Aha, now this is a difficult question - and in my opinion and response to the above... Zaknafein beats all.
I know Drizzt fan boys/girls out there will argue this to the death.. some will especially bring up the fact that Zaknafein mentioned himself that Drizzt was his equal and managed to beat him.. in one fight.
Zaknafein was a 2nd Ed. Fighter LVL 24. Fact - I don't know if any of you know what this means, but it pretty much says that he was in a league of his own. When Zaknafein said that Drizzt was his equal, he meant in skill. In other words: Drizzt got his 5 stars in Scimitars and 3 in dual-wielding.
Zaknafein outclassed all in terms of experience. Drizzt gained the upper hand in one fight because Drizzt has a higher intelligence score and managed to figure out how to defend against the twin-upper-sweep move (forgot its name) and Zaknafein for one fight out of thousands I presume.. underestimated Drizzt.
Just to confirm: Drizzt was LVL 10 when he left the underdark.
Now, in regards to Sarevok (LVL 15 BG, LVL 18 ToB) - He is a beast of a fighter. I assume he gained his MR from his Bhaal Spawn Essence and his armor, and the strength to wield a two handed sword in one hand from the same thing. I personally believe Drizzt will have bested Sarevok but it would have been a hell of a one on one fight.
There is much more to the Forgotten Realms than the Drizzt books so I feel I have to quote Ed Greenwood here:
"So you’re really going to have to trust me here, when I say that the best bladesman in the Realms right now (1375 DR) is: Harmel Artru, a darkly handsome, agile, glib-tongued and lady-charming merchant seacaptain (and sometime pirate), who sails The Winsome Lady independent caravel out of Saerloon (and a secret base somewhere in the Pirate Isles)."
I personally agree with the above statement. Who are we to question Ed Greenwood? Zaknafein died in 1328 but if he hadn't he'd easilly top this list.
Shuruppak was level 30ish, and when zak was still alive, he was the Chosen of Gilgeam. Yeah, can't see anyone on this list coming close.
Not a chance in heck of drizzt coming close to beating sarevok one on one. He's not much more agile, isn't as smart, and is nowhere near as strong or tough. Sarevok is more SKILLED as well, having 5 ranks in great sword. Seriously, drizzt advantage is 3 points of dex? They grant 1 ac I think? Salvatore wrote him as being much better than he is stat-wise.
Also, authors that let piles of outsiders write stuff in their world lose creative control. More so if they sell said world.
@DreadKhan - I don't know much about Shuruppak but from what I can find his level 30 stats are 3rd edition only. Only guessing what Zaknafein's would be but I think it would be there or there abouts.
Like I said, Shuruppak or not, Ed Greenwood mentioned himself that Harmel Artru is the greatest warrior in the Forgotten Realms - who are we to say otherwise? I personally woulda put Zak there but it's outa my hands. Truthfully I don't have much of a clue who Harmel Artru is.
Also I think Sarevok was written to be much more powerful than he was statwise. Channeling his Bhaalspawn powers? please... excuse to create a Super Sarevok more like.
In regards to Drizzt and Sarevok, I go by second edition stats only. LvL 16 Drizzt vs LvL 15 Sarevok. Both have 5 stars in their chosen weapons (due to Drizzt's strange ability to develop from a warrior to a ranger) and one is quick whereas the other is strong. Honestly, like I said I think it will be a hell of a fight.
Pretty much 50/50 with Drizzt coming out on top, but that's my opinion. Drizzt gains most of his godly AC from putting his bracers of blinding speed around his ankles if I remember correctly. Rule breaking but still feasible. Annoys me how we can't do that in BG2 however -.-
Drizzt more or less ignores the rules of 2nd, but he's chaotic good, right? He plays by his own rules. Sarevok is chaotic evil, so he plays by no rules period. Also, drizzt was supposed to have only 4 ranks in scimitars, not 5... Could be wrong. I remember seeing some stats years ago, so memory could be faulty. However, sarevok has almost inhuman strength. In ad&d, 18/00 is the highest strength an ogre can start with, most starting with less. Hence tossing a grown man in heavyish armour with one hand. Drizzt is fast, sure, but remember sarevok is almost as quick as is humanly possible. Drizzt has +4 armour, you can bet sarevok has at least that with his divinely powered armour. Sarevok has better immunities, including magic resistance, and his sword is also probably close to artifact level.
