Kensai questions

[Double D]

As of lately, i feel the need to make a kensai. What would you guys consider to be best, or most fun for that part.


-Kensai weilding a 2 handed weapon (got tob, tdd, and reign of virtue mods installed)

-kensai weilding 2 weapons at once (name proficiencies)


-kensai dualled to..... (could also dual to a kit, would use shadowkeeper in that case.


A list of ideal equipment would be nice aswell, and possibly a little list of mini mods, such a reign of virtue/freedom's reign adding some items, and some cool encounters.


Thanks in advance.


DD

[Dace De'Briago]

2 weapons definately. Grand master in katana's or flails. Dual to mage (pref) or thief.

Well powerful

[Double D]

Well, i kind of didn't want to dual to mage or thief, everyone seems to do those, i could also multi him with another kit, using the almighty SK ofc....


DD

[Armen]

Originally posted by Double D: Well, i kind of didn't want to dual to mage or thief, everyone seems to do those, i could also multi him with another kit, using the almighty SK ofc....

even with SK you can only have one kit in a multi or dual

try a search in the Shadows of Amn board - you won't be able to move for Kensai advice in the meantime though other dualling from kensai options are the priests:

druid - gets ironskins to compensate for poor armour class - can dual-wield scimitars and use throwing dagger - high stats requirement to dual to druid though (17 WIS & 17 CHA)

cleric - doesn't really miss out weapons-wise what with flails and hammers being available - the only only kensai dual without an 'armour' solution (thieves get UAI and mages get stoneskin)

[ 11-30-2004, 10:40 AM: Message edited by: Armen ]

[Klutz]

Definitely consider a pureclass Kensai. There's tons of Kensai information on the boards, but relatively little of it pertains to the pureclass Kensai. I'm not familiar with the items in the mods you listed, but for a pureclass Kensai in SOA/TOB, good weapon proficiencies include:


Good two-handed options (base SOA/TOB with bonus merchants only):

Staff: Staff of the Ram, and there's plenty of good staves available early on to assist until then.

2H-Sword: You can't use Carsomyr without dualing to Thief and getting UAI, but for a neutral or evil Kensai Soul Reaver +4 is an underrated option: its THACO penalty to the target is a great benefit for a Kensai.

Spear: Impaler +3 is one of the most damaging weapons in SOA, and you get the upgraded Ixil's Spike +6 in TOB.

Halberd: Decent in SOA (Dragon's Breath +4) but doesn't improve till very late in TOB (Ravager +6).


Good dual-weapon Kensai options (base SOA/TOB with bonus merchants only):

Flail: You can use two: with bonus merchant Joluv you get Defender of Easthaven, which is a great off-hand Flail providing AC and damage resistance bonuses, and the Flail of Ages is a fantastic primary flail for both SOA and TOB.

Scimitar, Short Sword: Different proficiencies but for the same reason: Belm +2 (Scimitar) and Kundane +2 (Short Sword) have the incredibly powerful ability of granting +1 attack per round. When used in the off-hand they grant that extra attack to the primary hand weapon. Pair these with whatever your favorite 1-handed weapon is, and it becomes that much deadlier.

Axe: Great for SOA (Stonefire & Frostreaver both +3 with +2 elemental damage and easily obtainable early on) and gets better in TOB (upgraded Axe of the Unyielding +5 Vorpal). If you're good-aligned you get Azuredge +3 early in SOA as both a ranged option and a nice undead slayer.

Dagger: Best ranged option for a Kensai: use the returning throwing dagger Firetooth +3 for best results. Subpar in melee though, so if you're really role-playing your Kensai as a pure melee character it's not worth choosing.

Bastard Sword: Few good options in SOA but the upgraded Foebane +5 in TOB is very good.


Again, this is all for unmodded SOA/TOB + Bonus Merchants. Mods like the ones you listed may add, remove, or modify weapon options to make other choices better than what I've listed. Also, some mods greatly reward Grandmastery (unmodded SOA/TOB grants only minor bonuses for weapon proficiency beyond specialization) so if you have those mods try to minimize the number of weapons you select so you can Grandmaster in them.

Regardless of your mods, be sure to take some proficiency in a blunt weapon for use against foes that are resistant or immune to edged weapons. Also, keep an eye out for items and especially potions that improve your base AC. (Potions of Defense and Invulnerability are especially great for pure Kensais.)

[SixOfSpades]

Kensai->Mages are usually only super-cheesy if you do the same-old same-old, like Grandmastery in Katanas, 3 stars in Dual-wielding, Celestial Fury + Dak'kon's Zerth Blade, Dual to Mage at Level 13. That setup is SO overdone, even my cat is sick of it.
Solution? Something else. I did a Kensai->Mage once: His proficiencies were in Hammers and Longswords, he Dualed at Level 15 (during the "The Transformation and the Dream" sequence in Chapter 4, to be precise), and he liked to wear lots of yellow.

I have also run a Kensai->Druid, specializing in Staves and Spears. A lot can be done with a Fighter kit....provided you don't screw up and accidentally choose to be a Wizard Slayer, of course.

[Dace De'Briago]

Ahh, the good old Wizard Slayer/Thief dual class. I know it well.

MR% = good

[Dundee Slaytern]

Not just MR, Dace.