Dual light sabers, one light saber, or double-blad

[Steidart]

I cannot decide which to choose, can someone give me benefits for which setup they think is better.

[JimBobRedneck]

It all depends on how you want to play.

 

If you're more concerned with combat and stats, go with dual lightsabers or the saberstaff. IMHO, dual sabers are better than the saberstaff due to having the effects of 4 crystals instead of 2. You also have double the lenses, power cells and emitters. Of course, you'll have to spend twice as many components to get the good ones for both sabers. If you only have 1 good upgrade for each, go with the saberstaff since it adds those bonuses to both attacks. Otherwise, go with dual sabers.

 

If you're more interested in roleplaying, I'd go with a single saber. The saberstaff was a very rare weapon and technique in the Star Wars universe. Using dual sabers was almost unheard of. Of course, if you envision your character using a saberstaff or dual sabers, go that route instead. Just don't let the numbers intefere with a roleplaying decision.

[Xerik]

Combat and stat bonus for melee combat is definatly dual sabers/dual blades, especially since force speed doesnt even give +def anymore, making it less useful.

 

 

On the other hand, if all you want to do is spam force powers go for single saber. The +3 def isnt bad and the +attack will help a weaker character score hits.

[EnderAndrew]

Have you taken Dueling or Two-Weapon Fighting as feats yet?

 

Dueling = single blade

Two-Weapon = dual blade, or two sabers

 

Dual Blade seems to be better than two sabers for most reasons. You can put the best upgrades into one saber. And the smaller off-hand saber does less damage, where as the dual-blade saber does the same damage on both attacks.

[Leferd]

Dual Blade seems to be better than two sabers for most reasons.  You can put the best upgrades into one saber.  And the smaller off-hand saber does less damage, where as the dual-blade saber does the same damage on both attacks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's not true. They changed it. The off hand attack deals less damage than the main hand attack while using double-bladed weapons.

 

I prefer going singleweaponed. Old Skool style.

[EnderAndrew]

I'm going pure dueling/single blade this time through.

[Force Reaper]

I go single-bladed everytime. Just go with whatever you think looks coolest and stick with it, this game is too easy and doesn't require godlike stats to beat.

[Ostkant]

Double-bladed is the way to go if you want deal out the most damage. Dual sabers and single I have not tried yet, only in KOTOR 1.

[DarthLightsaber]

I like using dual or 2 lightsabers because you get an extra attack each round .

[bodrock]

My first playthrough as male, sentinel lightsider has me dueling with a single lightsaber; I'm not sure what the plan is for the second playthrough, but most likely female ultra-darksider, dual-wielding ligthsabers for maximum hurt. I mean, she IS giving in to her hate, after all, and what's better than having a lightsaber in each hand?

[Mongoose]

In terms of pure damage I believe the double-bladed lightsaber wins. On the other hand, you can get a larger variety of effects by wielding two lightsabers with different customizations on them. Dueling was more of a factor on KotOR 1 because the base attacks for characters were different (in KotOR 2 all the base attacks are the same), but it's useful for the defense bonus for anyone who doesn't focus on melee. Also, you end up doing more damage against high defense characters where the extra attack bonus comes into play, although there doesn't seem to be too many instances where that's a issue.

 

It's sorta a shame the game doesn't use two-handed weapon rules from standard D&D, where using a lightsaber with two hands would give you a bigger increase in damage from your strength bonus.

[Psymon]

I used 2 sabers. In one I've put all the damage dealing stuff and in the other all the blaster reflecting stuff (emiters, lenses and the like). This gave me good defence against blasters even without getting the proper feats.

[JimBobRedneck]

It's sorta a shame the game doesn't use two-handed weapon rules from standard D&D, where using a lightsaber with two hands would give you a bigger increase in damage from your strength bonus.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've never really understood why your strength bonus gets included into a lightsaber's damage in the first place. Higher strength lets you swing a physical weapon harder and faster, meaning more kinetic energy, resulting in more impact when it connects. A lightsaber, being composed of energy, should theoretically be very close to weightless (except for the hilt). Any increase to kinetic energy from swinging it harder would be negligible due to it's lack of mass. Besides, the damage is energy based and not physical. If anything, your Dex bonus should be added to the damage due to well placed strikes (though that's a bit of a stretch in and of itself).

