Yep. Elfie was one thing I was thinking about, but dwarves get some advantages too. Then, again, huumans are work-able. We'll see. Maybe a halfling short sword kensai?
Kensai isn't so hard, as long as you start yourself off with two slots in Single Weapon Style. That +2 bonus to AC is a life-saver.
EDIT: Being an elf with 19 Dexterity doesn't hurt either; that +1 THAC0 with swords is useful as well.
I agree elves are good fighters, but it isn't from the standpoint to staying alive per se. 18, 19 and 20 dexterity all give -4 AC. The bonuses come by way of ranged thac0, something you won't utilize that well as a Kensai.
Honestly I'd say the best are gnomes. Not even kidding. You don't lose the strength of halflings and don't lose the dexterity a dwarf would. A dwarf would end the best but until you got the Dex tome, you're running around fairly gimped in the area Kensais struggle with most.
Oh, I was speaking more in terms of the elf's bonus with long swords. The 19 Dexterity is more just icing on the cake (especially if you can manage to get your Dexterity up a couple points).
Gnomes are nice too, but in the early game that +1 THAC0 is more important than anything you get from being a gnome.
You'd get an extra HP per level and crazy saves vs. wand and spells. I dunno, man. +1 Thac0 with long swords only is nice, but there's still a trade off. That elf is going to use JUST longswords for a really long time. You're going to put points in it early to capitalize on the racial bonus thac0, so I assume a person would stick with that through grandmastery. That Gnome can afford to spend his early game proficiency points in other weapon types (Scimitar, for example) that end up being way better for Kensai end-game.
Not saying one is "better" than the other. Just offering an alternative! I'm a big fan of short races in general, because saving throws.
Oh, I like the shorties too. But in terms of making sure each battle takes less time to end, the elf kensai has it better: "best defense is a good offense", as the saying goes.
If I'm playing a gnome, I'm more likely to go with a standard fighter.
Honestly in terms of consistent viability in BG and BG2 Longswords might well be your 'best' option, at least with the items that we previously know.
BG1: Varsconia (Longsword +2, +1 cold damage, available really early) Flametongue (between these 2 you can hit every enemy in game including the greater werewolves)
BG2: Sword of Roses (Buyable +3 Longsword) Sword of Flame (+1 fire damage, good against trolls) Flametongue +1 Ras (Dancing Sword) The Drinker (Longsword +2) Dragon Slayer (Longsword +2, double damage against dragons, fear immunity, regen) Daystar (+2, +4 v Undead and Evil Creatures, Double Damage against Undead) The Equalizer Blackrazor (Evil reward in Hell) The Answerer (+4, reduces target magic resist and AC on hit) Angurvadal (+4, +1 fire damage; eventually +5, 2-4 fire damage, 22 strength, level drain immunity)
So not only are you putting points into a weapon type that will be good through BG1, but it continues to be good in BG2. Heck its a good enough weapon type that you can also go for Grand Mastery in Longswords then Mastery in Dual Wield and still have plenty of options to choose from.
Perhaps the only single handed weapons that are anywhere near as good are Axes and that's more in BG2 than in BG1.
Longswords are the most versatile weapon type, true. Scimitars are better for a Kensai, though. Hard to argue against Twinkle for BG1, and there's a bunch of good ones for BG2 (Belm, and Twinkle again, and then ToB weapons are HNNNG THE SEX regardless of what you take.)
It's all personal opinion. I just think the idea of a little gnome samurai is hilarious.
You'd get an extra HP per level and crazy saves vs. wand and spells. I dunno, man. +1 Thac0 with long swords only is nice, but there's still a trade off. That elf is going to use JUST longswords for a really long time. You're going to put points in it early to capitalize on the racial bonus thac0, so I assume a person would stick with that through grandmastery.
BTW currently elves get the +1 THAC0 bonus for *all* swords, including two-handed swords, scimitars, and katanas. In the bug forum there's some discussion at the moment about limiting the elf bonus to long swords and short swords only, though, as per pnp 2e D&D rules, but I don't know if this is going to be implemented for BGEE - I'd like to know soon, though, as I'm try to plan an elf fighter/mage build...
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Honestly I'd say the best are gnomes. Not even kidding. You don't lose the strength of halflings and don't lose the dexterity a dwarf would. A dwarf would end the best but until you got the Dex tome, you're running around fairly gimped in the area Kensais struggle with most.
Gnomes are nice too, but in the early game that +1 THAC0 is more important than anything you get from being a gnome.
Not saying one is "better" than the other. Just offering an alternative! I'm a big fan of short races in general, because saving throws.
If I'm playing a gnome, I'm more likely to go with a standard fighter.
Honestly in terms of consistent viability in BG and BG2 Longswords might well be your 'best' option, at least with the items that we previously know.
BG1:
Varsconia (Longsword +2, +1 cold damage, available really early)
Flametongue (between these 2 you can hit every enemy in game including the greater werewolves)
BG2:
Sword of Roses (Buyable +3 Longsword)
Sword of Flame (+1 fire damage, good against trolls)
Flametongue +1
Ras (Dancing Sword)
The Drinker (Longsword +2)
Dragon Slayer (Longsword +2, double damage against dragons, fear immunity, regen)
Daystar (+2, +4 v Undead and Evil Creatures, Double Damage against Undead)
The Equalizer
Blackrazor (Evil reward in Hell)
The Answerer (+4, reduces target magic resist and AC on hit)
Angurvadal (+4, +1 fire damage; eventually +5, 2-4 fire damage, 22 strength, level drain immunity)
So not only are you putting points into a weapon type that will be good through BG1, but it continues to be good in BG2. Heck its a good enough weapon type that you can also go for Grand Mastery in Longswords then Mastery in Dual Wield and still have plenty of options to choose from.
Perhaps the only single handed weapons that are anywhere near as good are Axes and that's more in BG2 than in BG1.
It's all personal opinion. I just think the idea of a little gnome samurai is hilarious.