Character and companions development | Hints SWTOR Guide

The character panel is accessed by pressing C. You can switch between your character tab and your companion tab.

Your character

• You gain experience for accomplishing missions, killing enemies, getting Codex entries and discovering new areas. If you get an appropriate number of experience points, you gain a level.
• Before you gain level 10, each level up only increases your stats. After you have reached level 10, you can specialize in one of the two Advanced classes. Then, each time you gain a level you can allocate points to three skill trees of a given Advanced class.
• You can additionally increase one of the main stats by several points when you find a powerful artifact, Datacron. There are three to five on the planets.
• With each next level you can buy new abilities from a trainer. Try not to put it off, but also don't run to a trainer each time you gain a level. You should do it every 2 to 3 levels. Purchasing abilities is the basis of combat - you won't win the more difficult battles without proper training.
• Your character's level corresponds to the level of everything else. For example, enemies on a much higher level than yours will kill you easily. Also, some of the items can be used only after reaching a certain level.
• Give some thought to whether you want to be (generally speaking) good or bad. Gaining the next levels of Light/Dark Side will allow you to change your character's appearance, disable or enable the use of particular items that modify weapons and will provide you with new titles. Some vendors sell gear assigned to either Dark or Light Side and you need to have enough Dark or Light Side Points to be able to use such an item.

Companions

After or while accomplishing a certain class mission, a companion will join you (see the table below). He or she will level up together with you and will help you in the missions, but their effectiveness depends on Affection.

• You can decrease or increase Affection by choosing appropriate dialogue options (though you need to decide if you prefer to play to "please" your companion or not). Affection is not related to Light or Dark Side Points. Moreover, you can increase your companion's friendship by means of special items - you can buy them in some places and receive them while doing some of the class missions.
• The speed at which the companion executes orders (e.g. selling unnecessary items) depends on Affection. If you lower it too much, the companion will leave.
• To equip a companion, simultaneously open the inventory (I) and character (C) panels, and click the Companion tab in the latter. This way, if you click RMB on any of the items in the inventory panel - your companion will put it on. In the same way you can also give items to your companions. At this point it's worth mentioning that the option allowing you to compare companion items should be on (see the "User Interface" section in this chapter)

Further class missions will bring the next companions (four maximum, including the first who joined you).