Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="James Gasik" data-source="post: 9888769" data-attributes="member: 6877472">The arguments I've gotten into with people who claim that their Thieves were unstoppable backstabbing machines when I drag out all the ways the rules basically say you might as well cross the ability off your character sheet if the DM is a stickler about the rules.And really, it's way safer to just plink at enemies with a ranged weapon as a Thief, with your mediocre AC and HP.  Even if you have a fantastic weapon to backstab with (the 2e Thief can use a 2d4 damage broadsword), ok, sure, a 13th-level Thief can roll 10d4+mods if they pull off a backstab.  That's 25 points of damage on average.  I don't know what you're fighting at level 13 that's roughly humanoid and has a weak point a small to medium-sized Thief can reach, but a 13 HD creature is around 58 hit points (unless like a lot of DM's I know, after awhile everything has max hit points, lol.  Hell even I adopted a "80% of maximum hit points" house rule at some point) and while they are hurting, they aren't dead and are free to wallop the Thief for their insolence.</blockquote>