With my main Society character starting to get up in levels, I've been thinking about some other characters to branch out with, and this is one of them! So with that in mind, I would like some feedback on how viable this would be and how it could possibly be improved while keeping true to the concept on a fleet-footed, fiery swordsman! So without further ado...
Race:
Human
Theme:
Tempered Pilgrim
Equipment:
1 Operative Melee Weapon
1 Small Arm
Light Armor
Note: I am well aware that the damage output is suboptimal. That's OK. I still have my high AC, mobility, and social encounter utility. I just wonder if the damage output I do have will still be competent, considering the revelations, stat gains, and augmentations I plan on taking, and if it can be improved. Thanks in advance for all your help!
I've been playing Society for quite some time, and while I'm having a blast playing, something's been troubling me as of late... When it comes to fighting, I'm VERY hit or miss it seems, and it's often the latter. I don't really feel like I'm being really effective when it counts.
Granted, I do know that sometimes it's just in the dice, bosses have high HP and AC, and my Str score isn't the highest at 14 to boot (I invested most in Dex despite being a melee fighter because I wanted more AC with mobility by going Light Armor to fit in with my speedy skirmisher concept), but I really feel like I need some advice on how to be useful when I don't happen to score a lucky crit. Like say, battlefield tactics or even some feats I could take.
To get into more specifics, I'm currently a level 3 Blitz Soldier with a total move speed of 60 ft., with the Weapon Focus feat and Melee Striker Gear Boost to help offset my lower Str. And while I am starting to branch out into more weapons after getting my arm burned off rendered me practically useless, I still want to be primarily melee and my spear has sentimental value to my character. I've read a bit about readying actions to always keep your opponent 10 ft. away and pelt 'em with opportunity attacks, but is there anything else I can do? Thanks in advance for your help!
OK, so reading through the description, it says that retrieving an item from a non-Quickdraw version only takes a move action rather than a standard. However, from my time playing Society, I recall that anyone with a BAB of at least 1 can draw a weapon while moving, and taking an item out of storage, like a healing serum, is a move action anyway. So, other than the obvious smuggling utility, what use is it really?
I dunno if this has been asked already, but here goes. For items on the Chronicle Sheets from non-CRB sources like Alien Archive and the Dead Suns AP, do I need the source book they came from in order to purchase and make use of it? Thanks in advance!
Heya! This one goes out to the devs, and despite how it may sound at first, this is more a question of curiosity rather than complaint.
It strikes me as odd that very specific things, such as the mature xenolash weapon (but not any of the others of its line) and resilient jacket magic item are banned from Society play. I know some things like the Aeon Guard stuff and Devastator connection wouldn't fit in lorewise with the non-evil restrictions in place, but what about the others? Were they deemed overpowered? If so, why, and how come they weren't simply balanced before release of the books they came from? I know Society play is not the only way to play Starfinder, but still, it's a curious oddity. Thanks in advance for the response!
I've always liked unconventional tactics, and considering some situations that could unfold, it's given me some ideas!
-Bull Rushing an ally out of harm's way.
-Repositioning an ally to place yourself between them and a dangerous melee enemy.
-Tripping an ally to drop them prone, reducing their vulnerability to ranged attack. Extra points if ally is a Ysoki.
I think these could prove pretty handy, especially in situations when someone rolled a particularly low initiative. However, given Society play is opposed to PvP actions, could these tactics be employed (assuming the player in question is OK with, of course)? And if so, how would it work, and is there any way to make it easier to do so? Thanks in advance for your help!
I exclusively play Society, so this issue would most likely never come up, but I'm still curious. Could you still use a powered weapon even after losing all of its charge? I mean, some weapons like the flame doshko and cryopike exclusively deal their respective elements' damage so I could see why those might not work, but then there's things like the Dragonglaive from Alien Archive that deal a physical damage type on top of their element and are clearly designed to be an enhanced version of an already existing weapon and would seem perfectly capable of damaging things on its own, powered or not.
Welp, it seems I done goofed. I'm having a blast play Society games and now I'm one adventure away from 3rd level! And whilst deciding on what feat and items to get in preparation... I happened upon the Forerunner archetype, which previously I never gave a second thought to, and realized it'd be perfect for my character.
So my question is this: given the 1st-level rebuild is no longer an option, how can I still legally rebuild my character? My guess is splurging on a mnemonic editor, but while I have the funds, the item level seems to be a bit too high for me at Level 5 for even a Mk 1 model. What can I do?
And as a corollary to this, in the event Paizo releases more archetypes, feats, etc. in the future, how would one go about incorporating those into an existing character? Thanks in advance for your help!
With a newfound boon at my disposal, I now am planning on making my 702 character a Dwarf Mystic! ...One problem though. I'm having trouble deciding on which connection to go go for, as I want it to tie in directly into her backstory.
Amare is a young Dwarven girl from the
Spoiler:
Marbleheart clan
. She led a relatively normal life until the Starfinder Society came along. It was then that she encountered a dashing young adventurer named Felix (my current character) and instantly got a crush on him. He and his companions were in and out of her settlement in less than two shakes of a dogslicer, but that hardly mattered to her. It was love at first sight. She decides to join the Society herself as means of trying to not only see, but to fight alongside the object of her affection, wielding magic to compliment his skills in melee combat.
