An ace pilot becomes afraid to sit at the controls ever again, a bounty hunter quits tracking down people in favor of a different kind of work, an Icon falls out of favor after controversial actions or simply seeks to drop from the lime light, a mercenary moves from payment for military(esque) action in favor of a new career, an outlaw goes legit, a priest loses faith in their god or their god loses support for them (an alignment change for example), a scholar loses interest in their field of study, after a horrific incident a starfarer gives up space travel in favor of adventures exclusive to a known world, or a xenoseeker's passion for new races fades.
All of the themes assume from level 1 to level 20 that you will forever be on that path, but what does one do if the theme stops fitting the character? I know retraining is an option, but that doesn't seem quite right for this (at least some of these).
What do people think of this? Am I seeing a problem that isn't a problem?
Also, what reasons can you come up with that a person might evolve such that a different theme fits them better or simply that their theme stops being appropriate to them?
The Ace Pilot is still an Ace Pilot even though he refuses to touch the controls. The Bounty Hunter still retains that skill set. The Outlaw still approaches problems like a criminal.
Starfinder is less into the 'you dramatically change' concept. Theme in particular is something internal that the character doesn't even really chose for themselves. There is a way to change it, but it's basically erasing one's memory and rewriting it to better suit them.
The Ace Pilot is still an Ace Pilot even though he refuses to touch the controls. The Bounty Hunter still retains that skill set. The Outlaw still approaches problems like a criminal.
Starfinder is less into the 'you dramatically change' concept. Theme in particular is something internal that the character doesn't even really chose for themselves. There is a way to change it, but it's basically erasing one's memory and rewriting it to better suit them.
To a point, I agree, but lets say you have a priest of ZK. They are that way at 1st level and at.. 4th level they swear off the faith, publicly cursing his name, distancing themselves from his clergy. Lets say they had a redemptive arc so thats how that happened.
When they hit 6th level does it make sense they going to have a rank of authority in their faith? At 12th, does it make sense that he's going to give spells to this person who hasn't uttered a single prayer to him in 8 levels, has transitioned outside of the one step from him, and may even be antagonistic towards his clergy?
The Ace Pilot is still an Ace Pilot even though he refuses to touch the controls. The Bounty Hunter still retains that skill set. The Outlaw still approaches problems like a criminal.
Starfinder is less into the 'you dramatically change' concept. Theme in particular is something internal that the character doesn't even really chose for themselves. There is a way to change it, but it's basically erasing one's memory and rewriting it to better suit them.
To a point, I agree, but lets say you have a priest of ZK. They are that way at 1st level and at.. 4th level they swear off the faith, publicly cursing his name, distancing themselves from his clergy. Lets say they had a redemptive arc so thats how that happened.
When they hit 6th level does it make sense they going to have a rank of authority in their faith? At 12th, does it make sense that he's going to give spells to this person who hasn't uttered a single prayer to him in 8 levels, has transitioned outside of the one step from him, and may even be antagonistic towards his clergy?
Then the person would probably find a new god, maybe one that is good aligned, and his redemptive status would elevate him as he rapidly climbs the ranks of his new faith.
Nowhere does it say that a Priest can't trade gods after all.
The Ace Pilot is still an Ace Pilot even though he refuses to touch the controls. The Bounty Hunter still retains that skill set. The Outlaw still approaches problems like a criminal.
Starfinder is less into the 'you dramatically change' concept. Theme in particular is something internal that the character doesn't even really chose for themselves. There is a way to change it, but it's basically erasing one's memory and rewriting it to better suit them.
To a point, I agree, but lets say you have a priest of ZK. They are that way at 1st level and at.. 4th level they swear off the faith, publicly cursing his name, distancing themselves from his clergy. Lets say they had a redemptive arc so thats how that happened.
When they hit 6th level does it make sense they going to have a rank of authority in their faith? At 12th, does it make sense that he's going to give spells to this person who hasn't uttered a single prayer to him in 8 levels, has transitioned outside of the one step from him, and may even be antagonistic towards his clergy?
