Items / Power-ups

Here you will find specific descriptions and strategies for using the various items and power-ups in JK2.

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Players new to JK2 should realize that the Multiplayer mode is substantially different from the Single Player mode. In particular, the weapons, items, power-ups, and other features are different in many ways from their offline counterpart. We strongly recommend playing against Bots (AI simulated multiplayer opponents) as training for internet or LAN games, as they represent the type of gameplay you will experience online. However, there is no substitute for the unpredictability and inventiveness of human opponents, so eventually you must venture out if you expect to master the game! Players migrating over from other FPS games will have many new challenges ahead, including learning Force Powers, the Lightsaber, as well as the different nuances of the game. Even veteran players of other Dark Forces series games (JK, MotS, etc) will have many new things to learn. In short, you must "unlearn what you have learned," to quote a wise Jedi Master. ; )

The site will be presented with the assumption that players have already read over the official JK2 manual (that comes with every legitimate copy of the game) and the readme documentation. Some material from these sources may be covered in more detail however.

Some items, when picked up, are added to your personal inventory. They are used by selecting them in your inventory (using the inventory next/previous keys) and activating them by pressing the "use item" key. A "hotkey" can also be bound to the specific item, to use it instantly, without having to fumble through the menus (which is why I highly recommend binding keys to all your frequently used items). Other items are activated instantly when you contact with them with your body. Be aware of the effects of each item, so you can use them effectively.

Remember you start each game with only the Lightsaber (or Stun Baton if you didn't assign any Force Points to Saber Attack), the Bryar pistol (with 100 Blaster Pack ammo units), 25 shield points, and a full mana pool. Look for items immediately!

These small white boxes instantly restore your health points (the red numbers featured on the lefthand portion of your HUD) when you run over them. Each box restores up to 25 lost health points, but will not go over your maximum of 100.

Know where health packs are and when they will respawn, so you can always be assured of full health, saving yourself the need to use the Force to restore health lost in battle. Since health packs are so sought after, they are also excellent targets for setting traps (see Weapons section for details!).

Health of course is the sustaining element that keeps you alive. Being hit by dangerous objects that are thrown at you by your opponent or environmental hazards deplete this precious commodity. If your health goes to zero, you die, instantly! Be ever watchful of your health, and always be thinking about where to get more (or how to get more) when you are injured.

The ground somersault (hold crouch while running, while holding the Lightsaber) is an excellent way to grab Med Packs quickly (by rolling over them). This is applicable to all pickup items. Remember your enemies are after them too! It may also be advantageous to guard health pickups for your teammates.

You begin the game with 125 health points. However, this total counts down at a constant rate until you are at the standard maximum of 100. Also notice how when a character "spawns" into a game, he or she is surrounded by a white bubble for a few seconds. This and the extra health are meant to prevent people from dying right away if they spawn into a dangerous situation, before they have time to react.

This small rectangular object will restore up to 25 points to your Shields meter (the green numbers located on the lefthand side portion of your HUD) but not go over your maximum of 100.

Shields are important in that they absorb the damage you sustain from attacks.

Note that Force Powers and impact damage (from long falls, or being knocked into walls by Force Push) do direct damage, making shields useless against them. Shields are drained by damage from energy weapons, projectiles and explosions.

When a player recieves damage to his shields, his body will give off a brief green flash or glow. If there is no glow when he is hit by conventional weapons or explosions, then you know he has no shields left!

By default, you begin the game with 25 shields, barely enough to protect you from harm, so it is vital to find more as soon as you can.

The "big" version of the Shield Boost (aka "Super Shield"), this back-pack like object will instantly grant you 100 Shield points when touched. It is possible to fill your Shield total over 100 by picking it up (for a maximum of 200 Shield points, if you grab it when your shields are full). However, the extra points over 100 will slowly count down (about 1 per second) until you are at 100 again.

This item is of incredible value, and the locations of these should be paid careful attention. Do your best to deny your enemies access to these valuable power-ups!

