4.5 for Katanas, Halberds and Two Handed Swords 3.5 for Scimitars, Axes and Long Swords 3 for Bastard Swords (and the Runehammer) 2.5 for Clubs, Flails, Spears , Maces, Quarterstaves and Short Swords 1.5 for Warhammers and Daggers
Mmm... The average damage of these weapons is:
5.5 for Katanas, Halberds and Two Handed Swords 5 for Bastard Swords (and the Runehammer) 4.5 for Scimitars, Axes and Long Swords 3.5 for Clubs, Flails, Spears , Maces, Quarterstaves and Short Swords 2.5 for Warhammers and Daggers
Given that the average damage difference per hit for Kai is:
4.5 for Katanas, Halberds and Two Handed Swords 3.5 for Scimitars, Axes and Long Swords 3 for Bastard Swords (and the Runehammer) 2.5 for Clubs, Flails, Spears , Maces, Quarterstaves and Short Swords 1.5 for Warhammers and Daggers
I'm inclined to say that claiming it to be a "devastating combo" is a more than slight exaggeration. Kai helps backstabs, since that only multiplies weapon damage and that pentuples the above bonuses, but it certainly doesn't compete with Critical Strike, or even GWW, Timestop or no, even accounting for the Kensai's passive damage bonus.
At least someone say right things about kai! In my opinion that ability overrated a lot.
While a Kensai/Mage dual class would probably be a bit better overall by the time of endgame, a Fighter/Mage dual class has a much easier time going through BG. At low levels, the armour class from something as basic as a splint mail is incredibly useful. BG is a very fighter focused game, with Mages only really catching up around level 7 or so.
@Serpion Kensai->Mages are generally overrated. Sure, by TOB they're brokenly powerful - but so are half a dozen other combinations. In almost all circumstances a normal Fighter/Mage multiclass is as effective as a Kensai - they even have better spell progression until the end of SOA and have better THAC0, saves and HLA selection.
Going aaaaaaaall the way back to the original question @Onestep asked - If it's a toss-up between Kensai->Mage or Generalist mage then a Kensai->Mage is pretty much always going to be mechanically superior. But Generalist mage is probably the weakest of the real arcane casters - Specialists have a pretty easy time of it and Sorcerers kick arse.
Rather than the Kensai->Mage a F/M multi is pretty damn good, and Berserker->Mage duals will have a much easier time throughout BG1 and early BG2.
@Serpion Kensai->Mages are generally overrated. Sure, by TOB they're brokenly powerful - but so are half a dozen other combinations. In almost all circumstances a normal Fighter/Mage multiclass is as effective as a Kensai - they even have better spell progression until the end of SOA and have better THAC0, saves and HLA selection.
Going aaaaaaaall the way back to the original question @Onestep asked - If it's a toss-up between Kensai->Mage or Generalist mage then a Kensai->Mage is pretty much always going to be mechanically superior. But Generalist mage is probably the weakest of the real arcane casters - Specialists have a pretty easy time of it and Sorcerers kick arse.
Rather than the Kensai->Mage a F/M multi is pretty damn good, and Berserker->Mage duals will have a much easier time throughout BG1 and early BG2.
I've already started at this point, with a plain Fighter, who I'm planning to dual in BG2.
I used to be a kensai/mage (13/X) lover 10 years ago (or was it 15?)
But nowdays i play mostly no reload trilogy. Playing that way, the kensai is rather weak because he is very fragile while he levels as kensai and not that great while he levels as mage.
As corvino said : - the berserker/mage is much stronger for no reload ; - BG1 is extremely easy with them (the rage is completely OP) - defense is much more important than offense if you play no reload.
- the warrior/mage multi is stronger than the kensai mage during the whole. Maybe only at higher level, is the kensai/mage slightly better. And even then i am unsure of it, especially if you compare with a fighter illusionist : - fighter-wise, the fighter illusionist is much better : HLA and access to gauntlets of specialization is largely better the +4 to hit and damage and kai (which is indeed quite weak past BG1) - mage-wise, the have almost the same number of spells per day thanks to the specialization. Small advantage to the kensai mage there.
As for the original question Kensai/mage or generalist mage, my answer would be : "play a sorceror"
That's why a new fighter kit is needed, something like "Tactician" or "Warlord" or "I'm going fighter so I can dual class as a mage later and still use any kind of weapon whatsoever"
Comments
5.5 for Katanas, Halberds and Two Handed Swords
5 for Bastard Swords (and the Runehammer)
4.5 for Scimitars, Axes and Long Swords
3.5 for Clubs, Flails, Spears , Maces, Quarterstaves and Short Swords
2.5 for Warhammers and Daggers
Going aaaaaaaall the way back to the original question @Onestep asked - If it's a toss-up between Kensai->Mage or Generalist mage then a Kensai->Mage is pretty much always going to be mechanically superior. But Generalist mage is probably the weakest of the real arcane casters - Specialists have a pretty easy time of it and Sorcerers kick arse.
Rather than the Kensai->Mage a F/M multi is pretty damn good, and Berserker->Mage duals will have a much easier time throughout BG1 and early BG2.
But nowdays i play mostly no reload trilogy.
Playing that way, the kensai is rather weak because he is very fragile while he levels as kensai and not that great while he levels as mage.
As corvino said :
- the berserker/mage is much stronger for no reload ;
- BG1 is extremely easy with them (the rage is completely OP)
- defense is much more important than offense if you play no reload.
- the warrior/mage multi is stronger than the kensai mage during the whole. Maybe only at higher level, is the kensai/mage slightly better. And even then i am unsure of it, especially if you compare with a fighter illusionist :
- fighter-wise, the fighter illusionist is much better : HLA and access to gauntlets of specialization is largely better the +4 to hit and damage and kai (which is indeed quite weak past BG1)
- mage-wise, the have almost the same number of spells per day thanks to the specialization. Small advantage to the kensai mage there.
As for the original question Kensai/mage or generalist mage, my answer would be : "play a sorceror"