Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site qantel.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!qantel!israel From: israel@qantel.UUCP ( Renegade) Newsgroups: net.games.frp Subject: Re: Thieves Backstab Message-ID: <181@qantel.UUCP> Date: Tue, 14-Aug-84 12:34:47 EDT Article-I.D.: qantel.181 Posted: Tue Aug 14 12:34:47 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 16-Aug-84 02:41:39 EDT Organization: MDS Qantel, Hayward CA. Lines: 41 < Imagine having YOUR line here! > Look, people, let's be practical about this - a backstab is just that - a backSTAB. One does not stab with a sling bullet or any other missile weapon. The extra damage accruing from a successful backstab attack is a combination of the thief's knowledge and experience in knowing where to strike IN ADDITION TO his attacking a surprised victim who is basically unable to protect himself, allowing the thief to drive his sword deeper into the wound, thus resulting in more damage. A missile attack does not permit the thief to drive the weapon deeper into the wound (since he simply isn't there), and so can only manage normal damage at best - barring a critical hit, of course. As for assassins, if they attack with surprise, they get an assassination roll. That's what they're for, dammit! Why attack in thief mode when they got that going for them? Besides, any assassin who doesn't coat his weapons with contact poison should be drummed out of the guild (and we all know what THAT means, don't we?). No assassins don't get extra damage with surprise missile attacks either, but they do get the assassination roll. So the smart assassin attacks with poison-coated arrows, which in a surprise attack, will automatically hit (requiring at least a saving throw from the victim vs. poison), plus the assassination roll, plus normal damage if the guy is still alive. And the smart thief? He must be physically present behind his victim to perform a successful backstab, but since he doesn't hit automatically with surprise, he must be prepared to melee. If he hits, he wants to make sure he does mucho damage, so he should either use a long sword, or, if he has magical weapons, one with the highest minimum damage (ie, most plusses), which improves his chance to hit, and makes sure he does some worth-while wounding. (It seems to me, based on the DMG description that a really sneaky thief might conceivably manage to succussfully backstab somebody with a dancing sword, seeing as the sword is supposed to attack as the weilder does. In this situation, the thief would not have to be standing in the immediate vicintity of the victim, although this is the only such exception that occurs to me.) From the world of New Orc City Renegade ucbvax!dual!qantel!israel "I'm not worried - I've got a ring of DM control!"