Garretmander's page

Archives of nethys should have a pretty solid collection of all the rules, including every generic alien and NPC published in starfinder's history (as well as all the rules for starfinder ever published.)

A) pretty sure it was intended to target fighters specifically. Though rules as written it doesn't.

B) The nebulor skymedic is a niche starship, but makes a great target for this spell. Though if the default med bay counts as passengers is somewhat up in the air.

William Ronald wrote:

An errata for the Pathfinder Core Rulebook printing in January allows players to take two free-floating bonuses for an ancestry. So, you may be able to have a shirren with and 18 charaisma working with an elven soldier with an 18 con.

Wait isn't that just plain better than the +2 +2 -2 everyone usually gets?

No, everyone else gets +2, +2, -2, and a free +2 in a stat other than the two +2's.

So it just evens out to everyone can choose the human +2 to any two stats vs +2 to two specific stats and a -2 to a specific stat and a +2 to any other stat.

That said, one of the PF2 update spoilers was doing away with ability scores in general, since ability score damage is gone anyway. So I imagine it might be tweaked from this anyway.

I'm cautiously optimistic.

I've GM'd Starfinder to level 20 once, level 12 twice, played to level 5 (so far, it's ongoing) once.

I've GM'd pathfinder 2e to level 8, and played it to level 2, 6, 10, and 3 in order.

I really, really like running PF2 much more than SF1. However, the writers could take a note from the SF1 10% sell rule. It lets you throw loads of loot at your players, but it becomes useless in a few levels instead of throwing balance out the window. PF2's treasure system is more work in the GM in terms of figuring out what is appropriate to hand out/you need to worry about them selling it for other things you haven't prepared for.

I typically like playing PF2 more. However, I find character building, level ups, the setting in general, and shopping sprees vastly more interesting in SF than PF2.

So, mostly I'm hoping that items in general in starfinder that do crazy, useful, and wonky things are easily available in SF2. Unlike the PF2 'throw anything slightly weird into the uncommon category' design space.

Also, per typical SF1 adventure design, having 3 skills that you are good at is insufficient, and I would like to see that rectified, either by consolidating skills (say computers and engineering), or by simply having more skills trained to high levels than PF2. (it is the future and most characters are more broadly educated after all).

I also greatly prefer the stamina system opposed to the standard PF2 medicine system. But really I would rather that just be in the CRB as an alternate rule for SF2 than in the GMg for SF2.

Yes, if they have something granting them the ability to.

...So they're a discount solar flare solarian?

How is that stupid powerful? they don't add their STR or CON mod to damage. They don't get the solarian's solar crystal damage or plasma sheathe damage. just 1-12 d6 plus probably full level from weapon spec. Power armor doesn't affect this at all.

Barely even a standard longarm depending on which level you look at.

Beyond sedatives or armed guards, or bombs/gas placed in the cell, there is also the simple solution of full hand restraints.

If the restraints fully enclose their hand and prevent them from being used, they can't form and 'draw' the solar weapon.

If I design an NPC or a creature with the Alien Archive and add the Soldier graft, let's say for a low level Steward Agent NPC, do I take the KAC and EAC of the Combattant guidelines, or do I use the Soldier guideline that tells me to add a Heavy Armor?

If I add a heavy armor, can I presume the KAC/EAC will be 10 + Dex mod (up to a maximum allowed by the armor) + Armor Value?

If I don't and only use the Combattant KAC/EAC values, why does the Soldier graft is even offered since it is useless? (Especially if you take the Guard combat style wich only reduce Dex Armor penality... which NPCs don't use.)

Thank you.

You use EAC/KAC of the combatant guidelines. You also give them heavy armor of their level into their loot pool & can consider armor upgrades that character might use to include as well.

As far as combat styles, if you find an ability useless (like guard) you can either ignore it, take a different 1st level soldier style (and mix and match later styles), or make it useful, such as giving the NPC a +1 bonus to their AC.

