Backstab Nonuple damage??
Arunsun
Member Posts: 1,592
Well, during the BP2 Bhaalspawn fight I encountered some quite surprising event I wanted to share:
One of my mage got one-shot by Slayer-transformed Kastulor.
Checking the log, I saw, as per the screen, Backstab Nonuple damage.
Just how come?
We players are capped at Septuple damage with the Assassin kit, though I assume one may edit one's backstab multiplier with EEKeeper, but I must say this one surprised me. Is this specific to Kastulor (I do not believe I have seen anyone else going beyond septuple)? Or is this something to be implemented at some point?
It would be a nice buff for the assassin whose poison weapon is going to be nerfed quite hard, but Nonuple feels like... a lot.
One of my mage got one-shot by Slayer-transformed Kastulor.
Checking the log, I saw, as per the screen, Backstab Nonuple damage.
Just how come?
We players are capped at Septuple damage with the Assassin kit, though I assume one may edit one's backstab multiplier with EEKeeper, but I must say this one surprised me. Is this specific to Kastulor (I do not believe I have seen anyone else going beyond septuple)? Or is this something to be implemented at some point?
It would be a nice buff for the assassin whose poison weapon is going to be nerfed quite hard, but Nonuple feels like... a lot.
Post edited by Arunsun on
2
Comments
Just a little boss-fight gimmick would be my guess.
1) be invisible (stealth or other form of invisibility)
2) be behind the enemy (can be tricky to tell sometimes)
3) be using a weapon that a single-class Thief could use (without UAI)
As long as those conditions are fulfilled, the attack will be a backstab. Note that attacking will usually make you visible, so it will only work for one attack. Note also that while you get a bonus to THAC0 when attacking while invisible, you can totally miss the attack if you roll poorly (and then you're visible, so subsequent attacks can't be backstabs).
If your backstab fails, that's because one of the three conditions above were not met. Note that 3) applies to the weapon itself, not just the type - so even though a single-class Thief can use e.g. quarterstaves to backstab, they cannot use Staff of the Magi (only usably by Mages) and thus cannot backstab with it even while having Use Any Item. Similarly, a Fighter/Thief is able to use Two-Handed Swords, but since a single-class Thief cannot, the F/T cannot use that sword to backstab.
Swashbucklers have a backstab multiplier of x1, meaning they simply do normal damage. IIRC there used to be a bug where you can increase that with items that add to the multiplier, effectively allowing backstabs for a Swashbuckler; not sure if that's been fixed.
Well, at least in unmodded game there is no such item so the bug might or might not be fixed but it will not change anything.
@Lord_Tansheron said about everything, I would just add a couple of things:
If you get a "Backstab seems to have failed" message, it means that you did fill the 3 conditions mentioned by @Lord_Tansheron , but that the target is immune to backstab. Examples in this category are beholders, golems, or even some bosses (most ToB bosses are immune to backstab).
Besides, your backstab multiplier will multiply most physical damage bonuses on top of your weapon damage (e.g.: damage from proficiency or combat gloves). It will not, however, multiply these:
On-hit elemental damage.
Strength damage.
Any damage dealt separately (meaning, with another line of dialogue).
Note that only weapons a level 1 single-class thief can equip will work. For example, a M/T can use Staff of the Magi without Use Any Item, but he won't be able to backstab. A high level thief with Use Any Item can use Carsomyr, but you cannot backstab with it because it is not a weapon your thief could equip.
One effective tactic of an epic level thief:time trap gives you enough time to perform an assasination, dual wield with belm or kundane and get improved haste beforehand, this will give you enough number of attacks. In the time stop, use assasination hla, all of these attacks will be auto hits and will be multiplied by your backstab. Or read a mislead scroll, this will make all of your attacks bacsktabs as long as it is in effect.