Serious bug concerning dual-classing

velehal

I imported my kensai from BG1 to BG2 and then dual-classed him to mage but he can´t use slings and braces and receives only -2 THACO penalty for using non proficient weapon. Even when only his mage class should be active, he has restriction and penalty for non proficient weapon as kensai. But he doesn´t have any other kensai bonuses and can´t use other non mage weapons. So he can use only daggers and staves.
I thought that it is caused by some mod so I tried it on fresh install of BG2. It still happens. Than I tried to dual class my kensai in BG1 (modded) and the same problem still persist.
Then I tried to dual-classing to thief and thief with inactive kensai class can´t use any armor.
So dual-classing seems to be seriously bugged. Can anybody confirm this bug?

jmerry

This is not a bug. It's working as intended. A dual-class character has all equipment restrictions of the original class/kit even when it's inactive - no bladed weapons for a cleric-x, no armor for a shapeshifter-x, no ranged weapons, armor, helms, bracers, or shields for a kensai-x.

Once you reactivate the class, you'll regain its benefits; your kensai-mage will be able to use the full range melee weapons just like a fighter/mage can, and will have the proficiencies and combat bonuses you developed.
The drawbacks still don't go away. Only the Use Any Item high level ability (which thieves get) can undo the kensai item restrictions.

Lord_Tansheron

jmerry wrote: »

Only the Use Any Item high level ability (which thieves get) can undo the kensai item restrictions.

Interesting note on this: if you acquire UAI on a Thief and THEN dual-class it, UAI will remain in effect even while Thief is inactive. Not that useful considering it's a HLA and dualing after HLA is insanity, but still!

velehal

jmerry wrote: »

This is not a bug. It's working as intended. A dual-class character has all equipment restrictions of the original class/kit even when it's inactive - no bladed weapons for a cleric-x, no armor for a shapeshifter-x, no ranged weapons, armor, helms, bracers, or shields for a kensai-x.

Thank you. I was confident that it must be a bug.

gorgonzola

the kensai thief is indeed a glass cannon until he gets UAI and imo the pay back if is not dualed at a fair high level is not enough to justify the cons.
the only static benefit from the kit is 2 points of AC, all the others are level dependent, how more damage you do, how many kai/day you have and the rest depends on how high is your kensai level, and too low you get few benefit, higher you have an even longer time as glass cannon.

some players seem to think that is one of the most powerful and interesting builds, and indeed it has power if the dual is done at high level, better at lev 13 to get the +1/2 apr or even 14 to get some more kit benefit. but it is really hard to dual at those levels, completing it at thief 14 or 15, and you have still to wait 3M xp in the thief class before you can finally tell "now i am the strongest fighter thief dual possible in the game"...

i would never play a kensai thief if not with the exact purpose of having more challenge, not of having a more powerful toon that makes my playing easier.
while i like very much to play the kensage, where the mage's spells and robes (vecna and archmage) make possible to have way sooner a dual that is effective and very well protected, that is potentially way more tanky then a pure class fighter or beseker, as has spells to lower his AC, to adsorb damage like the stoneskin, to completely negate it like the PFMW and to protect from spells or even make completely immune to a certain magic school, so protecting his own buffs while spitting in the face of every demilich without any bad consequence.

but as you are on the kensai thief route i can wish you only good luck my friend, you will suffer, but you will also have fun and learn a lot of things on how to play this wonderful game.

last thing, as you seem to don't have a precise idea of all the aspects of dual classing remember that if you chose the same proficiency in the first class and in the second one before you complete the dual the second one is lost as the dual is complete.
ie if you have 2 pips in staff as fighter, then you chose a pip in staff as thief when the dual is complete you will have only 2 pips. then when the first class is again active you can put more pips in staff up to 5, but you loose the ones you take before completing the dual.
while if you have 2 pips in staff and as thief you chose let's say 2 handed weapon and a pip in dagger when the dual is completed the pips chosen as thief will remain as they did not overlap the ones you had as fighter.
so chose wisely and you will not loose pips in the process.