Kremlin KOA wrote:

So, why then, does Esoteric Edge explicitly give the ability to make special weapons with the Gear Array?

Hmm, interesting question. Looking at the list, seems like a lot of Special Weapons have the Analog property; since Gear Array says "weapons and items [created by your gear array] must be technological items" a stern reading of Analog would mean you couldn't choose those Analog Special Weapons as Gear Array choices. Maybe Esoteric Edge is to override that, so that your esoteric Nanocyte could make, for example, a tactical battlebow with their Gear Array?

Weapons with the analog property are still under the heading of technological items. A bolt action rifle is still technology, and so is a bow. Old school tech is still tech.

I think it's just language leftover from an earlier draft where you had to be proficient with weapons you create.

My issue is that the Gear Array... doesn't have any effect related to the Nanocyte's level... at all. Be at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th or 19th level, the Gear Array gets nothing, unlike Cloud and Sheath.

If you could form 2 items at 7th level and 3 forms at 15th, then fine, the Manifold Array's level restriction would apply, but right now, there's nothing to block.

The gear array does have an effect related to your nanocyte level though? Well kinda sorta.

At 1st level, you know how to create two major forms and three minor forms. You learn a new minor form at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter; you learn a new major form at 3rd level, 5th level, and every 4 levels thereafter. When you gain a nanocyte level, you can replace one of your major forms with a new major form and one of your minor forms with a new minor form.

When creating a nanocyte character at higher than 1st level, for simplicity, you can choose major forms by choosing one form using your nanocyte level, the next form using your nanocyte level – 1, the next using your nanocyte level – 2, and so on. Any extra forms use a nanocyte level of 1. You can choose minor forms the same way.

I would argue that calculating it's effects as if you were a lower level is the similar to creating a nanocyte of X level where you can only use the major forms of the lower level.

Though, I wouldn't say that is clear cut, and it's perhaps worth a FAQ click.

Supernova: " At 9th level, you can increase the radius to 15 feet, and at 17th level, you can increase the radius to 20 feet."

It is a radius based ability. It just happens to be 10' from your square.

I mean, weapons can be repaired if need be. But like it was pointed out adamantine becomes useless for sunder at lvl 11 it seems. Even if it does eventually go through hardness, you have to use sunder a ridiculous amount of time to actually break the weapon.

So yes, I think it needs a review at least.

Why does it need a review? Sunder literally only hurts players. Why does it need to be effective?

That seems intended. Destroying loot is a bad idea in games like this. Entropic grasp is more for cutting holes in doors or debuffing an enemy's AC.

Hello Folks,

Before I begin, I will admit to being a bit of a self-confessed boomer. Not in all regards, but when it comes to using this lap-top which I recently got, I shall concede the point.

Now my issue is that I have purchased several products from Humble Bundles. Whenever I redeem them, the product seems to be registered in my account.

The trouble all begins when I attempt to download the pdf's. I have a good printer/ink deal so I was intending to print out large sections of my pdf's.

However, none of my products seem to be downloading. It keep says things like, click again in 60 seconds, but nothing seems to be working.

Please can someone give me a play by play on what I am doing wrong, or what the issue is?

Could it be that I redeemed the products on my Desktop PC and that's where the pdf's are?

TBH I am not so sure about that one, as I also redeemed a product earlier on here (my laptop) and the very same issue arises.

So far I have been unable to access any of the products or rulebooks I purchased from the Humble Bundles, and my player's are getting restless.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

In the past during poluplar humble bundles, the "60s" went all the way up to "5min" (it used to be 15sec). I would say give it 7-10 min or so to make the 'personalize' step before dowloading. Then if it isn't working contact support via the support forums.

JiCi wrote:

True dragons don't have visual sexual dimorphism, aside from females being able to lay eggs. I assume dragonkins are the same, with the only noticeable gender trait being their voices.

