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Old 08-25-2001, 04:41 PM   #22
ScottG
Drow Warrior
 

Join Date: June 13, 2003
Location: Never Never Land
Age: 54
Posts: 267
I just noticed a question on char.s again so I thought I would bump this and add a little new stuff.

There are some spoiles below in regards to wepons but I'm not saying where you can find them (so the spoil is minimal).


Another intresting char. (more for the advanced player who is looking to play something new and intresting that is more difficult yet still VERY powerfull that meets the requirements I first posted):

Druid dualed to a Kensai (shadow keeper allows you to dual your 2nd class as a kit by simply choosing your kit while still in your first class and then when you acctually do dual to a fighter you will automatically become a Kensai - this does not give you any Kensai attributes untill you dual, so no cheese here - simply overcoming a game defect that won't allow a class kit on your second class.)

(There are two ways to level up here that I will go into detail below.)

Resons why (Druid portion 1st, then Kensai portion):

1st off, Druids scale faster than any other char. (up to level 11 - I believe is only 350,000 exp. points), and their stats are the same as a Cleric (good melee ability but not great - much better than a mage). After you have dualed and when your Kensai gets much higher in level you start getting more Hitpoints - and your THAC0 starts dropping fast.

2nd, they also have some of the best offensive spells in the game & with a Wisdom bonus you get extra spells. Obviously they have healing spells (which are very much in need as I explained above). At 1st level they have access to healing & or entangle, second is barkskin for protection which scales w/ the user (much needed w/ a Kensai and lasts long enough for most battles), 3rd level - healing & or insect spell, 4th level Call Woodland being which is prob. the best summoning spell in the game (why? - because it you are calling up creatures w/ Lots of offensive spells like Confusion that are significantly above 4th level), 5th level there are two important spells - one is ironskin (which is very important for a Kensai & works like stoneskin but is better) - second is insect plauge (which does significant damage to multiple opponents, none to your own, and causes 100% spell casting failure to your opponents - AWESOME), 6th level is reserved for only 1 spell (there are some good spells here at 6th but your 5th level spells are better) - Wonderous Recall gives you two spells of 5th level or lower.

Third, they also can use swords (scimitars only - dual wield them) and daggers. There is one scimitar in the game that is +3, but more importantly there is a +2 scimitar that gives an extra attack per round (belm +2) - which is awesome. (Even if you could keep Dritz's scimitars you couldn't use them because they are only for good aligned char.s.) Additionally their is a nice +4 dagger in the game, but more importantly again there is a +3 magic throwing dagger in the game (firetooth - which returns to the weilder magically) - this works nicely in conjunction with the Kensai because it allows the Kensai the oppurtunity to use what is essentially a missle wepon (plus it allows xtra damage str. modifier - say from a girdle). (I believe there is also a +4 spear in the game but you arn't going to get nearly as many attacks per round in a melee fight so it is better to stick w/ the scimitars). (There is also a staff that gives extra spells avail. in the bonus cd patch - you could always equip. the staff untill you run out of spells and then go melee w/ 2 scimitars.)

The negatives here are that you accumulate fewer hit points early on than a fighter (as well as a higher THAC0), you are wepons limited (but not a big thing w/ the wepons I mentioned), the time spent while a Kensai only will have none of the needed healing or defensive spells (and it will be a good while longer for the Kensai to progress beyond the point where you get your Druid class back), additionally you are limited to using leather armour only a druid (which is why is another reason why it works nicely w/ a Kensai as leather armour isn't that effective).

Kensai portion:

Kensai's have Kai ability where all hits do max damage for a short time (and you will continue to get this every 4 levels because it is your 2nd class)

Kensai's get a +2 AC bonus that works w/ ANYTHING at the start.

Kensai's get drop in speed movement every 5 levels.

Kensai's also get good bonuses to THAC0 & damage at the start (and I believe it gets better as you go higher in level).

