What is so good about the kensai?

[el_kalkylus]

I have just finnished the game on normal level with an assassin/mage, an undead hunter and a berserker/cleric. It was fun, I felt superior with my little group, but it was too easy. I had no trouble at all with the monsters I encountered (except greater wolfwere) (Of course, I also had Korgan and Jaheira in my group, which helped a lot). This is why I decided to play the game again on a more difficult level and with a kensai. Everybody on this board that has played the Kensai has said it is the best, so of course I wanted to try. Here is my Kensai:
str 19
dex 18
con 19
int 10
wis 9
cha 11
All his proficency slots are in katana and single weapon style.

I am now in the sewers (temple) (at level , and I am having real difficulties. My kensai is getting beaten, and gets beaten often. He even has trouble with kobolts, even though I let him attack as a third man. He hits pretty good sometimes and has done 47 damage the most, but with low hp and bad ac he gets hurt. I need help from someone who has played the whole game with the kensai. Everybody wants to attack my kensai for some reason and they all hit him easily. I sure hope his ac will be lower with time, because now he is worthless. Please explain to me what is so good about this kensai?

[el_kalkylus]

what the.... I said level 8

What is your kensai's hp and armor rating? Mine is just beginning and he has 79 hp and 3 ac with a ring of protection on. Hell, Minsc has +1 plate mail and he gets hit faster than my kensai. Minsc also has a +1 bastich sword and a +1 long sword in each hand and my kensai with grand master regular old katana kills faster than him.

I assume you have picked a half-orc. Well, the first mistake is using single-weapon style. Use dual-wield or two-handed wield. The bonus to AC for single weapon style is insignificant to the increase in damage dealt by the other two types of fighting. Single weapon style is mainly for thieves IMO.

The whole purpose of a Kensai is to deal out more damage than you take. A LOT more. Your THACO is much better than a regular fighter, and the Kai ability allows you to do MAXIMUM damage with a weapon for the duration of kai (about 6 seconds real time).

Now, with dual wield and all your profs in Long Sword using Kai:
At level 8, 3 attacks per round: 1d8 + 7 (str) = 15 (max) * 3 (attack per round) = 45 HPs of damage per round for 2 (3?) rounds. No other character can deal out anywhere near this damage.

With a two-handed sword and two-handed wield, a level 8 Kensai will do:
(1d10 + 7) * 2 = 34 HPs of damage per round. Now the most powerful weapons in the game are two-handed swords, and some of them have amazing speed factors. At the end of the game, your kensai could be doing:
((1d12) + 10 (girdle) + 4 (sword bonus)) * 4 = 104 HPs of damage per round!!!! With a thaco of -11 (in other words, you automatically hit AC -10), you will kill almost anything solo in two rounds of kai.

I hope that explains it for you.

[Yorick]

I've played a Kensai and I reckon the Monk is the best.
How is that 'everybody' el_kal?

[Memnoch]

Again I have to agree with Glorick, and add a couple of points. Kensai are shock fighters, they kill, and kill quickly. They're not tanks because they can't withstand prolonged toe-to-toe fighting. They're best used to take out the most powerful opponent and their value is greatly diminished when fighting large groups.

[Memnoch]

Glorick you seem to have reviewed this in some detail. Does the data suggest that two-handed wield seems to be a better option than dual-wield in statistical terms? I'm assuming based on your hypothesis above that the increased damage dealt with 2H weapons taking the speed factor into account would seem to indicate that at the upper levels you would deal more average damage per round using kai than dual wielding?

It appears that half orcs get a natural 2 ac bonus (tough skin?). This would make them the ultimate kensai in the game, with their 19 str, 19 con and low ac.

[el_kalkylus]

Wow, that really explains it. But the harm is already done. I have 1 point in longsword and 3 in katana and 2 in single weapon style. I have to play the dungeon all over again.

But what about the ac then? He now has 2 ac with a ring of protection and a cloak (and has 85 hp). How low will the ac get when you are, for example, a level 15 kensai?

[Yorick]

WHAT! Play the whole dungeon again? Why, because someone tells you you're not at the theoretical optimum damage capability? So what! Kick some arse with that single weapon Katana, not all Kensais have to dual weild or be grandmasters of the 2h swd. I'd love to see the damage a Kensai with grandmastery of the hammer does with Crom Faer for example. Play on mate, in life you can't relive because of something like that.

If you really can't handle it, just use shadowkeeper to give you your 'correct' stats (while resisting the temptation to cheat).