Is a Kensai any good?

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You can buy Firetooth from a drow merchant in the Underdark.And it's the best thrown weapon IMHO.It is +3 enchanted.

IIRC only that thrown axe in ToB is of higher enchantment (+4).

And of course if you are good alligned you can use the Azuredge

 

@Faraaz:
Yes, a bard can get stronger because he has more options to abuse game mechanics and the arcane spells are overpowered.

Most of the items you mentioned can't be obtained before most of the game is over and you'll have other party members who will benefit from those items even more.

Improved haste and other buffs can be cast by other party members.

You compared a solo bard with a solo kensai at the end of the game, but the game is supposed to be played with a 6 person party and it's not only the PC power during the last 5 minutes ToB that counts.

Since it is no fun spending 5 minutes casting spells before each encounter, standard players add warrior NPCs to their party, and a PC kensai party usually has an additional arcane spellcaster NPC compared to the PC bard party.

PC kensai/NPC arcane caster is a better combo than PC bard/NPC warrior, especially in a standard party with 3-4 other NPCs.

While it requires a lot pausing and pre-buffing to make your bard effective, kensais just can start the 1:1 battles (like the pit fight in the CC).
If you like playing reloading (or using preknowledge) and prebuffing at each hostile encounter then you can just have Aerie do the fighting for you, she's strong enough to take you through the game, the PC power doesn't matter at all.
If not, the kensai will already have defeated the first enemies before the bard is buffed.

With a bard you get the feeling that for nearly everything you can find another party member who is better in it.
I played a kensai 21 levels long and he was fun. Maybe not as simple as a berserker, but more devastating and definitely worth a try.

 

In fact, a half-orc kensai using the Fire Tooth-dagger is probably the best ranged fighter in the game, far ahead of the Archer-kit. Assuming 8.000.000 XP, 25 STR, 5 PP in "dagger" with grandmastery-fix and 2 PP in "single weapon style" he does a LOT of damage!

Normal hit on average:
5 (average of 2-8 base damage) + 3 (enchantment) + 13 (kit-bonus) + 5 (grandmastery) + 14 (STR-bonus) + 2 (fire damage) = 42

Critical hit on average:
(5 + 3 + 13 + 5 + 14) * 2 + 2 = 82

Wielding Fire Tooth a kensai can reach up to 9 attacks per round:
[2 (base with FT) + 1 (warrior class-bonus) + 1,5 (grandmastery)] * 2 (improved haste) = 9

In one round the hasted kensai will attack 9 times scoring on average 8,55 hits (7,65 normal hits and 0,9 critical hits due to 2 points in "single weapon style") and 0,45 critical misses:
(42 * 7,65) + (82 * 0,9) = 321,3 + 73,8 = 395,1

Not bad...

A Kensai/Thief 24/28 could get even higher, since he's able to use the GoeS.

 

How does your Half-Orc Kensai have a 25 STR?

 

Starting STR of 20, assuming 19 natural strength & have read Manual of Gainful Exercise in BG1.
+3 STR from the nine hells – evil route with wraith sarevok
+1 STR from TheMachineofLumTheMad
+1 STR from the Deck of Many Things

 

Actually, he'd get 9 attacks, by my count. If you have true grand mastery installed, he'll get 10.

 

@Kmonster: You're missing the point. I wasn't saying a bard is better than a Kensai. All I was saying was that a KENSAI isn't a very good class.

And I was comparing end-game results because at the end-game is where a Kensai is most powerful because of all that extra to-hit and damage, am I right? So if a Kensai at end-game with ideal items isn't half as powerful as a bard at end-game with ideal items, doesn't this mean a bard is more powerful?

You are right, the bard is more powerful because of its versatility, which is what I wanted to show here. A kensai is only good at hitting enemies HARD and FAST! If that doesn't work, he's screwed.

And I know that BG2 is a party based game, but if you are going to compare classes, figuring a party into it is meaningless...which is why I only considered a solo PvP scenario.

 

@drew: you're right, I meant 7 APR with instant kill chance for the main hand.
The 2 off-hand attacks only do about 25 damage each, not much in comparison to the main hand.

