Mechalibur's page

The PF2 crit rule is definitely in, as it is part of the core math. As for AC concerns, it really depends on what enemies you are fighting. But especially against enemies that aren't higher than your level, critting on an 18 is common even without any bonuses. If you apply some teamwork, getting it on a 15 or 16 is just as common. It's mostly just strong single enemies that play the "20 or bust" game when you don't apply penalties to them.

I never had problems with players critting against same levelled enemies, but in Age of Ashes there were so many encounters against APL +2 or +3 enemies that were exceedingly difficult for any of the PCs to hit.

I did hear AoA was overtuned, though, and encounter design got more reasonable later in development, so hopefully that holds true for SF2.

Not a huge fan of 2E overall, but there is one area where I think it can really improve the Starfinder experience.

Critical hit effects! There were so many cool crit effects in Starfinder 1, but they barely ever came up because you only got a crit on a 20. Assuming we're still using the crit = hit+10 rule, we should be able to see cool effects like lightning arcs and corrosion more frequently. I just hope AC doesn't end up super high on average for enemies.

Not really a specific mechanic, but SF1 seemed to have a higher "expected accuracy" for both players and enemies. Generally when fighting level-appropriate enemies, you could expect to hit a lot more than miss. It also helped when summoning monsters - even though their overall stats weren't great, since attack was higher than AC, they could still hit enemies a reasonable amount of time despite being lower level.

After having played Age of Ashes from 1-20 in PF2, one point of annoyance for the players was just how hard it was for them to hit enemies that were 2 or so levels higher (and the adventure had quite a few encounters like that). Even with the highest possible value in their stat and a levelled weapon, it wasn't uncommon for players to see 50% or worse odds to hit on their highest attack bonus, with secondary attacks being even lower.

I know the crit rules in PF2 make it dangerous for accuracy to be too high, but I really don't want enemy defenses to get too out of control.

I also really liked the huge variety in weapons, with lasers, disintegration beams, sonic guns, flamethrowers, etc. Definitely hope we get some cool variety there and fun rules for power armor.

This new edition of Starfinder is being designed to be fully compatible with the upcoming release of the Pathfinder Remastered rulebooks and all future Pathfinder Second Edition products. This means that all your Pathfinder content going forward will be compatible with the new edition of Starfinder, and that all Starfinder Second Edition content will work in Pathfinder—with your GM’s permission, of course!

Out of curiosity... is this a big draw for a lot of people? I've never really the desire to combine the 2 settings since I think both are pretty complete as-is. This is potentially a negative for me as I'd rather not have Starfinder feel beholden to specific Pathfinder 2E rules in order to remain cross-compatible.

Though it goes both ways with the way it's worded, and a GM can use that to ignore it if they want, I still see it as permission to remove players' core abilities. "At GM's discretion" can (and likely will) be abused by a terrible GM. They can point to that rule and say they can turn off your powers because the fight isn't worth you using them.

A terrible GM will make any system bad. The solution is not to play with them.

Hm...I wouldn't mind ditching the "metal armor druids" stuff, especially since there's art of an example druid multiclass character literally drawn wearing metal armor. It feels like another shibboleth, like the wizards' old proficiencies, so it may be a good candidate if it doesn't mess up druids' balance.

So does druids having their own language. It doesn't really matter from a gameplay balance perspective, but I've always found the druidic language completely out of nowhere and bizarre from an RP perspective (where do they learn this language from? Why is teaching it as bad as defacing nature? Where is this language actually used?)

Anyway! For wizards I'd like to see a 3rd set of advanced school focus spells. Stopping at only 2 seems a bit strange to me.

I'd like to see Two Weapon Fighting be a bit better. I think right now all you get is a feat that gives you +1 to hit if you attack with both weapons in a full attack. And of course, it lets you make a choice between two weapons if one would be better in a given situation, but I think I'd rather just have a weapon that's conventionally stronger.

One advantage of small arms should be that you have a free hand, but in practice that doesn't really amount to much since very few classes even get shield proficiency. Casters can use a free hand to get support from gimmicks (from Galactic Magic), but eventually with integrated weapons and cybernetic arms, that advantage of a free hand becomes less and less relevant.

My big wish for Witchwarper is that their infinite worlds (or equivalent) gets decoupled from spell slots along with the few Paradigm Shifts that use spell slots. It's a really cool ability, but some of the effects feel pretty minor compared to what that spell slot could do. Instead it could have a dedicated number of uses per day, with the power scaling up as you level.