Shuruppak was basically the greatest power in Unther, and since people didn't dig the Summerian/mesopotamian theme, he didn't get much air time. Inexplicably, the plate yagashura wears was supposed to be his, though he wears a robe, so dunno where that came from.
When you get down to it, a well designed fighter could annihilate drizzt, since he isn't min maxed, but sarevok is.
@DreadKhan - Alright you've persuaded me. Didn't take much as I am not a fan of Drizzt at all, but very much love Sarevok
I'm not so much of a fan of Salvatore. Drizzt is so one dimensional. Zaknafein on the other hand, in my opinion is a lot like Sarevok - interesting, awesome and a tiny bit crazy.
@DKnight as was pointed out, Elminster DOES have Fighter levels (and was a Fighter for the first several years of his life before gaining magical abilities from Mystra). *cross arms even harder*
Why has no one tossed Balthazar into the discussion? Must the person still be alive? He was the most powerful of the Five, and was probably the only person in all the realms who could have beaten Mellisan if CHARNAME had have failed. He's just as fast, strong, and magically resistant as Drizzt or Sarevok, if I recall his stats correctly.
I still think being a Bhaalspawn is a HUGE advantage over non-divine beings. Imagine if Sarevok was kidnapped by Irenicus instead and he was the one to unleash Slayer form. We're gods, give us some credit!
Wulfgar? Buenor? Did someone actually suggest them as being on par with Sarevok.
(Shakes head in pity for the uninformed and misguided...)
Is there no Realmsian Loremasters abiding on these boards? Oh, the travvvesty!
Azoun is higher level, equal in physical attributes, sports Full Plate +5 and has access to every possible sword imaginable in his hoard. Let alone all of the other magical defenses and items he has access to( or "had" depending on what timeline you are looking at...). He makes them all his bitch.
Gareth Dragonsbane of Damara, the Grandfather Monk of the Monastery of the Yellow Rose, etc... there are several Realmsian warriors above and beyond Sarevok.
@Tyranus - I don't think it matters if they're dead or alive... but Drizzt over Zaknafein? really?
Drizzt had just grown his short hairs and already learned how to counter a move that Zaknafein and everyone else in the Underdark thought was uncounterable. I'd love to see some short movie of them duking it out in their prime.
@Tyranus - As I said earlier... Drizzt had one moment of innovation and countered one move by Zaknafein...out of what? Thousands of fights? Even at that point Drizzt hadn't had him beat. Drizzt couldn't even kill Zak when he was Zin Carla. Zaknafein had to kill himself.
.......Says it all really. Zaknafein was in a league of his own. Remember one thing.. Zak is still undefeated. he sacrificed himself so his son could live.
Not to mention Drizzt is about 250 years younger than Zak. Give Drizzt another 200-300 years and then maybe, just maybe he'll come close.
@entropyxii I found zak a much more developed person, much like Montolio, whatever his name is, the ranger mentor... Drizzt does not actually feel very much like a real person. Despite having numerous books with him as the protagonist. It doesn't help that Salvatore writes him as being vastly more powerful than he should. He never gets hit... 1 in 20 should be a crit; he wears no helmet!
Just how powerful is Sarevok in a canon? He should be powerful enough to kill anything. . . with sufficient velocity.
I think an organic projectile will quickly turn into a bloody mush over maximum acceleration or speed, actually limiting the usefulness of said projectile.
Just how powerful is Sarevok in a canon? He should be powerful enough to kill anything. . . with sufficient velocity.
