[TSL] Party builds

[Nema_Suneimi]

I'm playing through TSL again and wondering what might be considered optimal builds for your party members. I never used to hold levels until I read about it in an FAQ, and now I almost always do that for jedi-capable party members -- but how much is too much? For instance, I've had Atton running around at level 2 or 3 for almost half the game so he can make the most of the Sentinel class. But with Mira, I'll level her up to about lvl 20 to get all of her bonus scout feats (and suspect I might enjoy her more if she stayed a scout).

 

The characters I'm most interested in, in this regard, are Atton, Bao-Dur, and the Handmaiden (for the few times I play a male Exile). Are any of their starting-class bonus feats worth making use of, or is it better just to hold levels until they make Jedi? Or is holding levels just blasphemous, heh? Opinions?

 

[edit:] Oops, I think I put this in the wrong forum and should move to Padawan's Lounge -- sorry!

[Emperor Devon]

Not many party members make good Jedi. Atton gets those wonderful sneak attack feats if he stays a scoundrel, and he has a low amount of VP. His strength isn't very good either, so pretty much all you can get out him as a Jedi are Force powers, which even then aren't very good because of his low wisdom, and because they best benefit melee-focused characters.

 

Bao-Dur can be an okay Jedi, but I never used him that much. Mandalore is much better in a melee than he is, and his Force powers can't measure up to Kreia's.

 

The Handmaiden is best as a Jedi. She'll continue to get the unarmed specialist and Echani strike feats, so you don't lose anything with that. She's also better at unarmed combat than anything other than a fully-upgraded lightsaber, so you should give her powers like speed and valor to buff up her strength.

 

I hope that helps.

[stoffe]

In my experience none of the "trainees" make very good force power using Jedi, Visas and Kreia fill those positions best. That's not to say the others don't have use for force powers, but I mustly use buff/defense powers for them.

 

My Exile knows (Master) Energy Resistance and Master Valor, so I usually don't bother giving those to any of the NPCs since they are area of effect buffs.

 

For Atton I usually let him level up enough to gain a respectable sneak attack bonus before multiclassing him to a Jedi. I still keep him primarily as a blaster user after that since he has a tendency of dying quickly whenever being in close combat for some reason (even though he'll get up again after a while it's still a waste of healing). Since sneak attacking works with blasters and enemies usually tend to focus on the melee brawlers it gives him the opportunity to hang back and deal extra damage.

 

For force powers i pick (Master) Force Speed and (Master) Force Barrier foremost. I don't waste any picks on targeted/offensive powers since his Wisdom and Charisma are abysmal, so the enemies will more or less always make their saves.

 

* * *

 

For Bao-Dur I usually let him fight barehanded and give him any items that boost unarmed damage to that end to allow him to make use of his unarmed damage feats and shield breaker. His Defense is awful since the Tech class don't give any defense bonus unlike the other classes, his Dexterity is poor and he can't wear heavy armor so I don't bother giving him any armor at all.

 

Instead I give him any damage resist gear I can find and let him learn (Master) Force Barrier, Force Immunity and Reflect/Redirect. Other than that he learns (Master) Speed to at least give him some endurance and an extra attack. Since I usually play as a high-intelligence Sentinel Exile I don't bother much with his skills and multiclass him to Jedi as soon as I am able.

 

* * *

 

The Handmaiden is a melee powerhouse and is (in my opinion) wasted for anything else. I give her either two swords and lightsabers, or a doublebladed sword and lightsaber and upgrade them with the best upgrades I can afford. I keep her as a soldier until level 17 or so since that gives her plenty of Feat picks, and she doesn't need much in the way of force powers. (Master) Force Speed is the first power she learns, along with the Deflect/Redirect powers, Force Immunity and after that (Master) Force Barrier.

 

I max out the Flurry and Power Attack feats for her as early as I can and don't use armor with her to allow for dexterity bonus and unrestricted force powers.