Tbf, are we sure dragons have canonically different sounding voices in first place?

Mass media says yes. Physics says probably not.

I've had a couple players play super speedy melee solarians and they seem pretty fun. Light armor, fleet, speed suspensions. The one build I remember started with a dip in vanguard for the extra speed on the first turn of combat and CON as the resolve stat. They also prioritized CON>CHA>STR, and tended to spam dragon gland or acid glands while charging up the photon blast revelation, and they kept balanced revelations.

They ended up being a speedy tank that dealt AOE left and right, but depended on their high stamina pool to handle bosses more so than damage.

Have a prison ship with one airlock to prevent escapes.

Space OSHA has words with the Warden.

In that situation it's called fail-secure not fail-safe.

Are starfinder grenades the size of a modern day grenade that we think of, or are they tiny little discs like mass effect 1?

How obviously holding a bunch of grenades is a ysoki with their cheek pouches full of grenades?

I might be missing a blurb in one of the vehicle chapters, but I'm pretty sure that crew are crew and passengers are passengers, regardless of size. Though they would probably have to squeeze and take those penalties while doing so.

Yes this leads to the DND 5e silliness of a centaur riding a horse.

And while I would allow an uplifted bear to ride an enercycle circus style, I get why other GMs might not.

Computer: A mech houses a personal comm unit and a tier 1

computer that primarily coordinates the mech’s movements and
systems. The computer’s tier increases by 1 at mech tier 4 and
every 4 tiers thereafter. The superior computer upgrade (page
108) can enhance the computer’s performance.

Page 96, bottom right corner

so... yes with remote hack... but even getting root access gives you what? The mech's movements are slightly uncoordinated?

I would say no because mechs aren't on the list...

But, I also wouldn't have an NPC use that class feature on a PC mech in combat. However, if I had a mech fighting the PCs I'd probably build it as an NPC creature rather than a full mech, and at that point I'd probably let it work.

Rules as written override doesn't work because it doesn't mention mechs.

Assuming that's the mechanic's class feature of the same name. Overload doesn't affect androids, cybernetics, drones, power armor, or robots because they all have built in shielding against that sort of attack. I would say that mechs also have the same built in safeties.

No, it's not possible according to the rules.

That said, since you basically ruled it as not ending the encounter outright, it's mostly fine.

It maybe should have either taken a couple of turns to get that result, or the mech should have also gotten a save to negate or reduce that effect, but it's fine.

Starfinder society came out with a ruling for propel weapons, it'll probably make its way into the FAQ eventually:

Levels 1-9 5ft
Levels 10-17 10ft
Levels 17+ 15ft

Also in the running: shobhad minus the four arms. They've got the size right along with the strength.

My limited experience of traveller is that the main plot point is how you make your monthly payments on your ship. And it's a long long way away from being paid off for even a used medium equivalent freighter.

It's not silly to want to know how to invest in a ship. To find out that it's unattainable without this specific form of currency is honestly absurd. I'll never understand what the heck Paizo writers were thinking with this. Owning something like a freighter in a sci-fi setting should not cost hundreds of millions or no one would.

Starfinder is not an economics simulator. It was never meant to be one, and likely never will.

That said, in setting, owning a starship is closer to owning a yacht than a car. They aren't affordable to individuals or small groups without some extenuating circumstances.

And that's fine.

Getting to the 20th level seems to be a trend for not aging.

Other than that bit in the CRB that access to modern medicine means you live as long as you want too.

I think the only caveat is to #3.

Solarians are still and always have been one of the most powerful classes at pure damage dealing. Their tradeoff is they just aren't good at skills in general. If you are in melee you will take damage, but you will be dishing out damage as well.

Under the rules, standard action, attacks:

Ranged Attacks with a Thrown Weapon

With a thrown weapon or a grenade, you can make a ranged attack at a target that is within the weapon’s maximum range and in your line of effect (see page 271). You add your Strength modifier to your ranged attack rolls with a thrown weapon, and to your damage rolls with weapons with the thrown special property. Do not add your Strength modifier to damage rolls with grenades.

