Is backstabb in BG2 cheating ?

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In P&P game, only the die roll of the weapon is multiplied when you backstabb, neither the weapon bonus, nor the strength bonus, nor specialization bonus. It seems that in BG2 all of these bonuses are counted. AND, you cannot count a critical hit in backstabbing because a successfull backstabb IS a critical hit.

In BG2, my Kensai/Thief often does damages over than 100 when backstabbing. My record is 220 HPs in one hit. If you combine Stealth Skill (+ Non-Detection Cloak + Girdle of Strength) + Boots of Speed (+ Potions of Invisibility) then you really have a killing machine, I killed several bosses in only one hit (Bodhi, Ulitharids, ...).

I think true P&P rules should have been used in BG2.

Any comments ?

[This message has been edited by Rasalgethi (edited December 23, 2000).]

 

IIRC in P&P the strength-bonus IS multiplied along with the weapon's damage (rolled), but not the other boni.
In the early stages of game creating I read about the strength-multiplication being removed from the game but now it seems Bioware left that untouched for whatever reason.
Worst is that there are so many awesome items available for all classes and not only for some and of course your high level in the game. I never was able to take out one 'boss' in BG1 with one strike, even with good equipment and high level (13, XPcap removed). They should have restricted some items in usage but now it's too late.
In fact the time I was able to deal out >200 damage was the last time I used backstabbing at all, now my thief goes straight into a fight face to face and I never regretted it...

 

Tal, I agree with your point of view. Usually, my thief targets one enemy then my fighters enter in action in closed contact.

I thought about one point : soloing with a Thief, in this case, I guess the only way to complete the game is to use that previously described method. But, in the other case, I agree it's cheap .

And btw, I hope that some Bioware and Interplay people reads your board .

 

Elenias.

*Takes my ADD 2nd edition rules and begins to read*

"The multiplier factor is applied to the total of damages inflicted BEFORE adding Strength Bonus and Weapon bonus".

Maybe, my translation from my French book to this English is not perfect but the sense of the sentence is equivalent. Elenias, where did you read the rule you gave ? In the 3rd edition ? I don't know about that edition, maybe you are right for that one, but in the 1st and 2nd edition, boni (thx for the right spelling ) are not added before the multiplication.

 

he he, that's funny! Have a D&D-rulebook 2nd edition right before me
*start reading classes of the PC (thief) (page 42)* :
"...the rolled damage (including strength-bonus) is multiplied by the factor in tab.30...bla bla bla"
If you're insisting on it being settled I can scan this page and mail it to you...but relax...seems we've just discovered a bug in my rulebook, though I never suspected it to be buggy that way.
I often played P&P-D&D on game-conventions and there were never arguments about that thing...
...let's state the following: concerning my rulebook I'm right , but I accept my rulebook indeed being buggy >sniff< ... and I noticed... >sniff again<

 

rofl Elenias, when I began to read your post I just thought, Damned translators, they didn't do their job correctly by translating English version to French version, lol .

Well, you are right it's probably a bug in your book because, like you, in conventions, I never used to multiply Str bonus. Well, everything is OK, and I think you agree on the comments I gave about the BG2 Thief backstabbing skill .

 

o.k. everything's fine...since this is a game we are to enjoy every little part of it and not battling (damn my spelling) about this one for it wouldn't proof anything but the incompetence of translators (mine or yours, I still don't know...ups!...no offence to all the translaters out there. I see myself reading babble-lingo for the rest of my days).
As for your post at all I TOTALLY agree with you on backstabbing, it's surely overpowered and unbalancing and shouldn't be used but in the most desperate hour (you know, life and death and stuff...)

 

Ah, I've just imagined a party with 6 Thiefs, all using backstabb, wearing nice boots and girdles... wooow... nothing can resist that in BG2. Well, ok ok, this damned Lich should resist without too much effort ... and Dragons too... and Demons... hehe .

 

yeah, heard of them! This must be the 'Backstab Boys' my sister's always cackling about...