TackW5
07-01-2015, 01:05 PM
For no good reason, other than that I like the iconic DPS fighter and Kensai does not measure up, I started putting together my thoughts for how I would update the Kensai tree. I wanted to improve DPS, maintain some synergy for Monk and perhaps Warpriest without requiring multiclassing, make fighter feats more fun, use a stance to avoid an OP combo with StDef, and give the enhancement tree a bit of its own flavor. I have given it an "eyeball" balance, but nothing serious.
Core
1. Kensai Focus
Multi-Selector - Focus Weapon Group Stance
When you damage an enemy with a Kensai Melee Attack, you gain 1 Focus
You can have up to 3 Focus, which disappears on rest, death, or entering a public area.
You lose 1 Focus when you kill an enemy.
For each stack of Focus you have, you gain +1 damage, doublestrike, and melee power with Focus weapons.
2. Spiritual Bond
Focus Stance Improvement. 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 fighter levels 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 Battle Meditation is removed at a time.
3. Focused Strike
You gain Concentration as a Fighter class skill
You can now have up to 6 Focus when in Focus Stance.
Activate for 5 focus: Perform a melee attack that does +100% damage. Cooldown 20 seconds.
4. Power Surge: Multiselector
Action Boost: You gain +8 Psionic bonus to Strength for 60 seconds. If you possess the ability to generate Ki, you gain On Hit: +2 Ki.
Passive: Your Spiritual Bond now activates on all critical hits, not just vorpals.
or
Action Boost: You gain +8 Psionic bonus to Wisdom for 60 seconds. If you possess the ability to generate Ki, you gain On Hit: +2 Ki.
Passive: Your Spiritual Bond now activates on all critical hits, not just vorpals.
5. Enhanced Cleaving
Your Cleave attacks have a 20% chance to attempt a trip against each foe struck.
Your Great Cleave attacks have a 15% chance to attempt to stun each foe struck.
Your Whirlwind attacks have +2 to crit range and crit multiplier
Passive +1 critical multiplier with focus weapons
6. Perfect Focus
You can now have up to 9 focus.
You gain +2 STR
While in Focus stance, you gain +2 STR and +1 critical multiplier with Focus weapons
Tier One
1. Dispiriting Strike
Kensai Melee Attack (All Kensai Melee Attacks require Focus stance and weapon)
Deals +[1/2/3][W] and inflicts Haunted for [5/10/15] seconds. 20 second cooldown. Haunted: -2 on all Saving Throws, Skill checks and attack rolls.
2. Focus Group I
Gain +1 to hit, damage, and melee power with your Focus weapons while in Focus Stance
3. Tactics
+ [2/4/6] to the DCs of tactical feats
4. Fluidity
+[1/2/3] Dodge
5. Extra Action Boost
+[1/2/3] Action boost uses per rest
Tier Two
1. Empowering Strike
Kensai Melee Attack
Deals +[1/2/3][W]. On damage, you gain +5 Melee Power for 5/10/15 seconds. 20 second cooldown.
2. Zen Martial Artistry
You get Wisdom to damage while fighting unarmed or with Focus weapons.
3. Multiselector
Impending Doom: Your Kensai Melee Attacks gain: On hit, reduce the Fortitude saves of your target by 1. This effect stacks up to 5 times.
or
Wearying Blows: Your Kensai Melee Attacks gain: On hit, reduce the Reflex and Balance saves and Str and Dex checks of your target by 1. This effect stacks up to 5 times.
or
Daunting Prowess: Your Kensai Melee Attacks gain: On hit, reduce the Will saves of your target by 1. This effect stacks up to 5 times.
4. Harmony
+[1/2/3] to max dex bonus and dodge cap
5. Action Boost: Choose one:
Power Boost: Activate to gain a +[10/20/30] Action Boost bonus to Melee Power for 20 seconds.
or
Haste Boost: Activate to gain +[10/20/30]% Action Boost bonus to attack speed for 20 seconds.
Tier Three
1. Perfect Strike
Kensai Melee Attack
Deals +[1d10/2d10/3d10] force damage. This damage scales with 200% melee power. This attack does not automatically miss on a 1. 10 second cooldown.
