KOTOR 2 - Notes from my 2024 playthrough

WARNING: the following contains heavy spoilers about KOTOR I and KOTOR II. Do not read it if you haven't played the game yet.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: these are loose notes from my 2024 playthrough. They are very poorly organized, as they were only ever intended for my own personal use.

ANOTHER WARNING: you saw that there were going to be spoilers, right? If you haven't played the games, stop reading now.


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This is a place to collect thoughts for my 2024 playthrough.
This playthrough is connected to the fanfic that I have notes for at my Betrayals notes page.

The associated KOTOR 1 playthrough KOTOR 1 Playthrough include a Dark Side main character who knows very, very quickly exactly who he is, and picks up right where he left off. Circumstances dictate that he not reveal himself immediately, and his full abilities haven't immediately returned. So he is clever and sly, at first focusing on buffing his companions. Later, once he's had a chance to corrupt his companions (as KOTOR 1 doesn't have an influence system like KOTOR 2, I had to head canon that part), he leans heavily into Dark Side powers and DEX-based lightsaber combat.

All this leads to a tactical jack-of-all-trades build that should be effective but not overpowering. So by the time I get to the KOTOR 2 playthrough, I'll be ready to smash bad guys with an uncompromising build. (Update after the KOTOR 1 playthrough: the build was surprising strong, but didn't play very fast - fights were rarely in doubt, but they did sometimes take awhile).

This Exile will be very Dark Side, and on a personal mission from Darth Revan. His goals are fourfold:
  1. Recruit Bao-Dur to Revan's cause by turning him to the Dark Side. Revan has need of Bao-Dur's technical abilities, and needs Bao-Dur prepared to use them in any way that Revan commands.
  2. Reconnect to the Force with Kreia's help. Revan knows that Kreia is capable of guiding the Exile through this, and putting the Exile and Kreia together is important because another goal is to...
  3. Kill the Triumverate. Revan knows Kreia is Traya, and that the Exile is the ideal person to face Nihilus. Sion is not as dangerous to Revan, but he's loyal to Kreia in his own twisted way, so he has to die too.
  4. Kill the remaining Jedi Masters. If the Triumverate were gone but the Jedi Master remained, they might try to interfere in Revan's plans. Plus they're just generally annoying.
This Exile was Revan's primary strategic and tactical assistant during the Mandalorian Wars. This Exile helped plan and execute the Malachor V battle with full knowledge of how many would die. Nothing that is revealed in KOTOR II about Revan's past is a surprise to this Exile, nor could anything sway his loyalty away from Revan.

However, this Exile is also very patient and capable of controlling his reactions and emotions. He'll say anything he has to, present himself in any way he needs to, to achieve Revan's goals. He feels no need to defend Revan's actions or correct anyone's misconceptions. He's on a mission, and achieving that mission is all that matters. Everyone and everything else is expendable. He has nothing to prove to anyone except Revan.

He's multi-talented, comfortable with mixing manipulation, political intrigue, outright lies, and violence. In particular, even bereft of the Force he's a fearsome combatant and he doesn't hesitate to use violence as the first solution, when it is the best one. But he's neither cruel nor wanton, and he'll just as happily use other solutions if they're better for achieving his goals. So he won't kill anyone just because he enjoys it. But without hesitation he will kill anyone, innocent or guilty, destroy cultures or entire planents, and cause galaxy-spanning collateral damage, if it furthers Revan's goals.

He is an insidious sort of evil, completely irredemable and without the slightest bit of remorse. And make no mistake, while he can be incredibly patient, when it is time to kill somebody, he hits hard, fast, and without mercy.

Clinically speaking, this Exile probably has Alexithymia, a psychological condition where people have "problems identifying, processing, describing, and working with one's own feelings, often marked by a lack of understanding of the feelings of others". While there are likely physical neurological reasons for this condition, affected people at least sometimes have "at some point experienced overwhelming emotion that threatened to attack their sense of integrity and identity, to which they applied psychological defenses to pulverize and eject all emotional representations from consciousness." Affected people "tend to avoid emotionally close relationships, or if they do form relationships with others they usually position themselves as either dependent, dominant, or impersonal, such that the relationship remains superficial". This all seems to fit this particular Dark Side Exile very well. He always had this tendency, which in some ways was a benefit for the emotional repression required of a Jedi. But it wasn't ever in a healthy way, and he ended up fixating on Revan as a replacement for real relationships, trying to find the fulfillment in serving Revan that a normal person would find in friendships or romantic relationships. Malachor V dramatically exacerbated the situation, putting the condition into full overdrive. In KOTOR 2, both the dominant and submissive superficial relationship characteristics manifest, as he is dominant to his companions (often in a manipulative way) and subservient to Revan, who as an absent figurehead he can turn into essentially anything he wants. (And Revan, of course, is fully aware of this Exile's tendencies and exploits them for his own benefit.)

