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Katana purchase - Candlekeep

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  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Assuming people have correct saves, mages should be vulnerable to saves vs death. Wizards cap at 8 for save vs death, 4 vs spells. Isn't Pixie a save vs spells? Huh, no, I think its poison. However, I'd still prefer DoV, but you have made a good argument to try out Pixie on a warrior.
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    Try Stiletto de marchess or jade fang. Hold and stun are awesome. Free hits!
    JuliusBorisov
  • Lord_SavageLord_Savage Member Posts: 17
    edited May 2015
    I let auto roller run for about 2.5 days. I'm surprised the most it came up with was 97 points with a minimum setting for a 18/00 STR. Still plenty enough to start my campaign.
    Post edited by Lord_Savage on
  • MathsorcererMathsorcerer Member Posts: 3,037
    I tried a half-orc kensai for my first run through BGEE but I gave her specialization in bastard sword and two-weapon style rather than katana, figuring that bastards are easy to find or purchase if--when--they break. Although her really good offense made for a sufficient defense against lower-powered opponents, eventually the lack of armor was a hindrance. I think I actually ran the game out of potions of defense, buying every one we could afford, but it was worth it.
  • BlackhawkBlackhawk Member Posts: 34
    FrdNwsm said:

    Kensai are inferior in every way to berserkers. Just a heads up. Read up on all the things berserking can make you immune to during combat, then compare that to the wimpy kensai abilities. Plus, Kensai can't use missile weapons, armor, gauntlets or any of the really cool stuff.

    Allow me to educate you:

    1. +1 hit and +1 to damage every 3 levels translates to +13 to hit and +13 to damage at level 40. There is no item or ability in the entire game that gives such a huge bonus. This is also a FLAT, PASSIVE bonus. Berserk gives you, what, a whole +2 to damage only? And temporarily? Yawn. Ergo, in the long run, Kensai are simply better at killing things than the Berserker.

    2. An ability that allows you to maximize all your damage rolls is beyond incredible at high levels when we're talking about 10 attacks per round (all of them hitting). Berserkers have to roll damage as usual and can always roll 2's and 3's while a Kensai is doing a flat 10 every time with his Katana.

    3. Kensai have the speed factor. This means with just about any weapon they use, they will always strike first (-1 speed factor every 4 levels, translates into -10 at level 40, giving you a speed factor of 0 with every weapon in the game). This allows a Kensai to hit, move away, and hit again before the enemy has a chance to retaliate. Meanwhile any Berserker has a much, much harder time hitting first.

    4. All the status effects that Berserk makes you immune to are low level concerns that in the short term become a non-issue the second you figure out how to use potions and spells. In the long term it falls off and doesn't become an issue at all due to high saving throws provided by equipment and levels.

    5. Armor does not matter in end-game content. The enemies you fight have such high THACO they're going to hit you anyway. What Throne of Bhaal comes down to is damage output, period, and the Kensai has that in spades over the Berserker. Early levels, a Kensai can survive quite well using the Shield Amulet, Single Weapon Style and Rings/Cloaks of Protection. Besides, if you're tanking with a Kensai, you're doing it wrong.

    A level 40 Kensai would make sashimi out of a level 40 Berserker. It wouldn't even be close.

    [Deleted User]Quartz
  • Yann1989Yann1989 Member Posts: 92
    edited June 2018
    Blackhawk said:

    A level 40 Kensai would make sashimi out of a level 40 Berserker. It wouldn't even be close.

    lvl 40? Are we playing the same game?
    ThacoBell
  • FQVBSinaFQVBSina Member Posts: 39
    DreadKhan said:

    1d10 + 1 = 6.5
    1d8 + 2 + 1 = 7.5 #JustSayin

    In my experience, if starting in BG1, you really don't NEED 18/00, but it is a heck of a buff compared to 18/01.

    wait... 18/00 is better than 18/99?
  • FQVBSinaFQVBSina Member Posts: 39
    Wowo said:

    Auto rolling is cheating, opinions on the matter are irrelevant.
    You can't dual class to sorcerer.
    11 wisdom doesn't seem helpful as the target is 18 (15 is a more usual place to start).
    Kensei should dual at level 9 or 13, not 12.
    Katana is an inferior choice through all of bg1 with longsword, scimitar, dagger, mace, bastard sword being better.
    If you want to dual to mage then you'll need 17 intelligence.

