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Sorry. More thoughts on the Engineered-variation of Junk Sword.

I would say that Engineered metal/ceramics would simply give the damage rolls of the next-higher level version of Junk Sword in its analog configuration.

Creating a Powered, Engineered-variation of Junk Sword would involve metal-ceramic components with built-in capacitors and discharge points, but would have the same effect.

Thoughts?

From the Description As Written (DaW?), it sounds like it is a naturally intuitive weapon for the Technomancer, and is closely analogous to a natural weapon, or an unarmed strike. I concur with this logic, but it does not end there.

That said, it is a separate weapon, potentially with reach. It is manifestly a light, one-handed weapon...and could easily be properly configured as an Operative weapon.

Thinking as a Technomancer, I'd be tempted to carry a small bag of engineered, sharp pieces of metal with me to create an Optimized Junksword. Are engineered components required? |not|. But is the Engineered Sword better? |yes|.

Thoughts?

Arc Riley wrote:

"You are automatically proficient with this melee weapon" does not mean the spell provides the proficiency. It could be equally argued that proficiency was gained in the process of learning the spell and/or that the forms it takes will always be ones you're familiar with.

The feat represents time invested in training beyond that required to be proficient with it, so long as its able to be cast regularly that training can take place.

You know, it'd be nice if they wrote a single consolidated definition of "Junk" and used the space saved on repeating the definition in each spell to include considerations like weapon focus for Junk Sword or an option for upgrade slots for Junk Armor.

I flagged this for a FAQ candidate in any case.

Actually, "You are automatically proficient with this melee weapon" is in the spell description; therefore it is an effect of the spell. No other spell, to my knowledge, confers abilities just from knowing the spell, other than being able to cast the spell. As far as RAW is concerned, you gain proficiency in Junksword when you finish casting the spell, and lose it when the spell expires.

Which isn't to say that I disagree that it needs clarification. It totally does. Good FAQ call. I'd love to get basic Weapon Focus on my Nuar Technomancer to include the Junksword, so I could get a bonus with his horns as well.

The idea of using drone technomancy to improve oneself with an exocortex seems like a very natural bent for some types of technomancers.

Is it just as simple mechanically as it seems? Obviously, you aren't getting a physically separate drone chassis in this case...you ARE the drone chassis.

Let me know your thoughts.

Speaking of raising the dead....raise thread!

What happens if you break those rules a la Mickey Mouse Z? A technomancer reach should exceed his grasp, after all.
You just wind up with a more powerful...albeit completely uncontrolled...undead. Not wise, perhaps, but...

This feat allows one to become either photon or graviton attuned. While attuned, as a standard action, one may use EITHER the Black Hole or the Supernova revelation, chosen during feat selection. The feat can be taken twice.

While this feat cannot be taken by a Solarian, if the character ever gains a level in Solarian, this feat instead yields a 2nd level stellar revelation of the same attunement originally chosen.

I see this feat as slightly lesser to Technomantic Dabbler or Connection Inkling.
Thoughts?

Friday Night Firefight laid it out with automatic fire like so:
Full Auto

This attack is best used to cover a wide range of targets or to make sure a single target is dead, dead, dead. A weapon on full auto is a bucking bronco; hard to hold on a target more than a few meters away. Using a scope or taking aim is also impossible. Therefore, range is critical in the full auto technique.

The full auto option is based on the rate of fire (ROF) of the weapon. If attacking more than one target, you must divide the ROF of the weapon by the total number of targets (round down), then roll for each target individually.
FULL AUTO RULES
At Close Range:
For every 10 rounds fired at Close range, add 1 to your Attack Total.
At Medium, Long and Extreme Ranges:
For every 10 rounds fired at Medium, Long and Extreme ranges, subtract 1 from your Attack Total.

For every point of success over the required to Hit roll, one round hits the target, up to the maximum ROF for the weapon.

How about 2 Improved Unarmed Combat styles (Feats)?
The Hard Style: As-is, per Core Rulebook.
The Soft Style: As above, but as an Operative Weapon.

Gleaner-fu is dangerous, and its knowledge is closely guarded.

Re-read the bits about those forces wielding it from the shadows, and let your mind chew on that a while. Plus a gleaner working to unleash a new minor god into the mix is not something to mess with lightly. His/her enemies are going to be just as mighty...and you might be one of them.

Secrets of the dead become open books. It's like getting access to someone's hard drive while the computer's motherboard is being replaced. By the time you're resurrected, someone else knows you better than you'd like.

In a political world, were Kings have power and the ace can find you, secrets are power, and things will get freaky fast.

Here's an idea: The Sorcerer Architype.

From "The Expanse" (S2/3), you can definitely get a feel for a "Scientist" class/archetype in Praxideke Meng (Botanist).

He has deep Life/Physical Science knowledges and effective Engineering skills (he installs an efficient plant-based atmospheric filter system to extend the lifespan of the ship's overtaxed filters). That said, a Soldier/Operative character takes care in training Prax in weapons, for a rescue attempt.