The fanfic doesn't put any restrictions on the build or tilt it toward any particular playstyle or class. I've previously played a Consular/Assassin caster, which really rocked. I've never played a Marauder, or any STR-based main character in KOTOR 2 for that matter, so that sounds like a fun choice.

Even with that decided, there are lots of different ways to approach a STR-based Marauder. What attributes should I use? What starting class should I pick? What feats and powers? Skills? Which robes should I be looking out for?

======== STARTING CLASS ==========

Options and selected stats for starting class (assuming 15 levels) are:
Class Vitality/Level Force/Level Strong Saves Class Skills Initial Skills Skills/Level Feats Force Powers Special
Guardian 10 4 Fortitude, Reflex Awareness
Demolitions
Persuade
Treat Injury		 (1+INT) * 4 1+INT 9 14 Force Jump
Sentinel 8 6 Fortitude, Reflex Awareness
Computer Use
Persuade
Security
Stealth
Treat Injury		 (3+INT) * 4 3 + INT 8 14 Immunities
Consular 6 8 Fortitude, Will Awareness
Persuade
Repair
Treat Injury		 (2+INT) * 4 2 + INT 6 19 Force Focus
Note: The Strategywiki classes page says all three starting classes get two Force Powers at level 1, but the game doesn't actually let you select any. The above numbers reflect this.

Also, Guardians are the only starting class that can take Weapon Specialization: Lightsaber. However, all Prestige classes can, so all main characters will eventually get access to that feat (if they choose to take it). Guardians just have the option to get it sooner.

Guardians are also the only class that gets Force Jump. Prestige classes do not add this.

Assuming an INT of 12 (+1 bonus), each class would get the following number of skill points (initial+levelups=total) at level 15:
More INT would mean more skill points, with Sentinel gaining the most and Guardian the least (because of the multiplier at level 1)

Consular gives up a significant number of feats and a significant amount of vitality to gain a significant amount of Force ability (points+powers). Because this is not a heavy Force-oriented build, this seems like a poor fit. Might be a great choice for other builds, but not for this one.

Sentinel is almost a great choice. It gives up only 1 feat and only a bit of vitality for more Force points, and a LOT more skills. And the immunities would be nice. It really seems to fit this Exile well. However, it lacks two things:
  1. Force Jump
  2. Demolitions
Marauder does get Demolitions, and some early companions (Atton and Bao-Dur) get it. So that's mostly a matter of patience, and letting companions handle it early. A tiny bit of Demolitions is useful early on Peragus while I'm still solo, and Sentinels have skill points to burn, so I might raise it to 2 at character creation or level 2, even though it is cross-class. I did the same thing for my 2022 run and it worked well.

Force Jump, though, I'd never get. Do I care? The KOTOR 2 maps aren't generally as conducive to Force Jump as the KOTOR 1 maps. Force Jump and Sneak Attack have nice synergies that I used in my 2023 playthrough, but I won't have Sneak Attack for this build. So even though Force Jump is a lot of fun, I can skip it this time.

I think I'll start as Sentinel. Sentinels don't get anything special at level 16 or 17 that might make it worth continuing past the point where I'm eligible for a Prestige Class, so I'll plan to take Sentinel to level 15.

======== ATTRIBUTES ========

This emphasises the attributes most important to me for combat:
STR 16 (+3)
DEX 10 (+0)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 12 (+1)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 10 (+0)

OR

This is more balanced, for a more well-rounded playthrough at the expense of a bit of combat ability
STR 14 (+2)
DEX 12 (+1)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 14 (+2)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 10 (+0)

I expect to be overpowered by the end anyway, so I'll probably go for the more balanced set of attributes. The negative effects on combat will be most noticeable early, so the main difference is that I'll start a little slower.

I'll want an unadjusted CON of at least 18 by the end of the game, to use the best implants. I won't need that immediately, though.

I can get these attribute bonuses via dialog with HK-47: I can get quite a few attributes from dialog with Hanharr:
I'll get an ability from Handmaiden (assuming I stick with a male Exile for this run) that lets me add my WIS bonus to my Defense. That'll be a bit into the game, but if I'm willing to be a bit squishy for awhile, I can mostly ignore DEX. I might want just a bit for the sparring matches on Telos, but by the time I get to the dueling ring on Duxn I should be fine.

