Hello I'm looking for advice. I'm playing a melee focused solarian and I'm looking for a decent ranged weapon. I've got a 16 in dex and 6000 creds and can get up to level 8 items. I'd prefer something ine handed so I can weild my solarian weapon at the same time, but if given a good reason, I could change my mind. Thank you for your help. All official starfinder is allowed, nothing else.
Have you considered the humble Starknife, tactical with called fusion (or returning fusion). Cheap at 240+120=360 credits. One handed. Uses strength instead of dex for to-hit. Uses Advanced Melee weapon proficiency and specialization, so does a lot more damage than small arms. If you go with called, you can spend a swift action to bring to hand in addition to bringing it back from 100 feet away as a swift.
If you're level 6 with a 20 Str, thats 1d4+5+6 (13.5 avg) damage, +11 to hit (12 if you have advanced melee weapon focus). If your strength is 20 and Dex is 16, then you hit at a distance of 40 feet with the same accuracy you would hit with a small arms.
Compare the damage to a small arms Semi-auto pistol (60 foot range increment) advanced for 5,500 credits dealing 2d6+3 (10 avg). Presumably +9 to hit at level 6.
Once you get 2,300 + 9,810 spare, you can upgrade to a called or returning Sintered Starknife (4d4+Str+Level). 50 foot range increment. Say at level 8, thats probably 4d4+6+8 (24 avg). That pistol is still only 2d6+4 (11 avg).
Basically anything other than a small arm or thrown weapon is going to require 2 additional feat investments to make work. Thrown weapons are the Melee Solarian's friend.
thanks can't believe I didn't think of that.
Seconding Hiruma, hard to go wrong with a starknife. :)
Yup and the returning fusion is low enough level and cheap enough easy to slap onto star knives so you are not going through them like candy and since it utilizes your stats and skills you already focus in pretty much win win win for you.
I forgot to add you are a solarian so star knives really seem pretty appropriate anyways taste the stars evil doers!
Also consider the shadow staff..
The shadow staff is covered with fell symbols and is often shrouded by a dark Nimbus of shadowy energy as a basic two handed melee weapon a shadow staff deals to 2D6 bludgeoning slashing or piercing damage your choice as it manifests blades or spikes at will and it has the block weapon special property, when a shadow staff is used as a small arm it has a range increment of 60 feet and a single shot consumes two charges from its 40 charge capacity and Deals 2D4 cold damage switching a shadowstaff from melee functionality to range is a swift action Additionally you can use a shadow staff to create Darkness as per the universal creature rule once per day.. it costs 10,000 credits tho. Great for role-playing using graviton