Kensei Fighter (Multiclassed)

Teacher Syncletica has had more than a few Fighters, with their loud, smelly armor, show up on the dojo steps lately, asking to be trained in a school of which she only knew the name.

This chapter is incomplete while we await a teacher to complete a training routine. Thanks for your patience.

What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.

--Sun Tzu

Before Update 19, the Fighter class enhancements offered the Kensei, a somewhat lightly-armored build that focused on devastating damage. Despite the name, the build had little to do with the unarmed training of Monks.

No longer. Update 19 has redesigned this build with many features that make it an enticing consideration for experienced players of the Monk class.

As with most class trees, there are core enhancements at the bottom of the tree, which can be selected as you meet level and spent Action Point requirements. Also, many abilities require 2 AP to activate.

Some abilities have ranks where additional AP can be spent to improve that ability. Other abilities also have prerequisites that must be selected before you can choose a particular ability. Remember that a character can have only one Tier 5 class tree, so selecting any Tier 5 ability will lock out other Tier 5 trees.

Core Enhancements

A Monk can greatly augment their fighting prowess by adding Fighter class levels. Do note that the Kensei class tree requires Fighter levels to progress.

It's not necessary to complete the entire Kensei tree unless you attempting a build that augments weapon fighting with some monastic traits, at the expense of Monk class level and class tree skills.

• Kensei Focus: (Requires Fighter Level 1) Select a group of weapons as your Kensai focus. You gain +1 to hit with these weapons, and many Kensai abilities require that you use one of these weapons. (These are labeled as "Focus" abilities).
  • See the section on "Kensei Focus," later in this chapter.
• Spiritual Bond: (Fighter Level 3, 5 AP) When you have a weapon equipped in your main hand that is part of your Focus, it gains On Vorpal: If this weapon has fewer stacks of Battle Meditation than the number of Kensei Core Abilities you possess, it gains one stack of Battle Meditation: This weapon gains a +1 Insight bonus to Enhancement bonus for 20 seconds. This stacks up to 10 times. On timer expiration, 1 stack of Meditative Focus is removed at a time.
• Strike With No Thought (Fighter Level 6, 10 AP): When you have a melee weapon equipped in your main hand that is part of your Focus, you gain 1% Doublestrike or 1% Doubleshot (depending on whether your Focus is melee or ranged). Each additional Core Ability you acquire from this tree increases this bonus by 1%.
• Power Surge: Action Boost: (Fighter Level 12, 20 AP) You gain +8 Psionic bonus to Strength for 60 seconds. If you possess the ability to generate Ki, you gain On Hit: +2 Ki.
  • This is one of a handful of abilities that augment your ki generation.
• One Cut: Focus Action Boost: (Fighter Level 18, 30 AP) Your currently equipped weapons that are part of your Focus gain the Vorpal ability for 60 seconds. (Cooldown: 1 minute)
• Alacrity: (Fighter Level 20, 40 AP) +2 Strength, +15% Doublestrike, +15% Doubleshot, +2 Action Boost uses. +2 to the DCs of all Tactical Feats

Tier 1 Enhancements

• Extra Action Boost: +1/+2/+3 extra action boost.
• Weapon Group Specialization: You gain +1 to hit and damage with your Focus group. This bonus do not apply to dwarven axe (except for dwarves), repeating crossbows, great crossbow, bastard sword, or khopesh. (Requires matching Kensei Focus.)
  • You'll need all four tiers of this ability to unlock Keen Edge, needed for unlocking the ability to center a non-Centered weapon.
• Exotic Weapon Mastery: Adds exotic weapons to your Kensei Focus. Axes: Adds dwarven axe if you are not a dwarf. (This has no effect if you are a dwarf.) Crossbows: Adds great crossbows, heavy repeating crossbows, and light repeating crossbows. Heavy Blades: Adds bastard swords and khopesh.
• Action Boost: Choose either
  • Attack Boost: Activate to gain +4/+6/+8 Action Boost bonus to hit for 20 seconds.
  • Haste Boost: Activate to gain +10%/+20%/+30% Action Boost bonus to attack speed for 20/20/30 seconds.
• Reed In The Wind: Focus Melee Attack: Deals +1[W] damage. If you successfully damage your target you gain a +3%/6%/9% Insight bonus to Dodge for 6 seconds. (Requires the Dodge feat.)
  • This is the same ability found in other Monk class trees, shares the same cooldown and cannot be activated as separate abilities.

Tier 2 Enhancements

• Tactics: +1/2/3 to the DC's of your Tactical abilities.
• Weapon Group Specialization: You gain +1 to hit and damage with one handed weapons and repeating crossbows, and +1 to hit and +2 damage with two handed weapons and non-repeating crossbows.
  • Weapon Focus, a Fighter feat, is required for this ability. You need to select the appropriate feat that matches your Kensei Focus.
• Improved Dodge: +1%/+2%/+3% Dodge when wearing light or no armor. (This doesn't stack with similarly-named abilities in other class trees.)
• Weapon Meditation: Focus Meditate: You gain the ability to Meditate as if you were a monk, even if you are uncentered. While Meditating, every 6/4/2 seconds, if you have a weapon equipped in your main hand that is part of your Focus, it gains a stack of Meditative Focus: This weapon gains a +1 Insight bonus to Enhancement bonus for 10 seconds. This stacks up to 10 times. On timer expiration, 1 stack of Meditative Focus is removed at a time.
• Ascetic Training: Your rigorous training gives you various benefits. Choose one:
  • Agility: +1/+2/+3 Concentration, Reflex Saves, and Dodge cap.
  • Conditioning: +1/+2/+3 Concentration and Fortitude Saves, +5/+10/+15 HP.
  • Contemplation: +1/+2/+3 Concentration and Will Saves. At rank 3: Your passive ki regeneration is increased by 1.
    • These are all identical to similar abilities found in the Monk class trees and will not stack with each other.

