Driftbourne's page

So was told like in 2015 that the very cool pregen I was playing wasn't allowed to be used as my actual 'character' and wasn't eligible for any rewards and I could only use it this once because I didn't have my own char. Um that true that pregens aren't allowed to level up or keep gear?

The part in bold is because to get the rewards from playing a pregen, you still need to have an Organized Play account, and your own character registered on the Paizo site to apply it to. The GM can't report your character to the Paizo website without it. The GM also needs your account and character numbers to fill out a chronicle sheet to give you at the game.

From this web site You need to go to: My Account > Organized Play > At the bottom of the Summary tab > Chose what edtion of which game you are making a character for.

If the GM gave you an account number, use that, or one will be given to you when you make your Organized Play account. That's your main account number, then, in addition to that, every character you make has its own character number. For PF2e, character numbers always start at 2001; for SF2e, they start with 2701. Second characters are either 2002, or 2702, and so on.

Playing a pregen can help level up your own character, but you never get to level up a pregen yourself. Each pregen has a 1st, 3rd, and 5th level version of it. SF2e also has a 7th-level version. So if you need a pregen for a high-level scenario, you just use the appropriate level pregen for it.

Getting gear from a scenario is done through the chronicle sheet you get for playing in that scenario. Chronicle sheets are assigned to your characters, even when playing a pregen, and never to the pregen. Note, you still have to pay to get the gear from a chronical sheet if you want to use it. Also, you may find and use other gear during a scenario, but if it's not on the chronicle, you lose it at the end of the scenario. The other way to get gear is for your character to buy it.

Information on how Organized Play works is on the lorespire.

You guys must have a mandate to create totally bonkers ancestries. Cuz you got skeletons, you got animated fireballs, autistic lobsters, gremlins with six arms. Does Piazo have a 'must create the most off the wall races' mandate? I'm just impressed at all these utterly bananas races you guys make.

Welcome to the Cantina!

Starfinder 1e had over 140 playable species; with that many, if you don't get strange, it's hard to make that many ancestries stand out from each other.

You can copy the character mechanics in most cases, assuming they are available to you, but the names and background stories of the pregens are part of Paizo's Product Identity.

Fill me in on the nuance whether it is infinite or ORC?

Not an expert on this, so could be wrong, but I think the general gist of it is ORC just lets you use the rules, Infinite lets you use the setting IP.

Jim Bulter posted a comment on this in the blog post thread

You're totally right here. When the guidelines come out, I suspect they will be Infinite-based and not ORC-based. We've updated the blog to remove mention of the ORC.

link to full comment.

Not sure, but that comment could still be referring only refering to SF2e/PF2e. I do think it would be a good move for Paizo to allow this for SF1e/PF1e. The people who are still playing PF1e aren't likely to switch anytime soon if they haven't done so by now.

Finally I get to join the island!

There's an island! In that case, I need to GM more...

Hey all,

I wrote this blog well before Monday's layoffs and cuts to Organized Play were announced. The scheduled blog about upcoming rule changes will not be happening until we have more information on the future of Organized Play. Apologies for the delay.

Thanks for letting us know. As we wait for this update, a few thoughts come to mind.

"Ask not what Organized Play can do for you, but what you can do for Organized Play"? What can we do to help?

I also wonder if the quickest way to see how much support there is for Organized Play and help fund it would be to do a Kickstarter for an Organized Play project.

Star Contestant +1 status bonus works with Competitive Spirit +2 circumstance bonus.

A contestant with the quick jump feat could use hardlight props to make an ongoing obstacle course to cross difficult or hazardous terrain. Although the Star Contestant Competitive Spirit combo could work with any skill check.

I had a funny situation in a game I ran, where, after the first PC failed a skill check, everyone else in the party had Competitive Spirit. With a series of bad dice rolls, everyone with Competitive Spirit got to use it in a chain reaction. Had some of the players been Luminaries, this could have set up multiple players with the Star Contestant Competitive Spirit combo on their second try. This could work well in any encounter using victory points, requiring several rounds of skill checks.

