Charisma

[Lifthransir Bane]

I HIGHLY recommend giving any character a 16 in INT.

 

I also highly recommend giving a character as much CON as possible too. At 18 CON (natural-no buffs) you can get an implant that ups every attribute by +2, which more than makes up for the points you haven't spent in the other areas. I'm not saying waste the points at the beginning to pay 6 points to get from 16 to 18, just start with 14 and level up con at 4,8,12 and 16.

 

Attributes in order of importance (according to me):

 

INT

CON

STR

DEX

WIS

CHA

 

Unless you are a consular, in which case:

 

WIS

INT

CON

DEX

STR

CHA

[Jellybelly]

Intelligence on top because of skill points?

[Kayn]

I think so...

 

Or is a X Box player, that rely only on Exile Skill to craft with Workbench, or is for the Dialogue option...

[Guest Damar Stiehl]

BTW, how soon in the game do you get that uber-implant? Spoil me, but not much please (i.e. 3/4 through the game on planet Eeeeech would suffice).

[Kayn]

I think you must Craft it...

[Aes]

It's generally not a good idea to start with skills over 14 - It gets damn expensive, and you will get plenty of attribute upgrades before the end. Int is good not only for skill points, but also because it gives you extra ranks in all skills save treat injury (wis) and stealth (dex).

 

You'll also want a decent WIS and CHA. Cha will at higher levels give your other party members bonusses to hit, you will be able to get an ability that lets you add your WIS bonus to your AC and the two combined determine the power of your offensive force abilities. If you're going guardian from the start, you should *really* get Sith assassin/Jedi watchman to make up for it when the time comes.

 

In fact, if you're not too concerned with your damage early on, leave str at 8 and use the extra ability points to get WIS and DEX to 14. With melee weapon finesse/lightsaber finesse, master power attack and the right weapon upgrades, you'll still be dealing plenty of damage AND you'll be harder to hit too.

[Jellybelly]

Very interesting thoughts there, Aes... Any tips for starting and levelling up as a Sentinel?

 

Could one leave dex at 10 because of the compensation given by Jedi Robes later on in the game?

[Juriel]

Could one leave dex at 10 because of the compensation given by Jedi Robes later on in the game?

What compensation? The robes do not have any listed maximum for Dexterity, so any Dex you have is all good and increases your AC - the robes bonuses just stack with it.

[Jellybelly]

Ok.

 

But hypothetically, a sentinel w/ 14 str is just as strong as a guardian w/ 14 str, if feats etc correspond, right? So, if points are distributed exactly the same for two characters, where one is a guardian and the other a sentinel, these characters will be equally powerful? If the Sentinel gets more skills on top of this, it's a win-win situation for the sentinel, I guess?

 

I'll never get to actually playing the game. It's too damn much to be mindful of in character generation.

[Lifthransir Bane]

Intelligence on top because of skill points?

 

Yes, and because if you max out INT in character creation instead of leveling it up over time, you reap the most benefit. Plus you need certain skills to finish character dialogue trees, most notably with Kreia and T3, though I think awareness might be used with the wookie and Mira.

 

BTW, how soon in the game do you get that uber-implant? Spoil me, but not much please (i.e. 3/4 through the game on planet Eeeeech would suffice).

 

I think the earliest that I ever got it was around level 20-22, which would be near the end of whatever your second optional planet is. If it can be crafted (I don't recall) I might have gotten it earlier.

 

You'll also want a decent WIS and CHA. Cha will at higher levels give your other party members bonusses to hit, you will be able to get an ability that lets you add your WIS bonus to your AC and the two combined determine the power of your offensive force abilities. If you're going guardian from the start, you should *really* get Sith assassin/Jedi watchman to make up for it when the time comes.

 

Disagree. The AC WIS bonus only applies to males, and I seriously think 4 more skill points/level over the twenty-seven or so level gains (108 pts) more than makes up for a +2 AC. Furthermore, most companions will hit regardless of what CHA bonuses you will give them, or the AI will have them walking into a wall, leaving you on your own, thus wasting CHA.

 

Also, the only enemies I remember saving any force-power I ever used on any playthrough (my sith lord was well into the 20s with CHA and WIS), are Vrook, Hssiss, Bomas (once with that stupid beast trick thing), and that ritual beast during the Onderon thing. I can't even recall one of the sith lords saving a force power (Sion was a joke).

 

Guardian/watchman is my least favorite combination. In fact, don't pick guardian at all. Go Sentinel for fighting and Consular for force-using. Sentinel-weaponmaster is much more useful than guardian-watchman.

[KingofThieves]

Don't let the new uses for skill points fool you, when it comes to playing a guardian the best starting stats are still:

 

Str: 14

Dex: 14

Con: 14

Int: 8

Wis: 14

Cha: 14

 

Just like they were in KotOR I.

 

Put all your attribute bonuses into strength and skill points into persuade and you'll be set.

