First timer... is this build okay?

[Klorox]

I was thinking of doing something like this:

Scout 4/Guardian 16

S: 14
D: 14
C: 14
I: 8
W: 14
Ch:14

Looking at the charts and such, this looks like a pretty balanced character, who will kick some butt. I'll start with very good saves, which will allow me to survive while squatting a little bit on the first planet.

I plan on increasing WIS, as it is my understanding that it will help with Force Powers. My hope is to have better Force Powers than most Guardians, and that the feats and bonuses from the class itself will be enough for me to hold my own in combat.

[galraen]

This could be classified as a spoiler I guess, but I'd sacrifice some of that dex for some intelligence. Blasters are useless, or almost in KOTOR, mostly you'll be using melee weapons/Light Sabres. You don't get as many skills as a Scout as you do as a rogue, but with 8 Int you'll get nothing to a useful level. Although you can take others with you to take care of most chores, you won't get the most out of HK47 unless you've got good repair skills and NPCs can't take care of that for you.

[Klorox]

My other thought was to ditch the scout idea and just go soldier/guardian. It is my first time.

[fable]

My other thought was to ditch the scout idea and just go soldier/guardian. It is my first time.

The skills bonus to scouts amounts to nothing unless you're playing solo, because you can take along two other party members on every mission to provide all the skills you need. Soldier/guardian gives you plenty of feats, and that's where the fun lies, in my opinion.

[shift244]

If you're going to limit yourself to 4 pre-jedi levels, then the Scout is at a feat-wise advantage over the Soldier IF you are going to spend Soldier granted feats to buy Implant feats. Otherwise, if you're for-going Implants, then Soldier nets a better bargain. Implants would grant a pretty nice advantage if you go all the way with it, it's quite worth if you have the feats to spend. It's not the first thing you'd want, but far from the last also once you get the nice combat related ones, which should be done soon enough; but that's my opinion.

That build is as fine as any with strong combat capabilities and sufficient force points to last battles, which should not be more than a few given the class choice.


As a note: Practical and proper tactical application of items would allow even a level 2 Scoundrel solo most of the game on Normal, so I don't think it's there's much to worry about having a build that would make the later stages difficult.

[Nightmare]

I usually go Scout 8 and Guardian 12, mostly for the free implant feats, and you still get enough Jedi levels to get all the necessary feats by the time you hit the level cap.

[Klorox]

I usually go Scout 8 and Guardian 12, mostly for the free implant feats, and you still get enough Jedi levels to get all the necessary feats by the time you hit the level cap.

Wow, I think I might steal this one from you. It looks like a great combo, and I won't have to squat any levels at all on Tarsis (or whatever this first planet I'm on is called). Veeeery interesting.

As far as I can tell (and this is looking at charts, not too much in-game experience), the Soldier and the Scout will have the same number of feats at level 8 (assuming you were going to take Implant Feats anyway), with the following differences:

Scout:
Many more skillpoints (not exactly sure how to calculate this one)
Uncanny Dodge
+6 to all Saves (Soldier matches you in Fort., but has only 2 in Will and Ref. saves)

Soldier:
16 more VP
+8 BAB (Scout only has +6)

[Nightmare]

Its the strongest combo (in my opinion) that you can get with the most skills and versatility while being quite powerful in combat. You also don't have to sit on levels, which is something that I never really do in any of my games.

The Soldier's advantages in BAB and VP are pretty much negligible, especially since you're becoming a Guardian. The Scout's advantages with skills, saves, and some free feats beat out the Soldier by a mile.

[Caden]

Your build looks fine, though, I wouldn't focus on wisdom, if I were planning on playing Guardian.

As said, the differences between a scout and a soldier are negligible. The soldier gets a few more points in vitality, but the scout gets better saves. Scouts and soldiers pretty much get the same number of features, if you count implants. Scouts just get a lot more skill points, which can go into persuade, awareness, and first aid, or repair if your into repairing. Repairing and hacking is a good way to get a few extra exp points. The soldier does get maybe 2 more points in chance to hit, but that is pretty negligible.

I wouldn't play the game as 4/16. You don't really need that many force powers. You're only going to need to use about 5-6 force powers. Not leveling up at the beginning can also create a glich that prevents your other characters from recieving exp, until you do level up. Not to mention, you will recieve more feature points if you do level up your starting class more. I would prefer the more feature points, since I don't think you need that many force powers. A 7/13 character would be more balanced, imo.

Everyone has their own playing style, though.

As a note: Practical and proper tactical application of items would allow even a level 2 Scoundrel solo most of the game on Normal, so I don't think it's there's much to worry about having a build that would make the later stages difficult.

Solo most of the game with a level 2 scoundrel? It might be possible, but you would have to hope that no grenades get thrown at you and that no enemy jedi use force stun on you. At level 2, you wouldn't even have really that many saving throws to protect you from force stun.

