I am thinking of taking a fighter from BG1 and turning him into a Kensai in BG2 (already completed both with a Ranger-> Archer). Questions:
1.) is a kensai still a good fighter?
2.) how can I get around the lack of missle weapons for ranged attacks?
3.) can I get my AC to a reasonable level w/out using armor?

thanks in advance...

<font color="lawngreen" face="trebuchet ms"> Well the AC can still get pretty good with the right equipment [img]smile.gif[/img] ... and the Kensai is an excellent fighter... and Just get an NPC to use the missle weapons [img]tongue.gif[/img] </font>

Gammit, the Kensai is an excellent character kit.

The ac will never be as good as any other fighter kit, but does improve with some items in TOB. Regardless, the attacking ability of the kensai is second to none, and they'll hardly ever get hit anyway.

Highly recommended!

Kensais will get hit, if they ever engage the enemy mano-a-mano, or one man versus the world, especially in ToB.

Kensais are meant to be used as flank attackers. There should be a tank or tanks in your party, another party member or members who has/have the lowest AC. The tank rushes into the midst of battle and diverts all the enemy attention to himself/herself. While the enemy is distracted, the Kensai powers up( Kai ability) and scores beautiful free maximum carnage, gut-wrenching, bone splitting, earth-shattering, mind-blowing hits of precision and power.

1.) Yes!
An archers bonuses to hit and damage slow at a rate of +1 every 5 levels after level 18, and they max out at level 34, but a kensai has strange bonuses, but still on average, are gained every 3 levels up until level 40:

bonuses gained at levels: 3,6,9,12,15,18,20,23,26,29,32,35,38, giving a total of +13 to hit and +13 to damage which is awesome. Add a huge weapon, plenty of proficiency points, and a girdle of x strength and your kensai can deal well over 50 damage on a regular hit.

2.) Use throwing axes. If you're of good alignment, use Azuredge (don't be put off by its 1D6 damage, it actually deals 3D6 damage according to IEEP, and you still get the kensai bonuses). You'll also find a couple of other good axes, one +2 throwing axe from a dwarf in the temple sewers, and a +4 one from the Amkethran smugglers - both of the latter include a strength bonus which is unusual for missile weapons, Azuredge doesn't however, but can still be used to undead slaying purposes. If you're playing through with a dwarf, then the dwarven thrower is awesome for a kensai.

3.) Yes you can.....

Assuming you give your kensai all the best equipment:
Base AC = 10
DEX of 18 gives +4 AC = 6
Kensai +2 AC bonus = 4
Ring of Protection +3 = 1
Ring of Gaxx (+2) = -1
Cloak of the Sewer = -2
Ioun Stone (plenty that grant AC bonuses) = -3

SO -3 is going to be the usual lowest AC, *but*, if you're using a single handed weapon, you can place ** in single weapon style and get a further +2AC giving an AC of -5, which will reach -6 if using a weapon that grants an AC bonus (and there are plenty).

Taking the best permament AC of -6 then, you can use the shield amulet from Nalias keep which is the quintessential item to kensais, which grants a base AC of 4, and lasts for about 5 turns IIRC (50 rounds is enough I think!). The amulet has around 50 charges, and when they get low, simply sell it and buy it back to recharge it. This amulet can therefore take your AC as low as -12.

Even better, if you have a mage, cast spirit armour on the kensai to set a base AC of 1, lowering the AC to up to -15. That's a pretty good AC I reckon to say he's not wearing armour :D

Have Fun........

if you have ToB installed, kensais and cavaliers cannot use any thrown item, either. no darts, axes, Dwarven Throwers, knives, etc. kensais are fun, but i agree with Dundee that they are not tanks. big baddie Thac0s in ToB are so low that they will hit your Kensai about 95% of the time. personally, i like berserkers more, and cavaliers even better. the only problem with the berserkers is that they get winded after berserking. Cavaliers don't really have any drawbacks, since specialization is fine for everything, the slower levels aren't really a problem, and they get all sorts of cool bonuses, too. (Summon Deva, Turn Undead) However, since your guy isn't a paladin, and i don't think BG1 fighters can become paladins, you should go with a berserker for the funness factor.

That's just my opinion, though. do whatever you want. :D

Are you sure? I've played through ToB with both a Cavalier and a Kensai and they were both able to use throwing axes, and I recently tested a kensai dwarf using the dwarven thrower and that too worked in ToB. I've a feeling that it was only darts that were made unusable by these two classes...

Thanks to all that replied. Next question: throwing knives are labeled as "small swords" (for proficiency) in BG1. Can a kensai use throwing knives and/or does the prof for throwing knives change to missle weapons in BG2?

Thanks again...

HI!!!
In answer to your 1st question a Kensai is good, a Kensai/mage is great but a Kensai/thief is <font color=steelblue>censored</font> demogoron/asmoedous/lioth killing material [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img]

Seriously, lets go through it all:

Armour:white dragon scale - usuable since you have the use any item ability (white dragon cuz you can still backstab)
wepons:purifier and angurvadal +5
etc... etc... etc...

You get ALL the kensai bonuses WITHOUT the downsides. + you can get assasination!!!

So get a Kensai/Thief if you have ToB. (I soloed the game with one)

[ 12-28-2003, 07:10 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

Kensai...before I start bursting off and bragging about my own lil butt whooper, let me say three words...GO WITH KENSAI!!!!!

There TH is unmatched, even dual wielding. If you dual wield, you're dealing out (mine's at 16th) a good 20 on average points a hand, thats 40 HP in one round. ;) Wicked. [img]smile.gif[/img] Everything else has pretty much been covered, and btw, thanks for the throwing axe info, I thought I was jammed for missiles. ;)