Andy Schroder's page

I really wish they had spent a little more effort in telling us how the Drift works. The snippets we have are awfully hard to weave together without a pattern, and a bunch of questions that are pretty important for telling a story are unable to be answered without just guessing:

We know that a ship must disable its thrusters for one minute prior to entering the drift. We also know that a round of space combat has no set duration, so... Can you enter the Drift in combat? If a foe does the same, are you near each other in the Drift? Or can entering the Drift be used as a form of escape?

Can the Drift itself be navigated? Is it possible to return to a derelict spacecraft that you discovered in the Drift before? Would you have to follow the exact same route to find it?

Do points in the Drift correspond with points in the normal space? If you activate your Drive in a certain spot in normal space, will you always appear in the same place in the Drift? And vice-versa?

Finally, this is the hardest one to wrap my head around: reconciling faster and slower Drift drives with the statements that ships use their thrusters to move through the Drift and that the Drift itself is one, single alternate plane.

What happens if two ships with different classes of Drift drive leave at the same moment to travel the exact same route (from each ship's viewpoint)? One ship's journey requires 10 days, the other ship needs only two days. How exactly do they interact in the Drift?

P.245 : Ranged Attacks with a Thrown Weapon : "With a thrown weapon or a grenade, you can make a ranged attack at a target..."

(Next PP) Targeting a Grid Intersection : "When using a thrown weapon that has an area effect, such as a grenade, you target a specific grid intersection on a tactical battle map, rather than a specific creature."

Question #1 : So which is it? Can you choose to target an enemy's KAC, or do you have to target a grid intersection? Is the "or a grenade" an artifact from a previous rules incarnation?

Question #2: Can a grenade score a critical hit (targeting that AC 5 grid intersection) that does 2x damage to all targets in the radius (possibly mitigated by a successful reflex save)?

p.181 - Explode : "When you attack with this type of weapon or ammunition, aim at a grid intersection."

Question #3: Is the Plasma Cannon intended to *only* target a map intersection (as written)?

With only two combat-dedicated suits of Powered Armor available, getting that feat or proficiency isn't too exciting, as you'll be spending a lot of levels with gear that is much lower Level than your CR. So I came up with a reasonably simple system for upgrading any suit of Heavy Armor into Powered Armor.

1. Select base Heavy Armor from list.

2. Determine Powered Armor Size And Weapon/Armor Upgrade slots:
Total Slots = Heavy Armor Upgrade Slots - 1 (minimum 2)
Medium Size if Total Slots = 2 or 3
Large Size if Total Slots = 4 or 5
Huge Size if Total Slots = 6+
A Huge suit may be converted to Large size by reducing total slots to 5.
A Large suit may be converted to Medium size by reducing total slots to 3.
You cannot convert a smaller suit into a larger one.

Allocate Total Slots amongst Weapon Slots and Armor Upgrade Slots.
Both Weapon Slots and Armor Upgrade Slots have a minimum value of 1.

3. Cost = Heavy Armor cost x 1.2

4. AC Modifications:
Medium Size : EAC +1, KAC +2
Large Size : EAC -1, KAC +2
Huge Size : EAC -3, KAC +2

5. Speed : Reduce penalty by 5 if Medium Size (cannot go above zero), Increase penalty by 5 if Huge Size .

6. No Max Dex change.

7. Armor Check Penalty increases by 2 (gets worse).

8. Strength = (Level +13) if Medium Size, (Level +14) if Large, (Level +15) if Huge.

9. Damage = Die or dice whose average is (Level / 3) +4

10. Power Consumption :
Medium Size : (Level /5) = Charges per Hour
Large Size : (Level x 4) = Charges per Hour
Huge Size : (Level x 6) = Charges per Hour

11. Bulk = (Level x 2) +10 if Medium Size, (Level x 2) +13 if Large, (Level x 2) +18 if Huge.

It's certainly not a perfect system (Lashunta Ringwear V ends up being quite the bargain over the Jarlslayer), but it is simple and easy to use, and at the very least might serve as a guideline to build your own system from.