If you're making a ranged attack, I would treat it as a ranged weapon for that attack.

I think the issue here is that OP wants rules as written flavor. I don't understand that particular desire, but suggesting adding flavor to existing option won't help here.

Metaphysician wrote:

You're making the mistake of assuming that because something doesn't exist, that means the rules forbid it from existing. Not everything that isn't explicitly allowed by the rules is banned, quite the contrary.

So, yes, the reason this particular Solarian ability can't benefit from Improved Combat Maneuver is because it doesn't actually say its a combat maneuver. This does *not* mean that there is some unstated, unwritten law that No Class Ability Can Create A Combat Maneuver.

Given the rules for Combat Maneuvers, I find it highly unlikely that there will ever be a class ability that counts as one. That said, if Paizo proves me wrong, they would need to explicitly state that the given ability is/counts as a CM.

It's more of a... Most paizo writers and contract writers aren't so unfamiliar with the source material that they would ever write a class feature that creates a new type of combat maneuver.

But it's still technically a possibility according to the rules, because PF1 had a lot of weird stuff pop up over the years. So you have to remember that bit, even though it will probably never happen.

Also, from what they could tell, all the hybrid casters (inquisition, magus, etc.) from PF1 were their most popular classes, so they figured they'd just make their spellcasters hybrid classes from the start.

The remaining concern, is since we don't have an obvious ruling on what type a range natural weapons type is, we don't know if other features should add to it. Like features that add more damage to "Weapon Type A".

We know the Melee version is Basic Melee, since it's a special version of the unarmed attack.
This could suggest the ranged is also basic melee, just ranged. But I don't know for sure, So for now it's Small arm.

It would gain bonuses that add to natural attacks (and, I think unarmed strikes) it would not benefit from effects that affect small arms. That's why I'd suggest basic melee.

I believe I would count it as a special unarmed attack, just like a melee natural attack. It just happens to have a range stat.

I think we might have had a precog in here. . . *ahem*

Old forum software is old.

I definitely didn't roll a couple d20s at the start of Tuesday, nosiree.

Leon Aquilla wrote:

You could rule that but you would be wrong.

Actually, no, I wouldn't, because I am the GM, and thus what I say goes. Note that I said "this is what I would rule", not "this is the abstract objective reading of the rules in the book".

however, this is the rules forum, which seeks rules answers to questions, not what any odd person might rule, instead the standard rule.

If there is a discrepancy, then 'what I would rule' applies. If there is not, then in the rules forum rules as written tends to apply.

I would typically say spell like abilities yes. Standard actions that include spells like magic hacks no, as they are a separate standard action including a spell in the same way that agile casting is a full action including a spell.

note maximum crew is how many people you can have at work stations before they get in each others way. You can shove almost any number of people on board if you want to.

I dunno about any number, but there might should be a 'max supported life forms' stat, assuming max crew wasn't meant to be that stat.

Also, I'm unsure minimum crew is the same as a skeleton crew keeping the ship coasting through the drift to their destination or not.

Creature companion rules the gremlin companions damage is the same as the damage table from creature companion rules from alien archive 3, and is once every d4 rounds.

I can see a player arguing they can access the wireless router from another room or refering to the abilities like xray vision that are blocked by different thicknesses of materials though.

Again, anyone can hack a computer on a wireless network. Whatever that range is. I think the ones in my house are about medium range through wood and drywall construction. if you can access the network, you can hack it. mechanics can hack devices without access (if they are in line of effect to the device in question).

The mechanic's ability is that they can hack my microwave clock sitting at the breakfast nook with only my perception check to notice despite them not standing in front of the microwave pushing buttons.

Or if I had a secure computer not on my network, they could hack that. On the other hand anyone & everyone could hack my wifi network and get into my computer.