This tan, dog-sized lizard-like creature can be picked up like an item, and instantly projects a transparent golden sphere around the player that touched it. Whilst enveloped by this bubble, you cannot use any Force powers (including jump) and Lightsaber special abilities (such as the Wall-Walk, ground somersaults, etc), but you also are protected from the direct effects of Force powers used against you.

After a certain period of time, the anti-Force bubble wears off, leaving you once again in possession of your faculties and vulnerable to enemy Force powers. Note that the anti-Force properties of the Ysalamari do not begin until it is picked up by someone. If the holder of this item is killed, the anti-Force bubble dissipates, and the animal is dropped to be picked up by others (with the remaining time left subtracted from the original 30 seconds).

Capture the Ysalamari (CTY) games are identical to CTF (Capture the Flag) games, except that the flags have a Ysalamari atop them, and create a permanent (as long as they are held) anti-force bubble. The bubble in this gametype is the color of the Flag.

See the bottom of the Capture the Flag page for some tips on playing Capture the Ysalamari (CTY).

You can only hold one of these blue cylinders at a time. When used, it will restore your health points to maximum. It is good for only one use per canister. This inventory item is best bound to a hotkey.

It is a good idea to keep one of these items with you at all times, in case of emergency. If you have one and need health, but Med Packs are handy, I would use those instead. It may also be wise to use Force Heal if minor wounds are needed to be healed (while in relative safety) and save the Bacta for more intense situations where health is needed (ie: open combat). However, you may wish to conserve your force mana, and Bacta will heal you excellently, while your mana recharges.

A more aggressive version of the "training remotes" used for Jedi practice, the Seeker will follow you very closely, once activated. The Seeker will automatically target and fire upon nearby enemies (with a somewhat weak built-in blaster weapon). The Seeker will automatically manuver out of the way of your own attacks and you needn't worry about destroying it by accident. After sustaining a certain amount of damage, it explodes. It will also self-destruct after a certain amount of time, regardless of use. Listen for the distinctive sound when it is about to bust! You can carry only one Seeker in your inventory at a time and can only have one "live" at a time. If the player using the Seeker is killed, his Seeker self-destructs.

The Seeker Drone is not fooled by Force Mind Trick and will begin to fire upon enemies that come within range, regardless of whether or not they are visible. Unfortunately, sometimes the Drone will malfunction and start firing at a wall for no reason (even if no enemies are anywhere near it). This is simple a bug in the game, but doesn't negate the usefulness of the item in general.

This flat metallic item when picked up, is added to your inventory. When used, it places itself directly in front of you and converts itself into a horizontal blue wall of flickering shield energy (red or blue in team games, corresponding to team color).

This shield will immediately lower and then extend itself again, to allow passage by the person (or team) who placed it, but will stop enemies in their tracks. The projected shield is very large, and can overlap walls and other structures, cutting off entrances and exits. Shots and explosives will impact the shield and deal it damage. After sustaining a certain amount of damage (either from enemy or friendly fire) it will disappear and cannot be used again (another shield must be picked up and placed). Also, the shield will lower itself after a certain amount of time, automatically. Only one Stationary Shield can be held at a time, but each player can have several active at once.

The shield does NOT seem to be damaged by an "idle" Lightsaber (ie: simply touching it with the blade without swinging).

Active Enemy Stationary Shields can be Wall Walked/Wall Jumped off of (see Lightsaber section for details on these moves).

This small green fire hydrant-like object is immovable, but when touched and the "use" key is pressed, it will restore Shield points to the user. Every press of the key restores about 2 Shield points, and if the key is held down, they come at a rapid rate.

The Converter (found only in CTF/CTY games) has a limited store of Shield Points, and it must recharge in order to get more. It will make a distinctive sound when it is restoring shields, and another when it is drained. It seems to restore itself at about the same rate as it is drained (about 2 points per 1/5 second). These generators seem to hold roughly 50-60 Shield points at full charge, and are most often found strategically placed near Flag bases in Team maps (providing vital sustaining protection for defenders, or replenishing fuel for returning Flag Carriers).