...And therein lies the dilemma. I do know she'll be wielding a doshko (Felix was wielding one when she first saw him, and Dwarves get Advanced Melee Weapons for free) and wearing Heavy Armor (HA Proficiency feat at 1st level), but that's about it. I'm flexible with how to play her as, both mechanically and personality-wise, but they're so many good options, I dunno what to go with!
First off, Overlord. This was the first one that came to mind for the sheer comedic value of Felix having a literal psycho stalker. However, other than that, I don't see much going for it.
Next up, Healer! A supportive skillset seems to make a good fit given her motives, and Lifelink synergizes well with Dwarves, since they have HP to spare, no matter what class they are! And AoE healing also seems pretty useful if a fight goes bad! My issue here though is that it seems a bit too... stereotypical.
Next option that came to mind was Mindbreaker. Ironically less psycho than Overload, the idea was that she was a powerful psychic who actually doesn't realize the extent of her powers, and seems to cast spells and class features by accident in times of strong emotion. Mechanically, the features it gets sound like an absolute BLAST, but I have hard time tying it in to the back story.
Empath is a great thematic option, but the actual functionality of it doesn't really appeal to me.
And finally Xenodruid is also a great thematic option given her homeland, and isn't half-bad mechanically either!. Kinda a slow starter at first level, but the class features that come after look awesome!
TL;DR Version Secluded dwarf girl falls in love with a Starfinder. What kind of magic suits her best?
It doesn't seem to specify when I looked at it in the Core Rulebook. It'd make more sense to me if you and your allies wouldn't be targeted, but again, it's not specified. Possible oversight due to a more ranged combat-heavy system?
Anyway! After reading up that "Just for pun" topic a few months back, I was inspired to make this character concept! ...Just one problem. I know nothing about building a primary caster, especially on as complex as a Druid. So here are the guidelines... Make him competent, PFS-legal, and able to BURN UP HIS FOES IN A BLAZE OF GLORY. Oh, and built with a reasonably small amount of reference books. ...That's really it.
Now, I DO have a bit of a start, but these are still quite mutable, and I'm open to suggestions! Green Scourge archetype looks promising for that sweet enhanceable Flame Blade, and as for stats...
(And if you're wondering what's up with his Cha score, I love playing the face and plan to make use of the Kitsune's favored class bonus. Not necessarily essential, but still nice to have.)
So yeah! Have at it, I guess! Thanks in advance for your help!
EDIT: Whoops. Posted in the wrong forum. I guess this is what happens when you type stuff up early in the morning with large fingers on a mobile device. Flagging to move to the correct forum would be much appreciated. XD
According to the character creation guidelines for PFS, it says that I don't need copies of certain materials, including "www.paizo.com/traits". However, typing it up just brings me to the homepage.
I'm not sure to what web address it's supposed to be referring to, but does this mean I can take any PFS legal trait without needing the sourcebook? (For those curious, it's the Fiery Glare trait from Bastards of Golarion and it's the only thing I'd use from the book.)
I've already completed my third scenario, and I'm set to level up now! So, question. Can I still apply the 1st level rebuild and get all the perks like full sellback value and skill redistribution? I read up that you can no longer do so once you've PLAYED at second level, which I haven't yet, so I should be able to, right?
If a book references another book, like say how Flamesinger references Ultimate Magic's Fire Music feat, are you required to have the book being referenced for the archetype to be legal?
After much deliberation, I'm almost ready with my Pathfinder Society debut character! I just have one last decision to make.
I'm looking to make a melee focused Ifrit Bard who wields a Quarterstaff and has a fire dancer flavor. The actual Flame Dancer archetype was a bit underwhelming on its own though, and I don't currently have access to the Flamesinger archetype, so Voice of the Wild turned out to be a suprisingly good substitute, given the Druid's access to fire spells!
Therein lies the dilemma though. I really love getting into the thick of a melee, and spells like Shillelagh and Barkskin would greatly enhance my ability in that regard! However, given the archetype only allows me to swap out one spell known for a Druid/Ranger one every 3 levels, I wouldn't be able to use things like Produce Flame and Flaming Sphere, which, in addition to providing more fiery flavor, would give me a magical ranged option that'd work well against high AC foes! ...But then the problem with that is the limited uses of said options, given the Bard's number of spell slots.
So TL;DR, should I go for long lasting spells that bolster my melee effectiveness, or opt for more versatile, but limited use blasting spells?
EDIT: If you have any specific spells to recommend, I only have access to ones from the following books: Core Rulebook, Advanced Player's Guide, Advanced Race Guide, and Advanced Class Guide.
I'm looking to get a good friend of mine into Pathfinder, and after asking a couple questions, I even have an idea of what they want to play (a sultry yet elegant performer, for those curious)! ...One caveat though. They don't really seem to like combat situations much.