W/ TOB installed & when you get higher in level you start getting some excellent Special abilities available to the high level fighter class - abilities that you don't get if you start w/ a fighter and dual to a druid). Hardiness in paticular works well w/ a Kensai.

Negatives:

Kensai's can't wear armour or bracers (BIG negative - but over come once you have your druid spells back.) They also can't use missle wepons (but you can use a wepon like firetooth so this is of lesser importance).


As I mentioned previously there are two diff. and intresting ways you can play this char.

1st non-cheese, is by scaling up to level 12 as a Druid & then dualing to a Kensai. The reason level 12 is the optimum is because it gives you access to one extra 6th level spell (an extra Wonderous Recall that gives you 2 extra 5th level spells) - this totals out your 5th level spell count to 6 (generally 3 ironskins & 3 insect plauges), and it gives you extra lower level spells (paticularly call woodland being). Thats a hell of a lot of spell power for only 750,000 exp. points, but you do pay extra for that additional 12th level over 11th which is another 350,000 exp. points (It is definitly worth it though for the extra spells). It really isn't worth it to go to 13 level for another 750,000 exp. points (1.5 mil. exp. points total). What makes this so tough is that you will have to play straight Kensai (w/ out the spells) untill you hit level 13 (in other words 1.25 mil exp. points) - definitly a challange, but do-able & FUN.

2nd cheesefest easter-egg game, use Shadow Keeper (w/ TOB installed) to pump you up to 3 mil exp. points imeadietly so that you are a grand druid, and then dual imeadietly afterwards to a Kensai so that you play most of SOA as a Newborn Kensai untill closer to the end (exp. point wise) when you really need the the Druid spells - they pop up like an easter-egg.

Notes:

Another tough thing about this class is the ability scores. You need (for your Druid class) at least a 15 on charisma (which is a useless attribute in this game), and you need a 17 or better wisdom (though definitly you want an 18 here for the extra spells). You will also need an 18 for str. for your Kensai. You will want an 18 for dex. for the AC bonus much needed for the Kensai, as well as an 18 for cons. (you need as many hitpoints as you can get). What this means is that you will have a pitifull intelligence score - that can be debilitating if you are ability drained or mazed.
(after many, many, MANY roles I managed this score - the reason why it is 4 total points more than in my 1st post is because I there I was also concentrating on getting an 18/90+ str. stat which isn't available here because you are a Druid your 1st class. Again though, you could struggle for many hours to role this score, why not save the time and just use Shadow Keeper to get these scores?)
str. 18
dex. 18
con. 18
int. 10
wis. 18
char.15

W/ dual wield and 2 scimitars (belm +2 in the off hand) & boots of speed (+ level 13+) your up to 5 attacks per round.

Why didn't I choose some other combination of Druid fighter?
1. Not going the route of fighter 1st:
Druids almost stand still (exp. point vs. level) higher in level (ie. it takes for ever to level up past 12th level). Also you have NO incentive to go beyond Grand Druid level (and the High level special ability spells aren't really worth it for TOB). Additionally, you get some VERY nice High Level special abilites for the Fighter class in TOB (that you wouldn't get the other way around) as well as extra special abilities unique to Kensai as you go higher in level.

2. Choosing a druid class like Totemic druid (which is the best IMO if you are also a fighter) will not allow you to dual to a fighter (don't know why, other wise I might choose this over the Druid Kensai).

3. Druid Berserker would be equally appealing and would also be a MUCH easier class to play (no armour restriction & the ability to shrug off imprisonment w/ berserk ability) for those relativly new to the game), but here you are limited to leather armour so why not go for the extras the Kensai can give you and ditch the armour all-together? (Though, as always its up to you.)


In TOB their is a VERY nice +5 scimitar (acctually I think you get the +4 version of it in the Watchers Keep & can make it +5 in TOB - in either case you will need TOB installed to be able to get it.)
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