Backstab - what is it good for?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Bruno

My half-ogre thief Teetonka invested 4 quirk points into Axe/Mace skill for back-"stabbing".

Hm. Right, DFRPG is missing minotaurs. Not sure the Minotaur in DF3 is appropriate to DFRPG, DFRPG only has 20 point races and its most monstrous option is a half-ogre (odd that Minotaurs don't have social stigma).

[zuljita]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Yeah, that's kind of a setup. It does nicely illustrate how a noncombat monster ability intended to liven up encounters can have combat effects, though. ;)

The generator put throttlers and a troll in the same room, just tried to make the fight make the most sense with the data the thing gave me. Wasn't trying to set up Teeto I promise!

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Anthony

(odd that Minotaurs don't have social stigma).

Ahem: "Minotaurs are mostly honest farmhands, not monsters; their only major social barrier is their looks."

It'd be pretty easy to put Minotaurs into DFRPG, after all Cat Folk are included at 40 points...

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Ahem: "Minotaurs are mostly honest farmhands, not monsters; their only major social barrier is their looks."

It'd be pretty easy to put Minotaurs into DFRPG, after all Cat Folk are included at 40 points...

That never made any sense to me. They're Bad Tempered and Berserk, which means they're prone to outbursts of homocidal rage when merely irritated. That's going to lead to a Social Stigma or racial Reputation and make you hard to integrate into society.

DFRPG Monsters deals with them more strictly.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Bruno

That's going to lead to a Social Stigma or racial Reputation and make you hard to integrate into society.

Which 'society'? City life? Sure, impossible I'd say... or rural farm society? I can imagine whole herds of Minotaurs out grazing, err, working the fields...

[Colarmel]

Originally Posted by Bruno

That never made any sense to me. They're Bad Tempered and Berserk, which means they're prone to outbursts of homocidal rage when merely irritated. That's going to lead to a Social Stigma or racial Reputation and make you hard to integrate into society.

Wookies do okay.

If I see a Minotaur, I'm going to have the chicken and smile politely and let the Minotaur win.

[Tom H.]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Hm. Right, DFRPG is missing minotaurs. Not sure the Minotaur in DF3 is appropriate to DFRPG, DFRPG only has 20 point races and its most monstrous option is a half-ogre (odd that Minotaurs don't have social stigma).

Actually as Bruno hinted above, Minotaurs were included in DFRPG as adversaries in Monsters (pg. 42); though, they were not also included specifically as racial templates like they were in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy.

[Kalzazz]

Not just Teeto, but every time I've seen backstab by a melee guy . . .They whack the closest enemy, often fatally

All the other enemies who were near their fallen friend then crash down on the backstabber as he is so convenient (due to being right there in there formation)

I'm actually playing a Ninja themed swashbuckler, and have both a respectable stealth and a thematic desire to do the backstab . . . but never seems quite proper

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

Not just Teeto, but every time I've seen backstab by a melee guy . . .They whack the closest enemy, often fatally

All the other enemies who were near their fallen friend then crash down on the backstabber as he is so convenient (due to being right there in there formation)

I'm actually playing a Ninja themed swashbuckler, and have both a respectable stealth and a thematic desire to do the backstab . . . but never seems quite proper

Do enemies only fight in tight formations?

There's never anyone more than a few steps away from the main group?

No one ever tries to flank, is kept in reserve or stands back to shoot missiles?

No enemy scouts that can be discovered and silently eliminated before they return with information to their leader?

No shamans exhorting their followers to frenzy while they stand back from the battle, in a place they believe to be safe?

No crafty tomb-robbing necromancers belonging to a rival adventuring party, trying to figure out how to raise the magically barred portal to open the way into the opulent tomb of an ancient chieftain (whose undead draugr form will attack anyone who doesn't know the proper appeasment rituals), while the other members of the party hold off the PCs?

[Kromm]

If you really want PC minotaurs . . .

Minotaur

Racial Cost: 25 points

Attribute Modifiers: ST+3 [30]; IQ-2 [-40]; HT+3 [30].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Per+2 [10].
Advantages: Absolute Direction [5]; Acute Hearing 2 [4]; Peripheral Vision [15]; Long Horns [13]; Tough Skin 2 [6]; Tough Skull [3].
Disadvantages: Appearance (Hideous) [-16]; Bad Temper (12) [-10]; Berserk (12) [-10]; Social Stigma (Monster) [-15].
Features: Bull's face and shaggy neck. Can't wear most humanoid helmets.

Special Minotaur Traits

Appearance (Hideous): As Ugly (Adventurers, p. 56) but worse: -4 on reactions and -8 to Sex Appeal (except with your own kind!).

Long Horns: You have reach 1 horns that you can use to attack the hex directly in front of you (only); roll against DX or Brawling to hit. A hit inflicts thrust impaling damage at a basic +1 per die, plus Brawling bonuses, if any. These horns count as a weapon, not a body part; you can even parry as if armed without using your hands, at the higher of (DX/2) + 3 or your Brawling parry.

Social Stigma (Monster): As Savage (Adventurers, p. 66) but worse: -3 on reactions, -6 to skill rolls, and a 9 or less chance of being denied entry to town.

Tough Skin: Identical to the barbarian ability of the same name; see Adventurers, p. 16.

Tough Skull: The skull affords an extra DR 2 for practically all races that have a skull in the first place (Exploits, p. 54). Yours is twice as tough, and provides an additional DR 4 instead!