Even if you don't get to stack Star Contestant and Competitive Spirit, your garentieed to get a bonus if you or another PC fails.

It might not be related, but the delay in getting the sanctioning of the SF2e adventures for organized play might turn out to be an advantage, as the release of new scenarios slows down after October.

I know what my character would do.

The best scenario to do that in is Fly Free or Die! Which I just noticed is on sale for 50% off.

Fly Free or Die!.

To Defy the Dragon would also be a good standalone for that.

Fly Free or Die!.

It wouldn't be hard to modify The Great Grav Train Robbery to make the goal to steal back all of Paizo's books.

Fly Free or Die!.

Funny how executive paycuts are never on the table.

I wouldn't be surprised if this affects the executive bonuses. Paizo is not a corporation trying to boost its stock prices by laying off people. With the tariffs and the Diamond disaster, this looks like a survival move to me.

I'm just going to toss this out there... Paizo needs money?

I.P.O. DO IT DO IT. I would absolutely put some equity into you guys, without looking twice. Seriously, if you're paying any attention to the markets these days? We're talking $100 million offering, without flinching.

That's the day I give up on Paizo. First, the IPO, then enshitification starts, then private equity gets involved, drains any value left before killing the game. After how Asomdee handled X-wing and Armada, and what Hasbrow did to D&D, no thanks.

Dedictated Divine, Primal and Occult classes...

Biohacker...

Vanguard, maybe now as a Constitution-based class...

Evolutionist, maybe as a new field for the Biohacker...

Conversion guide for all PF classes and ancestries, at least the most important things...

Biohackers could be an explanation for why someone becomes an Evolunist, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-like, but having the Evolutionist as part of the Biohacker really limits what both the Biohacker and Evolutionist can be and do. Sf1e Evolunist are good at starting dumb and strong and evolving to be smarter over time, which doesn't work well starting out as a Biohacker.

To really do a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-like class, you really need 2 character sheets with different classes. Or, as part of the transformation, you gain a temporary archetype and maybe a new heritage too.

How can the playtest be only halfway through, when the blog says 6/10 (today) is when it ends?

It's like just a typo since the original blog post announcing the playtest says "beginning May 11th (today!), and continuing through July 10th, 2026."

Just a few days ago, a TTRPG kickstarter set a new record, raising over $16 million in under a month.

Instead of laying off 12 employees, give them the assignment to make an AP or a set of scenarios about taking on an evil bank and corrupt legal system, and fund it as a Kickstarter. Make it a crossover between SF2e and PF2e so people working on either setting can work on it, and everyone can play it. Might not be true, but I'm sure there's room to make a conspiracy theory blaming the Gap on a bank.

I know what my character would do.

Yeah, I missed that. star ship combat rules are required for a sci fi game.

-D

Luckily, we already have starship rules in the GM Core, and more have already been announced coming in Tech Core in October. The rules coming in Tech Core are at least partially inspired by a video game called Faster Than Light, which looks like it doesn't cover single-seat starfighters. If that is the case, I'm just suggesting the current vehicle rules could be used for single-seat starfighters.

Loreguard wrote:

Are we supposed to have Cat Jedi, which are estranged fey cousins to the Cat Sith?

Pahtra solarians aren't too far off the mark, IMO. :)

This was my first thought, too, but after reading the description Finona linked to, astrozoian might be another option for going between cat and humanoid forms.

Unfortunately, the Cat Sith are not in the Monster Core; otherwise, they could have been summoned in SF2e organized play with the Expanded Summoning - Pathfinder Monster Core boon.

A street sports class (skating/biking) that incorporates portable vehicles (such as hoverboards, hopefully expanded to bikes, skates, normal skateboards, and the like) for enhanced mobility and incorporating the vehicle as a weapon replacement.

If we got a dedicated sports class, I think your idea would make a good subclass. I'd like to see other sports subclasses that cover strength, dex, and endurance sports.

For vehicle-based sports, another option could be a subclass of a Pilot class.

______________________

From what little we know about the starship rules coming in Tech Core, it sounds like they might be focused on being the crew of a starship. Which makes a lot of sense for a party of 4 to 6 in one ship. If the new starship rules don't cover single-seat starfighters and star-racers, I'm hoping that those can be made using the vehicles' rules.

