RSS Facebook Twitter Email
Community / Paizo Blog

Class Preview: The Solarian

Friday, July 14, 2017

Illustration by Mikael Leger

Of all the Starfinder classes, the solarian is the one hardest to explain in 10 words or less. It is a new class, and a new concept, unique to Starfinder though clearly inspired by various iconic science-fantasy tropes. It can be described as a kind of supernatural philosopher-warrior, with a focus on the stellar powers of light and gravity, but that doesn't give a very good idea of what the class can actually do. For starters, let's take a look at what the Starfinder Core Rulebook has to say about the solarian.

The stars guide the planets with gravity, create life with light and heat, and utterly consume worlds in supernovas and black holes. You understand that these acts of creation and destruction are not opposites, but rather two parts of a natural, dualistic cycle. You seek to be an agent of that cycle, an enlightened warrior with the ability to manipulate the forces of the stars themselves. Constantly accompanied by a mote of fundamental energy or entropy, you can shape this essence in combat to create weapons and armor of gleaming stellar light or pure, devouring darkness. Whether you apprenticed in a temple or came to your powers through personal revelation, you recognize yourself as part of an ancient tradition—a force of preservation and annihilation.

The cycle that empowers and guides solarians is a philosophy that came to the Pact Worlds on the Idari, along with the tradition of the solarians themselves. Even now, nearly a century after the kasatha worldship's arrival in system, solarians are more commonly kasatha than any other race (though certainly there are other solarian traditions, as they can even be found in systems with no contact with Kasath).

The solarian has a full base attack bonus, good Fortitude and Will saves bonuses, 4 skill points per level, and 10 fixed class skills. At 1st level, a solarian gains the skill adept ability, which represents training gained in the process that led to a character becoming a solarian and which grants two more class skills of the player's choice. A solarian has proficiency with light armor, and proficiency and eventually specialization with small arms and basic and advanced melee weapons.

Also at 1st level, a solarian gains a solar manifestation, and access to stellar modes. The solar manifestation is a physical representation of the solarian's stellar powers. When not in use, it is a mote of energy slightly smaller than a fist that glows with light (or is the black of perfect darkness) and hovers near the solarian's head. When activated, the mote becomes either a solar weapon (which is treated as an advanced melee weapon, deals damage that increases as the solarian gains levels, and can be further augmented through the addition of solarian weapon crystals), or solar armor (which enwraps and protects the solarian, augmenting the AC bonus of any light armor the solarian wears and at higher levels giving cold or fire resistance).

Stellar modes are forms of attunement the solarian can focus on in combat. Each round in a fight, the solarian can remain unattuned, or increase either photon attunement or graviton attunement, depending on whether the solarian wishes to draw on the stellar powers of light and heat and life-giving energy, or darkness and gravity and all things being bound together. Every solarian has access to both photon and graviton powers (and gains more via stellar revelations as he gains levels), and can use either even regardless of attunement—though many powers gain additional effects if the solarian is attuned to their power source. For example, a solarian with the 6th-level corona photon power gains cold resistance, and deals fire damage to any adjacent foe that strikes the solarian with a melee weapon. However, if the solarian is photon attuned, the corona also causes any creature that begins its turn adjacent to the solarian to automatically take some fire damage. While some stellar revelations can only target creatures once a day, or only under specific situations, in general there's no limit to how often a solarian can use the powers tied to their stellar modes.

After 3 rounds of attunement to exclusively photon or graviton powers, a solarian can reach full attunement, which grants access to zenith powers. Each solarian begins play with two zenith powers: black hole, which draws a foe closer to you, and supernova, which does fire damage to everyone within 10 feet of you. Using a zenith power causes you to be unattuned afterwards, so zenith powers can be used at most once every few rounds. However, in general there's no other limitation to how often a solarian can use these powers in combat—if a fight lasts long enough to keep cycling through zenith powers, the solarian is free to do so.

While the choice of solar armor or solar weapon and selection of different stellar revelations are the primary customization options for a solarian, they have a few other minor abilities at well. At 3rd level a solarian gains sidereal influence, which allows the solarian to meditate to gain bonuses to photon- and graviton-related skills. At 7th level, a solarian gains flashing strikes, which allows them to make a full attack entirely with melee weapons at a reduced attack penalty, and at 13th level a solarian's onslaught allows their full attack to be three attacks rather than the normal two (though all three attacks are at a slightly higher penalty). At 20th level, a solarian gains full attunement in a stellar mode more quickly, can switch from one full attunement to another, and even spend 1 Resolve to immediately become fully attuned.

