Pure kensai is underrated

[sick duck]

Just think about the bloody mess you could make when you start hitting 2 times per second for something like 80-100 damage with the critical strike HLA, and improved haste.

A guy like that is almost enough melee damage all alone. Just a pure kensai with someone like jaheria or haer dalis is all the close combat skill necessary. Bhaal would be proud to call you his child.

[Jaxom]

Originally posted by Joseph:

Just think about the bloody mess you could make when you start hitting 2 times per second for something like 80-100 damage with the critical strike HLA, and improved haste.

A guy like that is almost enough melee damage all alone. Just a pure kensai with someone like jaheria or haer dalis is all the close combat skill necessary. Bhaal would be proud to call you his child.

I wouldnt say they are underrated. Kensai/Mage or a Kensai/Thief is simply just better. You can do the same things your talking about, only better.

[Scrotus Gropulonum]

Kensai is definitely fun, I've done runs with pure and kensai/mage dual. It's hard to get Kai (duration 10 seconds) and Critical Strike (duration one round) working together, but Improved Haste makes him a monster and it lasts long enough to combine with other buffs. I think kensai/mage dual is better than pure kensai - You can mirror image/stoneskin/shield and you still have a GREAT deal of killing power in melee.
I've moved on to using figher/mage multis in every game now.

[wendigo211]

At low levels the Kensai suffers a bit in comparison to the Berserker. The Kensai's abilities are up all the time, but the Berserker doesn't have the Kensai's item restrictions and Rage gives them a -2 to AC, -2 to THAC0, +2 to damage and a ton of immunities. When you toss in the Helm of Balduran and Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise (an additional -2 to THAC0 and +2 to damage the Kensai can't get), it's not until level 15 that the Kensai actually surpasses the raging Berserker for combat bonuses.

The high level play in ToB really plays into the Kensai's wheelhouse. AC becomes less useful because enemy THAC0s are lower. So, apart from not having critical hit immunity, the armor restrictions aren't that bad, and their hit and damage bonuses continue to improve to a max of +13 at level 39. I have done the pure Kensai throwing dagger build, which is pretty crazy (it switches to dual wield when it faces something that needs a +4 or higher to hit).

I think most people don't actually play the class to level 40 to see how strong that +1 to hit and damage every 3 levels coupled with grand mastery and the ability to add strength bonuses to damage really is. It's a stronger version of the Archer for ranged, and there really isn't any comparable for melee. It just takes a long time to see those benefits.

[Leco]

Kai works for 10 irl seconds?

[JODEGAFUN]

Originally posted by Jaxom:

Originally posted by Joseph:

Just think about the bloody mess you could make when you start hitting 2 times per second for something like 80-100 damage with the critical strike HLA, and improved haste.

A guy like that is almost enough melee damage all alone. Just a pure kensai with someone like jaheria or haer dalis is all the close combat skill necessary. Bhaal would be proud to call you his child.

I wouldnt say they are underrated. Kensai/Mage or a Kensai/Thief is simply just better. You can do the same things your talking about, only better.

Which race do you need for this combo, ore work only human, Kensai first and then mage

[Lady Crimson (RIP)]

The downside to Kensai is their lack of armor or guantlets/helmet.

They aren't under rated, they are rated quite well infact.. but they are very much limited to just an offense role rather than a defensive one, until you cross class them with Thief or Mage (the thief method just breaking the game really).

Their downsides do counter the more levels you get though, although your equipment options will be losing out more too.

I'd say if any class is underated, it's Fighter/Druid and Bards at low level.

A low level bard is a better spell caster than wizard till about 12 or so, simply because they level up faster.

People often gripe about how awful druid is for the lack of better armors, but this is completely nullified by the fighter that gives them access for some reason.