Accepting the "Lesson of Strength" means I'll get +3 CON from dialog (+2 from Hanharr and +1 from HK-47). If I start CON at 14, that means I'll need to bump it once at levelup somewhere along the way.

Final thought: STR is really almost unnecessary. There are many ways to boost damage in the game. A high WIS and decent DEX character would probably be just as powerful, maybe more so. WIS would improve both Defense via Battle Precognition and Force Powers, and DEX would improve Defense and attack. You'd end up with a character with more Defense and better Force abilities than mine will have, at the cost of only a bit of damage. And enemies can't die any faster than one round, no matter how hard you hit them. I'm doing a STR-based build because I want to try it, not because I think it is the optimal build.

======== SKILLS ========

Sentinel gets (as class skills) Awareness, Computer Use, Persuade, Security, Stealth, and Treat Injury. Marauder adds Demolitions. Neither class gets Repair. I'll have lots of feats, so it might be worth burning one feat on Class Skill: Repair, so that I can fix T3.

I'll have companions to help much of the time, but not always. I'll also have gear to help, but switching it out becomes tedious.

I should try to get Demolitions to 5 by level 2, to recover mines on Peragus. I'll only encounter Minor mines on Peragues, and I get +1 from the Safety Harness (a guaranteed drop in the Mining Tunnels). INT 14 gives +2, and Force Valor gives another +1. So I need 1 more point, which as cross-class will cost me 2. I get enough skill points as Sentinel that I can spare this. I'll then have to depend on companions for Demolition until I become a Marauder.

In my 2022 playthough, when I found a workbench, I crafted a Long Sword and an Ionite Edge (extra damage vs droids). This let me basically walk through most of Peragus. Doing that here should be feasible. I'll need Repair 1 (for the sword) and Security 6 (for the edge). I won't have any points in Repair, but my INT+2 bonus should be sufficient. Security should be easy too. If I put 4 points in at character creation, my INT+2 bonus should finish it off, even if I don't invest any more points. Alternatively, I could craft a Devaronian Edge (crit bonus) with Stealth 4. But I'm not planning to invest in Stealth, and the Ionite Edge will be much more useful.

Assuming I invest nothing in Stealth, and that my skill bonuses come only from gear and not attributes, I'll need to shoot for:
Skill Awareness Computer Use Demolitions Persuade Repair Security Stealth Treat Injury
Attribute WIS +3 INT +2 INT +2 CHA +0 INT +2 INT +2 DEX +1 WIS +3
Target Value 20 15 (for T3) 25 27 21 (for T3) Level+8 0 ?
Assigned Points 17 13 23 27 19 Level+8 0 ?

That's a total of 99 points before even considering Security and Treat Injury, both of which I'd really like to max. And maxing those would bring the total to 171 points.

Assuming a final level of 32, I'll get to assign a total of 90 points as a Sentinel, plus 51 as a Marauder, for a total of 141. So I won't be able to get the ideal numbers, but I can get pretty close. I'm going to lose 2 points by raising Demolitions as a cross-class skill at level 1. So I'll be 32 points short of ideal.

I seriously thought about putting a bit into Treat Injury early, because it'd be useful. And if I'm just looking at having enough points assigned in the various skills by level 32, I'd have enough to get away with it. Problem is, I not only need all this stuff maxed, I need it maxed by certain points in the game. What good does it do me to be able to recover Devestating Mines a few levels AFTER I see my last one? So I gave up on early Treat Injury.

Even so, I'm not sure I'll have Demolitions to my target value for the most notable solo part where I'll need it. But I should have enough to at least disable the mines I encounter, even if I can't recover them.

======== FEATS ========

I'll get 18 selected feats. The main character gets the first rank of every active attack feat line (Power Attack, Flurry, etc.) for free at level 1. Here are some good candidates (in no particular order, level requirements, if any, is in parenthesis):
That's a total of 21 feats that I might take. One advantage of this build is getting to take a lot of feats, so I don't have to leave out much. Sticking to robes saves one, and means I don't have to worry about armor restrictions for whatever Force Powers I take. Given that I'm a male Exile, I'll get the thing from Brianna that lets me add my WIS bonus to my Defense, so robes will eventually be plenty. I'll just have to get by until then.

Regenerate Force Points might be unnecessary (because although I'll use some powers, this is really a weapons-oriented build). However, it is a nice quality-of-life feat that I might take anyway.

Marauders can't take Conditioning, so if I want anything from that line I should take it before getting my prestige class. Alternatively, I could just ditch Conditioning entirely, as it is a nice-to-have and not a dealbreaker.