Given the importance of stellar modes and stellar revelations, here are two sample revelations.

Blazing Orbit (Su) [6th level photon revelation] As a move action, you can move up to your speed, gaining concealment against any attack made against you during the move, and you can leave a trail of flames in every square you pass through. The flames last for 1 round and deal 2d6 fire damage to anyone who moves into them. You can't move through another creature's space during this movement. If you use blazing orbit again, any flames you previously created with it go out. The damage from the flames increases by 1d6 at 8th level and every 2 levels thereafter.

When you are attuned or fully attuned, any creature damaged by the flames also gains the burning condition (1d6 fire damage; see page 273).

Crush (Su) [6th level graviton revelation] As a standard action, you can increase the effects of gravity on the internal organs or workings of a target within 30 feet, causing it to have difficulty maintaining its normal functionality. The target must succeed at a Fortitude save or become staggered for 1 round. This revelation also affects constructs. You can maintain this effect as a move action each round, but the target can attempt a new saving throw each round to end the effect. Once a creature succeeds at this save or the effect ends, you can't target that creature with crush again for 24 hours.

When you are attuned or fully attuned, you can spend 1 Resolve Point to also stun the target for 1 round. Maintaining crush on subsequent rounds extends the staggered effect, but not the stunned effect.

Owen KC Stephens
Developer

More Paizo Blog.
Tags: Mikael Leger Solarians Starfinder
Search Thread

Search this Thread:

1 to 50 of 300 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | next > last >>
5 people marked this as a favorite.

Now this is exciting. They pull so many interesting ideas. Each time a new preview comes out, I end up thinking, "This is my class." only for the next one to be just as good.

Wow...
11 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

My god, it's full of stars.
Grand Lodge

Awesome!! I wonder what the main Ability score will be that the class is aligned with.
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Yes.
3 people marked this as a favorite.

Both of those revelations seem mechanically terrible. I'm really confused by the choice to show them off.
The Exchange
4 people marked this as a favorite.

Now all I need is a psionic spirit blade ;-)

in all seriousness, really looking forward to this class!
Starfinder Superscriber

Like Jedi only not. I can't wait to see all the things on this!
Liberty's Edge Contributor
2 people marked this as a favorite.

This class looks like tons of fun to play.

Also, bonus points for using the word "sidereal."
4 people marked this as a favorite.

Hm... gravity-powered solarion who forms armor out of darkness...

... We might have magic space-ninjas, everyone.

I feel like this dude totally outshines the actual iconic,which is weird. As for the two abilities themselves, I think they're very cool. I can't help but wonder if the crush ability is worth it since it's a standard to use, though a well-timed stun can save lives.

Blazing orbit, however, is fricken awesome. Instead of rising misses with a second attack, I can circle my enemy, provoking an AoO that has a 50% miss chance, and he's locked in combat with me unless he wants to risk the 2d6+possibly a 3rd as well as seemingly song him on fire. That's a cool battlefield control ability on a Neoral character. Sweet
Liberty's Edge
4 people marked this as a favorite.

Hmm... where's the mind control? Photons and gravitons can have a strong effect on the weak-minded...
2 people marked this as a favorite.

Blazing orbit sounds like a really cool tactical ability. Being able to shut down a horde's movement and still make an attack, or running a circle around a foe so it's just you and them in a ring of fire.

I'm curious how the saving throws of these abilities are calculated. I'd heard the Solarion uses Charisma, is this true?
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Do you choose to spend the resolve point to stun before or after save vs staggered roll is made? I am assuming that you can't stun a target that succeeded on its save.
4 people marked this as a favorite.

The Solarian's Code

There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Cycle!

The Crush revelation is cool, but I feel like that should be Fort save or be stunned for 1 round, and staggered on a successful save. New save on following rounds. I don't like abilities that are essentially the target makes their save and your turn was wasted.

...also, may the Cycle be with you(wow that sounds so weird).

I imagine that some Solarion traditions might be religion focus rather than the Kasathi philosophy-focused traditions. Sarenrae, Desna, Ibra, and the Devourer would probably be the most commonly-worshipped gods in such traditions.
Silver Crusade
2 people marked this as a favorite.

