Berserker vs. Kensai

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no comment......dont even get me started.

*cough*fighterbeatsmage*cough*

hrmmm......

 

There's this neat little fifth level spell that will take care of that: lower resistance.

Vecna + amulet of power + staff of magi + mislead + project image + timestop + (improved alacrity + ...) OR (+ shapechange: mind flayer). I love fighters, but I've got to say I think this one is a no-brainer. A sorcerer can take out Draconis/Abazigal/you name it in the time it takes a berserker or a bonzai to draw his blade. Ultimately, it gets down to the simple fact that a fighter can't hit what he can't see. But even if a fighter could see the sorcerer, the sorcerer can gain absolute protection from everything in the fighter's arsynal, be it physical, magical, elemental, poison, or anything else. And let's not even talk about what would happen with the boots of etherealness.

Worst case scenario for the sorcerer is that the fighter-type stuns him before the sorcerer can get off a spell. If the conditions are just right, the fighter might win. But most of the time the sorcerer is going to carry the day with ease.

Per the debaters of that time, perhaps. But I would be willing to take that bet on a dual any day. Maybe in SoA the odds are somewhat more even, but not in ToB.

 

On topic,
I prefer Berserkers to kensais. For the flexibility that having all your equipment slots open gives you.
Yes, a kensai can get good AC, but to do so means your using ring/neck/belt/etc slots that the berserker can use for whatever takes your fancy.

Off topic,
and out of curiosity,
What gets put in the chain contingency? Because I can't see how a socerer will avoid spell disruption without a downright cunning C.C.

 

Hmmm, for immunity to most things try stoneskin, protection from magical weapons and protection from the elements. Should deal with most weapons for long enough to get in a timestop.

 

The easiest thing to do is just to cast shadow door without a contingency and run. The casting time is essentially 0 with the amulet of power, which is about the same amount of time it takes the fighter to get off a quick missile attack. But you should be able to fire the spell before the missile hits. A contingency with mirror image will protect you from potions of explosions and the like. With these simple protections, you should be able to get off a timestop without a hitch.

If you've been hit by poison in the first missile attack, and have the hit points to survive it (which you should have, under normal conditions), you might want a chain contingency with project image and mass invisibility. If you have the staff of the magi, you're even better off, since your projected image can use it to turn invisible before the fighter can respond. Have the projected image cast mislead and the mislead dummy equip the staff. Pretty much smooth sailing from there since your projected image isn't poisoned and can't be seen to be hit. Then unload the projected image's spell repetoire, beginning with timestop, etc.

 

Agreed. High level magic user ALWAYS beats the high level fighter, 3rd, 1st, or 2nd edition. Mages always win in high level fights.

Of course, with Improved Aclarity and Time Stop, and the Amulet of power, then you get to let loose all your magic missles and stuff. Not to mention that a lot of physical protections are neigh instants. Besides, a thief with the proper preps would win over all of them.

Oh, and Berserker. They may only get one rank in ranged weapons, but at least they can USE them. Plus armor helps. But then, you don't get to use Malla's Soul Stone. Or, you do, at the sacrafice of a good helm, something a kensai doesn't have to give.

 

On topic: It comes down to personal taste. I see Kensai and think 'Kill Bill', or 'Hero', or some other movie figure who was so unbelievably skilled that wearing armour would utterly remover the value of that skill. That sort of "armour is for the weak" approach has always held a certain fascination, which is why I prefer Kensai. A high-level Kensai with Celestial Fury and a few HLAs will beat the hell out of damn near anything in the game that doesn't automatically save vs. stun, and they'll do it before the enemy so much as twitches or swings their weapon. Berserkers are probably a better all-rounder, but for their job description (ie: kill everything that moves) they aren't quite the match of the Kensai.

Off-topic: high-level mages own anybody in a fight (unless they're immune to Time Stop, which is something the true "bosses" of the game SHOULD have), but getting to that point is another matter entirely. I don't see much heroic about a character having to rest before every fight and taking two weeks to clear out Firkraag's Dungeon. IMHO, Time Stop + Shapechange is the worst brand of cheese (just like fake-talk), and I'm damn glad that there are enemies who you have to whack legitimately to advance the progress of the game. Maybe things are a little different soloing or with improved battles/Tactics mods, but I think it takes the challenge out of things if you've got an instant one-two "kill anything" combination and holes in the game engine to be exploited.

But hey, that's just me.