Why bother with Inquisitors when....? PoH/F

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:36 pm

This build does indeed shine when soloing or in small groups. With Barkskin on, the AC of the Kensai/Cleric matches that of a fully armored (without a shield) Fighter/Cleric.

This isn't a glass cannon at all, but a bit harder to train than other dual classes. Keep in mind that we're taking Kensai levels here and all of your HLAs should be spent on Hardiness, which in combination with Defender of Easthaven and Armor of Faith grants an impressive 85% physical resistance in addition to your some -17AC.

If I remember correctly, if you dual at 22, you'll get to 27 or 28. If you dual at 24, you'll get to 25. The difference is one THAC0 and one spell slot for the last three levels.

Berethor · Post by **Berethor** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:12 pm

I'm officially torn between this Kensai/Cleric and the more common Ranger/Cleric for a solo game. My finger just hovered over the "Class" button on the character selection screen for 5 minutes or so trying to figure out what to play. Both sound quite powerful.

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:58 pm

Well, why not establish a list of what you want?

The Ranger/Cleric:

Iron Skins
Simulacrum (Vhalior's Helm)
Easy early game.

The Kensai/Cleric:

Great THAC0 with ALL weapons (Harm, Energy Blades)
Has a difficult early game.
Has a very easy late game. (Can destroy most bosses with harm alone.)
Has a greater AC due to his class bonus.
Doesn't rely on ANY strength items for damage and THAC0, thus is free has a broader choice in weapons used and belts (Belt of Inertial Barrier).

Both have:

Four attacks per round.
Ability to get eighty five percent physical resistance.
Low AC.
No trouble with undead.
Team buffs.

I may have missed something, so don't take the list to heart. Both classes are very powerful, however, I'd view the Ranger/Cleric as more defensive of the two.

In a battle between the two, it's hard to say as to who'd win, as chances are, the Kensai/Cleric would land a greater amount of hits than the Ranger/Cleric, while the latter has Iron Skins to protect themselves from ten attacks, which, with Improved Haste, is roughly a round and a fourth (8.75 seconds, if it matters) worth of barrage.

Berethor · Post by **Berethor** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 10:45 am

I'd say that Insect Plague can also be an advantage due to it's anti-casting nature. It makes a lot of fights much easier, especially early on in the game. One that comes to mind is the evil party in the temple sewers, who are easily dispatched with an Insect Plague followed by a Holy Smite and a few melee attacks.

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 10:56 am

I suppose you could, but I've had no problem using summons coupled with a few disabling spells.

Berethor · Post by **Berethor** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 11:08 am

Which would you say has an easier time dealing with the final battle of Ascension? Relying on Harm for near one shot kills sounds like a solid plan for killing bosses like Abazigal and the Ravager, but wouldn't it be difficult to re-cast Harm in the middle of a battle like Ascension without Ironskins?

Either way, they both seem fun and I'll be sure to give them both a shot.

Edited for a typo I didn't notice was there but ended up looking like ****...time to play where's waldo.

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 11:36 am

I'd reccomend using Sanctuary when you need to recast Harm.

Unfortunately I can't answer your question as I never tested the Kensai/Cleric against the Ascension battles. In the unmodded game, the build works great.