FINALLY A CLASS I ACTUALLY WANT TO PLAY, INTEREST IN STARFINDER HAS RETURNED!

Awesome.

OMG I was loving the Mechanic, but this sounds like so much fun. Most of my play will be society based. So Ill have to pick something an go with it. I hope that this grows to be very popular and we get alot of scenarios ASAP. To many things to play an not enough scenarios.

I joined Pathfinder around season 6. So I had ALOT of scenarios to play.
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Zero the Nothing wrote:

The Solarian's Code


There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Cycle!

The Crush revelation is cool, but I feel like that should be Fort save or be stunned for 1 round, and staggered on a successful save. New save on following rounds. I don't like abilities that are essentially the target makes their save and your turn was wasted.

...also, may the Cycle be with you(wow that sounds so weird).

"Go forth and observe the Cycle" is my first thought, but it could use work

Scarab Sages

I like both power options. The wall of fire can be great for battlefield control and the crush option is very much like Vader force choking and a stagger can be great at shutting down full attacks.

I just want to know what saves are based on.
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Zero the Nothing wrote:
I don't like abilities that are essentially the target makes their save and your turn was wasted.

That's basically what it's like to be a spellcaster that specializes in save-or-suck spells. A 1st level Pathfinder Bard may decide to just spam Daze in encounters against a 3rd/4th level boss. The same is true for Hideous Laughter / Hold Person at higher levels, though casting those now costs resources. Not your playstyle, but I can see it being quite situationally useful.

Grand Lodge
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Micheal Smith wrote:

OMG I was loving the Mechanic, but this sounds like so much fun. Most of my play will be society based. So Ill have to pick something an go with it. I hope that this grows to be very popular and we get alot of scenarios ASAP. To many things to play an not enough scenarios.

I joined Pathfinder around season 6. So I had ALOT of scenarios to play.

3 scenarios, a questpack with 5 1-hour adventures and a pregen special scenario on release, and the first season will be 1 scenario / month.

Campaign management also wants the AP to be sanctioned quickly, but it's bimonthly, so the society content will be slow at first. Just get lots of people enthousiastic, get them to bring in friends and we might see more than 1 scenario per month next season :)

Its notable that the Latter ability presented, the Gravity Crush one, is basically a case of stun lock. You're less capable of attacking them directly, but anyone else that wants to gang up on them has no problem. Especially if they have a reach weapon, but that's besides the point.

The Blazing orbit on the other hand is about battlefield control. You can either use it as a flame wall to act for attrition, or it can assist going through a crowd of enemies without being hit. Presumably for flanking or to attack a Spellcaster at the other end of the room. Though alternatively you can run rings around a melee specialist enemy and then they can either stay there and be shot or poked with spears, or they can get burned.

Those tactics aside (though normally this would be something spellcasters would do), I have to wonder if the spiritualist theme (similar to the mystic) is going to undermine attempts to create unique characters or not.

I can imagine many wanting to play with the fighting style of a character who uses energy constructs as a weapon like this, but I also imagine many of them also wanting to do it in a more individualist or more empirical sense. The former being more like Green Lanturn, drawing the energy more from within themselves and their own will or personality not unlike how it was with Sorcerers; the latter being closer to a Psionic or Phrenic take, being able to do these things because they have insight into reality, rather than some kind of "kinship" with reality.

Of course, I am probably deeply misunderstanding both this Class as well as Mystic. But the "philosophical" nature of this class seems a bit more than some would want to ask for... Perhaps because there's likely a few people out there that don't have much patience for navel gazing. Mostly pragmatists and the hot blooded free spirits.
Scarab Sages Developer, Starfinder Team
18 people marked this as a favorite.
TheGoofyGE3K wrote:
"Go forth and observe the Cycle" is my first thought, but it could use work

"All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again".

"It only ends once. Anything before that is just progress."
"Everything that happens will happen again. Twice."
Damanta wrote:
Micheal Smith wrote:

OMG I was loving the Mechanic, but this sounds like so much fun. Most of my play will be society based. So Ill have to pick something an go with it. I hope that this grows to be very popular and we get alot of scenarios ASAP. To many things to play an not enough scenarios.

I joined Pathfinder around season 6. So I had ALOT of scenarios to play.

3 scenarios, a questpack with 5 1-hour adventures and a pregen special scenario on release, and the first season will be 1 scenario / month.

