Blaster/Rifle Jedi - Questions and Help - KOTOR 2 and KOTOR 1

[Chris P Lettuce]

Greets,

I'm planning to restart my game after downloading TLSRCM. I had completed Dantooine, Nar Shadda, and was in the middle of Dxun before the d/l of TLSRCM. I want to go back and play through the missing content.

At the time I was buzzsawing through everything with a Jedi Sentinal/Weapon Master with full powerattack/critical strike/speed/double-bladed lightsaber....etc.

I've always wanted to try a ranged jedi build..and from what I am reading with the correct combination can be just as easy as playing on normal with a saber build. Guess I had a few questions regarding a blaster build in KOTOR 2 and KOTOR 1.

1.) How does the Blaster/Rifle/Ranged build fair late in the game against the more difficult opponents aka the Sith Lords? Does it become a challenge or feel gimped when fighting them? From the discussions it seems that a blaster build can buzz saw through the early stages of the game, but I have yet to read anything about the late stages, especially with the TLSRCM.

--I'm looking for a challenge.


2.) It has been awhile since I've played KOTOR 1 and am actually debating which to play first, KOTOR 1 or KOTOR 2 (both with blaster builds)

For those who have played......is a ranged/blater/rifle build more challenging in KOTOR 1 then it is in KOTOR 2 TLSRCM? For those who have played, which game is "More Fun" to do with a ranged/blaster/rifle build? In KOTOR 1, does a ranged Jedi have a more difficult time with the playthrough then a ranged jedi would in KOTOR 2?

Thanks in advance!

[Emmental]

It's much more viable (and fun I guess) in KOTOR 2 because of the ridiculous upgrades you can put on weapons.

[DJ Spicy Deluxe]

It’s practically impossible on K1. On 2 it is viable due to feats that upgrade your abilities to use them and reduce the penalty of using it when melee guys are attacking you. It’s viable but will be quite difficult

[𓆚 standardheadache 𓆚]

I rolled a Sentinel on my first playthrough and initially resolved to refuse any association with the Jedi after being exiled by them, regretting my involvement in Malachor V and resenting the rigidity of the Council. The game eventually convinced me to change when I got my lightsaber about two planets after Telos, but I held onto the gunslinging approach as well.

What I'm trying to say is that if brought dual blaster pistols all the way to the final mission on a blind playthrough, you can, too.

A lot of it is feat selection and weapon modding, as previously mentioned. Like most builds in this game, Two-Weapon Fighting is just "double your damage fighting". As for modding, depending on what tier of blaster pistol you're crafting or looting, you can adapt your mods to make the most of its inherent qualities. Good crit range? Throw a keen scope on it and stack massive criticals. Innate debuffing or incapacitating effects? Throw more on, and then Plague them for good measure. Want things simpler? Just stack damage! Having different types of blasters (aural, ion, disruptor) allows you to keep more consistent damage output overall on your enemies, usually at the cost of pure, mitigable damage.

There's also something to be said for the hybrid approach: engaging with 23m-range pistols, letting the enemy come to you, then dispatching them in melee. While the pure ranged build can still accomplish this using the Improved Close Combat feat, which gives them as much of a melee-range bonus as their melee opponent, switching to melee allows for a higher-damage alternative for when things get personal. Besides, if you've already softened them up, there's a lot less work to be done.

When working at a range, you have a few more options in how you engage. Grenades can be more safely utilized, and since you're not in the thick of things, you're able to cast support abilities with far less hindrance. If things go wrong, you can even retreat and regroup. This means that fewer feats and attribute points need to be spent on survivability through most of the game, though towards the end you'll want to invest a bit for the solo parts. I usually have some difficulty with the Czerka station on Telos' surface before going into the abandoned base, so investing a bit before that may help as well.

Hope this helps!

[Count Von Count]

Guns are fun, but I found in KotOR that doing an entire blaster based character was fairly difficult and less fun than in KotOR 2. Modding made a huge difference in 2.

[DJ Spicy Deluxe]

Originally posted by Lt Veers:

Modding made a huge difference in 2.

Yeah. I've got like 96 hours on Steam and I wouldn't have even played the game at all without TSLRCM, it makes all the difference.

[ÄmJii]

Pistoleer build is perfectly viable in KOTOR 2, I'd say it's actually easier than lightsabre builds. Soon as you grab some Disruptor -line blasters and put a Keen scope on them, you're plowing through mobs in seconds. That's what you get when you have 30% Crit chance and 5 Attacks Per Round to back it up.

Dark jedis & sith lords aren't that challenging either if you've been stacking Precise Shot -feats.
As a pistoleer you really want Force Deflection feat so that you can go on prolongued shoot-outs with other ranged combatants (and win, because you're deflecting their pew-pews, which is fair and all).