[The Swedish Dark Lord III]

It's sorta a shame the game doesn't use two-handed weapon rules from standard D&D, where using a lightsaber with two hands would give you a bigger increase in damage from your strength bonus.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've never really understood why your strength bonus gets included into a lightsaber's damage in the first place. Higher strength lets you swing a physical weapon harder and faster, meaning more kinetic energy, resulting in more impact when it connects. A lightsaber, being composed of energy, should theoretically be very close to weightless (except for the hilt). Any increase to kinetic energy from swinging it harder would be negligible due to it's lack of mass. Besides, the damage is energy based and not physical. If anything, your Dex bonus should be added to the damage due to well placed strikes (though that's a bit of a stretch in and of itself).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[G@mbIT]

I've never really understood why your strength bonus gets included into a lightsaber's damage in the first place. Higher strength lets you swing a physical weapon harder and faster, meaning more kinetic energy, resulting in more impact when it connects. A lightsaber, being composed of energy, should theoretically be very close to weightless (except for the hilt). Any increase to kinetic energy from swinging it harder would be negligible due to it's lack of mass. Besides, the damage is energy based and not physical. If anything, your Dex bonus should be added to the damage due to well placed strikes (though that's a bit of a stretch in and of itself).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, actually striking with a light saber is forcing matter into matter. So if you are stronger, you can push one matter (lightsaber) deeper inside the other matter (the target). It would make sense to make it dex based only if the lightsaber would simply cut through anything like butter.

[JimBobRedneck]

Well, actually striking with a light saber is forcing matter into matter. So if you are stronger, you can push one matter (lightsaber) deeper inside the other matter (the target). It would make sense to make it dex based only if the lightsaber would simply cut through anything like butter. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's the crux of the problem though. The lightsaber blade isn't matter. It's energy. Physical strength should have nothing to do with the amount of damage it causes, and as I noted in my previous post, even using your Dex modifier to add to the damage caused is a bit of a stretch.

 

I haven't played the d20 version of the Star Wars RPG, but I did play using the old d6 rules, and if I remember correctly, in that ruleset Jedi's could use their dice in the Alter Force ability to add to the damage caused by a lightsaber. If that were to be converted into the game rules, I suppose using your Wis modifier to add to the damage would be the best bet, since a higher Wis is supposed to represent a stronger connection to the Force and thus more control over it.

 

According to all of the Star Wars source materials I've seen, a lightsaber could cut through anything (not quite as easily as butter with some substances) except for cortosis. The only reason it doesn't in the game is strictly due to game balance. Still though, that doesn't explain why strength factors into the equation.

 

A good example of this is when Qui-gon Jinn uses his lightsaber to cut through the blast door aboard the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship in Episode I. He uses no strength here other than to just hold the hilt of the lightsaber. The blade of the lightsaber is doing all the damage. When the inner blast doors are shut, all he does is push the hilt closer to the door, causing the blade to extend into the inner door and melting it as well.

 

Think of it as using a VERY powerful cutting torch. It doesn't matter how hard or fast you swing the torch around (that actually hinders it's performance, not to mention it looks a little silly). It's the sustained contact of energy (in this case, heat) with matter (usually metal) that causes the damage. Of course, with a lightsaber the energy output is exponetially greater, removing the need for extended contact except in more extreme circumstances (again, the blast door example).

[G@mbIT]

Think of it as using a VERY powerful cutting torch. It doesn't matter how hard or fast you swing the torch around (that actually hinders it's performance, not to mention it looks a little silly). It's the sustained contact of energy (in this case, heat) with matter (usually metal) that causes the damage. Of course, with a lightsaber the energy output is exponetially greater, removing the need for extended contact except in more extreme circumstances (again, the blast door example).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That way, enemies in all SW games should loose their limbs a plenty

 

But ok, i understand what you mean, though you said it yourself, it would ruin the so called 'game balance'.

[JimBobRedneck]

I've started a poll in the General Discussion forum concerning my twisted crusade of eliminating the Str mod bonus to lightsaber damage. Please post there with any further comments on the subject. My apologies to this thread creator for temporarily hijacking your thread.

[Ostkant]

Who cares about realism? I've seen plenty of things in this game that aren't realistic, but this is a RPG and they're always this way.

 

Strength symbolizes strength and power, Wisdom symbolizes the Force, Dexterity symbolizes defense, etc.

 

Leave it as it is. Doesn't also the Lightsaber Finesse feat change the way you deal damage, I can't remember.

[JSaltz]

I played the game through twice and found that dual sabers was much more effective than a double blade.

[JSaltz]

ok you guys are nerds by the way