Need advice on group characters

[ilkramil]

Hey everyone, I just picked up KOTOR II recently and now I'm currently on Onderon. As of right now I have Keira, Atton, Bao`dur, T3, Handmaiden, Visas, and Mandalore (I used the auto level feature to level them up). The problem I'm having is that I'm a little overwhelmed with the character choices to group with and there are more group members that I'll be getting later on it seems. Also, the whole influence thing is new to me. I'm currently playing a DS lvl 14 Sentinel. So here are my questions:

 

1) Which characters are best to group with? Keira seems to be a must have to progress through the story, Atton is boring to me, Bao`dur looks cool (not too sure if he's a decent fighter, he has plenty of skills, but I'm a Sentinel), T3 has tons of skills that I mostly already excel in, Handmaiden has pretty cool melee combat abilities, Visas..I'm not too sure about, Mandalore seems lame.

 

2) Which characters do I need to group with or spend time talking to to get bonuses to my character or help progression in the game?

 

3) If I start over, I want to lvl the characters on my own without the auto-leveler. How should I build each character properly stat/skill wise to use their true potential. For example, which characters are best for melee, blasters, or lightsabers?

 

4) How can I get people to fall to the Darkside with me without hurting influence. For example, how can I get Keira's influence to gain while pulling her down to the darkside? When I talk to her, I lose influence, but gain DS points...how do I gain influence and DS points?

 

I've checked gamefaqs and read some of the guides, but would like more indepth advise. Any KOTORII Pro's out there that can help me?

[Heckur]

1) Which characters are best to group with? Keira seems to be a must have to progress through the story, Atton is boring to me, Bao`dur looks cool (not too sure if he's a decent fighter, he has plenty of skills, but I'm a Sentinel), T3 has tons of skills that I mostly already excel in, Handmaiden has pretty cool melee combat abilities, Visas..I'm not too sure about, Mandalore seems lame.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have several options here: you may choose for a balanced party: one melee fighter, one ranged fighter and one force user. Or balanced in the skills area, e.g. if you were a guardian, you'll need someone to open locks or repair droids.

 

It's also smart to take a character that 'knows' the area: Mandalore on Onderon, Atton on Nar Shaddaa, ... Most characters have much to say in such area's and are mostly silent in others. Kreia will never disappoint you, but after taking her two times (LS/DS) through the game, you know almost everything she has to tell you.

 

After replaying the game several times, I find it the most fun to concentrate on only two characters at the time and 'design' my character for that purpose. E.g. if I wanted to take Atton and Kreia, I would be a LS or DS female sentinel: romance with Atton, concentrate on skills the others don't have, melee fighter, Atton as ranged sniper, Kreia as ranged force user.

 

2) Which characters do I need to group with or spend time talking to to get bonuses to my character or help progression in the game?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Talk to everybody in ship once in a while. Influence and LS/DS orientation determines a lot here. Your party doesn't matter much.

 

3) If I start over, I want to lvl the characters on my own without the auto-leveler. How should I build each character properly stat/skill wise to use their true potential. For example, which characters are best for melee, blasters, or lightsabers?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The more you take a character to an extreme, the more difficult the game will be in certain situations: when you have a perfect ranged character, you _will_ come in a situation where you need to fight with melee weapons. This gives the game more replay value.

 

Melee/LightSaber: concentrate on STR (better hit and damage) and CON (more hit points, better implants). Use 2-weapon fighting and flurry. Choose stat-boosting force powers, because offensive powers will fail most of the time, because of your low WIS and CHAR. Very easy build. Optional: high DEX for extra defense and weapon finesse melee (works for lightsabers too) to use your DEX modifier as attack booster if it is higher than you STR modifier.

 

Ranged: concentrate on DEX. Choose for rapid shot and combine it with the force speed range. Have a high defense and close combat feats or prepare to fall back on melee fighting. Alternative: high DEX and INT and concentrate on sniper shots with keen weapons. Or power shots with keen weapons (power/sniper shots don't combine with the speed forces). Use Force Deflection to be able to deflect blaster bolts without wielding a light saber. Rifles are more keen than pistols, but you can dual wield pistols.

 

It is a challenging build to finish the game with. With a high CON and the right implant you sometimes get a lot of free feats. This allows you to spend feats in other areas, to be more versatile.

 

Offensive force user: concentrate on high WIS/CHAR/DEX (14/14/14) to start with. Then increase your WIS. Be consular/jedi master. Be male and take the Handmaiden with you for extra defense later on:

After defeating her on the ship during a sparring match, you have the option to add your WIS modifier to your defense.

Use duelling and a single blade for extra defense. Use weapon finesse melee. Concentrate on speed, valor, energy resistance and force barrier for defense and statis, stun droid and lightning for offense. Very easy build. Only the end boss will give you a little trouble. First use flurry/speed for melee fighting. Later on, when your attack modifier is high enough, use power attack/speed and a keen weapon. Alternative: stun the enemy and use a ranged weapon to finish it of. When you have lightning: stun and zap.