I think an organic projectile will quickly turn into a bloody mush over maximum acceleration or speed, actually limiting the usefulness of said projectile.
Perhaps, but Sarevok has got a lot of metal on him.
Obould is the only guy that might be able to take Sarevok. They're both giants with huge greatswords that are channeling divine power into superhuman physical abilities. Obould has nearly impenetrable magic armor, a flaming greatsword, superhuman speed, unbelievable strength, and inhuman toughness. Plus he's just as smart as Sarevok, having a genius-level intellect, but is much older and more experienced.
The guy is stronger than Wulfgar and just as fast as Drizzt. If anybody could take Sarevok, it's him.
Ive been going over fighter types in party based games for a while and these are the kinds that there are in the games I play. I usually play Baldurs Gate, Icewind Dale and Avernum Escape from the Pit. Strangely, Avernum uses an almost too close stat system to bg and even the amount of strikes to kill an enemy is close.
There are really 4 types or more in my opinion-
Strength based aka brute-These guys are cool. They have good/mediocre constitution and dexterity and excellent strength. A perfect example would be Dorn. Dorn can be upgraded with a constitution book and then be a strength based fighter. These guys are good at dealing max damage and still be able to hit most enemies better than a regular fighter. You could probably call Sarevok one too. I made a fighter in Avernum that was named Daxen Lovidicus who wielded a sword and the only reason he survived was because he was so damn strong. Minsc too. These guys are one of my favorite types of fighter.
Dexterity based aka Finesse fighter-These guys used to be my favorite but Ive come to hate them for a few reasons. While its good to be able to dodge, its also good to be able to take hits. An example of this would be Drizzt, Artemis, Jarlaxle. Sometimes its good to dodge, but other times you have to take the hit and you would rather that you are wearing armor or what not to protect from that hit. Moving on. Decent strength, ok endurance and excellent dex.
Endurance/Constitution based aka barbarian or hardy fighter-This is my favorite type of fighter both in real life and in games. The cool thing about this one is that you make your opponent think they will win until you knock them off their feet. In real life there have been boxers that do this, I don't remember their names but its awesome. You get to watch them take 5 hits only to return one to knock them out cold. I really haven't seen a fighter like that in baldurs gate. Maybe Kagain. They usually have good strength, moderate dex, and excellent endurance.
Superhuman fighter aka God-These guys are my least favorite because they just don't have a weakness. Godly strength, dex, endurance and basically unstoppable. I think Obould fits the bill. He basically can't be beaten. If anyone can name someone that can I would really like to know as I just read his stats. Damn...
I don't know where Zaknafein would fit in but I really don't think that he could last long against Obould. Zak is cooler but Im guessing his stats are just like his sons.
Its always fun discussing this stuff with a community like this. Everyone is always one person outsmarting the other and in a professional manner.
Its too bad that there wasn't fatigue and unconscious in d and d. I had an idea way back of a character that uses a bow staff and while not as strong, can knock an enemy out cold with stronger strikes tiring them down. Haha see that, Elminster's got some tricks up his sleeve. Not a half bad idea
It would interesting to see what sort of power Sarevok's Sword and Armour of Chaos has when he was a fully fledged Bhaalspawn. In BG2 it's mentioned that his sword had lost most of its power when he died.
You'd also have to factor in what sort of Bhaalspawn abilities he had developed.
@imajasjam - I think there was a mod in which Sarevok recognised his sword and regained its full power.
@DKnight - Personally I thought it was a little unfair when people brought Obould and Shurrapak into this... -sulks- cheats! Being pretty much immune to everything and having super human powers doesn't constitute being a great warrior.
Anyhow, Ed Greenwood has the power to kill off any character in his realms and thus I have to believe him when he says that 'Harmel Artru' is the best.... whoever that is.
Actually, wait a minute... AHA! ED GREENWOOD is the greatest warrior of the realms!
