The Knights of the Old Republic series calculates Defense slightly differently than Neverwinter Nights calculates Armor Class (AC), with slight differences even between KotOR and Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords.
How do I build a character to maximize his Defense in KotOR2?
I know that to increase Hit Points, Saving Throws, or Damage Reduction, or add Immunity to Critical Hits can also enhance survivability, but I want to know about maximal Defense. Also, I would prefer to avoid cheating (like duplicating the Name Crystal via KSE) and exploiting bugs like the Lightsaber Crystal duplication glitch.
Best Answer
At Level 30, I can reach a value of 71 in Defense.
Character:
Calculation:
Notes:
1: Initially, you would assume Dueling would provide the highest bonus, since it grants +3 to Defense with Master Dueling. But then, you realize that Lightsaber upgrades can provide Defense bonuses, and that a Fencing Emitter and a Lorridan Gemstone together will result in a Defense bonus of +4. But, then you realize the game caps Defense bonuses from Items and Effects at 102, and you can reach that with Force Powers alone. And Lightsaber Crystals do not provide sufficient bonuses to Wisdom or Dexterity to overcome the +3 from Dueling. So, Dueling does indeed provide the highest ceiling for Defense.
2: I could only see the cap of 10 Defense from Items and Effects in-game, but it seemed to accord with the rules from KotOR. However, any bonuses in excess of 10 can offset any penalties from Attack types like Critical Strike (-5 to Defense) or detriments from Effects like Slow.
3: You can actually achieve four +1 CON bonuses, but instead of the fourth, you can gain a +2 WIS bonus instead, which has more value for the pure-Defense character.