I have no idea, but Google says:

"While Amazon did not specifically cancel the Starfinder app, it largely overhauled its third-party app ecosystem. Amazon sunset its Alexa Developer Rewards program and stopped providing free hosting credits for independent apps. Consequently, many standalone skills struggle. Starfinder, however, transitioned to Swedish audio developer Wanderword."

Stat blocks are now available AoN
Encounters for Starfinder Society Scenario #1-23: Psychic Echoes

In the thread for 1-02 Mystery of the Frozen Moon, there was interest in making the Lu-venons into a playable ancestry. 1-23: Psychic Echoes, I think, helps set that up, with the rebel Lu-venons that were not affected by the world mirror disaster. We don't meet any of the rebels, but knowing about them, I could see them becoming one of the Lu-venon heritage.

Since we haven't met any of the rebels yet, I got the feeling the frozen moon has a few more mysteries to uncover. I suspect this isn't the last scenario in the mini plot.

I saw the only review currently for this scenario. It gave 2 stars, saying,

Too long gor a 2 hours scenario Too much fight.

The review looks to have been posted before the release date, so I'm guessing someone got it in advance to run at a convention. The scenario is clearly labeled as running 2 to 3 hours. Are there conventions limiting playtime to exactly 2 hours?

Having a quick glance after reading the review, and downloading the scenario yesterday, I was shocked to see there were 4 combat encounter areas, that indead seems like too much. Reading closer, I found that 2 of the areas (A2. Side Caves) are the same encounter, so now we are down to only 3 encounters, which is still a lot if you are trying to run on the short side. After a full reading, I saw that the last encounter can end after taking any damage. So there's only really 2 fights.

It's important to read the adjustment block for the last fight (A9. Fungal Cavern), even if you don't want to adjust it. The adjustment reads:
"Encounter A10 is intentionally trivial for all group compositions and will end with a single attack. Do not adjust difficulty."

The kickstater is over, ending with 49,115 backers pledging $16,138,971
I normally don't follow Kickstarter news, so I'm only now realizing this is the new record for TTRPG kickstarters.

Driftbourne wrote:

Considering that the Liuminary likely won't come out until 2027, its main competition is not the Envoy or Bard, it's the Neon Odyssey Icon

So, bard.

I was thinking of the 46,186 backers on Kickstarter that raised over $15.2 million dollars.

I don't feel that Icon is just the Bard in a Sci-fantasy game. It's like being the bard for Starfinder if the Star Stone were in Songbird Station instead of Absalom Station.

Music-inspired galaxy known as Stardust Rhapsody
The Magic of Music: The entire system is woven together by musical themes. The currency is called "Notes," the universe’s life force is "The Harmony," and the evil, corrupted realm is known as "The Cacophony."
2 real songs with music videos for the game.
Icon has the subclasses of Holostar, remix, Headbanger, and Soul Jammer.

This is the closest Sci-fantasy game I've seen to Starfinder in flavor. I'd love to see a crossover adventure that is a battle of the bans between systems. The Songbird Station version of Abomination Vaults, wiht 5 levels of music competitions.

Should he just be depressed about it and get over it or is there some group out there that likes to professionally convert 2E to 1e?

Just to put it in perspective, the last rule book for Starfinder 1e came out in October 2023. Paizo has never done anything backward combatable. Not sure if anyone will be able to officially publish backward material for Starfinder 1e since SF1e and SF2 use different licenses. The main reason SF2e came out was to get Starfinder off the OGL license and move to the ORC license, after the OGL scandal caused by WotC.

Paizo tends to do class playtests a year in advance, so we won't likely even see the finished Luminary class until 2027. I don't remember ever seeing someone do an unofficial conversation of a playtest, but most community conversations I've seen done one direction or the other tend to get posted to one of the 2 Starfinder Reddits

If you want to try it on your own or let your player do the work, since they are the ones who want to play it, E1 and E2 use completely different core math; there's not a formula you can use to do a simple 1-to-1 conversion. If you Google, "how to convert a Starfinder 2e class to Starfinder 1e?" You'll get a checklist of things that need to be converted.