In the vein of more gear (a popular refrain), more Powered Armor.

One of my favorite sci-fi elements is Powered Armor, and there are only five suits listed, one of which is a Power Loader (like in Aliens), then the base Combat model at 5th, then not 'til 10th is there a weird spider-mecha suit (with defenses one point better than the 5th level suit), then at 11th is a 24ft tall flying robot, then finally at 15th the Combat Model Mk2.

Seeing as Dead Suns tops out at about 12th level or so, I doubt I'll be using Power Armor for this AP. I like the idea of Power Armor, but I don't like the idea of having 5th level defenses at 12th level (or having to buy a second suit of lower-defense light armor to wear underneath... kludgy!).

The theory behind loot is very different in Starfinder.

The biggest difference is that, because of how bonuses to hit and damage are acquired, the odds of you looting a weapon that you actually want to use are astronomically higher than in Pathfinder:

The Iconic Pathfinder Slayer wants a Kukri. Using a looted Magic Sword will cause them to lose all kinds of bonuses, so they'll sell it.

In Starfinder, if you are a Small Arms user, then your Weapon Specialization and any Weapon Focus feat will apply equally to any Cryo, Flame, Laser, Plasma, Projectile, Shock or Sonic Pistol that you happen to come across.

(It's true that Soldiers can choose to get equipment bonuses to single categories, but for them, it's pretty much gravy.)

The same is true for armor. You might skip out on a looted suit that has better EAC/KAC but also a big Armor Check penalty, but then, that's you choosing, just like in Pathfinder.

I *suspect* that considering the desire to both avoid certain penalties and to customize them with Mods that players will be spending the majority of their credits on their armor, and will tend to use whatever weapon they can get their hands on (literally).

Generally speaking, if a class gives you a specific feat, you don't need to qualify for it. In Pathfinder at least, I assume it still holds true in SF.

I don't think that it is quite as cut and dried as it seems. The significant phrase here is this :

p.242 : "Most classes grant proficiency with light armor, and more melee oriented classes, such as soldiers, grant proficiency with heavy
armor."

Being "granted proficiency" is not the same as "gains the Heavy Armor Proficiency Feat."

So yes, a STR 10 Soldier *can* use heavy armor without problems, because he is granted proficiency.

However, if you get the actual feat (even if a class gives it to you), you *have* to qualify for it in order to use it (p. 152 'Prerequisites').

Case in point: The Armor Storm Soldier's 'Enhanced Tank' technique says: "You gain the Powered Armored Proficiency feat". If you want to *use* that feat, you must meet the prerequisites (including STR 13).

Compare that to the Guard Soldier's 'Guard's Protection" technique, which says: "In addition, you are now proficient with powered armor." No requirements necessary, because it isn't a feat.

The Medpatch is only 50cr... It can save your life*

(*Disclaimer : Medpatch may or may not actually save your life.)

"For effects targeting creatures by type, androids count as both humanoids and constructs (whichever effect is worse)."

Seeing as 'Construct' was not clearly defined, I have a few questions:

Can Androids benefit from Morale Bonuses ?
(I suspect the answer is 'no' based on the Envoy's 'Expanded Attunement' improvisation.)

Can Androids benefit from the Mending spell ?
(If they are considered as Constructs, the answer is Yes. If they are considered as Humanoids, the answer is No. If they have to pick the worse effect between 'Yes' and 'No', that would be 'No'.)

Soldier Theme, level 6 ability is "Grunt"

"Treat your Strength as 1 higher when determining your bulk limit."

Seeing as bulk limit is determined by half your Strength (and you always round down), there is a 50/50 chance this ability has no effect.

Wondering if it is a holdover from Pathfinder, where every point of strength increased your carrying capacity.

Perhaps that 1 should be a 2.

Multipass!
Succeed on a Bluff check in a crucial situation by rolling a natural 20.