While sucking the Shield power from a Converter, you can crouch, without interrupting the flow of energy, however if you look away from it, the flow stops. Be aware that you are vulnerable while stocking up on Shields, and the enemy may try to set a trap for you! Due to the slow nature of the Shield restoration, it may be better to grab nearby Shield Generators or Shield Boosts before using the Converter.

This inventory item is a placeable Auto-gun that automatically assembles itself on the flat surface directly in front of you. It will auto-target nearby enemies and fire rapid blaster bolts at them.

The Sentry will self destruct (with an explosion big enough to harm you or others) after sitting around for a certain amount of time, regardless of the amount of use. It can also be destroyed after sustaining a moderate amount of damage from enemy fire or your own fire. In Team games it will only auto target members of the enemy team. One Sentry can be held in your inventory at a time, and you can only have one Sentry "live" at a time.

These can be great to provide supporting firepower in CTF games, and to make passing checkpoints more difficult for the enemy (especially with multiple Sentries placed within a small area). Use them to guard important power-ups (such as the Personal Shield Generator) as well. Placing them at corners, and in high places can help make them more difficult for enemies to spot and destroy before they are fired upon. You will notice that if you switch teams, your placed Sentry will vanish.

These auto-guns have limited range, so if you encounter enemy Sentries, it's a good idea to take them out with explosives or powerful shots from a distance, as hitting them with the saber is difficult (although blocking the shots with the lightsaber may be a good idea, if your goal is to distract the Sentry from your Teammates). The Sentry will not pause in its assault (unless you get out of range) however, so again, the best technique is to destroy from a distance, or to Speed by it before it can track you.

Not affected by Force Mind Trick or Force Lightning.

This Holocron (a floating, box-like device that imparts Jedi wisdom to the one you picks it up) is generated by a holographic projector, much like the various Weapons in the game. Once touched, it automatically activates and a "sunburst" icon appears in the upper right corner of the player's screen, with a number that counts down, showing the amount of time before it wears off. It also imparts a slight glow to the user.

While the Force Boon is activated, the user's Mana pool will recharge itself much more quickly than normal, (but it will not recharge your Mana when certain toggleable powers are activated, such as Speed or Seeing).

If a player that posseses this item is killed, before their Force Boon wears off, the item will pop out of their corpse, and can be picked up by another player, with the time remaining on it available to them for their own purposes.

Even though the Force Boon accelerates your mana regeneration, it doesn't help with toggleable powers (such as Speed, Seeing, Absorb, Mind Trick, etc). When you grab one of these, make use of instant powers like Heal instead. Be prepared to become a sought after target once you pick up one of these.

Much like the Force Boon, this item is also a Holocron, holographically projected, however there are two versions, one for Dark Jedi (Dark Enlightenment) and one for Light Jedi (Light Enlightenment). As one might expect, the Dark version is darker in color than the Light version. When grabbed, this item maxes out the levels on all Neutral Powers and Lightsaber Enhancements, as well as maxed out versions of all your side specific (Dark or Light) powers. This means that you have every power on your side, at Level 3, for the duration of the item!

This power is incredibly valuable, as it can give you powers you did not select, and temporarily enhance all of your powers. While it is active, an icon with the same color as the Holocron, with a picture of an eye on it will appear in the upper righthand corner of your HUD, with the time remaining before it wears off.

As one might expect, this is an incredibly valuable power, so hoard it if you can, from your enemies!

Like the Force Boon, when a player that posseses this item is killed, before it wears off, the item will pop out of their corpse, and can be picked up by another player, with the time remaining on it available to them for their own purposes. Keep in mind that a Dark Jedi cannot pick up the Force Enlightenment of a Light Jedi, and vice versa. In fact, the version opposite of your side (dark or light) will appear "gray," signifying that you can't use it. Note that if you lack a Lightsaber, picking up this power-up will not grant you one (you're still stuck with the Stun Baton).

Combined with the Force Boon, a player becomes super powerful, and will be a sought after target (to gain the power-ups). Know ALL of the Force powers on your side of the Force, so that when you pick up this item, you can make full use of its abilities.

In the teambased CTF (Capture the Flag) game mode, these Flags will appear in the base corresponding to their color (Red for the New Republic team; Blue for the Imperial team).