Then the person would probably find a new god, maybe one that is good aligned, and his redemptive status would elevate him as he rapidly climbs the ranks of his new faith.
Nowhere does it say that a Priest can't trade gods after all.
That does handle one route, but it assumes that they'd jump from one clergy to another. Not something I imagine clerics ordinarily doing all the time either but alright. But what if they don't? What if they become an atheist, having lost faith in the gods. Is it best to decide that counts as a philosophy?
Mnemonic Editor - The network of magic and technology is capable of removing experiences from a patient strapped to the bed over the course of a single 24-hour session. Skills and knowledge can be excised, lessons unlearned and muscle memory altered.
If you use a mnemonic editor, you can undo 2 character levels’ worth of decisions about which class levels you took, which feats you selected, how you applied any level-based increases to ability scores, how you assigned new skill ranks, and so on.
pg 266-267
So if you choose to retrain a level lets say level 1 then you could change your theme with GM approval.
Some themes also assume you continue to go about your life in the exact same way for your entire career. You stay being an idol in the public and being adored. You stay being active within the organized clergy of your faith and are around a lot. You always have black market contacts everywhere and keep up with them.
The Icon, Outlaw, and Priest themes are the big issue, really. The others can easily equate to skillsets the character has just like Classes do.
If you couldn't be an icon your whole life Dancing With The Stars or Celebrity Rehab wouldn't exist.
Yes, but it also assumes you keep getting MORE famous. And Priest assumes you keep advancing in station.
I'd say you keep your current stuff and advance as if themeless, from a GM point of view
I'd say you keep your current stuff and advance as if themeless, from a GM point of view
Either that or start over with a different theme, like multiclassing, so if you do this between 2nd and 5th level, at 6th you get the 1st level ability of a new theme.
Well I would say start over. If you're a protest who stops following the faith didn't suddenly forget what they knew.
I think you are meta thinking right now. It's already been stated but you don't forget the skills of being a Bounty Hunter if you all of a sudden decide to quit your job. If you want to do a "multiple class" type thing with themes then that should be a homebrew and ran by the DM.
Themes are made to be built around your character. It's kind of your job in the game. If you don't want to do that you could go themeless. Or probably start on a new theme starting at lvl 1 minus the bonus in a attribute.
You could flavor it.
"You gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks against lay followers and lower-ranking clergy."
You know certain secrets of your old religion. The clergy must respect your opinion or risk you exposing the inner machinations of their system.
If you're creative enough you can come up with any flavor that can adequately align with the theme track you're on.
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If they put in ways to change your theme people would abuse it and power game their butts off to try to plot out when they should mechanically switch classes.
this.
Han Solo is always going to be an outlaw. No matter where he ends up, or how many points he accumulates in Pilot, that's always going to be him.
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I made a homebrew theme that I called the “Redemptive,” based around an outlaw wanting to reform: Found here
Might be something to look into.
Mnemonic Editor - The network of magic and technology is capable of removing experiences from a patient strapped to the bed over the course of a single 24-hour session. Skills and knowledge can be excised, lessons unlearned and muscle memory altered.
If you use a mnemonic editor, you can undo 2 character levels’ worth of decisions about which class levels you took, which feats you selected, how you applied any level-based increases to ability scores, how you assigned new skill ranks, and so on.
pg 266-267
So if you choose to retrain a level lets say level 1 then you could change your theme with GM approval.
To retrain a theme via an Mnemonic Editor, you would need to use the Mnemonic Editor before you reach 3rd level. I don't think Starfinder has any official way to retrain non-recent choices.
Well either the Ability Score changes, or the benefits change...
Why would you change anything that you already have? What is the thought process behind gaining a +1 strength from being a Mercenary at the beginning of the game and all of a sudden switching to Ace Pilot and gaining another Ability point?
If anything, you would start at lvl 1 when you selected a new theme and not get the ability bonus and keep the skills you already have. But you can only do this at 6, 12, or 18.