I'm generally a fan of Flurry for most builds (because reliable, consistent damage is nice), or occasionally Critical Strike for stun-oriented Sneak Attack builds (because big burst damage is fun). But for this version of the Exile, Power Attack feels in character, so I'll probably do that.

Surprisingly, assuming the only weapons that I use are lightsabers, then Superior Weapon Focus: Lightsaber is better than Superior Two Weapon Fighting. Why? Check out the numbers on those two links. Each rank of Superior Two-Weapon Fighting improves your attack by +1, on only one hand or the other. But each rank of Superior Weapon Focus: Lightsaber improves your attack by +1 for all attacks involving lightsabers. In other words, the weapon focus one gives +1 to BOTH hands for EVERY rank, while the two-weapon one gives +1 to only one hand or the other for each rank. Doesn't mean the Superior Two-Weapon Fighting line is worthless, just worth less than the other.

======== FORCE POWERS ========

Assuming I end at level 32, I'll get 31 selected Force Powers. Marauders also eventually get Master Fury as a Force Power, which grants two extra attacks per round. These attacks do not stack with the extra attacks from Knight/Master Speed, making the second two ranks of the Speed line less attractive.

Also, Marauders get various was to shrug off damage and improve saves, so associated powers are less important than for some builds. Lower ranks of some might still be useful early, though.

While companions can often cast Master Valor, there are some situations where I'll want to do it myself. Notably, I'm counting on the skill bump that accompanies the attribute bonus to fully fix T3. (In practice, I'll probably have skill-boosting gear that would also put me over the necessary limit, but I'd rather be sure.) So I should make sure to work in Master Valor.

This is all the selectable Force Powers in the game, with level requirement for any that aren't available at level 1:
That's a total of 68 powers, counting all ranks of all powers.

This Exile should emphasize Universal and Dark powers, just because Light powers will be more expensive. Still, there are a few Light powers that will be useful. Also, while he won't object to using direct damage powers, he'll focus on lightsaber damage. Keeping with the fanfic idea that this Exile is Revan's secret agent, who knows much more about what he'll be facing than a typical Exile might, he'll want some powers with some level of subtlety and others geared towards boss fights. Unlike my Revan for the associated KOTOR 1 playthrough, who preferred to use others for much of the dirty work, this Exile tends to take things on himself (because he is accountable to Revan and therefore unwilling to trust people who don't know what's actually going on). Powers that seems to fit all this are:
That's a total of 30, leaving me a little room to insert something else along the way if it seems useful. It includes some powers I don't normally take, just because this seems like an appropriate build to experiment with them. It does not includes some traditional Dark Side favorites (like the Lightning line) because I think this Exile can do without them, thereby making room for the others.

=========== GEAR ===========

I'm taking the Power Attack feat line, which not only gives a damage bonus, but also extra damage on crits, plus knockback on main hand crits. This makes Keen lighsaber mods attractive. The Juyo Form increases Critical Hit Attack Modifier (crits are basically an extra bonus attack that can hit or miss, so Juyo improves the chance that the possibility of a crit turns into actual damage. See here for details). And Juyo fits the combat style of this Exile.

Robes are absolutely better than armor for this build starting in the mid-game. Given the Battle Precognition from Handmaiden (add WIS bonus to Defense), plus having Master Speed going - no contest.

Either a double-bladed lightsaber or two single-blades would be fine. Double-bladed benefits a bit more from STR, and also from upgrades that affect attacks (so your best crystal will affect all your attacks instead of just your main hand ones). Two single blades have a slightly higher crit range, and also tends to favor upgrades with attribute bonuses, so you can stack more upgrades (and therefore get higher attributes). Because high STR makes good use of double-bladed, it might be a better choice for this character compared to a character that wasn't STR-based. But either way works for this build.

The build should pretty much cover all necessary skills, so skill-boosting gear isn't a focus. Of course, I won't get all the skill points at once, so it may be advantageous to use a bit of skill-boosting gear along the way. But there isn't anything specific I should buy or look for.

I'll largely look for gear that helps in combat. This includes STR, CON, and WIS boosts (remember WIS helps both my Defense and my Force Powers), but also things like immunities, damage reduction regenration, etc.

Here is some gear to consider:
Assuming I use a double-bladed lightsaber (which I normally don't, but it is a good fit for this build so this seems like a good chance), here is a set of upgrades that would work well:
The "Name Crystal" stats are max value at level 33. At lower levels, the crystal has the same bonuses at lower values. Crystals cannot be crafted and must instead be found. Cells, emitters, and lenses can be crafted, though. Bao-Dur needs to be useful for something, after all.

