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Class Preview: The Technomancer

Friday, July 28, 2017

To understand the technomancer class, it is necessary to remember that Starfinder is set in a universe where magic is a real, known, fundamental force of the universe. Just as some scientists study physics, and some study chemistry, in Starfinder it is possible to apply the scientific method to the understanding and manipulation of magic itself. With that context set, let's see how the Starfinder Core Rulebook defines the class:

To the uninitiated, magic and technology are completely unrelated, but you know there are more correlations between the two than most suspect. Magic and technology are just tools, and when combined into one discipline, called technomancy, they can be far more powerful than one or the other on its own. You utilize tech to empower, harness, and manipulate magic, and you wield magic to augment, control, and modify technology. You are an expert at hacking the underlying structure of the universe itself, bending the laws of science and nature to your will. Your technomancy— which is gained from scientific study and experimentation—manipulates the physical world, weaves illusions, allows you to peer through time and space, and if necessary, can blast a foe into atoms.

The technomancer has Intelligence as its key ability score, as this modifies its spells per day, many of its core skills, and the save DCs of its spells and class features. The class has an average attack bonus, poor Fortitude and Reflex saves, good Will saves, four skill points per level, and eight class skills. The class grants proficiency with light armor and proficiency (and eventually specialization) with basic melee weapons and small arms. Like the mystic, the game's other core spellcasting class, the technomancer is a spontaneous spellcasting class. It gains access to technomancer spells, ranging from 0-level to 6th level, which represent a significant part of their power.

Technomancer spells are more likely to focus on modifying, emulating, or interacting with technologic devices, evoking or manipulating core energy types (especially fire and electricity), and manipulating or altering raw magical forces. How a technomancer operates can be strongly influenced by their choice of spells known—caustic conversion, logic bomb, and microbot assault are all useful 2nd-level offensive technomancer spells, but each comes with its own advantages and limitations.

Technomancers also receive numerous class features to represent their use of technology and scientific principles in the manipulation of magic. Beginning at 1st level, technomancers gain access to a spell cache, which initially allows you to once per day cast any one spell you know without expending a spell slot. In time, you add a cache capacitor, which allows you to store specific spell effects in your spell cache, giving them 24-hour durations. At very high level, technomancers even gain the ability to regain Resolve Points when they cast their most powerful spells, and can fuse lower-level spell slots together to cast higher-level spells (or, if you combine two 6th-level spell slots and spend two Resolve Points, even cast wish).

Technomancers also select from a list of magic hacks, at 2nd level and every 3 levels thereafter, which are special abilities focused on manipulating magic, technology, or both. Magic hacks are often fueled by spell slots, giving technomancers a new (often very flexible) way to use that resource, but can also modify spells as you cast them, channel battery power into a spell a limited number of times per day, expend (in rare cases) Resolve to create impressive effects, or even simply let you use computers to set up magical surveillance or give you additional spells known. Aside from spell selection, magic hacks are the major customizable element of the technomancer class.

Here's a sample magic hack, this one available at 5th level.

Fabricate Arms (Su)
As a full action, you can expend an unused spell slot to temporarily construct a technological weapon or suit of armor out of raw magic. You can create one suit of armor or weapon with a level equal to or less than the level of the expended spell slot × 3, to a maximum of your caster level. The item appears in your hands, on your person, or in an adjacent square. You can use fuse spells with this magic hack. A weapon can't be larger than two-handed, and the size of the item can't exceed 10 bulk. The quality of the item is average for its type. Treat this as a spell of the same level as the expended spell slot. For example, at 10th level, you could expend a 3rd-level spell slot to fabricate a weapon of 9th level or lower, or expend a 4th- level spell slot to fabricate a suit of armor of 10th level or lower. The armor or weapon persists for a number of rounds equal to your technomancer level. At the end of this duration, the item disappears. You are proficient with (but not specialized in) any weapons you create with this ability. You can't create magic items, weapons made from a special material, or weapons that are expended with use (such as arrows, grenades, or missiles) with this magic hack.

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Luke Spencer wrote:
I assume it's because there will probably be vehicle-grade and ship-grade weapons that are super unbalanced in non-vehicle/ship combat and you know there are gonna be those players that use the most obscure combination of spells and abilities to summon orbital cannons and one-shot every major encounter because 'the rules don't say I can't!'