-smirks over his underlings with topic superiority-
@imajasjam - I think there was a mod in which Sarevok recognised his sword and regained its full power.
Yep in Ascension you can give Sarevok back his sword and he pops it up to +4 but even then that's only restoring "some" (as per the mods weapon description) of it's power.
I just forgot about one mean sob. What about Kane the monk from Artemis Road of the Patriarch. He was supposedly a freak who could hop around like a madman. In a way even though he was finesse, he was a total badass. Not many fighters can inspire fear in dragons. And with good reason. Im surprised I forgot about him. Does anyone know his stats?
I think it's important to establish a similarity in strength levels between canon characters and game characters. Sarevok is on the same level of power as Gruumsh-blessed Obould Many-Arrows, imo, which basically makes him the most dangerous single non-spellcaster on the planet. Drizzt literally required a sword, Cutter, that can cut through virtually anything in order to even harm Obould. Even after being stabbed by Cutter and dropped into a chasm via earthquake, Obould just got angry and spit out some blood. Obould was blessed by a deity and has great equipment, Sarevok has a soul of murderous god essence and great equipment that magnifies the strength of that essence. Obould probably would have cut Drizzt to bits if a drow priestess hadn't interfered with that earthquake spell. Sarevok would likely do the same.
My biggest problem with finesse fighters like drizzt is it just doesnt make any sense and seems too ridiculously stupid. How can someone in real life like bruce lee do anything against someone that is stronger/tougher or can take more hits than him. And most of the flips and such are all bs. None of that stuff is useful in a fight. We learned in Muay thai that sometimes the simple moves and attacks do much more than the fancy ones.
Just how useful is a circle kick/slash or w/e else when the opponent takes the hit and retaliates with enough force to break your arm and shoulder all at once. Its just not practical as his swords are tiny compared to the enemies weapons. Its like a fly wielding a switchblade against a bear wielding a maul.
The only time finesse wins is when its ranged combat. You want to avoid getting hit by guns whatnot much more than taking it as it will breach your armor. Whereas melee is different. The only time that you want to avoid getting hit at maximum priority is when your full plate and they have a mace/blunt weapon. The reasoning why is it causes vibrations in armor which can paralyz you breaking bones and what not.
That must be something that makes Athrogate (dwarf that fought artemis) a nightmare.
Finesse does have advantages. Consider the sort of damage that a blade causes. Even a light slash causes bleeding. No matter how strong you are, if you lose enough blood you're out of the fight. Deeper injuries can cut muscle and tendon which for a person is like a puppet having its strings cut one by one. And the best armor in the world has places where there are gaps.
The differences between brute force and finesse and armor don't always translate well into games and fiction and what have you.
There's a big difference between the kinds of injuries inflicted by different tools. Real people don't have hit points and the difference between getting hit by a club and slashed by a dagger is huge. And skill is a tremendous force multiplier.
@DKnight - It takes 1lb of pressure to cause damage with a blade. Kung Fu - however flashy - is a fighting style that has been perfected over centuries, it wouldn't have survived if it would have been useless, and trust me it is definitely effective against larger opponents, however it all depends on whether or not the other opponent is extremely well trained.
It truly depends. I have seen old recordings of Bruce Lee KO'ing boxers 3 times his size in minutes. I have also seen recordings of a giant western kick boxer making mince meat out of a smaller, Muay Thai fighter.
It depends on the fighter, truly, but historically the most skilled swordsman have been the lighter ones. Japanese Samurai, western duelists, musketeers etc.
It really is a sad fact that a HP based combat system just doesn't do justice to finesse fighters. Essentially, a finesse fighter does more with less; instead of pounding on a knight in full plate until he finally falls over, a finesse fighter waits for them to raise their arm for a strike, then dives their sword through the chain-mail at the armpit into a vital organ. Think of the old-school console and shooter games, specifically the bosses; you avoid their attacks, and wait until you can hit the week spot. That's finesse fighting. In BG1 terms, Dritz should have weaker stats and less damage than a lot of similarly leveled enemies, but something like an 80-100% crit chance.