Side note: The Luminary playtest seems to be under-tuned, so you likely don't need to worry about a conversion breaking the game.

Driftbourne wrote:

Considering that the Liuminary likely won't come out until 2027, its main competition is not the Envoy or Bard, it's the Neon Odyssey Icon

Yeah, but the envoy and bard aren’t in competition, they are other classes that Paizo publishes that need to work synergistically with the Luminary.

The Bard inspires the party (Courageous Anthem)

The main issue is bonuses of the same type not stacking, but you have the same problems if you have 2 of the same class listed above in the same party.

Considering that the Liuminary likely won't come out until 2027, its main competition is not the Envoy or Bard, it's the Neon Odyssey Icon

Driftbourne wrote:

It looks like the missing art for the kaylixes might be on the cover for Scenario #1-23: Psychic Echoes.

I noticed that, too. Mystery of the Frozen Moon seems to be the most popular non-metaplot scenario of Season 1 among most players I know (many of whom would drop the "non-metaplot" qualifier). I'm eager to run the sequel in a couple months.

Many of those same players (myself included) are hoping that lu-venons will become a playable ancestry someday. If we're lucky, maybe they'll appear in the player's guide for a future season?

(OTOH, I've been hoping that about yetis since Season 1 of 1E, but we can't always get what we want.)

Mystery of the Frozen Moon is my favorite first contact scenario. Being a first contact scenario, I think they have to keep the lu-venons as a non-playable species, at least for a while. I'm hoping we get to play them eventually.

Mystery of the Frozen Moon ends with the lu-venons having never physically leaving their moon. I think we need to have a scenario that at least suggests the lu-venons have started exploring space before it makes sense to make them playable. Maybe that will happen in Psychic Echoes; if not, I hope Psychic Echoes isn't the end of the mini plot.

I have play tested so far as Level 1 and level 3 with 2 different platforms and have so far found no use for the hardlight props. I don't have enough actions as it is fidgeting with the spotlight/cast roles/move/attack/etc. for my diva orchestra conductor to be wasting an action throwing out a useless bassoon onto the battlefield.

Did you play-test any social or influence encounters?

It looks like the missing art for the kaylixes might be on the cover for Scenario #1-23: Psychic Echoes.

Packing my winter clothing for a trip to Luvoth!

Driftbourne wrote:

Thematically, if someone gets the spotlight on them, shouldn't they go next? In a play, if you get the spotlight, it's likely to mean it's your turn to say or do something. I find one of the hardest parts of teamwork in the game is having a plan, then it falling apprat becuse the random initiative messes it up. So what if sometimes giving someone the spotlight moves them in the initiative order, so they go next?

Yikes, no thanks! I don't want to be shuffling initiatives constantly.

I agree, which is why I used the word "sometimes." It's not meant to apply to all uses of a spotlight.

If someone already acted in the round, having them act next is different than if they haven't acted yet. That makes the initiative order weirdness worse, not better.

I also agree, which again is why it would be situational and not always on. A better way to do it might be to, once per minute, when you put the spotlight on a PC, they can swap initiative order with one PC or opponent of their choice.

I think this is already covered well. If you want this specific feel, use the reaction to move the spotlight at the start of the turn. But if someone with the spotlight shoots someone, it makes sense to throw the spotlight over to show them getting hit. You don't need to make the enemy act next- the spotlight is there to show their reaction.

I was just trying to say the idea fits using a spotlight thematically, it doesn't mean it's the only way to use a spotlight thematically. The main thing I'm looking for are ways to improve teamwork. Assigning spotlight roles during preparations is a great time to get the whole party talking about teamwork and tactics, especially if you let each player choose what role they will get from the Luminary.

For a game that claims that teamwork and tactics matter, especially in organized play, it's really hard to get an unplanned party of random players of different experience to work as a team, or even form a plan. Even when you do make a plan, it can be quickly ruined by the initiative order. Things like a spell caster trying to buff a melee character before the melee character runs into battle and out of range of the spell. Trying to use an area effect spell, ability, or weapon before the rest of the party gets in the way.