I thought that might be the case, but then I thought that vehicle-grade weapons would probably be in the Bulk 15-20 range (if not much bigger), and by the time you're level 15-20, vehicle-mounted weapons won't be that different from what you can wield as a personal weapon (like the Mach III Swoop Hammer which does 14d10 bludgeoning & fire + knockdown on a crit, or the Dimensional Slice Curve Blade which does 12d10 slashing + 6d6 bleed on a crit, both 20th level weapons).

Doktor Archeville wrote:
Luke Spencer wrote:
I assume it's because there will probably be vehicle-grade and ship-grade weapons that are super unbalanced in non-vehicle/ship combat and you know there are gonna be those players that use the most obscure combination of spells and abilities to summon orbital cannons and one-shot every major encounter because 'the rules don't say I can't!'

I thought that might be the case, but then I thought that vehicle-grade weapons would probably be in the Bulk 15-20 range (if not much bigger), and by the time you're level 15-20, vehicle-mounted weapons won't be that different from what you can wield as a personal weapon (like the Mach III Swoop Hammer which does 14d10 bludgeoning & fire + knockdown on a crit, or the Dimensional Slice Curve Blade which does 12d10 slashing + 6d6 bleed on a crit, both 20th level weapons).

True, but the ability is 5th level so from 5th to 15th level you'd be able to conjure pretty overpowered gear. I think it's probably just easier to balance things when there's an explicit set of parameters vs implied parameters which can abused down the line.

Plus they're may be a Fabricate Turret later

Hmm... I suddenly wonder more about Fabricate Arms... It's limited by caster level, unlike normal crafting. Which leaves us with an obvious question of if certain mechanics can still grant higher caster levels.

If it did, your fabricate arms could under certain circumstances be even better than the Char-level+3 buying, and definitely better than regular crafting.

Meanwhile... I wonder if Item Level goes past 20. Would a Level 20 character be shopping around for a level 22 weapon? Or a level 23 weapon?

Weird that I'm already making hypothetical questions on min/maxing for clearly utility abilities.
Luna Protege wrote:
Hmm... I suddenly wonder more about Fabricate Arms... It's limited by caster level, unlike normal crafting. Which leaves us with an obvious question of if certain mechanics can still grant higher caster levels.

It's capped by CL and 3 x spell level. So if spell progression is the same as Pathfinder the best and worst you'll do with your highest level 6th slots is 16-18 level weapon.

Plausible Pseudonym wrote:
Luna Protege wrote:
Hmm... I suddenly wonder more about Fabricate Arms... It's limited by caster level, unlike normal crafting. Which leaves us with an obvious question of if certain mechanics can still grant higher caster levels.
It's capped by CL and 3 x spell level. So if spell progression is the same as Pathfinder the best and worst you'll do with your highest level 6th slots is 16-18 level weapon.

It also mentions you can combine spells for this, more specifically; it says "You can use fuse spells with this magic hack." It's the end of the second line of the description.

So, in theory, you could sacrifice two 6th level spells for an item of roughly level 36.

That is... Assuming you can get your caster level high enough. Which, no doubt... You cannot. In Pathfinder, a realistic caster level for a single spell is CL 24 at level 20.
Luna Protege wrote:
Plausible Pseudonym wrote:
Luna Protege wrote:
Hmm... I suddenly wonder more about Fabricate Arms... It's limited by caster level, unlike normal crafting. Which leaves us with an obvious question of if certain mechanics can still grant higher caster levels.
It's capped by CL and 3 x spell level. So if spell progression is the same as Pathfinder the best and worst you'll do with your highest level 6th slots is 16-18 level weapon.

It also mentions you can combine spells for this, more specifically; it says "You can use fuse spells with this magic hack." It's the end of the second line of the description.

So, in theory, you could sacrifice two 6th level spells for an item of roughly level 36.

That is... Assuming you can get your caster level high enough. Which, no doubt... You cannot. In Pathfinder, a realistic caster level for a single spell is CL 24 at level 20.