I'm glad Solarians are included in the classes getting reworked - I don't think they're weak per se, but they have a few things I find annoying when it comes to building a character. Charisma as their key ability score, for example, bothers me a bit since several builds don't really rely on it. My guess was the intent was to stop people from completely dumping charisma (which you totally could if you don't go for DC-based revelations) by hurting their resolve if they do. I'd rather see built-in benefits for charisma, though, or maybe letting you pick Strength/Dexterity as your key ability score if desired.

Another issue I have is that you don't have any control over your starting zenith revelations, especially since Black Hole sucks (pun not intended). Spending a standard action to have a chance to pull people near you just doesn't seem like a good use of your time or worth unattuning for. Supernova is fine, at least, but it would still be nice to have some options.

This leads in to my last major issue: there isn't much reason to switch between your two different modes. Something like allowing you to attune to the opposite mode you were in after using a zenith revelation could make for a more dynamic playstyle. As is, I think most solarians stick to their favorite mode (usually positron since it's generally more damage), and the Broken Cycle alternate class feature just encouraged that playstyle even further.

Solarian also could really use more skill points per level. As MAD as they are, there is little room to improve their Int. More skill ranks per level would allow them to be more useful out of combat.

Also, just how many people do an Armor Solarian as anything other than a dip?

<Cricket chirps>

Weapon Solarians have always done good damage in combat. Just not much outside of combat.

I do hope they get rid of the idea that the Sidereal Influence ends as soon as you go into combat. No other class has they insight bonus go away like that.

My biggest issue with Solarion wasn't necessarily related to balance, but the fact that you were never really incentivized to switch between graviton and photon mode. You got punished if you took too many powers from one mode and not the other, but there was no carrot to go with the stick. In practice, I think a lot of people still ended up mostly sticking to a single form, and only taking powers from the other form because they had to (and mostly taking ones that were decent even if you're in the opposite form).

Unrelated to Solarion, I hope this offers an alternative to archetypes. Some classes had to give up way more than others to pursue an archetype, making a lot of them impractical.

Oh, that's too bad. I understand if it goes against the design guidelines, but I've personally found those a bit restrictive when it comes to casters that want to invest in weapon skills.

So happy to see capstone feats in an AP again! I think this is the first one with the APG classes, too. It's great how most of theme have a common theme of manipulating space. Sever Space is probably my favorite: a fighter can use it to attack an enemy with a slashing weapon up to 80 feet away and teleport right to them (or try to force them to teleport to the fighter).

The Sixth Pillar archetype is pretty interesting. One of the feats (requires level 16) increases a character's unarmed proficiency to master if they also have master proficiency in spell attacks (or vice versa). As far as I'm aware, this is the only way a full caster can reach master proficiency in any type of non-spell attack. Doesn't seem to be limited to any particular tradition, either, so it could be interesting for a Warpriest of Irori or something.

Maybe a bit weird, but I'd kind of like to see a big book of class feats with no interconnected theme.

Not gonna happen, obviously, but I can dream.

I get the feeling geomancy won't be its own spell list (although it may have focus spells, I suppose).

If I had to guess solely by the art, I'd say something along the lines of tactician/warlord?

AnimatedPaper wrote:

CorvusMask wrote:

So I'm curious about the harrow and tales on failed starstone attempts, are there any curious interesting funny lore bits there? :O

Some of the failed entries made me chuckle.

The harrow was interesting, as it describes some cards that aren't part of the standard deck.

Were all of them funny or were some of them also mysterious or ominous? :O

The failed entries are a lot shorter than the entries for living aspirants. One I found weird was the failed god of Sacrifice crossed the chasm after his brother sacrificed himself to make a portal. Kinda sucks for him.

Two of the failed gods utterly failed to cross the chasm and fell to their deaths. On the same day.

As for mysterious, one of the failed god's dead body showed up in one of his temples three days after entering the Starstone Cathedral, only to vanish afterward.

Really? I always thought the wizard version was pretty bad, considering its once per day limitation. I know it can get you a really strong turn, but I was never sure it was worth an entire feat.

As others have said, this version allows higher level spells but is limited to spellstrike. Seems fair to me.

Sure, there are other benefits, I just think if the issues with touch spells continue, most magi will elect to use save spells since there's usually a partial effect on a save.

I got to say, the new Heavenseeker archetype is really amazing (especially compared to the Edgewatch Detective which I found quite bland). One thing I found interesting is that it has a level 20 feat as an option - More archetypes should do that!

