Kensai

[Void]

Would be nice to have kensai back.

Could work this way:

• 1 extra attack
• +2 AC
• Can't cast magic, use magic from any source or be any sort of spellcaster.
• Can't use supernatural abilities other than inborn ones (includes shadowdancer, blackguard or any other class).
• (optional) Locked out of Champion of Torm, as the class channels divine energy which goes against kensai oath.

Other possibilities include having spell resistance, bonuses on saving throws vs spells or a "signature weapon" which scales with kensai level. (You grab a weapon, mark it as signature and it keeps improving along with you.

[CptJonas]

Or simply leave it in its current state...
It would be nice to be able create new kensais once again...
In these days where isnt total madnes to build without magic...it would be nice...

And I am saying this even tho I have like 5 kensais so it wouldnt ultra benefit me...

[Anime Sword Fighter]

i miss zoomy kensai monks

[Shadowy Reality]

Kensai were extremely powerful, even in their last iteration. They were starting to become the norm to many builds.

As it is a melee can pretty much survive on mundane items alone, here is a non-exhaustive list of spells attained by mundane items: death ward, freedom, haste, improved invisibility, invisibility purge.

That list alone has pretty much everything a meleer would every want, which means Kensai would almost 100% of times be the optimal choice for many melee builds, we don't need that. You could, for instance, build a barbarian/weaponmaster/rogue minotaur with a total of 7 attacks, with 4 of those made at the highest BAB.

[CptJonas]

Kensai were extremely powerful, even in their last iteration. They were starting to become the norm to many builds.

As it is a melee can pretty much survive on mundane items alone, here is a non-exhaustive list of spells attained by mundane items: death ward, freedom, haste, improved invisibility, invisibility purge.

That list alone has pretty much everything a meleer would every want, which means Kensai would almost 100% of times be the optimal choice for many melee builds, we don't need that. You could, for instance, build a barbarian/weaponmaster/rogue minotaur with a total of 7 attacks, with 4 of those made at the highest BAB.

Well...yeah...true enough...
But could it be made as not Universal path but as maybe just monk path? It would fit current implementation of monk quite well...monk kensai with katana...hmmm...?

[CptJonas]

I would and could write down perfect new face of kensai...but...
We all know that dev team have many things to work on...Afterall sugestions are once again locked...

[Void]

Kensai were extremely powerful, even in their last iteration. They were starting to become the norm to many builds.

As it is a melee can pretty much survive on mundane items alone, here is a non-exhaustive list of spells attained by mundane items: death ward, freedom, haste, improved invisibility, invisibility purge.

That list alone has pretty much everything a meleer would every want, which means Kensai would almost 100% of times be the optimal choice for many melee builds, we don't need that. You could, for instance, build a barbarian/weaponmaster/rogue minotaur with a total of 7 attacks, with 4 of those made at the highest BAB.

Maybe a good idea would be to think what can be done about it.
For example:

1. kensai could reject wards and buffs from external sources, although that probably won't make much sense from lore perspective.
2. Or restrict the path to single-class builds.

I jsut find the idea of an anti-magic warrior in a world with magic interesting.

[CptJonas]

Kensai were extremely powerful, even in their last iteration. They were starting to become the norm to many builds.

As it is a melee can pretty much survive on mundane items alone, here is a non-exhaustive list of spells attained by mundane items: death ward, freedom, haste, improved invisibility, invisibility purge.

That list alone has pretty much everything a meleer would every want, which means Kensai would almost 100% of times be the optimal choice for many melee builds, we don't need that. You could, for instance, build a barbarian/weaponmaster/rogue minotaur with a total of 7 attacks, with 4 of those made at the highest BAB.

Maybe a good idea would be to think what can be done about it.
For example:

1. kensai could reject wards and buffs from external sources, although that probably won't make much sense from lore perspective.
2. Or restrict the path to single-class builds.

I jsut find the idea of an anti-magic warrior in a world with magic interesting.

Well...I loved it too...thats why I loved my pure monk kensai with all magic rez feats...and for same reason I sacked that character after devs literaly butchered that character concept with all those monk changed...

[AstralUniverse]

The old kensai really had to survive without any counterplay against the obvious things. The path at some point was updated (and considered for removal) around when potions of freedom and death ward were added. Then it was removed entirely shortly after.

It seems to me that the existence of this path was a big roadblock in adding new content and in terms of balance in PvE, so it was removed and no one except developers of dungeon content and craftables/consumables can really argue with the reason.

I have a kensai wm/cot in my vault. I occasionally log in and do a dungeon. This extra attack really makes a huuuuge difference and the trade off became imbalanced in my opinion, when things like a mundane shield with lesser spell breach per day are in the game.