Timbo

 

KotOR 1: Balance in the Force V1.4.0

 

Balance in the force is a gameplay balancing mod that provides a streamlined leveling experience that’s more in line with its sequel with some important departures. I've rebalanced the base weapon types and heavily increased the damage for ranged weapons. Not only does this keep ranged builds competitive with melee builds but it also makes the enemies more difficult.

 

Balance in the Force also contains a number of quality-of-life features. For example, all of the classes have been modernized to KotOR 2’s feat, force power, and attack bonus progression. Persuade is a class skill for the main character regardless of starting class. The Force Power and Alignment system gets an important revision. All characters have functional background feats that help to deepen the immersive roleplaying experience. And there’s much more.

 

There are also several optional patches included as well. The most important of these grants a revised version of offthegridmorty and djh269’s Bastilla gains TSL Battle Meditation. There are also several included patches that reverse some of the controversial changes made by this mod.

 

Full Change List

 

Main Character Specific Changes

 

Balance in the Force makes some important changes are made to the main character. Players will no longer be allowed to save their level ups by remaining level 2 until becoming a Jedi. Vanilla KotOR rewards players who do this with extra Jedi levels and extra Force Powers but playing this way requires using metagame strategies that

destroy the roleplaying experience.

 

To address this problem, some scripts have been implemented that require a minimum level of 8 before taking your first level of a Jedi Class and to ensure that you have enough XP to do so. Players will receive enough extra force powers upon multi-classing to make up the difference.

 

·         The main character gets the remaining four active combat feats (Power Attack/Power Blast, Flurry/Rapid Shot, and Critical Strike/Sniper Shot) not granted by their starting class, at level 2.

·         Upon reaching the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, if the player has not received enough XP to get to level 8, the game will now discreetly award it to them.

·         The main character will not be allowed to take their first level of a Jedi class until gaining level 8.

·         The main character gets 6 extra powers when taking their first level of Jedi Guardian or Jedi Sentinel and 8 extra powers when taking their first level of Jedi Consular.

 

Class Changes

 

Balance in the Force features several changes to its class system that either update the game classes to be more consistent with its sequel.

 

·         All Classes now get Full Base Attack Bonus.

·         Scoundrels get Sneak Attack X at level 19.

·         Expert Droids now gets access to Master Two-Weapon Fighting and the Sniper Shot feat tree.

·         Soldiers and Scouts now gain Persuade as a class skill (only the main character can use it).

·         Jedi Guardians gain Demolitions as a class skill.

·         Jedi Guardians gain 2 selectable feats at level 2, and 1 selectable feat at level 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19.

·         Jedi Sentinels gain selectable feats at levels 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 15, 18, and 19.

·         Jedi Sentinels gain Computer Use, Demolitions, Repair, Security, and Stealth as class skills.

·         Jedi Consulars gain Repair as a class kill.

 

Skill System Changes

 

When compared to D&D, skills are mostly unimportant KotOR 1. At some point during the game’s design a decision was made to cut the Intelligence modifier bonus to skills in half, most likely to make skill points feel more valuable. In my opinion, this only made the problem worse. Since there’s no way to fix this directly, I’ve increased the number of skills points each class gains and I’ve made it so that the Intelligence modifier rounds up instead of down when determining skill points gained. Expert Droids are the exception to this as the change to Intelligence maxes out T3-M4’s skills completely.

 

·         The bonus skill points gained at level up formula (Class Base + INT/2) now rounds up. You now gain +1 skill point at 12 INT, +2 at 16 INT, and +3 at 20 INT.

·         All Classes now get 4 extra skill points at character creation and 1 extra skill point per level.

·         Soldiers gain 2 skill points per level.

·         Scouts gain 4 skill points per level.

·         Scoundrels gain 5 skill points per level.

·         Jedi Guardians gain 2 skill points per level.

·         Jedi Sentinels gain 4 skill points per level.

·         Jedi Consulars gain 3 skill points per level.

·         Combat Droids gain 2 skill points per level.

 

Character Specific Changes

 

Balance in the Force makes several character specific changes to be more in line with Kotor 2. All of character background feats now provide a mechanical benefit and all of the characters get them now. All of the NPC characters now join at level 1 and their level 1 feats are delayed until level 2 in order to give the player the freedom to customize their character roster however they like.

 

·         All NPC characters now join at Level 1.

