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This is where we'll post any major clarifications for the evolutionist playtest.
(Keep in mind that we'll be making plenty of changes after the playtest—this is just to clarify those things that might serve as major roadblocks.)

First up:
1) An evolutionist loses all EP at the end of combat.

Welcome to the Evolutionist Playtest!

This forum is a place to discuss the playtest version of the evolutionist class.
Feel free to ask questions and give feedback as you try out the class—we're listening!

Another great place to give your feedback is in the playtest survey (found here), which includes a free-form text box to tell us anything not covered in the survey.

Thank you for helping us make Starfinder even better!

When creating a nanocyte higher than 1st level, start by creating a 1st-level nanocyte and then apply the leveling up process as normal for each level.

When choosing major and minor forms for your gear array at each level, use the following numbers for your nanite investment value for that new level to determine which forms you can select.

For example, at 5th level, you can choose your new major form for that level (as well as replace a major/minor form) as though your nanite investment were 4,200.

After choosing your forms at your nanocyte's maximum level, your nanite investment amount is equal to the price of the most expensive form you've learned (rather than the amount listed on the table, which is your maximum for that level). Deduct this amount from your starting wealth (Table 11–15: Character Wealth per Level on page 391 of the Starfinder Core Rulebook).

For example, if your new nanocyte is 6th level and their most expensive form is a corona laser pistol (which costs 4,270 credits), they start with 10,730 credits (15,000 starting wealth minus 4,270) to spend on gear.

Level: Nanite Investment
2nd: 1,350
3rd: 2,000
4th: 3,000
5th: 4,200
6th: 6,200
7th: 9,500
8th: 13,000
9th: 18,000
10th: 25,000
11th: 35,000
12th: 50,000
13th: 72,000
14th: 110,000
15th: 165,000
16th: 245,000
17th: 365,000
18th: 540,000
19th: 810,000
20th: 900,000

So, is swarm strike supposed to use CON modifier for attack and damage rolls?

As currently written, when you use swarm strike, you can use your CON modifier in place of your STR modifier on the attack roll, but not the damage roll.

It was astutely pointed out that a nanocyte can't currently choose major or minor forms at character creation.

Therefore, please add the following line to Nanite Investment (following the line that reads "This is a numerical value called your nanite investment, and it starts at 0 when you gain your first nanocyte level.")

In addition, when you gain your first nanocyte level, you can invest UPBs (or credits from your starting wealth as though they were UPBs) as part of the process of choosing major and minor forms.

Welcome to the Starfinder Tech Revolution Playtest!

This forum is for general questions and feedback about the playtest process, for more specific feedback, see the individual nanocyte class and mech system subforums.

Thank you for helping us make Starfinder even better!

Welcome to the Starfinder Tech Revolution Playtest!!

This forum is a place to discuss the playtest version of the nanocyte class.
Feel free to ask questions and give feedback as you try out the class—we're listening!

Of course, the best place to give your feedback is via the playtest survey (found here), which includes a free-form text box to tell us anything not covered in the survey.

Finally, if you have feedback about the playtest process in general (rather than the nanocyte specifically), let us know here.

Thank you for helping us make Starfinder even better!

Welcome to the Starfinder Tech Revolution Playtest!!

This forum is a place to discuss the playtest version of the mech sytem.
Feel free to ask questions and give feedback as you try out the system—we're listening!

Of course, the best place to give your feedback is via the playtest survey (found here), which includes a free-form text box to tell us anything not covered in the survey.

Finally, if you have feedback about the playtest process in general (rather than the mech system specifically), let us know here.

Thank you for helping us make Starfinder even better!

Hello!

It seems that the latest FAQ update regarding cover did not resolve folks' questions with cover in Starfinder. To that end, I'm looking to amend the FAQ to the below question and answer. Please take a look, and if this does not resolve most common questions, we can discuss it further in this thread before I update the FAQ.

Your input is valuable to me, and I want to make it clear that I'm looking to refine the FAQ to help answer the most common scenarios that people ask about. I will likely not have time to litigate corner cases. Here, then, is my proposed update:

How do the rules of cover interact with certain counterintuitive cases? (For example, given the rules for determining cover as written, two creatures in a 5-foot-wide corridor would have cover from one another, even with no intervening obstacles.)