So something like letting the free action to set a spotlight on initiative, let the PC in the spotlight be able to swap initiative with another PC or opponent would be an interesting ability that helps teamwork and tactics, in the flavor of the Luminary class. A feat would be another way to do something similar without being tired of rolling initiative. It would also be an ability that is not like a Bard or Envoy.

I think doing a swap is easier than something like delaying, since you resolve the changes to the initiative order all at once instead of waiting for the delaying player to choose to go again.

Thematically, if someone gets the spotlight on them, shouldn't they go next? In a play, if you get the spotlight, it's likely to mean it's your turn to say or do something. I find one of the hardest parts of teamwork in the game is having a plan, then it falling apprat becuse the random initiative messes it up. So what if sometimes giving someone the spotlight moves them in the initiative order, so they go next?

We had a PF2e GM call out on short notice, so I offered to run Take the Bait again since I had run it recently and had to prep. One of the players had played in that scenario recently and didn't have a character of the right level. So, being short on time, they made a copy of their other character. To explain or not to explain why there was a copy, they changed their heritage to Gap Touched, but kept the rest of the character the same. Just thought that was a great way to deal with making a copy character.

I don’t know what use contest could be.

I think that's the hardest one to visualize. Since they don't disappear on touch, they would make the best obstacles. Theme-wise, maybe the obstacles are for an obstacle running contest.

For me this class represents everything wrong with games like starfinder2 everything is watered down to be the most clowny/ridicolous charachter imaginable. Also the settings at first have some serious background but get sprinkled with a sugar coat everywhere so everything feels like a birthday trip for a 8 year old and this class fits perfectly into the current state of the game. Well played

Since buying clown shoes is optional in the game, I'm wondering what your idea of the least clowny/ridiculous character imaginable is.

I agree with your whole comment, but highlighting a few things to add to them.

The Luminary talks about Spotlights and Movie Genres as core class mechanics to make you really feel like you're pulling everyone into a big production during a fight.

To make everyone feel involved I like the idea of letting the other players pick their own roles during the Luminary's preprations. It's also a great way to encourage team work. Just becuse the Luminary has the tools doesen't mean they have to be the only one making all dessions, the whole party can be in on the production.

It's also really good roleplaying help for new players, as well. I've been playing SF2E with someone with no TTRPG experience, and I've been really impressed with how often the built-in flavor helps give you a springboard for ideas. I like that the Luminary is pushing you to be a bit more dramatic, extravagant, and pop culture conscious than the average class.

For the Great Absalom Relay, I used a fake microphone to do interviews. Just pointing a microphone at someone gave them the spotlight, and players who normally didn't do much role-playing really got into character and had fun with it. I'm tempted to use a flashlight to point out players or their pawns in the spotlight on their turn.

The Luminary feels like it couldn't be a class in just any scifi RPG. It feels very distinct to the tone and personality that makes SF2E more interesting than a lot of the competition.

One thing I really like about Starfinder is the fun side makes it feel more real and easier for my character to feel like they have a life outside of adventuring. Instead of just going from fight to fight, my character is looking to get some downtime to go to a Strawberry Machine Cake concert or go see a brutaris game. Sometimes this is just fiction, but sometimes it becomes part of an adventure. Either way, it's pop culture that gives you something to talk about with other characters.

There is now (or more exactly, will be) another way to play the whole meta-plot with one character.

Someone on Reddit found a Barnes and Noble listing for pre-ordering the Invision's Edge Adventure Path. listed as coming out on April 7, 2027 7th 2027.

This makes me wonder if the odd leveling is due to how the leveling is works in the AP.

It can be as complicated or simple as you like.

Just because you can assign up to 10 roles doesn't mean you have to. Even if you did assign 10 roles, you could choose to give everyone the same role to keep it simple.

If you have a party that likes to plan teamwork and tactics, then letting each player pick their role could be a lot of fun for them. Doing so could even help facilitate better teamwork.

