Talk:Robe of Vecna/@comment-88.91.183.104-20170524065847/@comment-47.39.26.63-20191123232106

OP spoiler strats below

I think you're both right. It just depends on the strategy you're going for. For the most part if I'm using a kensai mage the only spells he is casting late game is stoneskin, protection from magical weapons, improved haste, tensers transformation, and blackblade of disaster (as well as spell triggers and contingencies). Since he can't cast anything while in tensers the robe is useless most of the time, but it is very nice to get off an instant cast blackblade, or even alacrity, then cast every spell at once and end with tensers. He becomes a wicked powerhouse, and can even dual wield blackblade and an offhand weapon.

This is why a lot of people use him for physical damage. He can instantly self buff improved haste > Protection from magical weapons, and then tensers all at once with spell trigger. Giving him thac0 to that or better than a normal fighter while being immune to weapons, hasted, and having more hp than an actual fighter. Casting blackblade of disaster right before gives him a 2d12 weapon! which actually has a chance to disintegrate or level drain enemies.

But after putting the robe instead on my cleric mage I found dropping 5 second  L6 heals and instant cast mass raise dead (which is apparently a partywide full heal despite the description?) was pretty valuable.It can really help in clutch moments when someone is stunned or about to die. It's pretty crazy watching your tensered kensai/mage go from 20/350hp to 350/350 instantly.

But like someone else said you could go for a very close range instant cast kensai who isn't about melee, but casts things like ghoul touch, vampiric touch, sunfire, maze, energy drain etc. In BG1 kensai mage with ghoul touch is very viable. Try a kensai mage with vecna and alacrity spamming sunfire, pretty impressive.