Detecting Traps,Open Locks and Hide in Shadows

qwert_44643

Im 46 years old so its been a while but can someone refresh my memory on why i cant sneak,detect traps and openin locks all at once...it seems i can only do 1 at atime?

BelgarathMTH

It's always been like that. That's why there are so many thief-mages around. You can detect and disarm traps, and open locks, without breaking magical Invisibility. Without access to the spell, your only option is potions, and there are only a finite number of those in the game, plus they're expensive.

I've always found thief stealth to be not very useful, because you can't detect and disarm traps while doing it. Its main use is for backstabs, and I don't do that very often.

I also don't like that it takes such a heavy investment of points to go into stealth mode. You really need almost 200 points spent, 100 each in Hide in Shadows and Move Silently, before it starts to be reliable, and even then, if you're outside in the daylight, or even a brightly lit interior, it can be hard to make it work.

Iglosnof

Unfortunately unlocking a lock also breaks invisibility

AlexeiVD

qwert_44643: actually, thief CAN simultaneously hide & search, BUT only through modifying the behavior script (though, quite simple mod).

Solmage

Hiding is only useful (imho) for fighter teefs, say a Kensai 7/thief X, or an elven fighter thief, to deliver sick backstabs. I murdered Drizt with no cheats one on one with a plain fighter dualed into thief and boots of speed. Took like 4 attacks back in vanilla bg.

DevardKrown

Detecting Traps/Illusion,Open Locks and Hide in Shadows from all this actions you can only do Once at a time..
that's why Thief/Mage is such a Popular combination... instead Detect Illusion that locks you from doing anything else there is True sight that runs passively in the background while you fling a spell or shoot someone in the face...same goes for Invisibility/Sneaking ... Sneaking needs a vast amount of points and even Gear to be sort of Reliable.. Invisibility might be Limited by spell slots but its there then you need it, and wont Randomly break then you just check around the corner and see 4 Demons...

if you Boil it down to 100 ~Traps/Lockpicking you can go as low as a LvL 5-6 Thief. (recommend swashbuckler since you wont back stab that often anyway..as such a low thief.) and still hit the maximum level as Mage in BG1... and those 100 will work from start to finish of the saga .. removing the need for a thief ..or letting him focus on traps and being a Super Sneak.

also since you might be a lil out of the Loop

-Find Traps / Lockpick / Detect Illusion / Set Traps up to 100 Points everything else is wasted.
-Pick pocket: can be raised with potions and is only situational needed , thus you can skip it totally
-Hide in Shadows and Move Silently , both skills are combined to Enter Stealth but only Move Silently determent's if you really stay in Stealth so boost that first ! both skills should be raised way up high to 200~
also standing in Direct light will Half both values for the time being.

qwert_44643

thanks DevardKrown