·         NPC characters no longer gain selectable feats at level 1 but instead gain them at level 2.

·         NPC characters have different starting skills due to deleveling and the changes in the skill system.

·         Bastila gains 4 points of Computer Use and 4 points of Stealth.

·         Bastila loses Force Aura and Stun due to level decrease.

·         Bastila’s Battle Meditation feat now grants Force Aura as a bonus power.

·         Bastila gains a new feat called Force Sensitive that grants her Force Push as a bonus power.

·         Bastila can exclusively learn the actual Battle Meditation power from TSL with an included optional patch that replaces Force Aura as a starting power for her. (Force Aura is still selectable upon level up.)

·         Canderous loses 1 point of Strength due to level decrease.

·         Canderous gains 2 points of Demolition and losed 2 points of Treat Injury.

·         Canderous gains a new feat called Combat Regeneration ability grants a +3 to Awareness, +3 to Treat Injury, and explains his regeneration rate.

·         Carth loses 1 point of Dexterity due to level decrease.

·         Carth gains 3 points of Demolitions and 3 points of Repair.

·         Carth gains a new feat called Skilled Mechanic that makes Repair into a class skill, grants him 4 additional starting skill points, and gives him 1 additional skill point at level ups.

·         Carth’s generic Blaster Pistol is no longer equipped and will instead be added to your inventory when he joins.

·         HK-47 loses 1 point of Dexterity due to level decrease.

·         HK-47 gains 4 points of Computer Use, loses 1 point of Demolitions, loses 1 point of Awareness, and loses 2 points of Repair.

·         HK-47 gains a new feat called Combat Protocols that grants him Rapid Shot at level 1 and Improved Rapid Shot at Level 4.

·         Jolee loses 1 point of Dexterity due to level decrease.

·         Jolee gains 2 points of Computer Use, gains 4 points of Repair and loses 1 point of Awareness.

·         Jolee loses Affect Mind, Cure, Disable Droid, Force Aura, Force Valor, Force Push, and Throw Lightsaber due to level decrease.

·         Jolee gains a new feat called Psychic Smuggler at 1^st level that adds Empathy as a bonus feat and Improved Empathy as a bonus feat at 4^th level.

·         Jolee gains a new feat called Force Sensitive that grants him Affect Mind as a bonus power.

·         Jolee adds a suit of basic clothing to your inventory when he joins.

·         Juhani loses 1 point of Dexterity due to level decrease.

·         Juhani gains 4 points of Demoition, loses 4 points of Awareness, and loses 4 points of Treat Injury.

·         Juhani loses Burst of Speed, Force Push, Energy Resistance, Stun, and Throw Lightsaber due to level decrease.

·         Juhani’s Force Camouflage feat now explains her extra points of Stealth and her +6 Stealth bonus.

·         Juhani gains a new feat called Force Sensitive that grants her Burst of Speed as a bonus power.

·         Juhani adds a suit of basic clothing to your inventory when she joins.

·         Mission gains 2 points of Repair, loses 2 points of Demolitions, loses 2 points of Stealth, loses 2 points of Awareness, loses 2 points of Security, and loses 1 point of Treat Injury.

·         Mission gains a new feat called Rough Crowd that gives her 1 extra VP per level, Caution as a bonus feat, and Improved Caution as a bonus feat at Level 4.

·         T3-M4 gains 1 point in Demolitions, loses 2 points of Computer Use, loses 1 point of Awareness, loses 2 points of Repair, and loses 2 points of Security.

·         T3-M4’s Blaster Integration feat now grants Weapon Focus: Blaster Pistols and Weapon Specialization: Blaster Pistols at level 4.

·         Zaalbar loses 1 point of Strength due to level decrease

·         Zaalbar loses 2 points of Demolitions, 2 points of Awareness, and 1 point of Treat Injury.

·         Zaalbar’s Wookie Toughness feat now also provides +2 to defense. This increases to +4 at level 6, and +6 at level 12.

·         Zaalbar now comes equipped with a Response Package Implant and Stabilizer Gauntlets.

 

Force Power Changes

 

The Force has undergone some dramatic changes in this mod. In the Vanilla game, Force powers are relatively inexpensive regardless of your Force alignment. Balance in the Force addresses this problem by introducing FP costs that increase as you upgrade the powers and a simplified alignment system that’s specifically designed to complement these scaling changes.