I think it's a worthy class or architype. I'd pair it with Technomancer, but it would be interesting to see Operatives, Mystics (Druid Scientists?), or even Envoys in this role.

Mechanic? Definitely...a hard scientist/engineer.

Level 2: Rational Mental Viewpoint, some form of minor magic resistance. +2 to Will, something else?

Worth pursuing?

Just brainstorming here, because I'll need to take some serious liberties with the term "tidally locked". Let's change it to "a solar directed polar orientation", a la Uranus (a planet "on its side").

Granted, even that would only allow for a migrating habitable-band, as the planet's North would procede as it revolved around its primary, and not stay pointed at the Sun.

(sigh) No, this type of planet would normally happen at or about the orbit of a Mercury-class planet. Or as the moon of a large Giant.

The only things that could mess with gravitational physics at this level would be multi-Deity interactions. Or a game-design that didn't actually involve astrophysicists for sanity-checking.

Firing an object into a catching device or at a 45-degree angle would work as long as:
a) you can keep track of the projectile
b) you either have a soft-catch device, or access to a feather fall (flight) spell.

So, you could:
1) Cast light on the object
2) Fire it into the sky for maximum distance,
3) Have a friendly mage-type waiting at the calculated impact point with the Flight/FeatherFall spell. The Light spell make it easy to track whilst inbound.

If you used this to Empower someone else's weapon, and said Soldier or Operative has triple- or quadrupal-attacks, it would presumably apply to all of them. Teamwork would maximize this ability, which is entirely within the Starfinder philosophy.

There are several possibilities around a given world, but these are the likely patterns.

Highport/Downport - A highport is an orbital station designated as an official port. It will be armed, and have gunships.

Docking fees there will be. Also, refueling facilities, lodging, trading/legal facilities, bars, and low-G repair facilities. Often, highports will be the only ports offered to non-resident starships, and access to the surface or even downports will be limited.

Personal travel and cargo transport will be solely to a designated set of downports by licensed shuttle fleets. Occasionally, other technologies will be in use to move cargo. This is done for security reasons, as well as economic ones.

Cityports - On planets allowing surface landings (at least for residents) there will typically be a cargo field near each city, generally (but not always) on the low-value real estate. Some form of heavy transport will be available to move matériel into the urban center. Most starship services are available in a cityport, usually including heavy repair yards and starship construction. Some will even have older, rocket-based heavy-lift launch facilities.

In such cities, the wealthy will tend to build homes around central, shared landing strips, thus allowing them to also compare/gloat/seethe over each other's craft. Also, very convenient for travel between cities. The ratio of homes-to-landing zone varies widely according to local laws and real estate prices.

Military Starports will generally be separate high- and downports from civilian ports, with dedicated transports.

Sparsely populated worlds and outposts will generally only have downports. These downports will vary in quality from advanced military bases to a marked patch of rock with a transponder. Most commonly, an outpost downport will have refueling facilities and a basic repair yard. The welcoming committee will generally vary in temperament and armament.

Best of luck, Starfinder!

OK, I've basically compared and contrasted both versions of the same character:
* Sd01/Op02/Tm03
* Op3/Tm03

Findings:
* 1 HP difference is nothing.
* The Solder option gives an extra +1 to Fortitude Save; Nada.
* The additional skill ranks are enough to matter.
* Gains in Heavy Armor, Heavy Weapons, Long arms, and 2 more feats not being used in pursuit of Soldier combat damage are effectively possible, but very expensive.

If play-style is heavily combat intensive against foes that require a few more points of AC and damage, it may be a good play. But going pure Technomancer for cutting-edge combat spells may be better.

In balanced play the Op03-Tm03 build seems to be a good, flexible...and fun.. build.

Hi! (Casting Raise Dead on thus thread)

The philosophy I'm embracing is to leverage a couple of dips but go long on a desired end-class.

The Plan:
---: Human, Dex16, Int16, Wis11
S01(Blitz): +4 Init, + 10 Move, Feats(ImpInit, 2ndFeat)
Op01(Ghost): Skills, Edge +1
Op02(Ghost): Evasion, More Skills. Feat(WpnSpec), Op(Combat Feat: Versatile Specialization)
Tech01: Technomancer to the end. Spells.

Intended Result:
1st: Weak soldier. I believe this can be survived.
3rd: 2 levels of Operative give good flexibility, broad skill base, and (thanks to Versatile Specialization) full combat damage with most weapons
6th: 3rd level technomancer, No loss of BAB (+4), improved saves. 1 full spell level back from a single-class technomancer; no way around that, but no worse than that. This loss of magical power is counterbalanced by the soldier-level damage with weapons.

Conclusion:
1st level is the weak point.
The combination of classes and high intelligence will yield a vast dividend of class-ranks and thus, flexibility.
Versatile Specialization damage scales, even the there is a slight BAB penalty to normal 3/4 progression. This can be offset with technology.
Technomancer skills and spells are flexible and powerful.
In the rare case, where high levels are reached, s/he still gains access to 6th level spells, but sacrifices Wish.

Thoughts? Obvious blunders?

Thanks!

DochSavage