@Faraaz:
We differ about what is most important for the PC.

For judging the PC classes it is important to you how high the success changes in 1:1 combat at the end of a solo game would be when all hidden items were found and the characters get endless time to prepare while using the pause key as often as needed.

For me it is important how this character fits into the game and the NPCs are a part of it which I don't ignore.

I guess more than 90 percent of the first time players will have an easier time and more fun playing a kensai than a bard.
Things a PC bard can do can usually be done better by NPCs, while you won't find a tank doing more damage than the kensai.

For a not-multiclassed PC kensai is the class I recommend most.

 

Finally, I've gotten my kensai class back after dualing to thief. OMG, I can't believe I never did this before. I don't even have UAI and he still owns this game. 130 easy average for a backstab, boots of speed to run and hide in shadows again, cloak of non-detection, high score in detect illusions for easy mage mincing, I mean this guy is killer and I can only imagine how hard he's going to pwn everyone when I get my first HLA. Yeah, you can take a kensai through the game without dualing but why would you? This is SO much more fun. I don't think that kensai are a particular weak class because of their restrictions but they are a pretty boring one.

 

@ Gatsby Goon: you'd take a Kensai through the game without dualing because dualing is a pain in the butt

@ Faraaz While it is an obvious truism that any character "is most powerful" at the end of the game, even that champion of all things Blade, Scythesong Immortal, admits that "a low level Blade in Irenicus Dungeon ranks among the top two worst characters anyone can possibly create." On the other hand, according to me , a Kensai is probably the best character anyone can possibly create for general utility at the beginning of the game.

 

"@ Gatsby Goon: you'd take a Kensai through the game without dualing because dualing is a pain in the butt"

Yeah, there are some hassles with dualing (namely that one of your characters is going to be a useless little punk for a while) but its definetly not that bad dualing to a thief. I waited till 13 to dual my kensai and I did it right before going to spellhold and I gained all of my old abilities almost immediately after entering the underdark. While I agree that it does suck to have to go without a character for a while but I did it without much difficulty and my party is a trio. And I totally disagree that a kensai is anything close to the best character at the beginning. The start of the game is when those extra hitpoints for the barbarian really come in handy.

 

Kensais are great. Kensai / Thieves are even better ( if you have the patience to deal with that frustrating dual classing orocess)

 

One thing I like about having them in my party (though not as my primary character) is that when they die you just resurrect them and they're ready to go. No worries about armor or items, just get them a sword and they'll kick butt.

 

Oh...I get you now. It's actually still a smidge better than that, though. Even improved hasted, you still just get one off hand attack. 8 out of his 9 attacks will potentially insta-kill.

 

I would suggest you play a kensai Klorox as, what many people have missed here, is that they are viable. They are great party characters and, with a clue as to what you're doing, will have no problem doing any part of the game.

My kensai game was actually one of the most enjoyable games I have ever had. Things actually mattered and I couldn't just march through the game. Little things matter... like remembering demons (the one from the Duegar mine) have Stun Gazes. I had Aerie and Jaheira constantly casting healing spells on him as Valygar and Minsc tried to kill him before he killed me. Great battle. But where is the fun in not being the ultimate machine of destruction?

 

I've been away for a fair while...

Okay...about the whole Kensai vs. everyone else comparison...

Here's what I think:

Kensai is a great class early game to mid game.
Kensai is a great class if it has 3-4 other characters in the party to buff him sky high.

If you are using a Kensai as a primary damage dealing character late game...he won't be half bad...but there are a lot of other options.

I'm not saying a Kensai is the same as the Beast Master...all I'm saying is that if you want a good single classed fighter, you could do a lot better than a Kensai.

 

Pseudospawn said:

I think the Evil path in Hell gives you +2 to STR (correct me if I'm wrong, please).

This is still very impressive though.

 

Really I think the only problem is how weak they are against swarms. A level 20 kensai can still be taken down by a random encounter with about 15 oroks.

 

@Klorox: You get +1 str when attacking Sarevok and +2 for the tear.

 

Wow, didn't know that!

Maybe I should play Evil.