Running over the enemy team's flag picks it up (your character is shown with a huge flag attached to his back, and a flag icon appears in your HUD). You are now a "Flag Carrier" and your job is to take the flag and make contact with your own flag at your own team's base, in order to score. Killing a Flag Carrier makes them drop the flag they are carrying, and tagging (by touching it) the dropped flag of your team, you automatically return it to your base.

Note that if you suicide (for example by typing 'kill' in the console) while you are a Flag Carrier, the flag will automatically be returned. The same applies if you fall into a bottomless pit!

In CTY (Capture the Ysalamari) the Flag will contain a branch for a Ysalamari and will have the same Force negating effects, for as long as the Flag is held.

Click here for a page with tips on playing Capture the Flag.

Available only in the Holocron Deathmatch (FFA) gametype, these Holocrons are inscribed with an icon, respresenting the Force Power they contain. When picked up, they impart upon the holder the ability to use that Force power at level 3 strength. If the player is killed, he drops the Holocron(s) he has picked up for others to use. You can only hold three Holocrons (default, the server can choose a number from 1-3 or "unlimited" but only three holocrons will be shown swirling around the player) at a time, and picking up another one, will cause you to drop the first of the three that you picked up in favor of the new one.

Dropped holocrons only last for a short time (20-30 seconds) before disapearing. They will of course respawn in their usual spots.

In addition to the usual Neutral, Dark and Light Side force powers (which you can mix and match) there are also holocrons for the various Lightsaber Enhancements.

Some interesting combinations appear. Of note is that Absorb or Protect cannot be combined with Dark Rage (either power forces Dark Rage to go into recovery immediately). In this game mode mana recharges at an accelerated rate as well.

See the section Force section for details on individual powers.

Click here for a page with tips on playing Holocron Deathmatch.

The Lightsaber as a pickup item is only seen in the Jedi Master gametype. The brightly glowing handle when picked up, transforms the force-less players in this gametype into the "Jedi Master" who possesses nearly all the force powers (by default all except for Absorb and Drain) as well as all the lightsaber enhancements, and all at maximum level (this can be very difficult to manage effectively, which is why I recommend creating a CFG file specifically for this gametype and Holocron FFA). He can ONLY use the Lightsaber as a weapon (no guns), though his items still work. He also gets 200 health (which counts down slowly until it reaches 100 where it stays until he's injured). The Jedi Master can only pickup health, items, and armor.

The Lightsaber itself glows gold through walls (much like Force Seeing) and the Jedi Master himself glows blue to others players, also through walls.

When killed, the former Master drops his saber handle, which the next person can pickup to become the new Master. There is only one saber per Jedi Master level, and it always respawns in the same place, when the previous Jedi Master is killed and his dropped handle isn't picked up.

Click here for a page with tips on playing Jedi Master.

All weapons, except for the Lightsaber and Stun Baton require ammunition to be used. There are several different types of ammunition (Blaster Pack Ammo, Energy Cells, Metallic Bolts, and Rockets) and not all weapons use the same types. See the Weapons section for descriptions of each weapon and its ammo types. These ammunition restoring items are picked up by running over them and instantly restore a certain portion of your ammo count, for the appropriate weapon(s). By default, all players begin with the Bryar Pistol and 100 Blaster Pack units in addition to the Stun Baton or Lightsaber. Note that once you have a certain gun in your inventory, you cannot pickup an additional gun except those dropped by killed players or by Force Pulling them away from enemies. These guns will restore the amount of ammo that was in the enemy gun to your own totals.

* See Weapons page.

Note: If you already have a certain gun, you cannot "pick up" another one to get ammo, unless it has been physically dropped by a dead player (in which case you get whatever ammo they had left when they died). Remember that players that are killed only drop the weapon they were holding at the moment of death (all their other weapons and items disapear) except the Stun Baton, Bryar pistol or Lightsaber.

Explosives (red) all have their own type of ammo, and you can always pick up more, until you max out your units.

Maximum Ammo Units Per Weapon

For more information on how many units each weapon uses, head on over to the Weapons page.