Campaign management also wants the AP to be sanctioned quickly, but it's bimonthly, so the society content will be slow at first. Just get lots of people enthousiastic, get them to bring in friends and we might see more than 1 scenario per month next season :)

I know I realize all that. I just know that I will much more prefer Starfinder than Pathfinder. The GF on the other hand not so much. I really want to play a mechanic and the Solarian. Basically I told my group. I will play and I will run. Not a fan of first level characters, but this Ill have to really do because I won't know how things play till I play them. I can't wait for Starfinder.

Is "solar manifestation" a typo?

I love the idea of this class and it's abilities sound very cool. Having the Jedi/Not Jedi was probably a must. :-)

It does Makes me wonder how long average combats in Starfinder will be though.

I constantly read on the Pathfinder boards people saying how combats never last more than a round or two (which I should add is not my personal experience) but if that is the case for others I wonder if the Solarions focus ability will be popular.

In at least the pathfinder games I am in most combats average about 9-12 rounds so that would be a great for this class but if other accounts are to be believed it may not be a popular class choice for those who are fast kill focused.

I am interested to see how the mechanics in the system play out.
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Remy P Gilbeau wrote:
Now this is exciting. They pull so many interesting ideas. Each time a new preview comes out, I end up thinking, "This is my class." only for the next one to be just as good.

Pact World problems

Like! Like! Like! Just don't call 'em Jedi! I do wonder how often those Zenith powers will activate in combat though.
Liberty's Edge
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Mashallah wrote:
Both of those revelations seem mechanically terrible. I'm really confused by the choice to show them off.

Yeah, especially after the balanced and interesting powers presented for the Operative, Mechanic, and Soldier.

Concerning, but we don't have the whole picture yet, so I'll remain optimistic. Worst case, they're the new rogues*, and you just avoid playing them if at all possible.

*in an "objectively terrible" sense, not a "stealthy, sneak-attacky" sense.
Scarab Sages
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Owen K. C. Stephens wrote:
TheGoofyGE3K wrote:
"Go forth and observe the Cycle" is my first thought, but it could use work

"All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again".

"It only ends once. Anything before that is just progress."
"Everything that happens will happen again. Twice."

The Cycle of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. ... There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Cycle of Time.

Grand Lodge
Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Micheal Smith wrote:
I know I realize all that. I just know that I will much more prefer Starfinder than Pathfinder. The GF on the other hand not so much. I really want to play a mechanic and the Solarian. Basically I told my group. I will play and I will run. Not a fan of first level characters, but this Ill have to really do because I won't know how things play till I play them. I can't wait for Starfinder.

I know how it feels man. My wife isn't half as enthousiastic about Starfinder as I am :P.

I'm still going for Soldier and Technomancer first, after that's it's hard deciding between Mechanic and Solarian.

Thankfully I'll have plenty of time to decide, since I'm setting myself up as one of the two primary Starfinder GMs in our society lodge.
Owen K. C. Stephens wrote:
TheGoofyGE3K wrote:
"Go forth and observe the Cycle" is my first thought, but it could use work

"All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again".

"It only ends once. Anything before that is just progress."
"Everything that happens will happen again. Twice."

What is? is. What was? will be. What will be *was*, but will be again.

- Horshack the Delduded
Scarab Sages Developer, Starfinder Team
9 people marked this as a favorite.
Luna Protege wrote:
I can imagine many wanting to play with the fighting style of a character who uses energy constructs as a weapon like this, but I also imagine many of them also wanting to do it in a more individualist or more empirical sense. The former being more like Green Lanturn, drawing the energy more from within themselves and their own will or personality not unlike how it was with Sorcerers; the latter being closer to a Psionic or Phrenic take, being able to do these things because they have insight into reality, rather than some kind of "kinship" with reality.

One of the reasons the solarian has a 1st level class feature that lets you pick 2 additional class skills is because there are lots of ways you can become a solarian. If you are a monastic warrior who was taught to use violence as a last resort, you might add Bluff and Culture. If you are the result of a genetic engineering experiment and you have studied the process that made you, you might add Medicine and Life Science. If you were an explorer that was exposed to a million-year-old quantum computer of a long-lost civilization and it rewrote your brain to give you these powers before it turned to dust, you might select Computers and Survival.