 

The powers themselves have had some important shakeups as well. Force powers have been updated to match their Kotor 2 counterparts, nerfed because of their overwhelming power, had the descriptions corrected, and had their bugs fixed.

 

·         Neutral Alignment now covers alignment scores of 40-59 with regards to Force powers.

·         Alignments between 0 and 39 and give a 50% FP cost discount with dark side aligned powers and 50% FP cost increase with light side aligned powers.

·         Alignments between 60 and 100 and give a 50% FP cost discount with light side aligned powers and 50% FP cost increase with dark side aligned powers.

·         Cure was renamed Heal. It costs 20 FP.

·         Heal was renamed Improved Heal. It costs 40 FP, heals 15 + CHA + WIS + level, and neutralizes Stun. (It still neutralizes Poison).

·         Force Aura costs 10 FP and lasts 36 seconds.

·         Force Shield costs 20 FP and lasts 36 seconds.

·         Force Armor costs 30 FP and lasts 36 seconds.

·         Force Valor costs 20 FP and lasts 36 seconds. It no longer adds to saves.

·         Knight Valor costs 20 FP, adds +4 to Attributes and lasts 36 seconds. It no longer adds to saves.

·         Master Valor costs 40 FP, adds +6 to Attributes and lasts 36 seconds. It no longer adds to saves.

·         Stun costs 20 FP.

·         Stasis costs 30 FP.

·         Stasis Field costs 40 FP.

·         Stun Droid costs 10 FP.

·         Disable Droid costs 20 FP and it now requires a Fortitude Save as stated in its description.

·         Destroy Droid costs 30 FP and it now requires a Fortitude Save as stated in its description.

·         Burst of Speed costs 20 FP, no longer provides a defense bonus, and is compatible with armor.

·         Knight Speed costs 30 FP, provides a +2 defense bonus, adds a -4 penalty to attacks, requires a lightsaber. (It still provides 1 attack per round.)

·         Master Speed costs 40 FP, adds a -2 penalty to attacks, requires a lightsaber, and only provides 1 attack per round. (It still provides its normal +4 defense bonus)

·         Energy Resistance costs 20 FP, it reduces fire, cold, electrical, and sonic damage by 5, and lasts for 36 seconds.

·         Improved Energy Resistance costs 30 FP, it reduces fire, cold, electrical, and sonic damage by 10, and lasts for 36 seconds. It no longer reduces energy weapon damage or provides poison immunity.

·         Force Push’s stun duration has been fixed and actually lasts 3 seconds.

·         Force Whirlwind is 20 FP, requires a Fortitude Save, and its description has been corrected to reflect its actual damage and duration.

·         Force Wave is 30 FP.

·         Force Resistance costs 20 and has a DC of 5 + Defender Level.

·         Force Immunity costs 30 FP and has a DC of 10 + Defender Level.

·         Force Suppression is 20 FP.

·         Force Breach costs 30 FP.

·         Lightsaber Throw costs 10 FP.

·         Advanced Lightsaber Throw is unchanged.

·         Drain Life costs 20 FP.

·         Death Field costs 40 FP.

·         Fear is unchanged.

·         Horror costs 20 FP.

·         Insanity costs 30 FP.

·         Shock costs 20 FP.

·         Force Lightning cost 30 FP.

·         Force Storm costs 40 FP.

·         Slow costs 10 FP.

·         Affliction costs 20 FP and its description has been corrected to reflect its actual effects and duration.

·         Plague costs 30 FP and its description has been corrected to reflect its actual effects and duration.

·         Wound costs 10 FP.

·         Choke costs 20 FP.

·         Kill costs 30 FP.

 

Base Weapon Type Changes

 

Weapon balancing is probably the most important aspect of this mod. Improper weapon balance not only makes enemies ineffective but it biases informed players towards melee builds. Almost every weapon in the game has been touched by this mod. That said, future updates will also include tweaks to individual pieces of gear as well.

 

Double weapons were too strong. They now do less damage than their single weapon counterpart because they require less investment from the player. Lightsabers do less damage overall but they are the only weapon that gets the extra attack from Knight or Master Speed’s extra attack. Melee weapons are weaker than blasters in general but with an investment in Strength and Two-Weapon Fighting they are still the strongest category in the game.

 

Blasters have significantly increased damage output. They can cook you in your armor, especially on higher difficulty settings. When Larrim tries to sell you that Energy Shield, you should listen to him this time.

