KotOR2:TSL combat mechanics questions

[grayswandir]

Hello everyone,

 

I was looking through the Message Log (combat section) when playing TSL, and I was puzzled by a few things that came up.

 

I'm playing TSL for the PC (patched). My character is a level 13 Jedi Guardian. with 20 STR (I have light side mastery, and the second column next to your stats says +5, on the Strength row - I don't quite remember what the +5 is supposed to indicate, I think it's +5 from your base strength). Anyway, I was looking at the combat section of the message log , and I noticed some curious calculations for attack/defense. I was using master flurry on a character whom I shall not name for fear of spoilers (I broke her lightsaber), and here's what the attack calculation was, for my single vibrosword wielding character, using master flurry:

Mainhand 35 = roll 14 + base 13 (my level I'd guess) + strength mod 5 + effect bonus 3

Now, why is my strength mod only 5? Shouldn't it be higher, given that my strength is at 20? I believe the effect bonus of 3 comes from the attack modifier of +2 on my upgraded vibrosword (advanced contour grip), and the targeting visor (attack bonus +1). I didn't have any force effects operating on me besides energy shield which shouldn't affect anything.

 

Same goes for defense, I noticed something strange:

My defense as shown on the character stats screen is 27. In the combat message log, this is broken down as:

base 10 + armor 7 + dex mod 1 + class 6 + feats and affects mod 3

Now my dex is at 12 (second column +1, due to my jal shey perception gloves probably). I'm wearing an upgraded krath heavy armor with defense 9 and max dex bonus +2 (with some upgrades, including 20% physical damage resistance and uh 1 con and 1 strength I think). Given that, shouldn't my armor defense component be 9? And how exactly is the dex mod calculated? If it's the delta between dex 10 and current dex shouldn't it be 2? And how are the base and class specific bonuses calculated? I realize this is probably an RTFM question, but well, the game manual is kinda light.

 

Any info or a pointer to where I can find this stuff would be appreciated. I was a great fan of KotOR 1 and I thought I understood the d20 system from that game, but I can't make heads or tails of this ..what has changed as far as combat mechanics? Thanks!

 

 

 

(mild spoiler: on the moon Dxun (I chose to head to Onderon after Telos))

[BattleCookiee]

Mainhand 35 = roll 14  + base 13 (my level I'd guess) + strength mod 5 + effect bonus 3

Breakdown: 14 is 14/20 by a d20, obvious so far...

Base 13 is indeed the lvl of you're Jedi

Strenght mod +5 is correct, as you also said it was +5 in the log.

Normal str (+0) is 10, and every 2 Str adds a +1, which is used in this case in the change to hit...

Effect like you said.

Same goes for defense, I noticed something strange:

My defense as shown on the character stats screen is 27. In the combat message log, this is broken down as:

base 10 + armor 7 + dex mod 1 + class 6 + feats and affects mod 3

Breakdown:

Base 10 is always given...

Armor: If you're armor gives 9, this would be, but due to you're story I guess it's Defense 7 Max. Dex. 2??? If so this is because the Defense = the defense as in the logs. The Max. Dex of 2 is that this armor blocks off any bonusses from dex after 14 (+2). So if you got Dex 18 (+4) and put that armor on the +2 Defense given from +2 get's taken away due to you're armor...

Dex mod correct. Dex 12 = +1 (See Strenght)

Class: Due to the Jedi Defense Feat you gain additional Defense, is this number...

Feats and Effects: This is most likely from the Feat Master Dueling...

P.S. The sytstem is (except for a few tiny changes) not changed from KOTOR1