I don't think the levels of fused spells are just added up

Seisho wrote:
Luna Protege wrote:
Plausible Pseudonym wrote:
Luna Protege wrote:
Hmm... I suddenly wonder more about Fabricate Arms... It's limited by caster level, unlike normal crafting. Which leaves us with an obvious question of if certain mechanics can still grant higher caster levels.
It's capped by CL and 3 x spell level. So if spell progression is the same as Pathfinder the best and worst you'll do with your highest level 6th slots is 16-18 level weapon.

It also mentions you can combine spells for this, more specifically; it says "You can use fuse spells with this magic hack." It's the end of the second line of the description.

So, in theory, you could sacrifice two 6th level spells for an item of roughly level 36.

That is... Assuming you can get your caster level high enough. Which, no doubt... You cannot. In Pathfinder, a realistic caster level for a single spell is CL 24 at level 20.

I don't think the levels of fused spells are just added up

Given that two 6th level slots and 2 resource points are used for a "9th level spell", I would agree with you.

edit - The quotes are because we have no 9th level casters (yet), but they mentioned it was something that could come in later.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Plausible Pseudonym wrote:
It's capped by CL and 3 x spell level. So if spell progression is the same as Pathfinder the best and worst you'll do with your highest level 6th slots is 16-18 level weapon.

We know the Mystic's spell progression from the preview spread on Enworld. I strongly suspect the Technomancer spell progression to be identical from a "looking at the table in the CRB" perspective, with the differences being based on class abilities (Bonus spells the mystic gets from a connection vs the Technomancer's spell cache / selecting more spells known through a spell hack). But yeah, it ought to work as you describe.

Maybe this spell fusion thing will allow "virtual slots" of 7th+ level, but that's pretty speculative. In any case, I wonder what level items at the CRB go up to. 20? 22?
Pathfinder LO Special Edition, PF Special Edition Subscriber

I am so looking forward to playing this class with my Ysoki (though there was/is a temptation to go Mechanic too). I'm excited to see what kinds of things I can do that will make my DM both groan and laugh (because that is half the fun).
Hrodwulf wrote:
I am so looking forward to playing this class with my Ysoki (though there was/is a temptation to go Mechanic too). I'm excited to see what kinds of things I can do that will make my DM both groan and laugh (because that is half the fun).

I don't know how many times I've said I'm going Kitsune Technomancer in any houserule/homebrew games I play. The reason why I would rather that than Yoskoi is mostly just that Yoskoi look a bit too... Ratty and torn looking for my tastes. Not sure why, but there don't seem to be many pretty looking Yoskoi/Ratfolk.

It's weird, I always try to play charismatic characters even when playing INT based spell casters, yet for some reason, I'm always ending up playing the "bad cop", since for some reason the role of "good cop" is always taken.
Pathfinder LO Special Edition, PF Special Edition Subscriber
Luna Protege wrote:
I don't know how many times I've said I'm going Kitsune Technomancer in any houserule/homebrew games I play. The reason why I would rather that than Yoskoi is mostly just that Yoskoi look a bit too... Ratty and torn looking for my tastes. Not sure why, but there don't seem to be many pretty looking Yoskoi/Ratfolk.

In my current game I'm playing a Ratfolk Wizard, and my DM get's such a kick out of how I play the character (Which I'm having a lot of fun with too), that he's actually playing with the idea of having my character fired off into the future due to a failed ritual, and now having to start over again to regain his power and try to return home. Plus I just use the image of the Ratfolk spellcaster from Pazio's Cohorts and Companions when people ask what I look like.

That being said Kitsune would be tied for my number two choice along with Tengu.
Scarab Sages Developer, Starfinder Team
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Hrodwulf wrote:
Plus I just use the image of the Ratfolk spellcaster from Pazio's Cohorts and Companions when people ask what I look like.

I was so pleased with how that art order turned out. That was the image on the back of my original Paizo business cards.

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Ratfolk can be pretty cute.
Pathfinder LO Special Edition, PF Special Edition Subscriber

My only annoyance, for lack of a better word, is the difficulty trying to find a decent mini. I wish I could get one based on the image I mentioned previously. Though that would not work as well for Starfinder, but who knows maybe when companies start making for that perhaps I can find something cool.
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