Just how powerful is Sarevok in a canon? He should be powerful enough to kill anything. . . with sufficient velocity.
I think an organic projectile will quickly turn into a bloody mush over maximum acceleration or speed, actually limiting the usefulness of said projectile.
A projectile that expands on impact will typically deal more damage to targets that aren't armored vehicles.
@DKnight - It takes 1lb of pressure to cause damage with a blade. Kung Fu - however flashy - is a fighting style that has been perfected over centuries, it wouldn't have survived if it would have been useless, and trust me it is definitely effective against larger opponents, however it all depends on whether or not the other opponent is extremely well trained.
It truly depends. I have seen old recordings of Bruce Lee KO'ing boxers 3 times his size in minutes. I have also seen recordings of a giant western kick boxer making mince meat out of a smaller, Muay Thai fighter.
It depends on the fighter, truly, but historically the most skilled swordsman have been the lighter ones. Japanese Samurai, western duelists, musketeers etc.
In open warfare, samurai wore the rough equivalent of scale mail, lamellar, or full-plate, depending on the era. The image of the samurai wearing a jacket and pants is that of a ronin, a disenfranchised samurai that can no longer afford armor, or a samurai who is not expecting heavy combat.
Comments
I know Drizzt fan boys/girls out there will argue this to the death.. some will especially bring up the fact that Zaknafein mentioned himself that Drizzt was his equal and managed to beat him.. in one fight.
Zaknafein was a 2nd Ed. Fighter LVL 24. Fact - I don't know if any of you know what this means, but it pretty much says that he was in a league of his own. When Zaknafein said that Drizzt was his equal, he meant in skill. In other words: Drizzt got his 5 stars in Scimitars and 3 in dual-wielding.
Zaknafein outclassed all in terms of experience. Drizzt gained the upper hand in one fight because Drizzt has a higher intelligence score and managed to figure out how to defend against the twin-upper-sweep move (forgot its name) and Zaknafein for one fight out of thousands I presume.. underestimated Drizzt.
Just to confirm: Drizzt was LVL 10 when he left the underdark.
Now, in regards to Sarevok (LVL 15 BG, LVL 18 ToB) - He is a beast of a fighter. I assume he gained his MR from his Bhaal Spawn Essence and his armor, and the strength to wield a two handed sword in one hand from the same thing. I personally believe Drizzt will have bested Sarevok but it would have been a hell of a one on one fight.
There is much more to the Forgotten Realms than the Drizzt books so I feel I have to quote Ed Greenwood here:
"So you’re really going to have to trust me here, when I say that the best bladesman in the Realms right now (1375 DR) is: Harmel Artru, a darkly handsome, agile, glib-tongued and lady-charming merchant seacaptain (and sometime pirate), who sails The Winsome Lady independent caravel out of Saerloon (and a secret base somewhere in the Pirate Isles)."
I personally agree with the above statement. Who are we to question Ed Greenwood? Zaknafein died in 1328 but if he hadn't he'd easilly top this list.
My list:
1) Harmel Artru/Zaknafein Do'Urden
2) Duke Elton (Yes that's right - Fighter LVL 20)
3) Loaros Hammarandar
4) Drizzt Do'Urden/Obould Many-Arrows
5) Artemis Entreri/Sarevok Anchev
....Wulfgar and Bruenor don't even come into the equation. Sarevok resorted to poison in order to kill Elton.
EDIT: Just re-read the post and one part of it sounded ruder than intended. Not my intention
Not a chance in heck of drizzt coming close to beating sarevok one on one. He's not much more agile, isn't as smart, and is nowhere near as strong or tough. Sarevok is more SKILLED as well, having 5 ranks in great sword. Seriously, drizzt advantage is 3 points of dex? They grant 1 ac I think? Salvatore wrote him as being much better than he is stat-wise.
