Qwinn
Scholar
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2008
- Messages
- 666
I should note that, looking at the available equipment, the gauntlets restriction alone means a +2 AC penalty for the kensai for pretty much his entire career. The berserker mage can easily get his base AC to 3 using bracers. The best the kensai mage can get it to is AC 5 using the Robe of Vecna or Archmages. (Well, the kensai -could- get it to 3 with the Robe of the Apprenti, but that means blowing up your apprentices and giving up all the huge perks of the Robe of Vecna, etc.)
And actually, if the characters we're comparing have less than 16 dexterity, the difference is even larger (since the berserker can use gauntlets of dexterity and get 3 or more better AC that way)
So the kensai AC bonus isn't really a bonus at all. It just offsets the penalty that they get for not being able to wear gauntlets, never mind armor or the better helms. The AC bonus from rage, though, -really is- a bonus above and beyond all other ways to improve AC.
Qwinn
And actually, if the characters we're comparing have less than 16 dexterity, the difference is even larger (since the berserker can use gauntlets of dexterity and get 3 or more better AC that way)
So the kensai AC bonus isn't really a bonus at all. It just offsets the penalty that they get for not being able to wear gauntlets, never mind armor or the better helms. The AC bonus from rage, though, -really is- a bonus above and beyond all other ways to improve AC.
Qwinn