06-19-2004, 03:08 PM
This was really an excellent post of the type I have not seen on any of the forums so far. With respect to the sap pull, I have found it to be far more limiting since the push. Considering the scenario of a rogue grouping with a mage and a paladin or warrior, and two mobs were in sight and a potential third which might or might not be activated, the mage could sleep one and if two came running instead of the anticipated one, the rogue could sap the trailer. That is no longer possible since the third is considered "in combat" and cannot be sapped. I mainly use sap in group situations where it is desired to sleep more than one. The group must wait for the rogue to stealth up and sap one, then the mage sleeps another and the party concentrates on the third. Some groups I have played with are not sufficiently patient to allow the rogue to do her work in this situation and disaster results. I also use sap when soloing to sleep one and try to kill the other while the first is asleep. I have found that to be more useful in theory than in practice, since, most of the time, I cannot kill the first one fast enough to permit me to heal a little before taking on the second unless I happen to have a heal pot or two on me. Even using gouge on the second doesn't permit give enough time to use a bandage, let alone eat. Also, a common tactic suggested is using gouge to get behind an enemy to backstab. I have found this to be very hard to execute. When I first get behind the gouged target, I have insufficient energy to execute a backstab. By the time energy is sufficient, the stun affect of the gouge wears off and the enemy turns to face me.