    I watched Quill18's video where he was going to dual wield Katanas as a "cheesy build" quoting himself. Perhaps I shouldn't be following his setup for my very first time playing this game...
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    FQVBSina said:

    DreadKhan said:

    1d10 + 1 = 6.5
    1d8 + 2 + 1 = 7.5 #JustSayin

    In my experience, if starting in BG1, you really don't NEED 18/00, but it is a heck of a buff compared to 18/01.

    wait... 18/00 is better than 18/99?
    Yup.

    00 means 100 in this case.
    ThacoBell
  • ElendarElendar Member Posts: 831
    3 year old thread
    AerakarDreadKhan
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Elendar said:

    3 year old thread

    As long as meaningful discussion is going on, I think its fine.
    Grond0Dev6AerakarStummvonBordwehr
  • FrdNwsmFrdNwsm Member Posts: 1,069
    Since this Thread has been revived, I'll chime in again. I'm actually playing a Kensai this time around. Only at level 10 and just starting Act 3 of SoA. At this level, the Kensai is markedly inferior to the Berserker for one big reason; the campaign against the vampires. Berserkers are immune to any number of status effects, including level drain and mind control. My Kensai keeps getting drained in mid combat, which is seriously annoying. (I can't always have a comrade protect me via spell in time to prevent this, and the Amulet of Power doesn't work for warrior types.) Not to mention getting blasted by enemy mages with such nonsense as Horror, Dire Charm, etc.

    Now, I am quite capable of projecting into the future; I can take my current abilities and magnify them, and can certainly see how the Kensai can be a killing machine. But so was my Berserker at high level; the choice of weapon spec is key here. I picked Halberds from the start. By the latter half of ToB, with the HLAs he had and using Ravager +6, he was shredding anything that came in range, often with one swing. (That has to be the most OP weapon ever designed for an RPG like this one).

    Halberds are also, I might add, my Kensai's weapon spec. I'm planning for the future, when that sweet sweet Ravager will be MINE! ALL MINE!
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    Blackhawk said:



    A level 40 Kensai would make sashimi out of a level 40 Berserker. It wouldn't even be close.

    I never reach level 40, don't think I ever had. Personally I prefer zerkers, but with this said, it would be pretty cool to see a straight up 1-on-1 battle between two fully maxed out chars, as the above statement, dishing it out and see what comes out of it in a say 5-10 rounds.

    In my opinion, it's also about soaking damage in ToB but in this setup vs each other they would both have the same access to HLA's and since Kensai's THAC0 increase would mostly negate the zerker's advantage from fullplate, they would probably hit quite the same. The zerker, however, shines more in PvE i think since the versatility from having more options in armor, gloves and gem slots, is great.
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Skatan said:

    Blackhawk said:



    A level 40 Kensai would make sashimi out of a level 40 Berserker. It wouldn't even be close.

    I never reach level 40, don't think I ever had. Personally I prefer zerkers, but with this said, it would be pretty cool to see a straight up 1-on-1 battle between two fully maxed out chars, as the above statement, dishing it out and see what comes out of it in a say 5-10 rounds.

    In my opinion, it's also about soaking damage in ToB but in this setup vs each other they would both have the same access to HLA's and since Kensai's THAC0 increase would mostly negate the zerker's advantage from fullplate, they would probably hit quite the same. The zerker, however, shines more in PvE i think since the versatility from having more options in armor, gloves and gem slots, is great.
    Should be done with non-magical gear, and they should be kitted out the same, minus item restrictions. I' thinking they should have the same primary weapon, the beserker gets full plate and a helmet, and they get choice of weapon style.
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    ThacoBell said:


    Should be done with non-magical gear, and they should be kitted out the same, minus item restrictions. I' thinking they should have the same primary weapon, the beserker gets full plate and a helmet, and they get choice of weapon style.