2. Focus Group 2
Gain +1 to hit, damage, and Melee Power and .5[W] with Focus weapons while in Focus Stance.
3. Critical Mastery: +1/2/3 bonus to critical damage and to confirm critical hits.
4. Reflective Blade: While in Focus Stance, Gain +[3/6/10] MRR while wielding one-handed focus weapons and gain +[4/8/12] MRR while wielding two-handed focus weapons.
5. Attribute: Multiselector
Strength or Wisdom
Tier Four
1. Energizing Strike
Kensai Melee Attack
Deals +[2/4/6][W]. You gain a shield of temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt. While the shield lasts, you gain 10 melee power. This effect lasts for up to 20 seconds. 30 second cooldown.
2. One with the Blade
Your Focus weapons are considered Centering.
3. Enhanced Tactics
Your successful Improved Sunder attempts also inflict 3-5 stacks of Vulnerable.
Your successful Improved Trip attempts also render the opponent helpless while tripped.
4. Expert Parrying
While in Focus Stance or actively blocking with a Focus weapon, you gain [5/10/15] PRR. While in Focus Stance and actively blocking with a Focus weapon, this effect is doubled.
5. Attribute: Multiselector
Strength or Wisdom
Tier Five
1. Final Strike
Kensai Melee Attack. Consumes 5 Focus.
Deal +[5/10/15][W]. On hit, target must Fort save vs. DC (10 + Str Mod + Fighter Level + Tactics bonus) or take 1000 damage. 15 second cooldown.
2. Focus Group 3
Gain +1 to hit, damage, and Melee Power and .5[W] with Focus Weapons
3. Meaty Shield
When you successfully stun a foe with Stunning Blow or Stunning Fist, all damage that would be done to you is done to that target. This effect lasts for 3 seconds or until the foe dies.
4.Focus Ward
Spend 2 Focus to gain temporary hit points equal to a Concentration check. While those temporary hit points last, you are protected by a Shield spell.
5. More Than a Blade
While in Focus stance, your Focus weapons gain Ghost Touch and Force Burst
(I like the idea of having a separate selector for each Focus group here, e.g., "More than a Club: Your one-handed/two-handed Focus weapons deal bane damage equal to your Str modifier/ your Str. However, I am not interested enough to try to figure out different ones for each group.)
Core
1. Kensai Focus
Multi-Selector - Focus Weapon Group Stance
When you damage an enemy with a Kensai Melee Attack, you gain 1 Focus
You can have up to 3 Focus, which disappears on rest, death, or entering a public area.
You lose 1 Focus when you kill an enemy.
For each stack of Focus you have, you gain +1 damage, doublestrike, and melee power with Focus weapons.
2. Spiritual Bond
Focus Stance Improvement. 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 fighter levels 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 Battle Meditation is removed at a time.
3. Focused Strike
You gain Concentration as a Fighter class skill
You can now have up to 6 Focus when in Focus Stance.
Activate for 5 focus: Perform a melee attack that does +100% damage. Cooldown 20 seconds.
4. Power Surge: Multiselector
Action Boost: You gain +8 Psionic bonus to Strength for 60 seconds. If you possess the ability to generate Ki, you gain On Hit: +2 Ki.
Passive: Your Spiritual Bond now activates on all critical hits, not just vorpals.
or
Action Boost: You gain +8 Psionic bonus to Wisdom for 60 seconds. If you possess the ability to generate Ki, you gain On Hit: +2 Ki.
Passive: Your Spiritual Bond now activates on all critical hits, not just vorpals.
5. Enhanced Cleaving
Your Cleave attacks have a 20% chance to attempt a trip against each foe struck.
Your Great Cleave attacks have a 15% chance to attempt to stun each foe struck.
Your Whirlwind attacks have +2 to crit range and crit multiplier
Passive +1 critical multiplier with focus weapons
6. Perfect Focus
You can now have up to 9 focus.
You gain +2 STR
While in Focus stance, you gain +2 STR and +1 critical multiplier with Focus weapons
Tier One
1. Dispiriting Strike
Kensai Melee Attack (All Kensai Melee Attacks require Focus stance and weapon)
Deals +[1/2/3][W] and inflicts Haunted for [5/10/15] seconds. 20 second cooldown. Haunted: -2 on all Saving Throws, Skill checks and attack rolls.
