Supernova (Su) [Photon mode]
When you’re fully photon-attuned, as a standard action, you can deal 1d6 fire damage plus 1d6 additional fire damage per solarian level to all creatures within 10 feet of you. A creature that succeeds at a Reflex save takes half damage. At 9th level, you can increase the radius to 15 feet, and at 17th level, you can increase the radius to 20 feet. After you use this Revelation, you immediately become unattuned. Supernova functions as a zenith Revelation for the purposes of abilities that reference them.
I recognize the difference between intent and writing. That said, a solarian is a creature, and is a creature within 10 feet of themselves. This functions as a burst, effectively. I can't help but think that technically, a solarian should take damage from their own supernova. I wouldn't force that ruling on my players, but just from reading the ability as its written, it's basically dropping a grenade on yourself. Am I wrong?
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Since it explicitly attacks creatures within 10 feet of you, and is not a 10 foot radius burst of the sort that also could harm objects in the vicinity, it's pretty clearly intended to be a controlled selective blast that excludes the Solarian herself.
The power is coming from them not being Channel through them from another place or power. They are generating the power and projecting it outwards instead of like having a power line in your hand at turn on the power having the power flow through you and then projecting but energy out through your hand and into an enemy. One is like an electric eel and the other one is like sticking your finger in an electric socket and then touching someone.
I appreciate your time and your reply, but to be fair, that's a bunch of flavor you've created, not rules content. Again, I agree with how it should be run, but I don't think the rules bear it out. More later...
Since it explicitly attacks creatures within 10 feet of you, and is not a 10 foot radius burst of the sort that also could harm objects in the vicinity, it's pretty clearly intended to be a controlled selective blast that excludes the Solarian herself.
Well, the solarian is a creature, and the solarian is within 10 feet of the origin of the supernova (them), and there's no verbiage at all about the ability being selective. In fact, it rewards the solarian for staying away from their own team to avoid friendly-fire. Even flanking buddies are vulnerable. Of course, you can burn action economy moving around. Ultimately it seems like this is the gift that keeps not giving.
Either way, for the record my solarian is taking a dirt-nap as of yesterday.
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I don't see how showing up to read the rules with obnoxious literalism while ignoring what you acknowledge to be their plain intent is particularly cute, interesting or a "rules question." ghost's reply at least took it somewhere worth talking about.
And actually I would say that it basically is rules content that the Solarian is producing their power from themselves and not channeling it from somewhere else. This is not explicitly stated but is so clearly implicit in how all their powers function that other conclusions are far harder to support with the rules as written. This does have implications for genuinely interesting rules questions like how the Radiation revelation works and whether armor environmentals should be immune to it.
The KISS method of reasoning heavily favors the notion that solarian self harm, as described, isn't really a thing.
When I read "within 10' of yourself" that implicitly excludes you from the effect. I would expect some additional language if it were to include you in the effect.
You control the fire. It's the same reason your solar armor doesn't instantly kill you.
