Kensai/thief

[ForgotenWarrior]

Hey guys, I want to make a kensai/thief dual class, but I haven't made any dual class characters before, could you please tell me what race, allignment and so on I should be?

Thanks

[Screaming Johny]

The only race that can dual-class is a human.

You will need a 16 in the prime stat of your original class (ST for the Kensai) and 17 in the prime stat of the new class (DX for a theif).

As far as alignment, LG is the only alignment a theif can't have. You will be OK with any others.

After you dual, you will have all the restrictions of a theif (exepct the hitpoints) until you reactivate the Kensai class (your theif level surpasses that of the Kensai. This means you will receive new weapon prof's, but can only put 1 point in each and are restricted to theif weapons. Furthermore, the weapon prof's from the Kensai disappear until you reactivate the Kensai class. Once you reactivate, you get the old weapon prof's back. A good tactic is to Grand Master in your favourite weapon with dual-weild while a Kensai, then take the weapon prof's you want for your off-hand as a theif. Once you reactivate, you keep both. Also, once you reactivate you can put multiple *'s in weapons again. Warning - if you take the same prof as a theif, when you reactivate your Kensai class they do NOT add together. Basically that weapon prof is wasted.

Here is another pointer. Decide in advance what level you want to dual at. The most popular choices are:
7-Immediately, you will reactivate the Kensai class as soon as you leave Jon's Dungeon
9-Fairly quick. Good HP, an extra Kensai bonus
12-You get an extra Kensai bonus
13-You get an extra 1/2 attack per round.

When I play the Kensai/Theif, I dual at level 7 or 13 taking Grand Mastery in Katana & dual-weild. Then I will take LS, SS, Scimitar, etc. as a theif. Once the Kensai reactivates I can use any sword, and backstab with it!

Let us know if you need any other pointers.

[glenfar]

Originally posted by Screaming Johny
... Once the Kensai reactivates I can use any sword, and backstab with it! ...

Great post! Just one minor correction - while you will be able to use any sword, you can only backstab with a weapon a thief can normally use.

[ForgotenWarrior]

Thanks a lot for your responses, they helped a lot

[Thrain]

Originally posted by glenfar
Great post! Just one minor correction - while you will be able to use any sword, you can only backstab with a weapon a thief can normally use.

which is every sword bar the two handed i believe

[glenfar]

Originally posted by Thrain
which is every sword bar the two handed i believe

That and the bastard sword.

Personally though, I was using 'sword' in the generic sense of any melee weapon (like 'sword and shield style') - of which there's a number that thief's can't normally use.

[Mirk]

couple of tips i have on a kensai-thief:

1. after you've dualled, and the party combination allows it (you have another thief), DON'T go up levels with the thief untill you have enough XP to become a kensai X/ thief X+1. this will allow you to put all the proficiencies you recieve as a thief into one weapon, focusing on it as a kensai should. if you don't have another thief, gain thief levels up to 3/7, develop the most important skills (traps and locks), and save the other levles for later.

2. backstab is great. backstab with a katana +3 is awesome. don't neglect develloping your char in use of other battle tactics, as the ability to backstab will not always be available (some enemies are plain immune, others will be able to through protection spells just before you hit, and some will plainly stand with their back up against a wall)

3. two damage types that are a must-have: elemental (fire, acid, etc. - for stoneskinned mages) and blunt (almost nobody is immune to it). Flail of Ages is exellent weapon in this category.

4. number of attacks is more important than damage made in one attack: using Belm +2, Kundane +2, Scarlet Ninja-to +3 in an off-hand even with no proficiency in them, and even if they are of an enchantement to low to hit your enmy, will add an extra attack by the MAIN HAND (which will hold your uber-weapon)

5. a double chance of critical hit is nothing to be ashamed of. a single * in one-handed weapon use will do just that, forthose times when it is needed.


to sum this up, this is my last kensai-thief:

levels 1-13: kensai, ***** katana, ** 2-weilding, * mace.
levels 1-7 thief: * dagger, * one-hnded weapon, * scimitar
level 13 kensai / 14 thief: (3 proficiency points from thief levels 4,8,12): ***** katana, ** 2-weilding, ** mace, * dagger, * scimitar, ** flail.

after that, i put points in flail. Use Any Item made him just unstoppable, though i never put armor on.


enjoy!

[Mr.Waesel]

Originally posted by Mirk
4. number of attacks is more important than damage made in one attack:

That depends on the number of attacks and the amount of damage.

[Raumoheru]

well since u need elemental and crushing for shure, i have my kensai thief with katanas and flails. he uses the flail of ages and celestial fury.

but i prefer sinlge weapon style over duel weilding because it gives and AC bonus to the already armor lacking kensai.

[Kaitsuburi]

Originally posted by Raumoheru
but i prefer sinlge weapon style over duel weilding because it gives and AC bonus to the already armor lacking kensai.

After you get use-any-item, though, that's not a factor anymore

When I played a Kensai/Thief for the last time, I didn't backstab very much. I put proficiencies in two-handed weapons and two-handed swords. Not the cheesiest, but very powerful, especially with a uber sword.

Once you've played it, you can increase the cheese even more and make your character into kensai/thief multi via SK and play again ~ XP will be an issue, but if you do Watcher's Keep, etc, by the end of SoA you'll have greater-whirlwinding plate-mail carsomyr-wielding kensai. Who needs backstabs at this point

-kaitsuburi

[Raumoheru]

yea that is great, i got my fighter thief with the carsomyr for a while

but it is just too cheap to have em wear armor

i personally wont do it...