 

·         Stun Batons are now 1d4, 19-20 x2.

·         Short Swords are now 1d8, 19-20 x2.

·         Longswords are now 1d12, 19-20 x2.

·         Gamorrean Axes are now 1d12, 19-20 x2.

·         Quarterstaffs are now 1d8, x2.

·         Gaffi Sticks are now 1d8, x2

·         Double-Bladed Swords are now 1d10, x2.

·         Vibro Double-Blades are now 1d12, x2.

·         Wookie Warblades are now 1d12, 19-20 x2.

·         Lightsabers are now 2d8, 19-20, x2.

·         Short Lightsabers are now 2d6, 19-20 x2.

·         Double Lightsabers are now 2d6, x2.

·         Blaster Pistols are now 2d8 damage, x2.

·         Heavy Blasters are now 2d8 damage, 19-20 x2.

·         Holdout Blasters are now 2d6 damage, 19-20 x2.

·         Disruptors Pistols are now 2d6 damage, 18-20 x2, Universal Damage.

·         Ion Blasters are now 2d6 damage, x3.

·         Sonic Pistols are now 2d6, 19-20 x2.

·         Blaster Carbines are now 3d6, x2.

·         Blaster Rifles are now 3d6, 19-20 x2.

·         Bowcasters are now 3d6, 19-20 x3.

·         Disruptor Rifles are now 2d8, 18-20, x2, Universal Damage

·         Ion Rifles are now 2d8, x3.

·         Sonic Rifles are now 2d8, 19-20 x2.

·         Repeating Blasters are now 2d10, x2

·         Heavy Repeating Blasters are now 2d10, 19-20 x2.

 

 

 

 

Difficulty Settings Changes

 

·         Easy mode (0.5 damage received) has been removed from the difficulty settings.

·         Very Difficult mode (2.0 damage received) has been added to the difficulty settings.

·         Impossible mode (3.0 damage received) has been added to the difficulty settings.

 

Recommendation Settings Changes

 

·         Priority Lists updated when taking recommendations at level up or when auto-leveling.

·         Recommended Attributes for Soldiers are 14 STR, 14, DEX, 14, CON, 14 WIS, 12 INT, 10 CHA.

·         Recommended Attributes for Scouts are 14 STR, 14, DEX, 14, CON, 14 WIS, 12 INT, 10 CHA.

·         Recommended Attributes for Scoundrels are 10 STR, 14, DEX, 14, CON, 14 WIS, 12 INT, 14 CHA.

·         Recommended Primary Attributes for Zaalbar and Mission changed from Dexterity to Strength at level up.

 

Miscellaneous Changes

 

Like in Kotor 2, the Repeating Blaster Feats have been removed and their weapon groups have been absorbed by Rifles. Several items now offer a Repair bonus in addition to their normal benefits. This allows players who are interested in repairing HK-47 to make a much smaller investment in their Repair skills. Some dark side exclusive equipment was given some hefty Charisma bonuses in order to allow dark sided spell casters builds to compete with light sided ones.

 

In Vanilla, Bastila is pretty much stuck as a dual wielder. In order to give players more agency in this regard, the Jedi on the Endar Spire now drop some of their equipment. For completionists, Kandon and Gadon essentially drop one another’s exclusive gear.

 

·         Heavy Weapons Feats have been removed.

·         Repeating Blasters and Heavy Repeating Blasters are now in the Rifles base weapon category.

·         Interface Visor grants a +4 bonus to Repair.

·         Tulak Hord's Mask grants a +5 bonus to CHA and no longer grants Damage Resistance: Fire.

·         Marka Ragnos’ Gauntlets grant a +3 bonus to CHA.

·         Infiltrator Gloves grant a +4 bonus to Repair.

·         Memory Implant grants a +1 bonus to all skills and no longer grants a bonus to INT.

·         The Jedi on the Endar Spire drops her lightsaber.

·         The Dark Jedi on the Endar Spire drops a Dark Jedi Robe and a Red Lightsaber Crystal.

·         The Sith Governor now drops his Dark Jedi Robe.

·         Kandon Arc now drops a Vibration Cell, a Memory Package, a Power Belt, an Advanced Adrenaline Amplifier, and a Light-Scan Visor. He no longer drops a Response Package.

·         Gadon Thek now drops a Verpine Headband, a Hair Trigger, and a Disruptor Pistol.