Dodskott
Topic Author
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue 21 Mar 2023, 01:28

Backstab ability

Tue 21 Mar 2023, 01:45

We have a disagreement between player and game master that I'm trying to settle: can the Backstab ability be used with a projectile attack? Rule as written doesn't include any restrictions on what sort of attacks can use Backstab ... and most (or all) rules about attack abilities state requirements/restrictions very clearly, so it seems that Backstab could be used with any attack from Advantage. Other opinion is that background text mentions 'blades' so Backstab is limited to blades so can't be used with ranged attacks ... and this strict reading would also disallow Backstab with hammer or staff or fists etc. And even axes don't stab.

My feeling is that the name of the ability is unfortunate (neither 'back' nor 'stab' are in the RAW, other than the title) and implies a major restriction on Backstab's use.

How should this be ruled?
 
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Falenthal
Posts: 241
Joined: Tue 10 Mar 2020, 21:13

Re: Backstab ability

Tue 21 Mar 2023, 13:35

I allow Backstab to be used with any weapon, even ranged ones. An ambushing sniper, that has the ability and accuracy to hit an unprotected throat, for example, is to me a reasonable user of the Backstab ability. Yeah, sure, the name seems to only imply daggers and short swords or the like. But, as you said from how the ability is redacted, I don't think that's the intention. It won't combo as well with other abilities as it does with Feint, but that's probably why assassins and such usually prefer short weapons to do their stealth killings.

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