Tier 3 Enhancements

• Critical Accuracy: +1/+2/+3 to confirm critical hits.
• Weapon Group Specialization: You gain +1 to hit and damage with your Focus group.
  • This requires the Weapon Specialization feat.
• Improved Mobility: +1/+2/+3 Maximum Dexterity bonus and Dodge cap while wearing light or no armor. -1/-2/-3 Armor Check Penalty in light armor.
  • This doesn't stack with similarly-named abilities in other class trees. Requires Mobility feat and the Improved Dodge ability.
• Shattering Strike: Select a melee or ranged special attack that deals extra damage and reduces an opponent's fortification.
  • Shattering Shot: Focus Ranged Attack: Deals +1/+2/+3[W] damage. On Damage: Target loses 15% fortification for 10 seconds (Fortitude save of DC 10 + half Fighter level + Wisdom modifier negates).
  • Shattering Strike: Focus Melee Attack: Deals +1/2/3[W] damage. On Damage: Target loses 15% fortification for 10 seconds (Fortitude save of DC 10 + half Fighter level + Wisdom modifier negates).
• Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom: Add one point to any of these abilities.

Tier 4 Enhancements

• Critical Damage: +1/+2/+3 critical hit damage (before weapon multipliers)
• Weapon Group Specialization: You gain +1 to hit and damage with one handed weapons and repeating crossbows, and +1 to hit and +2 damage with two handed weapons and non-repeating crossbows.
  • Requires Greater Weapon Focus feat.
• Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom: Add one point to any of these abilities.

Tier 5 Enhancements

• A Good Death: Select a melee or ranged special attack that deals extra damage to targets at low health.
  • A Good Death (Melee): Focus Melee Attack: Perform a melee attack with +1 Critical Damage Multiplier. On Damage: If the target is below 20% health, deal 500 damage.
  • A Good Death (Ranged): Focus Ranged Attack: Perform a ranged attack with +1 Critical Damage Multiplier. On Damage: If the target is below 20% health, deal 500 damage.
• Keen Edge: You gain a +1 Competence bonus to Critical Threat Range with your Focus weapons.
  • Bug reports suggest this ability isn't working with shuriken.
• One With The Blade: Your melee Focus weapons are considered Centering. While Centered, you may gain various benefits from levels in Monk or as a Grandmaster of Flowers.
  • Without this ability, any weapon other than specially-trained ki weapons via a feat (bows or longswords) or from other class trees (shortswords as a Ninja Spy) will keep your Monk abilities repressed and leave you unCentered.
• Deadly Strike: Select a melee or ranged special attack that is automatically considered a critical threat if it hits.
  • Deadly Shot: Focus Ranged Attack: Expend a use of Action Boost: Attack to perform a ranged attack that is automatically considered a critical threat. On Vorpal: 500 damage.
  • Deadly Strike: Focus Melee Attack: Expend a use of Action Boost: Attack to perform a melee attack that is automatically considered a critical threat. On Vorpal: 500 damage.

Fighter Kensei: A Greatsword Wielder Example

To help players who are curious on how to use the monastic abilities of the Kensei class for unusual training, we'll summarize what feats and abilities are needed for a character to use a greatsword while keeping Centered and able to use other monastic abilities appropriate to their Monk training level and any Monk class tree training.

Levels 1 to 6

The character can start off in training as a Monk to enjoy the benefits of unarmed fighting.

Choosing Monk level 3 adds a philosophy that can add positive healing to the character or utilize negative energy debuffing and damage, both available during attack.

The character should choose Fighter levels, choose the Kensei tree. As they move up in Fighter levels, the should add in Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization feats that match their Kensei focus to qualify for any needed Kensei prerequisites.

In our example, the greatsword cannot be used into more advanced weapons training in Kensei tier 5. The character can benefit well from a point in the Ninja Spy core enhancement to gain ki proficiency in shortswords, or choose to use the ki weapons handy to all Monks.

Levels 6 to 11

At this stage, greater emphasis on Fighter levels (4 levels or more) is needed to qualify for feats in Kensei tier 4. You may need the Mobility feat to spend enough points in the tree to reach tier 5. You will need the Greater Weapon Focus feat as part of your effort to center a non-ki weapon.

Level 12 and beyond

With at least training in Fighter level 8 (needed for Greater Weapon Focus), 30 points in the Kensei tree, the character can activate "One with the Blade" to make the greatsword a Centered weapon and wieldable without negating their Monk abilities. The "Keen Edge" ability (which requires the Improved Critical: Slashing feat in this example) and "Deadly Blades" abilities are required prerequisites for a Centered greatsword.

By this time, you'll need to inspect your protection statistics such as Armor Class and Physical Resistance Rating, as well as any miss-chance effects, to ensure that you have a durable character that can evade or absorb damage you will likely encounter in melee.

In this greatsword wielder example, there would be at least 8 Fighter levels required. More levels are likely to be needed for selecting the necessary feats for the training.

You cannot wear any armor or else lose your Monk abilities. Yet, depending on your levels from any class, you may find it a challenge to keep sufficient defenses with limited levels and abilities split between two classes. You should have some Action Points left over to use to help shore up many deficiencies.