Can get Keen from either the second power crystal or the Lens. Probably want it from one or the other, but no sense in getting both because they don't stack.

=========== COMPANIONS ===========

Early in the game, I'll use whoever I have. Not much choice. Atton and Kreia are actually a pretty effective pair for this build.

Later, I'll be able to handle melee myself. I'll definitely want someone for buffs/heals. Even though I'll have a lot of those, I won't want to slow down and cast them every time. The third companion is more flexible. Stuns, ranged damage, or a second melee companion would all be useful. Some more than others in different situations.

I normally park Kreia on the ship as soon as I can, because I get annoyed at her criticizing me for everything I do. However, this Exile would be pretty much immune to that: he has her number from the beginning, is on a more important mission that Kreia knows nothing about, and knows he's going to kill her in the end. He therefore just really doesn't give a damn what the old bat says, and can let it roll right off him. So I might bring Kreia along more this time. She's a great buffer, which this main character needs, and the XP boost is nice.

However, there are a few instances throughout the game, plus the entire endgame, where Kreia won't be available. So I'll need a backup for heals/buffs.

My available companions for this playthrough, and the primary role I'll build each for, will be:
Some companions can do other things, but the above is the thing they'll be best at for this playthrough.

Mira makes more sense then Hanharr as a companion to have as part of the party. I'll mostly be my own melee, which makes Hanharr redundant. But Hanharr offers attribute bonuses via dialog that I'm depending on for the build. And he's the default Dark Side character, so getting Mira would require managing alignment more than I probably want to. I'm assuming I'll get Hanharr, but I'm listing Mira just in case I change my mind.

For the portions where I have Kreia, I can probably mix and match who I bring along depending on how I'm feeling, and to keep things fresh. The power trio is probably me, Kreia, and Atton.

======== PLANET ORDER ========

The early game is built around gaining as much Bao-Dur influence as quickly as possible. This involves Light Side choices, and I want to get them out of the way in time to go Dark enough to get my Prestige Class as soon as possible.

I also push the Korriban cave to the very end, both because I think that works well story-wise, and also because I want to have a good Demolitions skill for it and I don't get that until late.

I also push finishing Dantooine fairly late, because the Vrook fight would be tough for this main character at low level.

Nar Shaddaa gets me two companions (Hanharr or Mira and GO-TO). And it moves the story along. So it is good to do early. However, if I want Hanharr AND Bao-Dur influence, I'll need to manage my alignment closely. I might have to leave Nar Shaddaa, pick up some Dark Side points elsewhere, then come back. And yes, there's a mod for letting me pick whichever I prefer regardless of alignment. But I'm trying to play this straight up.