We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?
Fail a Bluff check in a crucial situation by rolling a natural 1.

I'm a Doctor, not a...
Succeed on a non-class skill check by rolling a natural 20.

Hey, if you'd been listening, you'd know that Nintendos pass through everything.
Fail a non-class skill check by rolling a natural 1.

Gravity is a harsh mistress
Survive a fall from orbit in either an unpowered vehicle or a space suit.

We need to talk about the bonus situation
Successfully negotiate for a higher payment from an employer.

30) An error in transcription by a wizard's apprentice caused the creation of the spell "Bull's Length".

After the human population of Golarion was decimated over the next millennia due to inability to have children, the Gods stepped in and isolated Golarion to prevent the spread of the spell while they sorted it all out.

It was decided to erase the memory of Bull's Strength to prevent a recurrence, but, humans being what they are, to be on the safe side, *all* knowledge was erased from the "Expansionist" era.

Thus the Gap.

1. Remove Power Attack and all its variants (Piranha Strike, Deadly Aim).

2. Calculate Crit Damage by rolling your dice, adding the weapon's enhancement bonus, multiplying by the crit number, *then* adding stat bonuses.

Why, you may ask? I remember 2E D&D epic fights where the fortunes of battle waxed and waned. Fights where lucky rolls turned the tide and unlucky ones were a huge setback. Fights where round-per-level buff spells ran out. Fights where, when it was all over, the victory felt substantial.

In Pathfinder now, there are about a half dozen ways to make an 8th level character who can do well over 100 points of damage in a single round (and few 8th level characters have anywhere near 100 HP), and some of the bad guys follow suit. Unless there's a metric crapton of bad guys, the fights are over before they have even begun. There's no flow. A lucky roll means the fight is over and you win. An unlucky one means you are dead.

Could just be my Ruby Lenses of Retrocognition, but I miss that playstyle.

You might also consider this feat (esp. if you have a good INT)

Amateur Investigator

It lets you add a d6 to your d20 roll (*after* you make the roll and know whether it failed or not) for any Trained Knowledge, Spellcraft or Linguistics check and can be used a number of times per day equal to your Int bonus.

Bound = helpless. This is also explicitly called out.

So if that's true, then the first level spell Animate Rope allows you to CdG someone in one round?

"A creature capable of spellcasting that is bound by this spell must make a concentration check with a DC of 15 + the spell’s level to cast a spell."

So I can cast a Quickened Animate Rope as a Swift Action, then perform the CdG as a Full-Round Action in the *same* round? Sweet! I hope your Touch AC is good...

Or *not* !

Regardless of what combination of five letters you're looking at, all of the other conditions listed under helpless have the same restriction:

Paralyzed : You cannot take *any* physical actions.

Held : You cannot take *any* physical actions.

Sleeping : You cannot take *any* physical actions.

Unconscious : You cannot take *any* physical actions.

Pinned : You can make Grapple or Escape Artist checks to break free and can cast verbal only spells. These are both physical actions.

Whatever "bound" was intended to mean, Pinned is *not* the same thing. You are very restricted in what physical actions you may take, but you still have that option.

The Scarlet Pimpernel sounds about right.

Harmless fop by day, and bold scoundrel by night.

Sink Me! I'm a poet!

After having given the pertinent sections a thorough read, I'd be very hesitant to allow CdG against a pinned opponent, by this reasoning:

Given : In order to perform a CdG, the opponent must have the Helpless condition.

Given : A Helpless opponent has a Dex of Zero.

Given : A Pinned opponent does not have a Dex of zero.

Therefore : A Pinned opponent is not a Helpless opponent, and so cannot have a Coup de Grace performed on them.

PCRogue meets Cleric, shakes his hand and blatantly steals ring. As the Cleric begins to react, PCFighter (preferably disguised as a city guard) punches PCRogue in the face "knocking them out cold", and, prying open PCRogue's *other* hand, casually hands the fake ring to the Cleric before hauling PCRogue off to "jail".

