GameBanshee Forums

choosing skills -*SPOILER ALERT*

I submitted this to the webmasters for posting but they haven't done it yet, so here's my take on choosing skills.

Choosing Skills:

Stealth: since you're probably going to have lots of points available, why not? Also feel free to buy items to help out.

Demolitions: a few points here is a good thing. A LOT of points here isn't a bad idea. Mines are worth money and some experience if you disarm/recover them. 'Nuff said.

Persuade: you have a choice. Either max this out, or take Force Persuade / Dominate Mind. Alternatively, don't worry about whether you can influence anybody's decisions or not...just kill 'em.

Repair: SUPPOSEDLY, the Holy Grail of Skills for KOTOR II. Since everybody in the party supposedly uses your Repair skills when it comes time to breakdown/create items, you're going to need lots of components. Max it out. Constantly.

Now here's the truth. Lab Benches and Workbenches will use the Treat Injury / Repair skill of whoever is using them, *provided* that you went into solo mode first. Sneaky, perhaps, but better than maxing out your skill just because you think you have to. Repair truly isn't worth much anywhere else, so don't waste points if you don't have to. Figure out which of your compadres would best be able to use a high Repair Skill, and max THEIRS out. Use yours on Awareness, Stealth, and Persuade...all things YOU have to have in high numbers to succeed at them.

The components you can create require certain skill levels of other skills, but if your Computer Use skill isn't high enough, for instance, swap out with T3 - he'll use HIS Computer Use skill for *what* he can create, but you'll have already used *your* Repair skill (or somebody else's, equally high) to produce massive quantities of components. And believe me, you need massive quantities of components. Don't be afraid to break down ANYTHING you're not planning on using.

Security: Handy to have but not worth maxing, unless you took my earlier advice and didn't try to keep all your scores equally high. In that case, you'll have enough points to go around unless you took one of the classes that doesn't have much in the way of Skill points. Most doors open to either a relatively low Security, or bash open just fine. Most containers are the same. You might end up with a few Broken Items if you bash or mine containers, but since you don't know what they were, it only matters at lower levels when you might have needed one or two of them.

Computer Use: unneeded by your character. Since Party Selection in KOTORII is available pretty much all the time, simply swap out one of your characters for T3-M4 and let him handle it. This also applies to creation of items. Swap in T3-M4, click Solo Mode, and approach those workbenches with confidence. Go ahead and put a few points into it so you won't be caught flatfooted in the few instances you can't use T3. Money will not be much of an issue, so feel free to buy those Bothan Sensors and such to jack your Computer Use up a bit.

Let's take this opportunity to post my opinion about skills, too...

Computer Use - You need it to upgrade T3 though, so that should be the main reason for taking it. A skill level of 8 or so should suffice, you can do the rest with boosting items.

Repair - Also needed for T3, and HK too. See computer use.

Awareness - Useful, but not worth maxing out. You can spot most mines at a level of 10, maybe 20. Don't raise any higher than that. If you're afraid of tripping mines, take Mira.

Demolitions - Definately worth taking, but a skill higher than 20 is useless. You need 40 to recover a devastating mine, but a standard 20 is added unless you're in battle. So if you don't plan on using mines in battle, 20 is just fine.

Persuade - Mostly worth taking, unless you go fully Dark Side. You probably don't need to max it out, but you never know what DCs options have.

Security - Take a few points near the start, at least. Don't bother later on. If you're really worried about broken items, use a simple mine.

Stealth - If you want to play stealthy, take it. Otherwise, leave it.

Treat Injury - Speaks for itself that this should be maxed out all the time.

[QUOTE=Ergophobia]Let's take this opportunity to post my opinion about skills, too...

Computer Use - You need it to upgrade T3 though, so that should be the main reason for taking it. A skill level of 8 or so should suffice, you can do the rest with boosting items.

Repair - Also needed for T3, and HK too. See computer use.

Awareness - Useful, but not worth maxing out. You can spot most mines at a level of 10, maybe 20. Don't raise any higher than that. If you're afraid of tripping mines, take Mira.

Demolitions - Definately worth taking, but a skill higher than 20 is useless. You need 40 to recover a devastating mine, but a standard 20 is added unless you're in battle. So if you don't plan on using mines in battle, 20 is just fine.

Persuade - Mostly worth taking, unless you go fully Dark Side. You probably don't need to max it out, but you never know what DCs options have.

Security - Take a few points near the start, at least. Don't bother later on. If you're really worried about broken items, use a simple mine.

Stealth - If you want to play stealthy, take it. Otherwise, leave it.

Treat Injury - Speaks for itself that this should be maxed out all the time.[/QUOTE]

I'm not sold on Treat Injury... why bother when you can take Heal, etc., and regenerating armor?

jb70

Well, ok, treat injury might not be highest priority when you have an above-decent wisdom modifier and the heal power. Otherwise, it's good to have as backup.

[QUOTE=Ergophobia]Well, ok, treat injury might not be highest priority when you have an above-decent wisdom modifier and the heal power. Otherwise, it's good to have as backup.[/QUOTE]

true that. I guess it depends most on which class you take and how many skill points you get per level as to which skills you can afford to take. I was running a Guardian who didn't get but one or three skill points (can't remember) a level, so after my initial skill set, I pretty much kept taking Demolitions. I did put enough into repair and computer use that I was able to upgrade T3 without too much trouble.