Combat Thief or Stalker?

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Wow, old thread.

I'll agree with people from a year ago that Sanctuary is an über spell for sneaking around, as you can do just about anything up to attacking or pickpocketing while santuaried. It's especially powerful for cleric/thieves, as it allows you to walk into a room full of enemies and de-trap, unlock, and loot without alerting anyone. In fact, if you wanted to solo a character that avoided combat as much as possible while still doing alot of quests, cleric/theif would be my choice. But that's not a combat thief, I suppose...

 

Hmm, you know, you could create a fighter-thief and with SK could 'mutate' him into a stalker-thief (for infinity rangers are fighter kits anyway) - but that would probably be a waste, except for ToB ...

So in regular playing I'd say that Stalker is best when you go and want to fight a lot, the spells are an added bonus - if you're intested in versatility and take it slow, a fighter-thief is next to unbeatable.

So it all revolves areound your playing style.

 

Multi class thieves don't actually get multiple uses of assasination if you've installed the Baldurdash Fixpack. That was actually an oversight.

 

I believe the best option here is the Ranger - Stalker. Early on they provide you with a character who is not only good at backstabbing but can also be a handy front line warrior right away. The F/T does not have as many HP and by the time they achieve their Thaco of equal value of the Stalker it would be really late in the game. I would go with a Stalker since you do have Imoen and Yoshimo as your main thiefs for traps. The stalker also provides you with additional priest and some magic user spells.

 

But a stalker can only go up to X3 backstab (iirc) late in his/her career, whereas a F/T can get to X5 earlier.

 

Nah, Stalkers get x4 Backstab at level 15-16 and x5 Backstab at level 21 (IIRC). Makes 'em just as badass as F/Ts in the backstab league - eventually. Of course they can't set traps or any of the other thief-type stuff, but if the rest of your party has that covered, you may as well go for a Stalker. They're probably my favourite single-class character, being of similar ilk as 3E multiclass rogue/rangers, which I love. I love the ranger's hide in shadows ability, but it's mutually exclusive with their armour choice in 2E, and there's not much use to scouting in BG2 (unlike BG1). Adding backstab to the class really lets them get the most from it; stealth tends to be wasted otherwise. After all, when was the last time you had Minsc hide in shadows?

 

F/T or F/M/T

 

I cast another vote for M/T. If you want to backstab a lot, then he's your man. Cast Mislead, SIivination, and hide the decoy; then backstab to your heart's content. Your go invisible again after every hit, automatically. Just reposition and backstab again. The F/T may have a better THAC0, but he cannot replicate the M/T's ability to continuously backstab.

If you want the THAC0 to be better, then go with a F/M/T. They are often called the King of the Backstab for a very good reason. The Infinite Backstabs of the M/T combined with the THACO of the F/T. What's not to like?

 

FMTs pwn all, it's true, but to such a degree it's almost cheesy. The combination of 5x backstab, specialisation and as many castings of Invisibility as you need is godly, not to mention when you get up to lvl 7 or 8 mage spells. The only real competitor is the Kensai/Thief (for its raw backstabbing power) with UAI and plenty of kit. Of course, filthy cheats should take note of the KMT, which is one of the most destructive beasts I have unleashed through the power of ShadowKeeper.

But it's not all about driving your enemies before you and hearing the lamentations of their women (although that is nice ). Stalkers are cool (especially if you SK them to have the thief avatar), are the closest to an FMT in one class, and their Stealth skills are incredibly high. If you need another backstabber, but all thieving skills are covered already, they're ideal. The Ranger stronghold is nice, too.

Bounty Hunters and Assassins are also superb - annoying early on owing to a lack of skill points, they come into their own at higher levels. Especially the Bounty Hunter, with the combination of maze traps and conventional ones allowing the decimation of enemy forces whilst barely raising a finger.

The key point is that everyone knows how lethal FMTs are - it's a given. For something away from the norm, the Stalker is fun & effective without being overpowered. Remember the plight of Jergal:

Without challenge there is nothing, and in nothingness there is only gloom. In such a state, the difference between absolute power and absolute powerlessness is undetectable.