Kensai/Mage - offhand, belm or crom?

Larry777 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-04-2006, 09:46 AM

Hi,

there is only one choice left I have to make concerning my Kensai Mage (13/x).

Which weapon should I choose for the 2nd hand slot?

As I am planing on using improved haste I picked AoU as main weapon (poor FoA).

Solutions:

1) using crom => high strengh (nice chance to hit and dmg bonus), but only 8 attacks total

2) using belm => 9 attacks with AoU and a total of ten, but strength only 22

Can anyone tell me which one will end up with more overall dmg?

Or what thac0 should my k/m have in ToB?

Why do people advise to use blunt weapons?

Larry777 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-04-2006, 01:45 PM

Anybody?! Please I need some help here ...

TonyMontana1638 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-04-2006, 03:01 PM

I'd go with Crom, but I'm not sure what the exact damage roll will be, because lots of attacks are nice but I prefer the better chance of them hitting. At least I'd keep Crom around to deal with Golems and the like (blunt weapons come in handy against them, that's why many reccomend being good with them).

Larry777 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-04-2006, 03:34 PM

Thx for your answer Tony. Can anyone tell if a thac0 of -7 is enough for ToB?

fable · #5 (**permalink**) 03-04-2006, 06:40 PM

Larry777, welcome to the forums. Please don't bump threads. If you want an answer, wait a while. If you bump, no one will get to you sooner than before, and your threads may end up accumulating such a nuisance value that they get deleted.

Nimiety · #6 (**permalink**) 03-06-2006, 07:53 AM

I would say -7 is pretty good. You could do better, but you could also do much worse.

To your original question, I would much rather get the extra attacks on the off-hand, rather than worrying about the difference in strength. There are so many ways to bump up strength (belts, swords, potions, a certain machine, a certain tear) that I would be hard pressed to wield Crom any more. It's still a good idea to build it if you want the insta-killing on some target creatures, but I would still rather have a waisted belt rather than a waisted ingredient (sorry for the pun). Also, although Crom has a good enchantment, the damage it does is surprisingly pitiful when compared to other options - it doesn't do extra elemental damage, or add immunities, or add other innate uses. I solo a lot, so I find those much more useful to me.

Besides, any fighter worth his salt will have a few greater whirlwinds shortly into ToB, which makes for ten attacks per round, and a flurry of dead things.

Hope this debate helps!

masteralef · #7 (**permalink**) 03-06-2006, 09:49 AM

Improved Grand Mastery from EoU and Crom. Best of both worlds

TonyMontana1638 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-06-2006, 10:43 PM

I'd also like to agree with Nimiety that if you have a or similar item that can give you a similar strength boost (in the 24 range) the Crom may not be necessary. I stick by my answer if you have no such item, but otherwise one of the crom's most powerful abilities will be nigh-useless. I'd still keep it around for those darn golems though.

VonDondu · #9 (**permalink**) 03-07-2006, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nimiety

I would much rather get the extra attacks on the off-hand, rather than worrying about the difference in strength. There are so many ways to bump up strength (belts, swords, potions, a certain machine, a certain tear) that I would be hard pressed to wield Crom any more...

...although Crom has a good enchantment, the damage it does is surprisingly pitiful when compared to other options - it doesn't do extra elemental damage, or add immunities, or add other innate uses. I solo a lot, so I find those much more useful to me.

Actually, Crom Faeyr inflicts electrical damage (that's what the crackling sound is for), but it isn't listed in the description and I'm not sure how much it is.

Crom Faeyr is a great weapon in Shadows of Amn when there aren't many ways to get your character's Strength up to 25. +7 to hit and +14 damage on top of a +5 weapon bonus is not what I'd call "pitiful". Granted, it's not a vorpal effect or a stunning effect or level drain or some other nifty effect that alters the balance of combat. But even when Crom Faeyr is used as an offhand weapon, it adds a great deal of damage to your primary weapon without taking up a belt slot, for example, or having to cast a Strength-enhancing spell that can wear off or be dispelled in combat. Don't forget there are two sides to every trade-off.

Schu · #10 (**permalink**) 03-28-2006, 01:29 AM

I tend no to give my Kensai->Mage my absolute best weapons. I give him long swords and axes (for the chance to be ranged), so I tend to use blackrazor in main hand and axe of the unyielding in the off-hand (for the regeneration mainly).