Quote:

meaning my lower level slots turn into what feels like mostly dead space or last choice options.

This is one I have to disagree with. DCs scaling automatically has made low level slots vastly more usable than in PF1, where they were pretty much just fodder for whatever random quality of life spell you felt like by midgame.

That's a good point. My one issue, however, is that low level blast spells end up inferior to damage cantrips, meaning all your low level slots need to be buffs or debuffs.

1e was kind of similar due to poor DC scaling (pretty much only utility spells were prepared in low level slots), but it feels weird that cantrips do more damage than 1-3 level spells at high levels.

But yeah, seriously, are there others worried that this book sets up lot of precedence that could result in major power creep later on?

A little bit, but I dunno, I feel like some of the classes (like Envoy or Solarion) can use the power creep.

Out of interest can anyone with the book find the Level 6 reality warper spell 'Subjective Reality' it is in the short decriptions and sounds interesting but I cannot find the full description of the spell ?

It's a core spell, so I imagine they didn't reprint it.

Subjective Reality

Is anyone else having trouble understanding the whole Chiselrock conspiracy? I'm reading the book intermittently so I could be missing something. But it is mentioned that there is damning evidence about him in his prison warehouse. I don't know what that evidence is, or what exactly he was doing to undermine the town. I know he was weakening one of the walls, but it feels like there is more I'm missing.

But with the Hidden Forge clues not being specifically defined, it occurs to me that the whole conspiracy might have been left vague.

Isn't he selling citizens of the town as slaves to the Scarlet Triad?

I do wish the clues were more defined though. Get X clues to find the prison without explaining what the clues are or how you got them is kind of annoying as a GM.

Rules as written, you would just make a single Escape check against the Thievery DC.

It does make a thievery check to remove manacles a bit impractical in combat compared to the other options.

I think it could be fine having the quarry be on alert and having a big climactic battle against most of the PCs, as long as you have the enemies approach in waves. For example, if different groups show up after 3, 6, and 9 turns. It would still end up very difficult for the PCs, but it should be doable, especially if they're able to retreat if things go bad.

And the end of Part 3, Laslunn has a letter indicating she proposed a plan to attack the Citadel in order to gain access to Alesta's Ring. After the owners of said Citadel kill her and a huge chunk of the Scarlet Triad, it's only natural that the Scarlet Triad would want to get revenge.

If the players don't put that together and have no desire to explore the next portal, you could have the Scarlet Triad launch an attack on the Citadel, or even Breachill. That should get the party motivated to finish off the Scarlet Triad and keep the adventure going, especially if they kill any NPCs the party has grown attached to.

I think Nketiah is the tribe's main interpreter, so she'd probably just repeat the story to the PCs in common afterward.

What are the traits of the Magma dragon? Does it receive the fire or the elemental trait?

Rare, CN, Fire, and, unsurprisingly, Dragon.

I really like the efficient capture ability that most Scarlet Triad characters have. It gives them an iconic ability that players can prepare for.

Exporting goods to Cheliax doesn't mean Cheliax has any sovereignty over Ravounel. They're not a vassal like Isger is.

They can still hear just fine, I imagine. And unless every single PC has darkvision, the PCs probably have a light source on them.

It seems incredibly cruel to keep them in a pitch-black room all day, but the Cinderclaws aren't exactly nice folks.

Question for the Developers.

Is it stated that Half-Ekujae Elves always have dark skin or does the book specifically state they also have tanned skin due to having a possible Keleshite human parent?

That seems like a weird thing to explicitly mention. I mean, yeah, if the human parent has lighter skin, then the child would have comparatively lighter skin than the rest of the tribe. Unless I'm misunderstanding you, I don't feel like that's something that even needs to be stated.

As it so happens, Cult of Cinders has an Ekujae half-elf whose skin it noticeably lighter than her dad's.

The Aldori Dueling sword really doesn't compare that well to the Sawtooth Saber or Necksplitter, does it? It's a d8 with 2 properties while the others are d8 weapons with 3 properties. And not to mention that bizarre 20gp cost.

I don't suppose any of the other Swordlord feats make it better?

ChibiNyan wrote:

Name one in an AP if you want.

Isn't nondetection super useful in anything intrigue based (like Hell's Rebels or War for the Crown, say), unless the GM just handwaves "the baddie didn't think to scry you."

I wouldn't say super useful. Full protecting yourself from scrying it difficult because it requires you to cast the spell 3 times per day (it has a duration of 8 hours) and succeed on every counteract check. An enemy could also just scry one of your friends, and while they wouldn't see you, they could surmise your location unless you're split up.