Similarly, stellar revelations have a fair number of options. You can focus on combat bonus options, utility options, effects with saves options, or a mix, depending on what you want to do with your character.
The Exchange
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

It looks like a Monk, just with a full BAB. Fiddly round movement/control powers meaning you have to pay attention to or set up your combat options.
Scarab Sages Developer, Starfinder Team
8 people marked this as a favorite.
Gilfalas wrote:
Owen K. C. Stephens wrote:
TheGoofyGE3K wrote:
"Go forth and observe the Cycle" is my first thought, but it could use work

"All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again".

"It only ends once. Anything before that is just progress."
"Everything that happens will happen again. Twice."

What is? is. What was? will be. What will be *was*, but will be again.

- Horshack the Delduded

"The universe will expand, and it will collapse back on itself, then will expand again."

"I come again, with this Sun, with this Earth, with this Eagle, with this Serpent, not to a new Life, or a better Life, or an akin Life: I come again eternally to this identical and same Life, in the Greatest and also in the Smallest, that I will teach again the Eternal Return of all things that I will again speak the word of the great Midday of Earth and Man"

"The Wheel of Time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. "
Silver Crusade
17 people marked this as a favorite.

I'm gonna murder the f$!& out of stuff with a black hole in sword format. All other arguments are invalid.
5 people marked this as a favorite.

"People assume that time is a strict progression from cause to effect. But actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey...stuff."

My only problem is that it's a melee class. I wanna throw around blasts as well, not just use a sword made of light!
The Exchange
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
IonutRO wrote:
My only problem is that it's a melee class. I wanna throw around blasts as well, not just use a sword made of light!

This is my worry actually. How good is melee focus when foes can go at you with blasters and grenades? Does the class have ways to counter these advantages?

Sovereign Court Senior Developer, Starfinder Team
Archmage Variel wrote:
Is "solar manifestation" a typo?

No, but "stellar manifestation" is. Solar manifestation is the correct term. :)

TheLoneCleric wrote:
IonutRO wrote:
My only problem is that it's a melee class. I wanna throw around blasts as well, not just use a sword made of light!
This is my worry actually. How good is melee focus when foes can go at you with blasters and grenades? Does the class have ways to counter these advantages?

I just want to be a superhero that throws around solar plasma.

Silver Crusade
3 people marked this as a favorite.

I'm actually okay with it being melee focused, the lack of melee stuff thus far was a big turnoff for me.
Scarab Sages

When you're inside a ship, effective range is only the maximum distance of the cabin or corridor. Planetside, range can be a consideration, but melee can still be effective, especially when making a ranged attack in melee provokes. This is where boosts to speed such as the cardiac implant can help. And maybe there is a revelation that boosts speed.
Owen K. C. Stephens wrote:
Gilfalas wrote:
Owen K. C. Stephens wrote:
TheGoofyGE3K wrote:
"Go forth and observe the Cycle" is my first thought, but it could use work

"All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again".

"It only ends once. Anything before that is just progress."
"Everything that happens will happen again. Twice."

What is? is. What was? will be. What will be *was*, but will be again.

- Horshack the Delduded

"The universe will expand, and it will collapse back on itself, then will expand again."

"I come again, with this Sun, with this Earth, with this Eagle, with this Serpent, not to a new Life, or a better Life, or an akin Life: I come again eternally to this identical and same Life, in the Greatest and also in the Smallest, that I will teach again the Eternal Return of all things that I will again speak the word of the great Midday of Earth and Man"

"The Wheel of Time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. "

Almost sounds like Solarions are your favorite or that you have played them a lot or something. ;)

J E D I...

S I T H...

Definitely less than 10 words. Still very cool though!

:P
6 people marked this as a favorite.

Will the eventually be a way for a Solarion to dual-wield their energy blades, with one being made of light and one made of darkness?

Because that would be (a) thematic as hell and (b) really effing awesome.
The Exchange
6 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Rogar Valertis wrote:

J E D I...

Definitely less than 10 words. Still very cool though!

:P

Jedi don't manipulate light and gravity (TK and Telephaty are differently themed powers.) And their lightsabers are not expressly part OF them.

If anything this reminds me more of Tenchi Muyo characters.
1 to 50 of 300 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | next > last >>
Community / Forums / Starfinder / Starfinder General Discussion / Paizo Blog: Class Preview: The Solarian All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.