2. Focus Group I
Gain +1 to hit, damage, and melee power with your Focus weapons while in Focus Stance
3. Tactics
+ [2/4/6] to the DCs of tactical feats
4. Fluidity
+[1/2/3] Dodge
5. Extra Action Boost
+[1/2/3] Action boost uses per rest
Tier Two
1. Empowering Strike
Kensai Melee Attack
Deals +[1/2/3][W]. On damage, you gain +5 Melee Power for 5/10/15 seconds. 20 second cooldown.
2. Zen Martial Artistry
You get Wisdom to damage while fighting unarmed or with Focus weapons.
3. Multiselector
Impending Doom: Your Kensai Melee Attacks gain: On hit, reduce the Fortitude saves of your target by 1. This effect stacks up to 5 times.
or
Wearying Blows: Your Kensai Melee Attacks gain: On hit, reduce the Reflex and Balance saves and Str and Dex checks of your target by 1. This effect stacks up to 5 times.
or
Daunting Prowess: Your Kensai Melee Attacks gain: On hit, reduce the Will saves of your target by 1. This effect stacks up to 5 times.
4. Harmony
+[1/2/3] to max dex bonus and dodge cap
5. Action Boost: Choose one:
Power Boost: Activate to gain a +[10/20/30] Action Boost bonus to Melee Power for 20 seconds.
or
Haste Boost: Activate to gain +[10/20/30]% Action Boost bonus to attack speed for 20 seconds.
Tier Three
1. Perfect Strike
Kensai Melee Attack
Deals +[1d10/2d10/3d10] force damage. This damage scales with 200% melee power. This attack does not automatically miss on a 1. 10 second cooldown.
2. Focus Group 2
Gain +1 to hit, damage, and Melee Power and .5[W] with Focus weapons while in Focus Stance.
3. Critical Mastery: +1/2/3 bonus to critical damage and to confirm critical hits.
4. Reflective Blade: While in Focus Stance, Gain +[3/6/10] MRR while wielding one-handed focus weapons and gain +[4/8/12] MRR while wielding two-handed focus weapons.
5. Attribute: Multiselector
Strength or Wisdom
Tier Four
1. Energizing Strike
Kensai Melee Attack
Deals +[2/4/6][W]. You gain a shield of temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt. While the shield lasts, you gain 10 melee power. This effect lasts for up to 20 seconds. 30 second cooldown.
2. One with the Blade
Your Focus weapons are considered Centering.
3. Enhanced Tactics
Your successful Improved Sunder attempts also inflict 3-5 stacks of Vulnerable.
Your successful Improved Trip attempts also render the opponent helpless while tripped.
4. Expert Parrying
While in Focus Stance or actively blocking with a Focus weapon, you gain [5/10/15] PRR. While in Focus Stance and actively blocking with a Focus weapon, this effect is doubled.
5. Attribute: Multiselector
Strength or Wisdom
Tier Five
1. Final Strike
Kensai Melee Attack. Consumes 5 Focus.
Deal +[5/10/15][W]. On hit, target must Fort save vs. DC (10 + Str Mod + Fighter Level + Tactics bonus) or take 1000 damage. 15 second cooldown.
2. Focus Group 3
Gain +1 to hit, damage, and Melee Power and .5[W] with Focus Weapons
3. Meaty Shield
When you successfully stun a foe with Stunning Blow or Stunning Fist, all damage that would be done to you is done to that target. This effect lasts for 3 seconds or until the foe dies.
4.Focus Ward
Spend 2 Focus to gain temporary hit points equal to a Concentration check. While those temporary hit points last, you are protected by a Shield spell.
5. More Than a Blade
While in Focus stance, your Focus weapons gain Ghost Touch and Force Burst
(I like the idea of having a separate selector for each Focus group here, e.g., "More than a Club: Your one-handed/two-handed Focus weapons deal bane damage equal to your Str modifier/ your Str. However, I am not interested enough to try to figure out different ones for each group.)