That's the million-dollar question for every character who can backstab.
This mod addresses in a very modular way your preferences as far as who gets to be immune to backstabs. It's a common complaint that we don't get to backstab many enemies, including many in ToB, which reduces the already underpowered (and seemingly hated by Bioware) Thieves (especially single-classed), where backstabs are one of the main and sometimes only way of excelling and contributing majorly in combat. They will generally be outplayed by Fighters and other classes that can be "left alone to do their thing in combat" without micromanagement. Micromanagement should pay off more than it does.
There's a group of components to remove backstab immunities from particular types or specific enemies, and a group to enforce this immunity as per your liking.
There seems to be schools of thought around what a backstab should be. A backstab should be either:
- (A) Similar to a critical hit, it's just a hit that is dealt on a weak point -- or any other point that hurts and damages badly or cause important structural weakness of the creature.
- (B) Unlike a critical hit, it's not about weak points, but about attacking by surprise or otherwise without seeing it coming, and the surprise is what makes the hit they take so powerful.
- (C) It's both, it's surprise attack that hits a weak point that otherwise would be difficult to hit if the creature was completely aware of your existence.
- (D) It doesn't matter and I don't care, I just want Thieves to be f***ing useful. Everything can be backstabbed, so shut up.
Followers of school of thoughts (A) would argue that if a creature has weak points or structural weaknesses, backstabs are fair game, regardless. So a celestial with higher awareness can be backstabbed, because it has a body with parts that can be damaged independently -- some of them being more important than others. Golems are fair game too because there are constructs that can have chips on their armor, but things like slimes and phantasmal creatures would not apply.
Followers of school of thought (B) would argue that if a creature has higher awareness, such as a celestial being or a demon, they wouldn't be able to be backstabbed, but other things that can be surprised are fair game.
Followers of school of thought (C) would argue that if a creature has either higher awareness or no weak points, they cannot be backstabbed under any circumstance.
And followers of school of thought (D) are just sick of Thieves being useless and just want to have fun with engaging gameplay regardless of whether it makes earthly sense or is lorewise accurate in some version of the setting.
I personally follow the school of thought (A): similar to sneak attacks, if a creature has a non-amorphous, completely physical body, then it can be backstabbed, even if it has higher awareness and can't be made unaware of your existence through invisibility. If they are distracted, they can be considered unaware in the sense that they may be dealing with something else. For example, maybe another enemy is fighting it, or they're otherwise distracted. I resent the idea that seeing the invisible implies that they cannot be backstabbed, and I think it's cheesy and implemented poorly.
What is your school of thought?
I know, right? Completely necessary section of the mod's readme.
Component 99: Everything can be backstabbed
Exactly as it says. This component is mutually exclusive with the rest of components in this group since it covers everything already.
It will also affect non-usable items that are used to grant immunities to particular creatures, such as golem weapons, dragon rings, shaman spirit rings, etcetera.
Component 106: All humanoids can be backstabbed, except ToB bosses
This component makes every humanoid immune to backstab susceptible again except humanoid ToB bosses (Sendai, Balthazar, Gromnir, Melissan). It includes humanoids such as Kiser in Saradush, the humanoid helpers of Yaga Shura, and the tiefling servants of Aesgareth who are inexplicably immune to backstabs (another middle finger to Thieves -- what in the world is so special about these tieflings?!).
Component 102: Humanoid ToB bosses can be backstabbed
This ensures that Sendai, Balthazar, Amelyssan, and Gromnir can be backstabbed. Bear in mind that end-of-install-order mods like SCS make Gromnir a barbarian and therefore automatically immune to backstabs.
Component 107: Gromnir can be backstabbed
He's just... a half-orc fighter.
Component 103: Yaga-Shura can be backstabbed
Yaga Shura is just a fire giant with an attitude. If regular giants can be backstabbed, Yaga-Shura can too.
Component 112: Sendai can be backstabbed
She's just... a drow cleric/mage...
Component 122: Balthazar can be backstabbed
He's just... a human monk...
Component 113: Abazigal can be backstabbed (human form)
This is separate from the humanoid tweak because even in his human form, he is considered a dragon nevertheless, and it probably doesn't make sense to treat this as an actual humanoid.
Component 114: Abazigal can be backstabbed (dragon form)
Self explanatory.
Component 105: Amelyssan can be backstabbed
Self explanatory.
Component 121: Bhaal's avatars can be backstabbed
This makes all instances of Slayer and The Ravager no longer immune to backstab. The ravager takes almost no damage from anything anyway.