I agree with the above. You can't change the benefits of an array without forming a new array.

Changing from a speed suspension gear array to a plasma rifle gear array is changing arrays. Cloud array lets you change it's shape as part of the array, but if you wanted to change from a concealing cloud array to a non-concealing or vice versa you would be changing arrays. The same is true of sheathe array.

You are forming an array with +stealth and +sleight of hand. If you want to change to +acrobatics +athletics, you're going to need to reform the array (and spend a surge to get swarm strike if applicable).

Pretty sure if your GMs and players are running remote hack as not requiring line of effect, they are playing the ability wrong/against the rules. Which is something you are supposed to avoid in organized play as far as I know.

but would swarm strike end?

Since you are forming a different sheathe array, I would think you would have to spend the surge to gain swarm strike from the new array, yes.

While it's a bit odd, I'm pretty sure weapons with the analog weapon property count as technological items. They're just low tech, tech items. After all, tech items also include things like basic titanium cable which also has no computers or advanced tech like an analog weapon.

After all, it makes no sense for a nanocyte not to be able to make various rifles, dimensional slice longswords, clubs, or shell knuckles with their abilities.

Besides nothing in the analog property says they aren't tech items, just that they can't be targeted by effects that target 'technology'.

It even says in the description 'While this use of the word “analog” is not technically correct when referring to technology, use of the term in this way has become common throughout the Pact Worlds.'

Protoman wrote:

What did you think differently about?

Owen's comment about short rest healing of resolve:
The rule is that regaining stamina requires spending a Resolve point and "10 minutes of uninterrupted rest."

In the Heroes handbook which was released after the core rulebook it says that if you use a resolve point you actually gain HP (Pg. 84) though nothing is stated for SP can we infer that Just ten minutes is sufficient for regaining stamina?

Pretty sure hero's handbook is not a starfinder product.

BigNorseWolf wrote:

thistledown wrote:

Remote Hack is an annoyance that GMs have to constantly be squashing lest it derail the printed scenarios. Very rarely do the authors consider it.

.... Why? Its the one thing the mechanics have in their mechanics that let them mechanic better than the operative can mechanic. Let them break the tech, that's their narrative purpose.

Because it allows skipping of content.

Someone sealed themself in a pod with the only controls on the inside? Hack it anyways.

Door that you're supposed to open only after exploring the rest of the ship? No problem.

Walking down a hallway and a computer happens to be on the other side of the wall but in range? Got it.

Baddy has info on a pad / controls to a device that you need to defeat him for / find out about later? Nah, skip the whole thing.

In a home game, all of these are fine, and the GM can just roll with it. But when a scenario has to be run as written, doing things that break the intended narrative causes problems.

I don't really see the problem with a class feature having an actual use that is of benefit to the party.

And, honestly, half the examples you gave shouldn't work with remote hack, because... well, how does the mechanic know that there is a computer on the other side of the wall or that the big bad has a datapad in his left pocket?

The mechanic should be aware of their target's existence before they can hack it. I'm also pretty sure that line of effect affects the remote hack ability as well.

I'm pretty sure anyone and everyone can remote hack.

As long as the device in question is on the wireless network.

The remote hack lets them remotely hack a computer not on the network, or indeed connected to anything.

They can hack a non networked computer that doesn't have a terminal/keyboard/mouse/etc that everyone else needs to hack into with.

It's still a niche ability, but that's what is special about remote hack.

Garretmander wrote:

The reason you can't really smell in a vacuum is that you can't breathe in to get the bits you smell to your smell receptors.

That seems fixable with a one way valve?

I don't think suction works that way? I don't actually know How it works in a vacuum. I just think that wouldn't have a lot of range without the air carrying the particles you smell? Maybe it does.

The reason you can't really smell in a vacuum is that you can't breathe in to get the bits you smell to your smell receptors.

A sensor that recreates scents might be believable however.