 

You only get to fill out the one tree of skill points, but you get party members like Bao Dur and T3, who you can use in the situations where there are alot of comps, locked doors and mines to receive the extra experience points from hacking and unlocking, recovering explosives. And, honestly, the use of awareness in dialogue is supposed to be a scattered event, so it's probably best left for another game when you're using a class with some skill points to burn.

 

Everybody seems to be down on the guardian in KotOR II (because the other classes receive the same BAB now, while they still retain their skill points per level, and you can't use force jump until it's maxed out); but I've finished the game twice, (Guardian/Weapon Master 15/13, Guardian/Marauder 15/13) and can tell you straight up that the guardian does in fact still rock.

 

Force jump, once you are able to use it, is definately worth taking the guardian for, period. It's worth waiting for, too.

 

Other classes may have good BAB, but when you're hitting Sion for 330 damage with one swing (I don't mean one round of three to six swings, I mean one hit ) you will realize just how superior the guardian is in saber combat.

 

Alas, where the first game seemed to be biased toward either the guardian or consular, KotOR II does seem to be a bit biased toward the sentinel. And I'm not knocking what they can do for you, especially early on.

 

I just don't think the guardian are as gimped compared to the other classes, as some around here might suggest.

[Lifthransir Bane]

Don't let the new uses for skill points fool you, when it comes to playing a guardian the best starting stats are still:

 

Str: 14

Dex: 14

Con: 14

Int: 8

Wis: 14

Cha: 14

 

Just like they were in KotOR I.

 

Put all your attribute bonuses into strength and skill points into persuade and you'll be set.

 

You only get to fill out the one tree of skill points, but you get party members like Bao Dur and T3, who you can use in the situations where there are alot of comps,  locked doors and mines to receive the extra experience points from hacking and unlocking, recovering explosives. And, honestly, the use of awareness in dialogue is supposed to be a scattered event, so it's probably best left for another game when you're using a class with some skill points to burn.

 

Everybody seems to be down on the guardian in KotOR II (because the other classes receive the same BAB now, while they still retain their skill points per level, and you can't use force jump until it's maxed out); but I've finished the game twice, (Guardian/Weapon Master 15/13, Guardian/Marauder 15/13) and can tell you straight up that the guardian does in fact still rock.

 

Force jump, once you are able to use it, is definately worth taking the guardian for, period. It's worth waiting for, too.

 

Other classes may have good BAB, but when you're hitting Sion for 330 damage with one swing (I don't mean one round of three to six swings, I mean one hit  ) you will realize just how superior the guardian is in saber combat.

 

Alas, where the first game seemed to be biased toward either the guardian or consular, KotOR II does seem to be a bit biased toward the sentinel. And I'm not knocking what they can do for you, especially early on.

 

I just don't think the guardian are as gimped compared to the other classes, as some around here might suggest.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's because the game's easy, not because guardians are good. Try going consular/sith lord with low STR and DEX, but use only melee attacks. You still won't die once.

[Falconhurst]

>So what are your suggestions for a guardian who wants to enjoy this game to it's >full, and not just hack and slash away??

 

People who want more out of the game than hack and slash don't play guardian. Play sentinel.

 

Most of the advantages guardian had in KOTOR1 are now gone. The base attack bonuses for guardian, sentinel, and consular are now all the same. In the first twenty levels, guardian gets only one more feat than sentinel, but only one skill point per level instead of three.

 

And lightsaber specialization (+2 damage) which used to be one of the main reasons to take guardian, you can now get as a sentinel if you choose jedi weapons master or sith marauder as your prestige class.

 

In sum, there is really no reason to take guardian over sentinel. It is very hard to get the full role-playing and skill value out of a guardian, and sentinels have nearly the same weapons capability as guardians in the final analysis, but better skills and force points.

 

I like stat allocation like this:

STR 14 (or 12)

DEX 8 (or 10)

CON 14

INT 14

WIS 14

CHA 14

 

You need INT for skills. Virtually all are important at some point, and sometimes only your main character can use the skills.

 

Why? WIS and CHA are important for your force powers. Even if your focus is on melee, you will want to use the force for buffs and healing. If you cripple your character by taking guardian (few force points) and low WIS and CHA, you will miss out on a lot of the fun you can have with a character who is competent in the force.

 

 

CHA increases all of your companions ability to hit. It may be as much as +2 to hit for each +1 CHA you have. It also lowers the cost of opposite force powers. My light-side mastery sentinel/weapons master used force lightening all the time and never ran out of force points in the end game due to good WIS and CHA. He could also dish out considerably more simultaneous damage to multiple enemies with force lightening than with fully-upgraded melee skills, STR of 26, full melee buffs, and a fully-upgraded double lightsaber.

 

With level ups, I always take CON for the first 4 stat increases to get to 18. This lets you use good implants that give +2 to all abilities or +3 to the physical (STR/DEX/CON) or mental (INT/WIS/CHA) abilities.