Now, noob GM though I may be, I already know my style of game would be more story and character-centric anyway. However, that desire does not come to the exclusion of combat, as I myself also love that aspect. So my question is, how can I make a game they would enjoy, whilst also keeping it engaging for myself and other more combat-loving players?
Also, given my noob status, general GMing advice would also be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Shillelagh doesn't work with magical weapons, but since Arcane Strike says it only counts as magic for damage reduction purposes, theoretically it should still work, right?
The feats in question specifically call for metallic weapons, so my question is... Can I use a metallic quarterstaff? For context, this is for the purpose of Pathfinder Society.
They don't seem to overlap in the features they alter, so I would think so, even if Spelleater's Spell Eating feature is essentially rendered moot due to a lack of spell slots. If so, I think it'd be an interesting combination for an antimagic warrior!
I like playing against type, so a while back, I was thinking of more concepts to turn on their heads. Then inspiration struck! A necromancer, but good! ...But that's not all. The idea was that this character's friends died in battle, leaving him the sole survivor. Desperate to see them once more, he researches a forbidden form of magic to bring them back: necromancy. Using their bones, he's able to channel his fallen comrades' spirits into them and form semi-corporeal bodies around said bones so they can once again fight at his side.
However, implementing the concept in the game has proven... problematic, given he's like a weird necromancer/summoner/cleric hybrid. Looking through the options, the Bones Oracle seems like an interesting fit, and the Lame curse would fit perfectly as a battle injury. However, I don't think it still quite covers the "quality over quantity, personalities intact" aspect of his ghostly companions. Any ideas on how I could pull this off within the confines of the rules? Or would I just hafta go whole hog on the homebrewing?
I just played my second scenario with my signature spear-wielding, Spacefarer Human Soldier Felix, and I simply felt like I had to share my experience.
SFS 1-02 Fugitive on the Red Planet:
Akiton, presumably sometime in the afternoon. It's the final showdown between the Starfinders and the rogue agent's posse. The target, a man "affectionately" known as Talbutthead, has managed to trick the party with a hologram and begins making his escape aboard a tattered mine cart. Felix, knowing the feeling of stabbing people all too well, realizes the deception and speedily pursues the actual man posthaste. With unparalleled acrobatic finesse, he front flips over a club-wielding goon and makes a graceful leap right into rail-riding vehicle. (2 high Acrobatics rolls, one of which was a Nat 20.)
"Hi there." Felix says with a cocky grin, overwhelmed with satisfaction over his best athletic display yet.
The man is having none of it however, as the rogue agent promptly pulls out a dagger and plunges it straight into the boy's exposed chest. (Critical Hit AND Trick Attack!) The boy slumps over immediately. An inch more the left and the young Starfinder would've died there on the spot. (The GM is burying his head in his hands while doing the calculations. The damage I took totaled out to just 1 shy of INSTANTLY KILLING ME.) In the heat of the moment, one of his teammates, a Ysoki Mechanic, manages to pull the helpless youth out of harm's way by his scarf before the finishing blow could be dealt.
As for Talbutthead, he continues his escape. Felix manages to recover and gives chase once again, now making use of a scavenged hunting rifle. He takes a shot, but just barely missed, only to be shot down by the same man. The rogue agent keeps pressing on, making it as far as the entrance to the mines. In a moment of clumsiness though, the man falls flat on his face as the cart he's riding dumps him out, giving that previously-mentioned Mechanic just the opening he needed to down him with a well-placed stun shot.
It was a rough day for Felix, but an ultimately successful one. He manages to makes a full recovery, albeit with a slight headache due to a thorough Mind Thrusting earlier that day. ...And don't even get me started on when he almost got flambéd.
TL;DR: It's can be awesome, but really difficult for a melee guy out there. Stay safe, my fellow frontliners.
How about you guys? Got any tales of epic accomplishments (or failures) from your Starfinder games? If so, please share!
First off, do I have to shell out $50 for my own copy of the Core Rulebook? If I remember correctly from PFS, you ARE allowed to share materials at a table, so long as you attend it regularly. I would assume this means I wouldn't need to, but am I wrong?
Second off, can I play a Half-Elf? Though not a core race, it's still technically in the book, right? Or would I have to switch over to another race? (Human, most likely, to keep the the character as intact as possible.)
And finally, any other general tips or advice? Thanks in advance for your help!
I'm gearing up for my very first Society game in about a week, and I'm almost done finalizing my character! I just wanted know, how useful is it? Does Running come up all that often? Is it even useful in combat? For a little context, I was planning on utilizing it in a speed stacking strategy for a super mobile Hit And Run/Blitz style Soldier.
Also, while I'm at it, any other general tips for Society? Thanks in advance for your feedback!
After MUCH theorycrafting, I've finally completed my build for, as you may have guessed, an Ifrit Fighter! I just have one question. Scorching Weapons is a swift action and Deadly Critical is an immediate action. And to my knowledge, swift actions and immediate actions cannot be done on the same turn. However, I'm guessing since the latter is said to be an immediate action, I'm guessing it's implied to take place after your turn has technically ended. Is this correct? Or would I have to forgo the Scorching Weapon bonus for the chance to activate Deadly Critcal?