Component 100: Beholders can be backstabbed
You know what's a weak point? THAT GIANT FRICKING EYEBALL. Beholders are no longer immune to backstabs. Climb on that thing and stab that damn eyeball. Legolas would be proud.
Component 115: Celestials such as Planetars, Devas, and Solars can be backstabbed
Self explanatory.
Component 117: Demogorgon can be backstabbed
Self explanatory.
Component 116: Demons and devils can be backstabbed (except Demogorgon)
This includes every creature marked as demonic. This also includes Aesgareth and other special demons in Watcher's Keep.
Component 109: Demiliches can be backstabbed
They're considered immune in the base game, probably because they're almost beyond the ties to the physical world, as per the lore, unlike liches, although they already have insane physical resistances, so it probably makes little difference. If anything, it will make Thieves slightly more useful in the fight on par with Fighters.
Component 110: Dragons can be backstabbed
I'm ambivalent about this one, although I'd pick it for mod setups that beef up dragon's health pool or damage resistances.
Component 101: Golems can be backstabbed
This ensures no golems are immune to backstabs (please give me structural weaknesses!). This affects creatures that are considered golems, like animated armor.
All golems are immune to backstab, either through effects on their creature file, or on their weapons assigned to them. This removes this immunity if it exists from both. Be warned that if new golems are introduced through mods, and there are new items that are used to grant them these immunities, this component will not patch them. Compatibility can be added if I become aware of it though.
Component 104: Minotaurs can be backstabbed
This includes those stupid minotaurs in Watcher's Keep, who have been granted the gift of ignoring blades going through their backs for some ungodly reason.
Component 118: Liches can be backstabbed
This includes the few liches with this immunity in ToB, and whatever other liches that might have this immunity.
Component 108: Slimes can be backstabbed
This doesn't make much logical sense, probably, since it's like stabbing soup, but there you go.
Component 120: Mist creatures can be backstabbed
In vanilla game, mist creatures (like vampiric mists and spellhaunts) are all immune to backstab, and are as far as I know the only undead creatures that are. This removes this immunity.
Component 201: All spectral undead are immune to backstab
This includes shadows, spectres, wraiths, spectral trolls, and undead mist creatures such as vampiric mists.
Component 205: All golems are immune to backstab
AFAIK only the adamantine golem is immune to backstab in vanilla. This will make them all immune. This also includes Battle Horrors, and statues, which are also considered golems.
Component 300: Every creature marked as able to see through invisibility is automatically immune to backstabs (version 2.6+)
Creatures before game version 2.6 are automatically immune to backstabs, the logic being that if they can see through invisibility, the backstabs cannot trigger as you are effectively not invisible as far as they're concerned. This ensures any creatures marked as able to see through invisibility are immune to backstab if playing in game versions 2.6+, where the previously mentioned behavior is not present.
Component 301: No creature can see through invisibility, they must rely on invisibility dispelling like any other
This removes the ability to see through invisibility completely from the game, at least from creatures initially set up to be able to do that.
Component 302: Dragons cannot see through invisibility, except Abazigal
Component 303: Demons cannot see through invisibility, except Demogorgon
Component 304: Celestials cannot see through invisibility
Component 305: Liches cannot see through invisibility
Component 306: Demiliches cannot see through invisibility
Component 307: The Unseeing Eye cannot see through invisibility
Component 308: Sendai cannot see through invisibility
Component 309: Balthazar cannot see through invisibility
Component 310: Yaga-Shura cannot see through invisibility
Component 311: Amelyssan cannot see through invisibility
Component 312: Abazigal cannot see through invisibility
Component 313: Demogorgon cannot see through invisibility
Component 314: Bhaal's avatars cannot see through invisibility
Bear in mind that in game versions previous to 2.6, creatures with invisibility detection via script (balors, dragons) can't be backstabbed either, as it is implied that because they can see through invisibility, your character is as far as they're concerned effectively not invisible and thus you cannot backstab them. Personally, I think it's not quite logical. Higher awareness doesn't mean it's impossible to be distracted and therefore susceptible to a big surprise hit. In the end it's just a poorly implemented feature as far as I'm concerned.
In 2.6+, more control is available, and only those that have the backstab immunity opcode are indeed immune. This means that in versions < 2.6, these components will not open those enemies to backstabs just with the backstab immunity removal components and thus invisibility detection via script must be removed too.
I might add components in the future for critical hit immunity for the benefit of those who see backstabs and critical hits as essentially equivalent in terms of what gets affected by critical hits and backstabs.
Everyone on Discord and G3 for ideas and general help.