[Guest Darth Banooby7]

You all are ****ing dorks

[KingofThieves]

Guardians ARE that good though. I just proved it. This is why I don't get why people here complain that they're not worth taking... With a little bit of care taken in which teammates you bring with you- you can play as a guardian and not miss out on anything except for a couple of computers left unhacked on Peragus and a scattered few lines of dialogue that you won't get to see... It's silly.

 

The game's combat isn't even meant to be challenging anyway. It's meant to be fun. And fun it is. So fun I shall have as I slay my foes with master speed, shien form and master power attack!

[Falconhurst]

I like Sentinel/Weapons Master because it has all of the features of guardian, with the sole exception of force jump, but with more force points, force immunities (it sucks when your guardian is paralyzed by enemy force users --I think the sentinel immunities are better than force jump), and a lot more skills. Sentinel/weapons master still gets lightsaber specialization and increased melee damage, so the guardian/weaponmaster has nothing to offer for damage that sentinel/guardian does not. Just restricted versatility and decreased role playing from missing out on key items.

 

The question about DEX is a good one. I like having a good defense rating, but there is no question that DEX is the easiest attribute to boost in-game with stat-increasing items. There are more DEX boosters than anything else. You can even make an implant (requires 16 CON) that gives you +3 DEX (this is the only implant you can make that gives +3 to any skill), but there are lots of items that are even better.

 

I don't like to go negative in order to avoid penalities, but a 10 DEX is very acceptable and is probably more expendable than other attributes -- first because it's easy to artificially augment, and second because a lot of the armors (even the ones that allow jedi powers) put a cap on your maximum DEX bonus and so good dex + boosting items is redundant.

[Falconhurst]

KingofThieves

>you can play as a guardian and not miss out on anything except for a >couple of computers left unhacked on Peragus and a scattered few >lines of dialogue that you won't get to see... It's silly.

 

I disagree. Not a scattered few lines of dialogue, whole trees of development. Fixing T3, which gives you a permanent +1 WIS, requires repair and computer skills. You need at least 11 awareness with Mira or it is tough to get the influence to make her into a Jedi. You will break all kinds of good items when you are by yourself if you have to bash chests & lockers instead of using security. You will lose a lot of experience by yourself, as well as good items, if you don't have demolitions skills to diffuse mines and set mines on unbashable locks. Only the Jedi's repair skill is considered when breaking down items; your companions can't do this. If you don't have a good persuade, awareness, and INT, a lot of dialogues will be dead ends.

 

The lists goes on and on; I simply don't have the time or interest to list every point at which the Exile's skills (not companion skills) are used. Suffice it to say that the use of the Exile's skills is frequent and extensive and will effect your ability to influence your companions, your financial status, your equipment, your opportunity for stat bonuses, and more.

 

Darth Banooby:

>You all are ****ing dorks

 

I'm glad to see that there are such thoughtful and intelligent replies on this board. How old are you, Banooby? Twelve?

 

Falconhurst

[KingofThieves]

Guardians always swing first, and the immunities are pointless because of this.

 

Enemies have managed to paralyse me once in two full games in TSL. So sentinel immunities are a moot point... Compare them to the amount of times you will use force jump as a guardian, it becomes a muffled moot point.

 

Sentinel/Weapon Master compared to Guardian/Weapon Master is a little more interesting, because with the weapon master's abilities you can gain most of the same feats as a guardian. But you don't get force jump, you don't get the extra light side mastery + 3 attribute bonus to strength. You do get an extra + 3 after you've become a weapon master, but guardians get + 6 total, and that's not something so easily dismissed.

 

Not to mention that when you do go weapon master, some of those skills you've been working so hard at building up are going to stagnate a bit.

 

What I'm saying, even with the extra BAB the sentinel just doesn't add up to the same saber proficiency potential of a guardian, and if you're careful about how you play a guardian- the extra skills are near meaningless.

 

I do agree however, that for pure roleplaying purposes, the sentinel/weapon master may in fact be the best combination in the game. You get a nice mix of everything while still being a strong saber duelist.

 

However, no small part of the fun of playing a guardian is KNOWING that you are like a god with that lightsaber. Which makes it quite the roleplaying experience itself.

[KingofThieves]

Interesting point about Mira, during my lightside game I was not able to get her past the early flirtations, and figured that lack of awareness may have been the reason why... I also suspected lack of influence may have caused it. She wasn't exactly my first choice to take off the ebon hawk. Which likely further decreased my chances of turning her into a jedi.

 

The other crew members however, were pretty much lined up at the ramp to learn the force. So I'll save her for another game (one which I'm using a sentinel ).

[Jeremiah]

ALL THE PRESTIGE CLASSES can get LIGHTSABER SPECIALIZATION!!! Heck, my Consular turned Jedi Master had that option since they get Weapn focus lightsaber automatically when he went Prestige class.

 

TIP: DON'T WASTE A FEAT GETTING WEAPON FOCUS: LIGHTSABER for any of the starting Jedi classes. Wasted FEAT!!