's dependant on THACO which is partly dependant on level...

Pebz · Post by **Pebz** » Thu Mar 14, 2002 12:46 pm

I Believe that speed factor also plays an important role to backstabbing...