If the party is not good with teamwork and tactics, I find it easier to just try to pair up with or support one of the other PCs at a time.

Just put the spotlight on yourself, leave some actions to attack.

Hardlight Props would be very limited without their platform variations

CONTEST can be touched
FASHIO can be worn by others if willing
MUSIC can make sound
SPORTS hard enough to do damage
THEATER looks real

For my sports goal idea, having the hardlifght goal disappear when touched becomes the scoring mechanism.

Looks obviously fake within 15 feet, can't be touched. Why is the audience on stage touching my hardlight amps?

Yeah, flavor wise this would fit in perfectly as a Luminary subclass, but I'm not sure if it would work out mechanically.

It would be interesting to have an art/music class that isn't trying to be the face of the party or a support inspiration class.

With the Luminary playtest starting, I'm someday hoping for a Band AP even if it's a shorter one.

I would really love a Veskarium-focused adventure. I think Starfinder 2e's emphasis on comedy and absurdity could take on a fun contrast in an adventure about the Veskarium's brutal, pointless wars. Imagine Slaughterhouse 5 or Catch-22 as an AP!

There has been a buildup to an Azlanti Star Empire Veskarium war ever since the Drift Lanes appeared between them after the Drift Crisis. So I suspect there will be an Azlanti Veskarium war AP at some point.

Not sure if it's a full catch-22 situation, but in SF1e Ports of Call, the chapter on the city of Atuity has a group from the Azlanti Star Empire and the Veskarium facing off. The catch is that because of the Drift Crash, neither side can get reinforcements or supplies, so they are forced to

So I think there is room in an Azlanti Veskarium war AP to cover the war, ranging from serious to absurdity in the same AP.

Art attacker sounds a lot like the Sports Platforms Hardlight Prop used as an improvised weapon, just art-themed. So maybe it could be an Art Platform subclass for Luminary. Add to that being able to use your hardlight props to make sculptures, and by putting the spot light on a sculpture, animate it while it has a spotlight, allowing it to attack.

If I'm reading this right, I just noticed something useful about the Sport Platform prop. After you throw the prop as an improvised weapon, if someone tries to throw it back, it just disappears, and they waste an action for trying.

For sports, using hardlight props to make the goals to set up a game.

Contest has props other can tuch without destroying them, that could be really useful to make obstructions and cover last longer.

I think something is missing from the puzzle is Hardlight Prop. It's an ability that sets the Luminary apart from the other classes it gets compared to, but as is, Hardlight Props are mostly favor with a little or no effect. Adding to Hardlight Prop, when you create a Hardlight Prop, you get free use of Cast Roll and can move the Spotlight.

Another idea is that the first time you strike and hit an opponent without a role, you can assign a role to them. They are then immune to getting a role this way for the rest of the combat.

Maybe by focusing on one class at a time, the time between new classes could be shorter. It's half the work of 2 classes, and the community is not split on trying out 2 classes at the same time. Most play tests, I pick the class I like most and just try that one.

SF1e was really good about class updates; some of the classes got updates in multiple books. Hopefully that continues in SF2e. But in general, Starfinder tends to do more ancestries than classes compared to PF2e. As much as I'd like to see the rest of the SF1e classes in SF2e, I think it's nice ot get something new first.

I suppose an In the Spotlight Envoy, a Bard, and a Music Platform have things in common. A Bard, Spotlight Envoy, and a Luminary would make for a great band. Why wouldn't a Bard and Spotlight Envoy not want to be in the Luminary's spotlight? But a Bard or a Luminary is nothing like my safety Inspector Envoy.

The Luminary was the class I was hoping for but hadn't thought of. For the next classes, I do hope we get some more science-focused ones. For a Compliative to really shine, I think we need an intelligence-based skill monkey class to fill that big brain.

Driftbourne wrote:

The debuff roles are most effective once you know what a creature's saves are, so waiting until someone else does recall knowledge makes sense. If you think of playing a Luminary as being in a play, and each round is a different scene, you might spend round 1 using your stagecraft spell on yourself or another PC, then move and shoot. Round 2 set role on yourself to take advantage of your 1st level feat, then move and shoot. Round 3 now starts messing with the enemy. I would focus on the strongest enemy, so you don't have to keep casting role on an enemy when they die. To keep a spotlight active, just move it between an enemy and one of the PCs.

