A fun way to Kensai! [Archive] - Wizards Community

A fun way to Kensai! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Lucian Risk
03-05-04, 07:43 PM I don't know if this has been gone over before, but Hexblade will take you into Kensai, quite nicely.

Hexblade 10/Kensai 10

Hexblade's full BaB and skills allows you to enter Kensai without any huge sacrifice at level 5. Take a spear as a weapon and curse everybody that comes into combat with you.

By level 3 you have the abillity to partially negate Fort and Will effects and by level 10 reflex saves can be treated with ease because of withstand.

Thoughts?
pawsplay
03-06-04, 12:10 AM Two problems.

First, both classes are good Will only, which gets you Fort +6/Ref +6/Will +14 at level 20, not so good for a front line fighter.

Second, Hexblade is cool because it preserves BAB, but Kensai loses BAB.

I like the cursing Kensai concept, but it needs work. Save dc for the curse is going to be frozen at 15 + Cha bonus, or 17 if you take Ability Focus.
Lucian Risk
03-06-04, 11:48 AM Hmm... good points.

1.) To Boost my saves... would you reccomend a level of Ranger? It adds +1 BaB, +2 Reflex, +2 Fort. Seems to be a good choice, but where would I put it in my build?

2.) Do you know any ways to improve that DC?
creepy drifter
03-06-04, 12:12 PM Hexblade 5
Fighter 2
Blakguard 3
Kensai 10

take Cosmopolitan of Versatile for the Hide skill.

this also fixes the bad Fort save problem. you stille get BAB +17.
Lucian Risk
03-06-04, 05:22 PM Sounds cool.... but what would Blackgaurd offer that is worth taking cosmoploitan for? Poison use... and Sneak attack are cool though.
LordArkan
03-06-04, 05:30 PM Blackguard and Hexblade mesh VERY well, actually. -2 to saves, in addition to your blackguard curses. Not to mention CHA to saves, and CHA to saves again vs magic. Not bad, really. (Arcane Resistance is an unnamed bonus "equal to your CHA modifier"...)
The fort boost on top of Mettle is always nice, too.
Lucian Risk
03-07-04, 02:21 AM Very cool... I hadn't checked on Blackguard since 3.0.....

Any alternatives to that that don't require evil?
Deaths-Warden
03-07-04, 05:38 PM Bah, Stupid Kensai, WHY WONT THEY GIVE HIM FULL BAB!
I'm mad...

Hmmmm Hexblade/fighter/kensai you need fort and ref saves ranger supplys that...
so does tribal protector right? and that gives you a boost to attacks in a round which you need because of lost BAB progress

So...

Hexblade5/Fighter2/Ranger1/TribalProtector2/Kensai10 ???

Edit: Thats assuming your not a core race other than half-orc...
That might not work after all eh?
LiXinjian
03-07-04, 09:16 PM Where can you find Ability Focus? Sounds like a feat. Or is it a class feature?
pawsplay
03-07-04, 09:30 PM It seems kind of ironic that a PrC designed primarily for Paladins and Samurai that appears in The Complete Warrior doesn't get full BAB.
CompleteSatori
03-08-04, 01:25 AM Originally posted by LiXinjian
Where can you find Ability Focus? Sounds like a feat. Or is it a class feature?

Monster Manual (3.5) pg. 303, or Savage Species pg. 30. Gives you +2 to the DC of one of your special attacks (Stunning Fist, Hexblades Curse etc etc).
LordArkan
03-08-04, 11:25 AM Originally posted by Deaths-Warden
Bah, Stupid Kensai, WHY WONT THEY GIVE HIM FULL BAB!
I'm mad...

Hmmmm Hexblade/fighter/kensai you need fort and ref saves ranger supplys that...
so does tribal protector right? and that gives you a boost to attacks in a round which you need because of lost BAB progress

So...

Hexblade5/Fighter2/Ranger1/TribalProtector2/Kensai10 ???

Edit: Thats assuming your not a core race other than half-orc...
That might not work after all eh?

Thanks to the Withstand ability, Reflex can safely be ignored. Forever. :D :D
pawsplay
03-08-04, 12:44 PM Okay. Kensai gets withstand at 5th. Unfortunately, 5th is otherwise a stinker of a level. If you did Hexblade 14/Kensai 6, you get Mettle and Withstand, so you're well-covered on all fronts. You should take Great Fortitude, and some kind of Con-boosting item would be handy.

BAB +18
Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +14
mettle, withstand
cast 3rd level spells
good Power Surge
Lucian Risk
03-09-04, 10:44 PM Looks like a pretty nice build..... What sort of Weapon and Special abillities would you take for your Kensai levels? I was thinking...

+1 Sure-Striking, Shocking, Keen Spear of Wounding
pawsplay
03-10-04, 04:29 AM Since you are only getting +6 out of your weapon, don't put keen on it. Use either the keen edge spell or some item, or instead Improved Critical, to boost your critical range. Likewise, keep the enhancement bonus at +1; that will do in a pinch, and you can use greater magic weapon to boost it respectably.