Also, authors that let piles of outsiders write stuff in their world lose creative control. More so if they sell said world.
Like I said, Shuruppak or not, Ed Greenwood mentioned himself that Harmel Artru is the greatest warrior in the Forgotten Realms - who are we to say otherwise? I personally woulda put Zak there but it's outa my hands. Truthfully I don't have much of a clue who Harmel Artru is.
Also I think Sarevok was written to be much more powerful than he was statwise. Channeling his Bhaalspawn powers? please... excuse to create a Super Sarevok more like.
In regards to Drizzt and Sarevok, I go by second edition stats only. LvL 16 Drizzt vs LvL 15 Sarevok. Both have 5 stars in their chosen weapons (due to Drizzt's strange ability to develop from a warrior to a ranger) and one is quick whereas the other is strong. Honestly, like I said I think it will be a hell of a fight.
Pretty much 50/50 with Drizzt coming out on top, but that's my opinion. Drizzt gains most of his godly AC from putting his bracers of blinding speed around his ankles if I remember correctly. Rule breaking but still feasible. Annoys me how we can't do that in BG2 however -.-
Shuruppak was basically the greatest power in Unther, and since people didn't dig the Summerian/mesopotamian theme, he didn't get much air time. Inexplicably, the plate yagashura wears was supposed to be his, though he wears a robe, so dunno where that came from.
When you get down to it, a well designed fighter could annihilate drizzt, since he isn't min maxed, but sarevok is.
I'm not so much of a fan of Salvatore. Drizzt is so one dimensional. Zaknafein on the other hand, in my opinion is a lot like Sarevok - interesting, awesome and a tiny bit crazy.
Why has no one tossed Balthazar into the discussion? Must the person still be alive? He was the most powerful of the Five, and was probably the only person in all the realms who could have beaten Mellisan if CHARNAME had have failed. He's just as fast, strong, and magically resistant as Drizzt or Sarevok, if I recall his stats correctly.
He's also a beast with Ascension installed.
My list:
1) CHARNAME
2) Balthazar
3) Sarevok
4) Obould
5) Drizzt
I still think being a Bhaalspawn is a HUGE advantage over non-divine beings. Imagine if Sarevok was kidnapped by Irenicus instead and he was the one to unleash Slayer form. We're gods, give us some credit!
(Shakes head in pity for the uninformed and misguided...)
Is there no Realmsian Loremasters abiding on these boards? Oh, the travvvesty!
Azoun is higher level, equal in physical attributes, sports Full Plate +5 and has access to every possible sword imaginable in his hoard. Let alone all of the other magical defenses and items he has access to( or "had" depending on what timeline you are looking at...). He makes them all his bitch.
Gareth Dragonsbane of Damara, the Grandfather Monk of the Monastery of the Yellow Rose, etc... there are several Realmsian warriors above and beyond Sarevok.
Zaknafein - LVL 24 fighter 2nd ed. Drizzt - LVL 16 ranger 2nd Ed.
Drizzt in 3rd ed. - 10 lvl fighter, 5 lvl ranger, 1 lvl barbarian.
.......Says it all really. Zaknafein was in a league of his own. Remember one thing.. Zak is still undefeated. he sacrificed himself so his son could live.
Not to mention Drizzt is about 250 years younger than Zak. Give Drizzt another 200-300 years and then maybe, just maybe he'll come close.
Nothing's ever gonna keep him down.
The guy is stronger than Wulfgar and just as fast as Drizzt. If anybody could take Sarevok, it's him.
There are really 4 types or more in my opinion-
Strength based aka brute-These guys are cool. They have good/mediocre constitution and dexterity and excellent strength. A perfect example would be Dorn. Dorn can be upgraded with a constitution book and then be a strength based fighter. These guys are good at dealing max damage and still be able to hit most enemies better than a regular fighter. You could probably call Sarevok one too. I made a fighter in Avernum that was named Daxen Lovidicus who wielded a sword and the only reason he survived was because he was so damn strong. Minsc too. These guys are one of my favorite types of fighter.