First and foremost, the GM can usually quickly decide whether a creature has cover based on the circumstances of the encounter. Common sense rules the day!
If the GM is unsure, they can use the rules for measuring cover provided in the Core Rulebook. For these purposes, a measuring line that passes along a wall (but not a creature) is considered to pass through a square or border that provides cover.

Anyone interested in starting up a (long, long) game of Civilization VI: The Gathering Storm?

Now that all the DLC is on iPad, I've been playing more!

The rules published in Alien Archive 3 for creature companion mounts present some clarifications to the Ride a Creature task of Survival and mounted combat in general.

This has raised the question of whether drones use these rules, so let's clarify!

A mechanic's drone with the riding saddle mod follows the rules printed in Alien Archive 3 under the "Creature Companion Mounts" heading (pages 140-141), with the following exceptions.
• A drone is not considered a creature companion.
• The size requirements of the riding saddle mod override the size requirement for creature companions.
• The "Speed and Movement" section does not apply to drones. Instead, a drone-mounted creature replaces their own speeds with the drone's speeds. In addition, a creature mounted on a drone that uses an action that includes movement (including using abilities that allow the creature to move its speed) uses one of the drone's available move actions for the turn. In addtion, however it's controlled, each turn a drone can at most take a standard, move, and swift action, or take a full action.

In addition, the final sentence of the riding saddle mod (Starfinder Core Rulebook 77–78) should read:
"You no longer need to attempt the fight from a combat trained mount task of Survival when directing your drone mount in battle."

There have been a number of questions about the ring of fangs, a magic item from The Cult of the Devourer article in Starfinder Adventure Path #2: Temple of the Twelve.

In this thread, we'll answer those questions in order to help GMs adjudicate its use.
Please note that questions broader than the scope of the ring of fangs warrant their own rules-questions threads and FAQ requests.

First, let's clarify the text of the item itself (changing it from page 53 of the Adventure Path):
When you wear this ring, your teeth become long and sharp, giving you a powerful bite attack. This grants you a special unarmed strike that deals lethal piercing damage and threatens squares within your reach. You must be able to use your mouth to bite to use this unarmed strike, but it does not require a hand to wield. If you are 3rd level or higher, you gain a special version of the Weapon Specialization feat that adds double your level to the damage of this unarmed strike (rather than adding your level).

Second, answers to questions related to the original text (and interactions with other player options):

Does the unarmed strike granted by ring of fangs have the archaic weapon special property?
Yes.

Does the ring of fangs allow the wearer to threaten squares (and therefore make attacks of opportunity)?
Yes, as long as the wearer has the ability to use their mouth to bite.

Does the unarmed strike granted by ring of fangs require a free limb?
No. However, effects that impede your ability to bite also cause you to lose the ability to make the attack granted by ring of fangs for the duration of the effect.

How does the ring of fangs interact with the feat Improved Unarmed Strike?
The Improved Unarmed Strike feat increases the damage of the unarmed strike granted by the ring of fangs as noted in the feat.

How does the ring of fangs interact with the natural weapons racial trait of playable species, such as vesk?
The natural weapons trait removes the archaic special property from a character's unarmed strikes, and this includes the special unarmed strike granted by the ring of fangs. However, the natural weapons trait does not increase the level-based damage a PC deals with the unarmed strike granted by the ring of fangs.

How does the ring of fangs interact with specific player options?
Damage to attacks granted by powered armor: This does not increase the damage of an unarmed strike granted by the ring of fangs.
Hammer First: This does not apply to the unarmed strike granted by the ring of fangs.
Melee Striker: This applies to the unarmed strike granted by the ring of fangs.
Raw Lethality: This applies to the unarmed strike granted by the ring of fangs (unless something has removed the archaic trait, such as a natural weapons racial trait).
Rune of the Eldritch Knight: A soldier with this style technique can grant fusions to the unarmed strike granted by the ring of fangs.