 

4) How can I get people to fall to the Darkside with me without hurting influence. For example, how can I get Keira's influence to gain while pulling her down to the darkside? When I talk to her, I lose influence, but gain DS points...how do I gain influence and DS points?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

To gain influence you must understand the character you're talking to. Kreia wants to teach you and likes to manipulate others. So if you don't accept her advice, or turn extreme LS/DS you will loose influence. But if you learn (and act uppon it!) and manipulate others, you will gain extreme influence and a lot of interesting background stories. If this conflicts with your roleplaying, then don't take Kreia in you party, but only talk to her on the ship. However, you and Kreia have a bond: you can't get her out your mind, she will see everything.

[vl182]

if its your first playtrought i would do it like me in my first. do it by your feeling. take whoever you like and is fun to you. thats the most fun way rather than the "Oh yes, he has a good demolition so i take him, but wait i need someone with security so if i substract this from this i guess i must take the guy with the paazak cards" just do it by felling.

[LadyCrimson]

Just for your info - Kreia is always Neutral. You cannot influence her darkside/lightside bar one iota - that's the way her character is.

You can still gain influence (populariity) with her that opens up new conversation doors (with Kreia, this is mostly story information) - Kreia's positive influence gains are often DS point givers. And as someone else said, in terms of the plot/game, the important stuff she'll say to you whether she's in your party or not. I ditch her as soon as I get to Telos surface.

 

Most of the NPC's can be molded into almost whatever you want - this is because they're always..uh...lvl 6?...when you get them, no matter what your own level is - thus you can level them up all in one session and put their skills emphasis anywhere you want, within the limits of their class/es.

 

Some NPC's may come with an emphasis on melee or ranged already in place, but it's up to you whether or not to follow that suggestion. For example, Atton makes a very good melee Jedi if you turn him to Jedi soon enough (don't level him up too much before then). But he also makes an good blaster-jedi support-guy if you'd rather your party members support you from the rear rather than get in your way as they try to charge the same monster you're attacking. "

[Arkendale]

if its your first playtrought i would do it like me in my first. do it by your feeling. take whoever you like and is fun to you. thats the most fun way rather than the "Oh yes, he has a good demolition so i take him, but wait i need someone with security so if i substract this from this i guess i must take the guy with the paazak cards" just do it by felling.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yeah, not being able to disable mines or open containers which require Security won't kill you :D

 

I always take the Handmaiden and Mira.

 

And about the Kreia thing, sometimes you just have to take the DS point in order to gain influence with your characters. There're tonnes of LS points everywhere. (That is, if you're playing LS, of course. You'll have no problem if you're DS.)

 

Just a question, do you get more influence with Atton if you're LS or DS? Because every time I play LS I can turn him into a Jedi, but the one time that I tried DS he wouldn't tell me about the female Jedi...

[vl182]

Yeah, not being able to disable mines or open containers which require Security won't kill you  :D

 

I always take the Handmaiden and Mira.

 

And about the Kreia thing, sometimes you just have to take the DS point in order to gain influence with your characters. There're tonnes of LS points everywhere. (That is, if you're playing LS, of course. You'll have no problem if you're DS.)

 

Just a question, do you get more influence with Atton if you're LS or DS? Because every time I play LS I can turn him into a Jedi, but the one time that I tried DS he wouldn't tell me about the female Jedi...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

well he has some posibilities to get influence with darkside(i think i got most of these on telos, you just need to chose the right words after you kill someone with him

[LadyCrimson]

Atton tends to veer towards the LS, but there's plenty of DS influence for him as well - largely by killing 'innocents'. I had no problem turning him when I was DS.

 

EDIT thought I'd add that it is possible to un-influence them enough to make them give it all up, as well.

[Panther]

I personally go with the character that can be influenced to the light side / Dark side.. and converted to a Jedi.

 

Atton and The Handmaiden are the 2 more easy characters to influents.. you can get Atton to be a Jedi after 2 planets.. and the Handmaiden soon after that..

 

The problem with selecting your party members.. Is that you do need to influence then into the light side / Dark side before you can convert then to JedI .. So you need to select the party members that you want to influence and stick with then in every planet all the way through the game.

 

PS: if you playing DS.. definably influent The Handmaiden !! she looks very HOT with the Dark side uniform

[Eidolon]

Brianna and Atton can become Jedi/Sith. What about Mira?

[Panther]

Brianna and Atton can become Jedi/Sith. What about Mira?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yeah Mira can to.. but she is VERY hard to influence to DS/LS.. for the time you get all the influence points.. you are almost in the end of the game.

[Andkat]

Mira is EASY to influence. In my case she always becomes a jedi once I have completed Nar Shadda. Mira is the easiest individual to turn. Influencing her is also VERY easy. I had no trouble with her whatsoever. Bao-DUr may also become a jedi, but due to an utter lack of convo optoins its difficult to onfluence him (I believe you must travel to certain locations ,perform activties, etc.) The disciple may also become ajedi, but I never play Female so I wouldn't know how.