Dexterity based aka Finesse fighter-These guys used to be my favorite but Ive come to hate them for a few reasons. While its good to be able to dodge, its also good to be able to take hits. An example of this would be Drizzt, Artemis, Jarlaxle. Sometimes its good to dodge, but other times you have to take the hit and you would rather that you are wearing armor or what not to protect from that hit. Moving on. Decent strength, ok endurance and excellent dex.
Endurance/Constitution based aka barbarian or hardy fighter-This is my favorite type of fighter both in real life and in games. The cool thing about this one is that you make your opponent think they will win until you knock them off their feet. In real life there have been boxers that do this, I don't remember their names but its awesome. You get to watch them take 5 hits only to return one to knock them out cold. I really haven't seen a fighter like that in baldurs gate. Maybe Kagain. They usually have good strength, moderate dex, and excellent endurance.
Superhuman fighter aka God-These guys are my least favorite because they just don't have a weakness. Godly strength, dex, endurance and basically unstoppable. I think Obould fits the bill. He basically can't be beaten. If anyone can name someone that can I would really like to know as I just read his stats. Damn...
I don't know where Zaknafein would fit in but I really don't think that he could last long against Obould. Zak is cooler but Im guessing his stats are just like his sons.
Its always fun discussing this stuff with a community like this. Everyone is always one person outsmarting the other and in a professional manner.
Its too bad that there wasn't fatigue and unconscious in d and d. I had an idea way back of a character that uses a bow staff and while not as strong, can knock an enemy out cold with stronger strikes tiring them down. Haha see that, Elminster's got some tricks up his sleeve. Not a half bad idea
You'd also have to factor in what sort of Bhaalspawn abilities he had developed.
@DKnight - Personally I thought it was a little unfair when people brought Obould and Shurrapak into this...
-sulks- cheats! Being pretty much immune to everything and having super human powers doesn't constitute being a great warrior.
Anyhow, Ed Greenwood has the power to kill off any character in his realms and thus I have to believe him when he says that 'Harmel Artru' is the best.... whoever that is.
Actually, wait a minute... AHA! ED GREENWOOD is the greatest warrior of the realms!
-smirks over his underlings with topic superiority-
Yaga Shura is also a good contender... Even without his heart trick.
Just how useful is a circle kick/slash or w/e else when the opponent takes the hit and retaliates with enough force to break your arm and shoulder all at once. Its just not practical as his swords are tiny compared to the enemies weapons. Its like a fly wielding a switchblade against a bear wielding a maul.
The only time finesse wins is when its ranged combat. You want to avoid getting hit by guns whatnot much more than taking it as it will breach your armor. Whereas melee is different. The only time that you want to avoid getting hit at maximum priority is when your full plate and they have a mace/blunt weapon. The reasoning why is it causes vibrations in armor which can paralyz you breaking bones and what not.
That must be something that makes Athrogate (dwarf that fought artemis) a nightmare.
The differences between brute force and finesse and armor don't always translate well into games and fiction and what have you.
There's a big difference between the kinds of injuries inflicted by different tools. Real people don't have hit points and the difference between getting hit by a club and slashed by a dagger is huge. And skill is a tremendous force multiplier.
It truly depends. I have seen old recordings of Bruce Lee KO'ing boxers 3 times his size in minutes. I have also seen recordings of a giant western kick boxer making mince meat out of a smaller, Muay Thai fighter.
It depends on the fighter, truly, but historically the most skilled swordsman have been the lighter ones. Japanese Samurai, western duelists, musketeers etc.
In BG1 terms, Dritz should have weaker stats and less damage than a lot of similarly leveled enemies, but something like an 80-100% crit chance.