 

While she's decent at unarmed combat I usually have her use weapons anyway since the Unarmed Combat feats don't do enough damage compared to upgraded swords and lightsabers, and her fists don't count as dual-wielding for some unfathomable reason so the lack of an extra attack cripples the damage output further. I usually give her a doublebladed lightsaber in her first weapon slot and a doublbladed sword in the second switchable slot. I use the lightsaber as the primary weapon, but switch to the sword when encountering someone with a shield or with high energy resistance.

 

* * *

 

Overall, I think the most important force powers for party members primarily fighting with weapons rather than offensive force powers are:

• Master Speed - Extra attacks and defense bonus.
   
   
  
• Master Barrier - Makes melee enemies a lot less capable of inflicting damage upon the character. And there are quite a few enemies with conventional melee weapons in the game.
   
   
  
• Force Immunity - Being able to shrug off the offensive force powers of enemies is important for characters whose best defense is to kill their enemy as quickly as possible. Being debilitated is not a good thing.
   
  Deflect/Redirect - Being able to swat away weapon blasts is important both for those who don't fight best with a lightsaber, and those who come with fallback weapons when lightsabers aren't the most efficient attack form.
  

 

Which is pretty much all the force-trainable party members. I leave offensive force power usage to the Exile, Visas and Kreia who are best at it.

[Nema_Suneimi]

Thanks for tips you two -- this play-through (female Exile) I'll definitely level Atton up for his sneak attacks, but continue holding levels on Bao until he can take Guardian (I usually have my Exile take up skills, too). I'll try Bao as unarmed, but I *really* like watching him force-jump in battle...

[Jediphile]

I tend to always "hold" levels, so that I can have as many jedi levels with each character as possible. It's not even a big problem. The Exile and Kreia stay in the party, and Atton gets replaced with Bao-Dur as soon as he becomes available. Then again, I don't level him up either. But once Visas gets into the party, I use her and Kreia exclusively, until I can "jedify" other characters.

 

Atton makes a decent jedi that way simply because he can take lots of levels as a jedi sentinel, but Handmaiden is more powerful in battle because she is a soldier-turned-guardian. Bao-Dur, however, is not a particularly powerful warrior even though he can become a guardian. Mira can be a pretty good sentinel, though "holding" her levels makes the initial fight against Hanharr and the Ubese in Visquis' lair tough (but not impossible).

[Melly]

Let's see... I leave everyone at level 11 until I can make them Jedi.

 

Atton, Gets Two Weapon Fighting and keeps his blasters (fully upgraded Mandalorian Rippers or Disintegrators). For Force powers he gets the Energy Resistance, Force Barrier, Speed, and Armor Trees to start with and then any other buffing Force powers.

 

Disciple, Gets a double bladed lightsaber (usually green or viridian) and pretty much the same powers I give Atton but also Stasis and Force Push/Whirlwind/Wave trees.

 

Mira, Gets the dueling feats and a single Mandalorian Ripper or Disintegrator to make use of all the ranged specific feats she gets as a scout. Also she gets the same Force powers as Atton.

 

Bao-Dur, Gets the dueling feats and a single bladed saber. Now I know he gets all those cool unarmed attack feats but a sinlge saber can be upgraded to have a higher attack bonus and more damage while still allowing Bao to use his shield breaker ability. Also sabers can be used to increase he defense (another benefit in using the Dueling line of feats). I also make sure Bao gets the Force Barrier, Armor and Speed trees and the Energy Resistance tree.

 

I've only used Handmaiden once and I don't remember how I leveled her up.

[CSI]

Holding level is also my choices. I just try to train all Jedi in the first of the game, so I trained Bao-Dur first in Dantooine:

 

He's a guardian, therefore force jump is a neccensary. Also raise "Two hand weapon" tree because this will increase your damage and attack bonus significantly if you're a Jar'Kai user like me.

 

Train Atton on Na Shaddaa:

He's a senitiel, and he's low on damage, wisdom, strength...so I have to upgrade his lightsaber instead...what, you asking for feats and power? OK, ok, hold on... Eh...mainly focus on Flurry tree, dueling is good, but "two hand weapon" is better...

For power, battle meditation (Master) and Master heal is important.

 

Mira, two hand fight feat, and same force power as Atton.

 

Handmaiden, she's just a melee powerhouse...You just leave her alone...She can take care herself.