[𓆚 standardheadache 𓆚]

Update: Found a use for blaster rifles. While they do less damage, they also require fewer feats (compared to dual-wielding 1h or single-wielding 1h) to use to their greatest potential. In a build where you're short on feats, they can provide a functional alternative to other weapon types, especially if you're willing to leave off the Precise Shot tree.

[VonRayzor]

I did an entire blaster's only let's play on YouTube and had a blast (pun intended)!

Let me know if you have any specific questions and maybe I'll be able to help.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWwCbAtdT7FA6AiMBLt3z1LdDOj-d6BjR

[ÄmJii]

Originally posted by standardheadache:

Update: Found a use for blaster rifles. While they do less damage, they also require fewer feats (compared to dual-wielding 1h or single-wielding 1h) to use to their greatest potential. In a build where you're short on feats, they can provide a functional alternative to other weapon types, especially if you're willing to leave off the Precise Shot tree.

There's that, but why would you make a Blaster Jedi without Precise Shot tree? That's like making a dual-wielder without Two Weapon Fighting feats. Rifle is good option for a fresh character, but once you got enough feats two pistols outpaces any rifle by a fair margin.

Where would you toss your feat points anyway?

[𓆚 standardheadache 𓆚]

Originally posted by ÄmJii:

Where would you toss your feat points anyway?

I rolled a Sentinel with a few goals in mind:
1. I wanted to use some sort of blaster.
2. After playing a Consular and a Guardian, I wanted to be self-reliant in crafting. A bit pointless technically, since my companions could easily reach those levels on their own, but it saves time and thought.
3. I added a mod that expands the available feats and I wanted to try out a good portion of them.
4. I didn't want combat to be mashing one button until the enemy dies.

With that in mind, this is the build I'm making:
15 feats to pick for Sentinel in total
Demolitions Cross-Class: 1 (1)
Repair Cross-Class: 1 (2)
Shrapnel Burst [augments grenades]t: 3 (5)
Respite [augments LS Force buffing powers]: 2 (7)
Master Sniper Shot [very high INT already present to be able to put all those skill points in]: 2 (9)
Stimpack Treatment [augments medkits, may replace]: 3 (12)
Weapon Proficiency – Blaster Rifles: 1 (13)
Improved Close Combat: 2 (15)

This wasn't necessarily the pick order, just a list. I'm mostly picking things as I need them or as they're unlocked (e.g.: before running into tough melee opponents, picking up Close Combat). As for Force powers, since I'm running LS, I'm planning to take as many buffing abilities as possible to proc with the Respite tree.

It's not that strong, definitely. Combat usually means I'm using consumables in addition to my weapon on Difficult. It's nice to have a bit of a challenge, though.

[DJ Spicy Deluxe]

Take at least 1 or 2 levels or precise shot, it will buff you so much, I’d take all that I can get but at least 1 or 2.

[𓆚 standardheadache 𓆚]

Yeah, especially when I have to fight (final boss spoilers ahead) Traya's posse of floating lightsabers. I was just planning to nade until I couldn't nade anymore. Might switch out the medkit tree, as it doesn't seem that effective anyways and I already have one chemical-based item focused.

[Chris P Lettuce]

Thanks for the input. I finally beat the game with a light saber build and had a blast. I was very fearful of using a blaster build at the end of the game because I had never been there. But it defintely seems doable after playing through the Sith Lords and final encounters.

The funny thing is that on my last playthrough I didn't get the mandlorian disintegrator until malachor v, and it took me awhile to find other decent blasters such as the Onasi blaster until post council meeting. hoping this changes, but if not than it is cool. from what i hear of KOTOR 1, you can find the best blaster pistol at a specific location each time. which helps.

[cerberusiv]

Unlike Kotor 1 pretty much everything is random and with TSLRCM you can find the better stuff earlier (but sometimes things may not turn up at all).

One of my most enjoyable playthroughs was unarmed - no weapons at all (gloves are helpful and I did use a lightsaber purely for doors that I could not open with security skill). Worth a try.

[𓆚 standardheadache 𓆚]

Originally posted by Chris P Lettuce:

The funny thing is that on my last playthrough I didn't get the mandlorian disintegrator until malachor v, and it took me awhile to find other decent blasters such as the Onasi blaster until post council meeting.

https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Knights_of_the_Old_Republic_II:_The_Sith_Lords/Blaster_pistols
This might help you out in finding where things drop. It's worth noting that the blasters you can create at a workbench come with inherent stun capability from the Scout Enforcer on. There's also dual disruptor/sonic pistols; unfortunately not good for damage (20-20,x2 crit, 17m range) but might be good if you're running a Watchman. Keep in mind you have to be within 10m for that damage bonus on afflicted enemies, though.