GO-TO's yacht is a special case. There's a longish segment I have to play through with only two companions, as my main character is unavailable until partway through. Ideally, I'd have someone good at Awareness, Computer Use, Demolitions, Repair, and Security. And also at dealing with droids. And also organics. Need some ranged. And some melee. Wait, that's almost everything, and I'll be doing this early in the game, before any combination of two companions gets all that stuff. Security makes it extra-hard, as I've mostly deferred that to the main chararcter, who I won't have at first. Atton can handle Awareness and Demolitions. And he has Security as a class skill, so I can pick up enough of that to get through. And he'll have some Stealth if I find a use for that. And he can handle the ranged combat. That leaves Computer Use, Repair, and melee combat. Hanharr is probably the best to cover those. And story-wise, he's been on GO-TO's yacht, so it'd make sense for him to go. If I pick Mira instead of Hanharr for this playthrough, then I dunno. Mira, Visas, or send Kreia and just do without some of the skills. I could send T3 or Bao-Dur for skills, but neither will be very good for combat at that point.
  1. Early game (Peragus, Telos Surface, Telos Academy). Companions: Kreia and Atton/Bao-Dur. Use Bao-Dur as much as possible, even though he's less optimal in combat, so that I don't miss any influence opportunities. Not sure there are any, unless I get so far Light Side that Kreia berates me for it.
  2. Dantooine, just the landing port, to see if I can get Bao-Dur influence from the mechanic conversation (not sure this works).
  3. Nar Shaddaa, hopefully all of it. Buy Juma Juice from the bartender. If Geeda has anything I want, buy it before talking to Oondar. Finish Bao-Dur influence. Get GO-TO and either Hanharr or Mira. Companions: Kreia and Bao-Dur at first, then when Bao-Dur influence is done switch him out for Atton. For GO-TO's Yacht, use Atton and Hanharr (assuming I get Hanharr, otherwise Atton and idk).
  4. Optional: if I don't have enough Bao-Dur influence by the time I want it, go to Dantooine and get it, then come back to Nar Shaddaa. Just don't start the final Dantooine battle.
  5. Optional: if I'm not of the correct alignment to get my preferred companion when I have to fight the Red Eclipse to retake the Ebon Hawk (and subsequently get summoned to the Jekk Jekk Tar), then go to Dantooine and do as much as is needed to adjust my alignment. Just don't start the final Dantooine battle.
  6. After getting sufficient Bao-Dur influence AND having alignment positioned as desired, finish Nar Shaddaa.
  7. Back to Telos to turn in fuel quest. Companions: whoever, doesn't matter.
  8. Dantooine, anything remaining before starting the final battle. Buy a Thorium Charge from Akkere for Duxn later. Do not start the final battle. Companions: mostly Kreia and Atton, but can mix others for fun as desired
  9. Korriban, academy but not cave. Do training room last. Don't trigger beasts in valley. Companions: Visas and Atton (Kreia is unavailable)
  10. Duxn (get Mandalore). Companions: Kreia and whoever (Atton is unavailable). This is a decent spot to use HK-47.
  11. Onderon: Buy the HK-47 part from the droid merchant. Mandalore and Kreia
  12. Finish Dantooine. Companions: Kreia and Atton. Bye-bye, Vrook.
  13. Finish Duxn: Group: Visas, Atton, and Hanharr. I usually do T3, but might try something different this time.
  14. Finish Onderon. Before the final fight, take all of Kreia's gear. Group: Kreia and Handmaiden
  15. Korriban, trigger/kill beasts in valley. Do cave. Solo.
  16. Dantooine (Jedi Masters). Solo. (can bring people for flavor if desired but no real effect)
  17. Telos (Sith attack). Companions: Visas and Atton (don't have Kreia anymore)
  18. Ravager. Companions: Visas and Mandalore
  19. Telos Academy. Bye-bye Atris. Solo.
  20. Malachor V. Solo
When Visas shows up, don't talk to her until after I'm done sparring with Handmaiden.
Make sure to spar with Handmaiden at every opportunity.

That's a lot of Kreia and Atton. Although they're the best power combo, might mix others in here or there just for a change.

=========== SKILLS MATRIX ===========

Numbers like 4/3 mean 4 points per level in the first class and 3 points per level in the second class

Party Member Awareness Computer Use Demolitions Persuade Repair Security Stealth Treat Injury
Surik (5/3) 17 11 23 27 17 Max 0 0
Atton (4/3) 20 25 Some 41
Bao-Dur Max Max Max Max Max Max Max Max
Disciple (2) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
GO-TO
Handmaiden (1/1) 20 Some
Hanharr 20 Some 25 Some
HK-47 10
Kreia (4)
Mandalore 20 25 Max
Mira (5) 20 25
T3-M4
Visas (3) Some

This is what each party member should focus on for this playthrough, not what they're inherently best at. The matrix may show a party member taking Max of a cross-class skill. This just means they should take as much as they can. This is sometimes useful if, based on the expected combinations of party members, there would otherwise be nobody taking that skill at all.
I only noted the things that mattered. Fill in the rest however I feel like it.

I listed both Hanharr (who I'll probably get) and Mira (in case I decide to go that way).

Maximum adjusted values needed for each attribute follow. No sense in going over that, even if the table above says "Max". Well, unless you want it higher for crafting, but I mostly let Bao-Dur do that.
Awareness Computer Use Demolitions Persuade Repair Security Stealth Treat Injury
20 15 (for T3) 25 27 21 (for T3) Level+8 41 ?
The above is for Normal difficulty. Difficult mode adds 5 to the DC for many checks (notably Awareness, Demolitions, and Security). It also assumes that Demolitions and Security checks are out of combat (allowing you to "take 20").

Also, there's a -5 penalty to Awareness if you're running. Sure, you could stop every little bit to make sure you're not missing anything, but who wants to do that? So the table above accounts for the penalty. Run, run, run!

At least some Security checks scale by your character level, so it is difficult to give a max value needed. On Normal difficulty setting, the hardest DC is your character level plus 28. So if you do the Ravager at level 30, you'd need adjusted Security of 38 (because you'll presumably be "taking 20").

Stealth of 20 is sufficient for almost everything. But certain enemies, particular in the Trayus Academy, have fairly high Awareness and WIS values, requiring a lot more Stealth to overcome.

