Fifteen Talents from D:OS 1 were carried over to D:OS 2 (half the D:OS 2 list) without changes, even though the mechanics in D:OS 2 have been radically revamped. Now, most of that list was just specializations, but several of them are now distinctly worse because they not been adapted to the changes in D:OS 2.

Back-Stabber is one of them, and the changes to D:OS 2 mean that Back-Stabber no longer belongs in the game.


In D:OS 1, you picked two Talents in character creation, and got a third Talent point at level 3. In D:OS 2, you get 1 Talent on character creation, and your second at level 4, third at level 8.

In other words, to have as many Talents in D:OS 2 as you have in D:OS 1 by level 3, you need an extra 5 levels. To have as many Talents in D:OS 2 as you have immediately after gaining control on the Cyseal beach in D:OS 1, you need to reach level 4.

In D:OS 1, needing to spend a Talent point to get Back-Stabber was a very mild nuisance, but not a big one. You had two Talents on character creation and even if you used them both on other things, there wasn't a LOT of combat between level 1 and level 3, so you could get away with no backstab until level 3.

But in D:OS 2? It's not until you're basically done with Fort Joy that you can get a second Talent point, and that includes a good amount of combat on top of the questing. So do they take the Talent Tax and have to put off getting the Talents which actually help them compete, or do they get one of the better Talents and have to use a bow or weak face-stabs until level 4?

The changes to Talent distribution from D:OS 1 to D:OS 2 make it completely UNFAIR that Rogues are stuck with such a high Talent Tax which no other archtype has to deal with.

Back-Stabber has to be removed, and back-stabbing should become an inherent property to all daggers and knives.

This would not be unbalanced, because of how other mechanics have also changed since D:OS 1. For instance, no longer can Rogues stack Speed to gain a ton of AP and attacks per turn. Like all characters they gain only 4 AP a turn.

If this change was done, then for instance a new Level 1 Rogue could pick Huntsman as a second Combat Ability and focus on avoiding attacks of opportunity. Or Parry Master and focus on dodging. Or The Pawn and focus on moving into position better. Or slingshot and focus on grenade throwing. Or if they hit their head and lost the ability to do basic math they could pick Guerrilla and focus on Sneak damage. They wouldn't have to wait until level 4 for no good reason.

Back-Stabber has to go. All the changes means that it does not fit in D:OS 2 and it is hurting the gameplay rather than helping it.