It's hard to say bad things about ghost touch. It's difficult to acquire except through the weapon quality, it's useful at all levels, and it helps out against undead, which is a tricky issue for Hexblades.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lucian Risk 03-05-04, 07:43 PM	I don't know if this has been gone over before, but Hexblade will take you into Kensai, quite nicely. Hexblade 10/Kensai 10 Hexblade's full BaB and skills allows you to enter Kensai without any huge sacrifice at level 5. Take a spear as a weapon and curse everybody that comes into combat with you. By level 3 you have the abillity to partially negate Fort and Will effects and by level 10 reflex saves can be treated with ease because of withstand. Thoughts?
pawsplay 03-06-04, 12:10 AM	Two problems. First, both classes are good Will only, which gets you Fort +6/Ref +6/Will +14 at level 20, not so good for a front line fighter. Second, Hexblade is cool because it preserves BAB, but Kensai loses BAB. I like the cursing Kensai concept, but it needs work. Save dc for the curse is going to be frozen at 15 + Cha bonus, or 17 if you take Ability Focus.
Lucian Risk 03-06-04, 11:48 AM	Hmm... good points. 1.) To Boost my saves... would you reccomend a level of Ranger? It adds +1 BaB, +2 Reflex, +2 Fort. Seems to be a good choice, but where would I put it in my build? 2.) Do you know any ways to improve that DC?
creepy drifter 03-06-04, 12:12 PM	Hexblade 5 Fighter 2 Blakguard 3 Kensai 10 take Cosmopolitan of Versatile for the Hide skill. this also fixes the bad Fort save problem. you stille get BAB +17.
Lucian Risk 03-06-04, 05:22 PM	Sounds cool.... but what would Blackgaurd offer that is worth taking cosmoploitan for? Poison use... and Sneak attack are cool though.
LordArkan 03-06-04, 05:30 PM	Blackguard and Hexblade mesh VERY well, actually. -2 to saves, in addition to your blackguard curses. Not to mention CHA to saves, and CHA to saves again vs magic. Not bad, really. (Arcane Resistance is an unnamed bonus "equal to your CHA modifier"...) The fort boost on top of Mettle is always nice, too.
Lucian Risk 03-07-04, 02:21 AM	Very cool... I hadn't checked on Blackguard since 3.0..... Any alternatives to that that don't require evil?
Deaths-Warden 03-07-04, 05:38 PM	Bah, Stupid Kensai, WHY WONT THEY GIVE HIM FULL BAB! I'm mad... Hmmmm Hexblade/fighter/kensai you need fort and ref saves ranger supplys that... so does tribal protector right? and that gives you a boost to attacks in a round which you need because of lost BAB progress So... Hexblade5/Fighter2/Ranger1/TribalProtector2/Kensai10 ??? Edit: Thats assuming your not a core race other than half-orc... That might not work after all eh?
LiXinjian 03-07-04, 09:16 PM	Where can you find Ability Focus? Sounds like a feat. Or is it a class feature?
pawsplay 03-07-04, 09:30 PM	It seems kind of ironic that a PrC designed primarily for Paladins and Samurai that appears in The Complete Warrior doesn't get full BAB.
CompleteSatori 03-08-04, 01:25 AM	Originally posted by LiXinjian Where can you find Ability Focus? Sounds like a feat. Or is it a class feature? Monster Manual (3.5) pg. 303, or Savage Species pg. 30. Gives you +2 to the DC of one of your special attacks (Stunning Fist, Hexblades Curse etc etc).
LordArkan 03-08-04, 11:25 AM	Originally posted by Deaths-Warden Bah, Stupid Kensai, WHY WONT THEY GIVE HIM FULL BAB! I'm mad... Hmmmm Hexblade/fighter/kensai you need fort and ref saves ranger supplys that... so does tribal protector right? and that gives you a boost to attacks in a round which you need because of lost BAB progress So... Hexblade5/Fighter2/Ranger1/TribalProtector2/Kensai10 ??? Edit: Thats assuming your not a core race other than half-orc... That might not work after all eh? Thanks to the Withstand ability, Reflex can safely be ignored. Forever. :D :D
pawsplay 03-08-04, 12:44 PM	Okay. Kensai gets withstand at 5th. Unfortunately, 5th is otherwise a stinker of a level. If you did Hexblade 14/Kensai 6, you get Mettle and Withstand, so you're well-covered on all fronts. You should take Great Fortitude, and some kind of Con-boosting item would be handy. BAB +18 Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +14 mettle, withstand cast 3rd level spells good Power Surge
Lucian Risk 03-09-04, 10:44 PM	Looks like a pretty nice build..... What sort of Weapon and Special abillities would you take for your Kensai levels? I was thinking... +1 Sure-Striking, Shocking, Keen Spear of Wounding
pawsplay 03-10-04, 04:29 AM	Since you are only getting +6 out of your weapon, don't put keen on it. Use either the keen edge spell or some item, or instead Improved Critical, to boost your critical range. Likewise, keep the enhancement bonus at +1; that will do in a pinch, and you can use greater magic weapon to boost it respectably. It's hard to say bad things about ghost touch. It's difficult to acquire except through the weapon quality, it's useful at all levels, and it helps out against undead, which is a tricky issue for Hexblades.