A few of the "Some" entries are for GO-TO's yacht, so those companions should take those skills early. And then can mostly ignore them later if need be.

======== BUILD TABLE ========

Surik's progression details per level (g = granted, s = selected)

Force Channel (g)
Character Level Class Level Attributes Skills Feats Force Powers
1 Sentinel 1 STR: 14 (+2)
WIS: 14 (+2)
CHA: 10 (+0)
INT: 14 (+2)
CON: 14 (+2)
DEX: 12 (+1)		 20 points
Awareness +4 (4)
Computer use +4 (4)
Demolitions +2(1, cross class)
Persuade +4 (4)
Security +4 (4)
Stealth +0 (0)
Treat Injury +2 (2)
 Jedi Sense (g)
Force Immunity: Fear (g)
Jedi Defense (g)
Weapon Proficiency: Blaster Pistol (g)
Weapon Proficiency: Blaster Rifle (g)
Weapon Proficiency: Melee Weapons (g)
Weapon Proficiency: Lightsaber (g)
Armor Proficiency: Light (g)
Critical Strike (g)
Flurry (g)
Power Attack (g)
Power Blast (g)
Rapid Shot (g)
Sniper Shot (g)
War Veteran (g)
Class Skill: Repair (s)
2 Sentinel 2 5 points
Awareness +1 (5)
Computer Use +1 (5)
Persuade +1 (5)
Security +1 (5)
Repair +1 (1)		 Unarmed Specialist I (g)
Force Sensitive (g)		 Force Valor (s)
3 Sentinel 3 5 points
Awareness +1 (6)
Computer Use +1 (6)
Persuade +1 (6)
Repair +1 (2)
Security +1 (6)		 Two-Weapon Fighting (s)
 Energy Resistance (s)
4 Sentinel 4 STR +1, 15 (+2) 5 points
Awareness +1 (7)
Computer Use +1 (7)
Persuade +1 (7)
Repair +1 (3)
Security +1 (7)		 Burst of Speed (s)
5 Sentinel 5 5 points
Awareness +1 (8)
Computer Use +1 (8)
Persuade +1 (8)
Repair +1 (4)
Security +1 (8)		 Affect Mind (s)
6 Sentinel 6 5 points
Awareness +1 (9)
Computer Use +1 (9)
Persuade +1 (9)
Repair +1 (5)
Security +1 (9)		 Unarmed Specialist II (g)
Force Immunity: Stun (g)
Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (s)		 Heal (s)
7 Sentinel 7 5 points
Awareness +1 (10)
Computer Use +1 (10)
Persuade +1 (10)
Repair +1 (6)
Security +1 (10)		 Regenerate Vitality Points (s) Dominate Mind (s)
8 Sentinel 8 STR +1, 16 (+3) 5 points
Awareness +1 (11)
Computer Use +1 (11)
Persuade +1 (11)
Repair +1 (7)
Security +1 (11)		 Fear (s)
9 Sentinel 9 5 points
Awareness +1 (12)
Persuade +1 (12)
Repair +2 (9)
Security +1 (12)		 Master Two-Weapon Fighting (s) Knight Valor (s)
10 Sentinel 10 5 points
Awareness +1 (13)
Persuade +1 (13)
Repair +2 (11)
Security +1 (13)		 Unarmed Specialist III (g) Horror (s)
11 Sentinel 11 5 points
Awareness +1 (14)
Persuade +1 (14)
Repair +2 (13)
Security +1 (14)		 Determination (Shi-cho Form) (g)
Drain Life (s)
12 Sentinel 12 CON +1, 15 (+2) 5 points
Awareness +1 (15)
Persuade +1 (15)
Repair +2 (15)
Security +1 (15)		 Force Immunity: Paralysis (g)
Regenerate Force Points (s)		 Resilence (Soresu Form) (g)
Improved Heal (s)
13 Sentinel 13 5 points
Awareness +1 (16)
Persuade +1 (16)
Repair +2 (17)
Security +1 (16)		 Improved Power Atttack (s) Force Channel (g)
Insanity (s)
14 Sentinel 14 5 points
Awareness +1 (17)
Persuade +1 (17)
Security +1 (17)
Bank +2 (2)		 Unarmed Specialist IV (g) Contention (Makashi Form) (g)
Force Suppression (s)
15 Sentinel 15 5 points
Persuade +1 (18)
Repair +2 (17)
Security +1 (18)
Bank +2 (4)		 Toughness (s)Master Valor (s)
16 Marauder 1 STR +1, 17 (+3) 3 points
Demolitions +5 (7)
Persuade +1 (19)
Security +1 (19)
Bank -4 (0)		 Increase Combat Damage I (g)
Greater Prestige Sense (g)
Weapon Focus: Lightsaber (g)
Superior Weapon Focus: Lightsaber (s)		 Contention (Makashi Form) (g)
Fury (g)
Wound (s)
17 Marauder 2 3 points
Demolitions +1 (8)
Persuade +1 (20)
Security +1 (20)		 Superior Weapon Focus II: Lightsaber (s) Choke (s)
18 Marauder 3 3 points
Demolitions +1 (9)
Persuade +1 (21)
Security +1 (21)		 Ignore Pain I (g)
Superior Weapon Focus III: Lightsaber (s)		 Master Heal (s)
19 Marauder 4 3 points
Demolitions +1 (10)
Persuade +1 (22)
Security +1 (22)		 Death Field (s)
20 Marauder 5 STR +1, 18 (+4) 3 points
Demolitions +1 (11)
Persuade +1 (23)
Security +1 (23)		 Master Power Attack (s) Improved Fury (g)
Kill (s)
21 Marauder 6 3 points
Demolitions +1 (12)
Persuade +1 (24)
Security +1 (24)		 Slow (s)
22 Marauder 7 3 points
Demolitions +1 (13)
Persuade +1 (25)
Security +1 (25)		 Ignore Pain II (g)
Unarmed Specialist VI (g)
Improved Toughness (s)		 Affliction (s)
23 Marauder 8 3 points
Demolitions +1 (14)
Persuade +1 (26)
Security +1 (26)		 Increase Combat Damage II (g) Plague (s)
24 Marauder 9 STR +1, 19 (+4) 3 points
Demolitions +1 (15)
Persuade +1 (27)
Security +1 (27)		 Master Toughness (s) Master Fury (g)
Force Breach (s)
25 Marauder 10 3 points
Demolitions +2 (17)
Security +1 (28)		 Force Scream (s)
26 Marauder 11 3 points
Demolitions +2 (19)
Security +1 (29)		 Ignore Pain III (g)
Unarmed Specialist VII (g)
Superior Two-Weapon Fighting I (s)		 Improved Force Scream (s)
27 Marauder 12 3 points
Demolitions +2 (21)
Security +1 (30)		 Master Force Scream (s)
28 Marauder 13 STR +1, 20 (+5) 3 points
Demolitions +2 (23)
Security +1 (31)		 Superior Two-Weapon Fighting II (s) Throw Lightsaber (s)
29 Marauder 14 3 points
Security +1 (32)
2 points wherever		 Advanced Throw Lightsaber (s)
30 Marauder 15 3 points
Security +1 (33)
2 points wherever		 Increase Combat Damage III (g)
Superior Two-Weapon Fighting III (s)		 Mind Trick (s)
31 Marauder 16 3 points
Security +1 (34)
2 points wherever		 Force Confusion (s)
32 Marauder 17 3 points
Security +1 (35)
2 points wherever		 ? (s) ? (whatever sounds good) (s)

