Kensai/Thief

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Some questions for those who have played with a Kensai/Thief.
I am thinking of creating a Kensai and dualling him at level 21 to a thief and so at the XP-cap I will have a 21/31 Kensai/Thief.I know it's not a popular decision for dualclassing BUT:

A)Isn't this character the most powerful melee warrior in the game?(i leave out the pure kensai due to high AC, as well as the kensai/mage due to lack of full autonomy)

B)And the most important: Will I be able to get both Fighter's and Thief's HLAs?

Thanks in advance...

 

The Kensai / Thief does rock big time and is the character I completed this game with.

This is a great dual class but dualling at Level 21 would be complete pain in the neck. How long would you have to spend without your Kensai powers? Forever, surely. Dualling around level 12 is usually a good option. Your backstab attacks become colossal and the thief HLAs are awesome, especially Use Any Item.

 

@ Harbourboy

I know that it will take a lot activating the kensai's class but:
a)My game will be full of mods and on insane,so EXP is not a problem
b)Reactivating the kensai's class is the extra challenge that will be added to my game

I don't know yet if i will go solo or not.But i have to know first if this character will have both fighter's and thief's HLA.

 

I hope this helps.

 

just regaining kensai ability will be pain in your butthole. I tried 13 kensai/ theif and it really taught what is patience mean.

Well if you can endure that pain i guess your character would be best warrior who is made up by all those perspiraion you put on the character.

 

Just a suggestion: How about a multiclassed kensai-thief?

He'll be about as vulnerable and lack some of the combat skill points, but his combat abbilities are impressive.

 

Yeah you get about two fighter HLA and rest is thief's.

Kensai sucks really. Either be a pure Kensai, a true master, or I'd just prefer a multi-class or a berserker. The berserker rage give you +4 compared to Kensai's +7 at level 21. And berserker has no restrictions of amor, has the +4 ability at a much much lower level (level 1 in fact), and has great immunities.

 

You cannot Multi class kits, not without modding (hence cheating)

 

A Kensai/Thief multiclass is only going to happen if you use Shadowkeeper.
If you want to dual from Kensai to Thief and yet get HLAs in both classes, you will have to remain as a Kensai till you get your first HLA. Then dual to Thief. When you are able to take HLAs as a Thief, you will find that HLAs from both classes are available.
Playing on insane has no impact on XP gained. Unlike with IWD, for BG II the XP gained from eack kill remains the same while the enemys get tougher.

 

Kensai/Thief dualled at level 21 is my most favourite dual-class combination.

I usually go solo, if I want to accomplish it, and take Korgan as soon as I dual, until I get my XP back. Watcher's Keep+ a pair of good, big quests normally allow me to make it, and it's a pure pleasure to see him come alive.

I can't bring myself to dual him earlier, because feel like "crippling" my character.

 

Thanks guys.

@ Shrikant
It was an older post of yours that made me think that a dual-class Kensai/Thief will be able to take both classes' HLAs.But unfortunately it's not true.I used SK to make a 21 level kensai,took the first 2 fighter's HLAs and then dualclassed.Then with SK again I had a 21/24 kens./thief but i was allowed to choose only thief's HLAs...

So after this only the crazy K/T 25/27! let me create what I had in mind...
He will have 6 figther's HLAs (5 GWW attacks)
and 4 thief's HLAs (mostly for the thief's UAI and assasination)

 

What do you mean Kensai/Mage does'nt have full autonomy?

"Control over all essential certification and re-certification decisions without being subject to approval by or undue influence from any other body. See Administrative Independence."

"A person’s ability to make independent choices."

If you want to play a Kensai/Thief, that's alright I suppose, but there is NO WAY a K/T is more powerful than a Kensai/Mage.

No way at all.

 

LOL What are you talking about.
You quoted yourself. full autonomy =
"A person’s ability to make independent choices."
Does that equal most powerful ? Who said kensai/mage is less powerful.

 

@ Faraaz

Another definition for Autonomy:
''The condition or quality of being autonomous; personal independence,self sufficiency ...''

As i wrote in my first post I leave out the kensai/mage because as a warrior he depends a lot on his spells (stoneskins, mirror-images, blur etc.).
That doesn't mean he is not more powerful than the kensai/thief (IMHO any mage-class is very overpowered in BG2 and more powerful than a non-mage one)

 

True...I was asking you two questions actually, I should have made myself clearer.

1) What are you referring to with the term "autonomy"? Usually I don't use words like that in everyday speak...

2) HOW can you say a Kensai/Thief is more powerful than a Kensai/Mage.

Now, those questions HAVE been answered, but I just thought I would clarify my earlier post.

 

Hmm, I always thought Kensai\Thief was more powerful than a Kensai\Mage. He can do everything that Kensai\Mage does (scrolls, scrolls!) and many things besides, Spike Traps, Backstab and Use Any Item come to mind.

The only thing that Kensai\Mage can do, and Kensai\Thief cannot, is Chain Contingency. Yes, this is a pity. But other Kensai\Thief abilities compensate for it nicely.

 

There are only that many scrolls in the game... eventually you'll run out. Plus, with the robe of vecna a kensai\ mage can cast spells in the middle of combat without being distracted, unlike the kensai \ thief which can't haste the spell casting.

 

And the Kensai/Mage can keep himself protected while he casts his spells, like Stoneskin, Mirror Image, Blur, Prot. from Magic Weapons etc etc.

A Kensai/Thief cannot do that. Plus, being a Kensai/Thief, unless he has UAI, which will NOT be for a fair bit into the game, he cannot have a good AC. So...he is going to get hit...and when that happens the scroll is wasted.

Nah mate, no way I can agree on this with ya.

Kensai/Thief has NOTHING on the Kensai/Mage.

 

'Cept perhaps if the Kensai/Thief uses a PoM scroll on the Kensai/Mage.
In terms of prowess however, the Kensai/Thief loses to the K/M, although not by much.
This considering we're talking about vanilla ToB. The more "restricted" items are put into the game, the more the K/T will get stronger.

 

Then again...a K/T relies on Items and UAI to get the job done at the uber levels.

Kensai/Mage just needs his weapon/s, spells and he's good to go. THat's what I love about the X/Mage classes...they are very self sufficient...and powerful to boot.