[Klorox]

Your build looks fine, though, I wouldn't focus on wisdom, if I were planning on playing Guardian.

Why? I thought I'd be making up for my chosen classes weakness by concentrating on WIS. If not WIS, what stat should I go for?

I wouldn't play the game as 4/16. You don't really need that many force powers. You're only going to need to use about 5-6 force powers. Not leveling up at the beginning can also create a glich that prevents your other characters from recieving exp, until you do level up. Not to mention, you will recieve more feature points if you do level up your starting class more. I would prefer the more feature points, since I don't think you need that many force powers. A 7/13 character would be more balanced, imo.

Everyone has their own playing style, though.

I think 8/12 works out wonderfully. You get bonuses to BAB, Saves, and Feats at level 8 Scout, and level 12 as any Jedi grants the same.

[Klorox]

What skills (other than maxing out Persuasion) are good to go with?

I plan on having Bastila and Jolee in my party, and I know Jolee has ranks in Repair and Computers, but they seem kinda low.

[galraen]

The only other skill that it's advisable for the PC to have is repair, persuasion isn't really that important in the game IMO, no need to go overboard on it. Apart from those two you can pretty much rely on other party members.

Why repair? Spoiler, highlight to read:

Spoiler

The PC is the only character that can upgrade the second robot you find, and upgrading that robot is well worth the effort, and it takes a total of 20 in repair (including bonuses IIRC) to max out the robot.

Spoiler ends

[Nightmare]

I personally usually go with Computers...the reduction on using spikes really helps, as I find hacking is one of the most useful skills in the game.

[Greg.]

Repair, as Galraen says, as well as maybe persuade. Awareness is handy for avoiding mines.

[shift244]

Persuasion would open up certain dialogs and persuasive options giving alternatives to quest solutions generally for the better.

Computer would only save you on the need to spend extra spikes, which, unless you have it maxed out at all possible moments, is not really worth it. Your companions have more specialized focuses than you would have, so make use of them.

Repair, if kept suitably high for the PC, would allow you to pursue a certain subplot if you're interested in unlocking all side-quests, but otherwise, it's as per Computer.

Awareness... unless you're decent in Demolitions or have someone like that around, is quite pointless other than pretty much saying "Heal up, you're gonna take some damage here" if you're taking it to avoid mines. Too much hassle to maneuver around them regularly in my opinion.

In general, the skills are handy to have, but you can be a skill-less character and not notice much of a difference for anything (since some side-quests which I feel can give skill focused characters more options, like Demolitions, is scripted so that it effectively auto-succeeds the check for you anyway).


If you meta-game a little and check out the Light/Dark side powers, you will note that it would be less important to have Jedi levels and/or high WIS/CHA as a Light-side-power player. Other than that, I personally favor a higher base average compared to having much lower average for one higher attribute.
ie +2 WIS and +2 DEX > +0 WIS and +3 DEX

[galraen]

I should have given more thought to awareness, I guess my problem is that I know where all the mines are, and didn't think about the fact that a new player obviously wouldn't. Familiarity breeds carelessness. It doesn't matter if you can't disarm them yourself, as long as you have someone with you (Mission is the best IMO) who can.

[fable]

I should have given more thought to awareness, I guess my problem is that I know where all the mines are, and didn't think about the fact that a new player obviously wouldn't. Familiarity breeds carelessness. It doesn't matter if you can't disarm them yourself, as long as you have someone with you (Mission is the best IMO) who can.

Yep, Mission can not only disarm: if you give her a few points in Awareness, she can also recover mines. Personally, I find mines almost useless, as I'd rather not allow the enemy to fight my forces at a distance, since they tend to like using grenades; so I sold all the mines I had off. Got some good cash for them, too.

Repair in my opinion isn't really that necessary, either. It's good to have one team member with a good value in this. There is only once incident where your having a high repair rating matters, and if you don't, you miss out on very little. The skill point investment required in repair for this is considerable, though. I think a few points in Awareness (so when you're leading, at least you don't step on anything--unpleasant), Heal, and Persuasion should suffice. More on Persuasion, if you don't want to get the equivalent feat for it.

[galraen]

Repair in my opinion isn't really that necessary, either. It's good to have one team member with a good value in this.

I take it your not a fan of HK47 then Fable?

[fable]

I take it your not a fan of HK47 then Fable?

As an RPGer, very much so. Its dialog is great. But ranged weapons are completely nerfed in KotoR, so why use it? We even had the charts up on ranged vs. melee, at one point. KotoR2 did fix this issue, but in KotoR, it seems to me you're far better off using a combination of feats, grenades, and melee. Even super-HK47 offered nothing to equal one of your melee team with a really good weapon.

[galraen]

Whilst blasters are nerfed, they aren't that bad and there are mods that correct that (this one for starters [K1] Tweak Pack | LucasForums), and you certainly won't get the best out of HK47 without the repair skill.