Tweak to how backstab affects mages with stoneskin/mirror image

TJ_Hooker

I often hear people talking about how effective thieves can be at mage-killing. If you're scouting while stealthed and come accross a mage, just start the battle by stabbing that sucker and boom, chances are no more mage and a much easier battle. The think is that in my earlier playthroughs, I didn't know enough about the game/was too poor a tactician to do this, and now I play with the SCS (Sword Coast Strategems) mod so mages are almost always pre-stoneskinned (and usually have a trigger with mirror image go off the second they see you). So trying to backstab them goes from incredibly effective to virtually useless.

So I've been toying around with an idea that may partially remedy this. Have backstab remove multiple stonskins/images with one hit. Maybe a number equal to, or in some way related to, the backstab mulitplier of the thief. If this number is greater than the number of skins/images the mage has, then any leftover would be inflicted as damage.

This may not be the best solution, seeing as how it's still kind of a waste of a backstab in that you deal little to no damage. I also realize it isn't the most pressing problem, seeing as how a lot of the cases where this comes into play could be avoided simply by not installing that component of SCS. But, 1) I do enjoy the challenge that this component brings to the game and I prefer to have it installed and 2) I'm sure this comes up at least occasionally in un-modded gameplay.

At this point I'm not really asking that this be implemented into the game, which is why I posted in general rather that feature requests. So what do you guys think in regards to this "problem" and/or my proposed solution?

kamuizin

BG II make bigger problems, as protection from magical/normal weapons and mantle spells.

Isair

Scout the area instead - once you see said mage have a spellcaster cast dispel magic just out of view. Then move your thief behind said caster, backstab before they get off mirror image.

Having two arcane spellcasters in the party works well too - One casts breach for the stoneskin, the other casts magic missile to counter mirror image, stabby stabby.

Backstab is still considered one hit, so removing multiple stoneskins doesn't make sense to me.

TJ_Hooker

@Isair
I'm not sure, but I think with SCS that if you hit an enemy with an AOE, even from out of sight, their AI kicks in and they come looking for you. Also when I said a trigger with MI, I believe it's actually a contingency, and I think fires as soon as they engage an enemy, so the instant their skins are dispelled, their images go up. I suppose it'd work if you had another mage to fire off another dispel/MM. Also I did say in my OP that I scout the area... But you're right, it's still do-able. And yeah, I realize that there isn't really any good rationalization for why one hit would take away multiple skins/images, no matter how strong that hit may be.

CaptRory

Maybe instead of removing multiple skins it gives like a short term magic failure %? Like, if I have a 7x Backstab Multiplier it was give 35% failure (5*Multiplier) and last for 3 rounds (7/2=3.5 rounded down =3). Though then you have to explain why you only get the failure when under the effects of Stoneskin while backstabbed XD



Numbers from the Bureau of Pulling Numbers Out of My Arse

Dragonspear

Well even though the assassin won't get their backstab off, if I recall correctly their poison still hits the mage and effectively makes them unable to cast spells.