    That limitation benefits the kensai more, and considering the zerker's chance to mitigate some of the benefits the kensai would have is via the items a kensai cannot wear, it would balance the battle heavily towards the kensai.

    Both match-ups would be cool to see though, both one where each char can equip whatever they want and one match-up using your suggestion. That way one would really see the potential difference very clearly, if there is any.

    Any volunteer to do this? ;P I'd do it myself, but I have zero experience with FRAPS or the likes and since I will move soon, I spend most of my evenings packing and prepping for that (with some forum browsing in between, hehe).
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    @Skatan What would you propose? Fully kitting up in magical artifacts is just a battle of items. If mundane items make the Kensai stronger, wouldn't that indicate that the Kensai kit is stronger?
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    1on1 I do believe the kensai is stronger, but as said, the zerker's benefit is its ability to use all item slots for max enchantment. So by limiting that it plays in the kensai's favor, I assume at least.
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    So really, powerful magical artifacts are strong, but the beserker on its own isn't.
    Dordledum
  • PingwinPingwin Member Posts: 262
    Magic items are as much a part of the game as mundane items. The Kensai may be better in an environment where there are few or no magical items but BG is full of them. You have to take into account the context in which a class/kit is being played, and the context is a world full of powerful magic items.
    I'd say that the fair way to do it is to decide on a particular level and allow the characters whatever items they could reasonably expect to have acquired by that point in BG.
    former_customerConjurerDragon
  • Jaheiras_WitnessJaheiras_Witness Member Posts: 614
    Strangely enough, I did the maths on kensai vs beserker heads up many years ago. Basically until around level 10 the berserker squashes kensai. From level 10 to around level 18 they are equal. Level 19 onwards kensai is more powerful.

    One key finding though is that the kensai superiority at higher levels is heavily dependent on kai. Kai only lasts 1.5 rounds whereas Enrage lasts 10 rounds. The test I did assumed the kensai could always get subsequent kai activated after the first expires without interruption. If the berserker could disrupt the further activations of kai the fight would me more equal. And by the same token the kensai consumes more resources (the berserker uses only 1 Enrage whereas the kensai has to burn through 2-3 kai for same fight).

    So really the maths just backs up the intuition. Berserker is lot more powerful at low-mid levels, they are equal at mid-high levels, the kensai is stronger at epic levels.
    ThacoBellAerakar
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    I would like to point out the obvious: Kensais end up stronger offensively, but Berserkers get immunity to a huge range of annoyances, making them stronger defensively, even later game. If Rage offered no combat bonus, just immunities, Berserker would be fully playable and competitive.
    SkatanAerakar
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited September 2018
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
    ThacoBellbutteredsoulArctodus
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352

    FrdNwsm said:

    Since this Thread has been revived, I'll chime in again. I'm actually playing a Kensai this time around. Only at level 10 and just starting Act 3 of SoA. At this level, the Kensai is markedly inferior to the Berserker for one big reason; the campaign against the vampires. Berserkers are immune to any number of status effects, including level drain and mind control.

    Yes - Bioware coded the Berserker specifically to counter a lot of the challenges Bioware put into the game. It's literally like an "easy button" for SoA.

    It's honestly like something intended just for devs so they could do quick runs during QA testing, and they forgot to remove it when the game was released.
    I'm not very good at PnP and official class handbooks, but did Berzerker exist as a kit in there or was that kit created only for the game?
  • NoloirNoloir Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 380
    Much easier to just use EEKeeper or the CLUA Console to upload a katana if you're going to resort to autorolling. In any case a barb with a str roll of 18 can access the locked chest in the 2nd floor of the in for a gemthat can basically pay for the katana flat out.
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    If you talk to Firebead exactly 30 times, he gives you 300 gold. This works both in Candlekeep and Beregost.
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