If you do this, your spotlight will be useless half the time, as you will have no roles for enemies when it moves to them, which you'll have to do to not have to spend actions Setting a Spotlight. Round 3 is also when encounters often start to finish in my experience as well, so if the class only starts getting to use their mechanic properly on enemies at that point, that too is a point of criticism.

All of the first-level Luminary feats affect yourself; all of the 1st-level stagecraft spells are buffs. All of these are better than giving an enemy a -1 to a save. If you have to move your spotlight and no enemies have a role, just move it to another PC. Even if you only want the spotlight on the enemy only, use cast role once a round since it lasts until the end of the target's next turn, but then you can cast it once again on another target. Now you've got 2 enemies to bounce it back and forth from, and don't need to use the cast role again until one of them dies.

The 2nd and 4th-level feats start giving you better action economy for using spotlights on the enemy, but a lot of those are still very reactionary or situational. A round one-stagecraft spell that lasts a minute is always better than a chance to get a -1 to a saving throw, especially if you have an attack that doesn't require a save.

griefninja wrote:

Also, the Luminary is sort of a low-magic class. I've seen others say that it doesn't have much to do with out magic or anything else. Maybe cutting the magic spells completely could be interesting? A purely mundane backline support class sounds like an interesting challenge that would force a lot of weird design choices to make work. There are mundane & magic melee classes, and ranged classes, maybe this could be a unique avenue to go down?

So how I read this, so you just want Envoy. The other mostly backline supporting class with a handful of good but ultimately repeatable support abilities especially in the directive Get'Em! No one I've seen has seriously considered playing Envoy because it's a worse Bard/Commander and Luminary is trying to be a worse Bard.

Seriously slight magic is like no magic here, and all of the abilities which grant -1 to a save guess what, DIRGE OF DOOM, does that to EVER possible statistic of the enemy, AC, Fort, Ref, Will, Gives them -1 to All Attacks, all skill checks, ALL DCs equal to the Frighten value which is a 30ft emanation or 60 with Reach Spell-Shape Feat. Not to mention DIRGE OF DOOM is 1 Action, just 1!

For those of us who only play organized play, mixing classes between PF2e and SF2e is not an option. I know lots of players locally with Envoys. I think I saw someone play a bard like 3 years ago. I've never seen a commander in play yet. I know some of the Envoy (rock star) players are planning on making Luminary (rock stars). My Envoy is a safety inspector, so staying with Envoy for them. I'll be using the Luminary to make a teammate for my witchwarper Brutarius player.

Instead of comparing classes, I'm looking to see how they work together in a band, with 2 Bards, 2 Envoys, and 2 Luminarys. I can't imagine a bard not wanting to be in the spotlight. I've seen 2 Envoyes work well together, not sure how well Bards work together, but I think 6 Luminarys would work really well together, although it might drive the GM nuts.
I like Luminary's not having normal spells; it lets you build characters that don't want to lean into the magic side of things, and treat stagecraft spells as some type of industry secret.

Do you think that since the roles are so narratively focused and only affect one creature -1 debuffs to single saves seem a little low for the effort.

Hardlight Props is something that makes the Luminary different from the other classes the Luminary gets compared to, so boosting Hardlight Props might help the Luminary stand out more. For the Sports platform, Hardlight Prop having it be a 1d4 improvised weapon doesn't feel right. If a hockey player decides to use their hockey stick as a weapon, I'm pretty sure they know how to use it without a -2 penalty. And for a sport that uses weapons in SF2e, unless the goal is to kill the other team, I feel non-lethal damage might be a good option.

I haven't fully considered all the other hardlight props yet, but the one for the Contest Platform, although it fits the theme well, I feel needs to do something. If there is a scenario, it should be an advantage to have its scenario #1-04: The Great Absalom Relay. Maybe it's fine as is, and it being more useful is something written into scenarios.