The best Con Job is one where the mark feels lucky that it happened...

For me, my greatest weakness as a GM is that I forget sometimes that the greatest stories are really made up of lots of little stories strung together.

Starting that new campaign, you have the storyline all laid out in front of you. For an example, let's use the storyline of Lord of the Rings. It's so easy to become so focused on the "Got to get the ring to the mountain" aspect that this becomes the only visible goal, and the moment that goal seems too far away, both the players and the DM tend to get fatigued. Ive seen it happen on the third or fourth session (ow!).

But LotR is made up of lots of great 'little stories', a fair number of which are incidental at best to the overall plotline. I think the trick to avoiding campaign and player burnout is to put a tighter focus on those smaller stories. That way, every session or two, the players get to accomplish a goal. It doesn't matter whether the goal was directly related to the story or not, it's still a mark in the win column for the players, and gives them a new mini-challenge to focus on while the overarching storyline plays out.

A lot of people recommend a break for a week or two with boardgames or miniature games, but in my experience all those do is tend to hammer the final nail in the campaign's coffin.

One trick I have used successfully is to turn the tables on the party. Say they are clearing the countryside of orcs for the benefit of the local lord. Once the players have made significant headway, switch it around. The local Orc chieftain, hard pressed under the human assault, mortgages his future by hiring mercenaries. Have the players take over these characters, be they Goblinoids or members of other races for whom coin is the only motivator. That way, they can fight a desperate battle against incredible odds, perhaps culminating in a last stand in which they fall valiantly under the oppressive blades of the human scourge (the party members having returned to their main characters for the final battle).

It's good for a one-off, but not the sort of gimmick that you can use often.

Part of the "no parents, no connections" thing may come from past GMs who've used any connections against the PCs. Anything you care about is a hostage who can be killed or captured or hurt to jerk the characters around.

I can see where this would be a problem when handled poorly by a GM, but in my mind, these are precisely the sorts of things that can make for great stories.

I blame the Hero System for fixing it firmly in many gamers' minds that having someone you care about is a Disadvantage; Likewise character flaws and weaknesses.

I love the idea of the plot point cards, and one step further, a system I first encountered in the Serenity RPG. Every time your character has a story complication due to a weakness or flaw, he gets a bonus. That makes the critical failures more palatable and can eventually get players to embrace their characters' flaws.

And a character who always tells the truth, guided by a player who is looking to get that flaw to operate more often rather than never at all... Well that can make for some great storytelling.

If you're not an oldster like me, you may not have been exposed to a "classic" cartoon from the early '80s...

Yeah, I'm talking about Thundarr the Barbarian. If you have access to the Boomerang TV channel, they show it from time to time. I think there were about 20 episodes. It was pretty much *the* post-apocalyptic swords and sorcery media.

The opening credits:

"The year: 1994. From out of space comes a runaway planet hurtling between the Earth and the moon, unleashing cosmic destruction. Man's civilization is cast in ruin. 2000 years later, Earth is reborn; a strange new world rises from the old... A world of savagery, super-science and sorcery! But one man bursts his bonds to fight for justice! With his companions Ookla the Mok and Princess Arial, he pits his strength, his courage and his fabulous Sun-Sword against the forces of evil! He is Thundarr the Barbarian!"

Most of it is so-so. Some is awful, some is pretty darn good.

Because stating that the afflicted person "can't take any other actions" then 5 lines later stating that it can use other actions if not specifically stating that they must, is counter intuitive.

It seems clear that the intention was that the only actions allowed (or mandated) are those which allow the character to get away faster.

Haste, Teleport or Flight get you away faster, so are optional unless a character is cornered and those spells would help, in which case the character *must* use those spells.

So instead of this line :

"It can't take any other actions."

substitute

"It can't take any other actions, unless those actions would improve its ability to move faster."

Since closing a door does not make you move faster, that action is not allowed.