Taking Class Skill:Repair at level 1 may be silly, as it makes me defer more important feats. But it means I get Repair throughout the game, while most other feats just make me a little better at things I can already do anyway.

Shock/Lightning/Storm is objectively better than Drain Life/Death Field. Notably, Death Field caps at 40 damage per target vs no cap (so at level 30, it does up to 180 damage). I'm mostly taking Death Field because (1) it heals me (2) it seems to fit this Exile better, and (3) I expect do kill people easily enough with my lightsaber that I won't really need Storm. So this is a good chance to play with Death Field.

Plague isn't as good as it sounds. The attribute affects is every 6 seconds, not the faster time shown in the in-game description. It's still pretty good, just not as good as it sounds.

Because I'm not relying on Force Powers, this seemed a good playthrough to try the Force Scream line, which I usually ignore. It turned out to be useful on Malachor V - mixing Master Force Scream and Death Field made short work of large groups that I could have killed with my lightsaber, but it'd have taken longer.

Feats can be reordered a bit if it feels useful. For example, I'm pushing Toughness pretty late to prioritize attack and damage related feats. But if feeling too squishy, it'd be easy to rearrange on the fly.

My impression after the playthrough is that this build rocked. I rarely had much trouble with a fight, and felt like the "man on a mission" that I envisioned for this Exile. I mixed up companions a little more than I'd planned, but took Kreia almost much more than I usually do, and took great joy in not caring at all what she said, neither following nor objecting to her teachings. She didn't like me very much, and I really didn't care.