It could potentially have uses if you're anticipating other spells being used against you like Mind-Reading.

Slick armor rune wrote:

This property makes armor slippery, as though it were coated with a thin film of oil.

Slick definitely doesn't work with this anymore than Glamered does, as it effects the armor, not the wearer.

Why doesn't it work? Isn't the whole idea that you're putting the rune on your own skin, so any properties that would normally affect the armor affect you directly? Or is there text on Runescarred which explains why this wouldn't work (I don't have the book currently).

You'd be a gross oily mess all the time, though, I guess that's a downside.

Wrong. I can send you link after link showing otherwise from full priced items. Also that's great, go pay 10 pages for $25 as well then, since you value only "content over page count". LOL That's how we let companies continue to ruin the market, and gouge players. This type of mentality.

Gouge players? Paizo lets all mechanical content they release be posted FOR FREE online.

I picked up Pathfinder back when I was broke because I literally didn't need to purchase a single thing to play the game with my friends. Dungeons & Dragons in comparison only has minimal information available for free, and they don't even release pdfs of their main products. Accusing Paizo of gouging the price on pdfs is just absurd to me - they've certainly been the most generous major TT RPG publisher in my experience.

The art certainly is creepy!

It's great to know that my particular campaign, in which we lost everything and fought back tooth-and-nail to restore peace to the land and free the people that were being oppressed in the Vault of the Onyx Citadel, is utterly invalidated.

Seriously, how can you just up and decide that one particular ending of an AP is just categorically wrong?

By the same logic, if the canon ending was that the PCs killed the general, wouldn't that be invalidating every group that chose a peaceful ending?

Yossarian wrote:

What is a (minor) issue however is ... 'Access You are from Old Cheliax'

Why? Because there's Citadel Vraid sitting nearby Korvosa in Varisia. It houses members of the Order of the Nail. I'd have thought it would be ok to become a member of that order without having been born in Old Cheliax. Surely they take the occasional recruit from Korvosa, someone who has Chelish ancestors but was born and bred in Varisia?

Perhaps it's all in the interpretation of the word 'from'?

Old Cheliax is one of the Meta Regions they mention in the CRB. Per the map they showed earlier in the year Korvosa is Part of that Region, even if it is on outer edges of said Meta Region.

I'm not sure that's correct. In the blog post on Old Cheliax, there was no mention of Korvosa. It was mentioned in the Saga Langs blog post, however. Wouldn't that be a clear indication that Korvosa is in the Saga Lands?

On the other hand, Citadel Vraid itself is ~50 miles south of Korvosa, which could put it in Old Cheliax.

zimmerwald1915 wrote:

{. . .} Geography is a problem. Mountainous terrain is not great for farming, and Golarion isn't such a Tippy-setting (even less so in 2E, I hope) that food production can be handled entirely by create food traps. [. . .}

Create Food traps? Now I've got this vision of traps which -- if you fail your Perception check and/or Disable Device check -- hit you with a pie in the face . . . .

Imagine being a poor family that in order to survive has to go out into the woods and get assaulted by food traps.

Most of them! Only the living sap and asanbosam don't appear in the adventure itself.

It would be pretty easy to add them, though. This adventure features Kingmaker-esque hex-grid exploration.

I believe the Paizo staff doesn't want too much detailed information being given on products before the release date, so I was intentionally terse with my description.

The levels range between 1-9

Anyone know what the new monsters in this one are?

Quite a few

Asanbosam - Giant vampire ape with cold iron claws

Bida - Like a boa constrictor mixed with a dragon. Can turn small villages invisible to keep control of its slaves.

Biloko - Crocodiley fey with a penchant for cannibalism. 3 different versions included.

Charau-Ka - Like in the previous book, but contains 3 variants.

Grippli - 3 new variants

Kishi - Murderous fey that hide a second hyena head behind their humanoid one.

Living Sap - Exactly what it sounds like. A sappy ooze.

Mokele-Mbembe - Giant Mwangi dino that can make a sonic boom with its tail.

Sabosan - Creepy bat humanoids.

I'm curious to know if there will be a deity article in this volume just as there was in the majority of the second volumes of 1E APs. I hope that's the case.

I also hope to know more about the ekujae, so an article about them or their settlement would also be great!

I was surprised when the elf gates were included in the fifth volume, as we are going to interact with them and the elven people in this volume.

There's an article on the Ekujae. No deity article.

If it says attempt to Trip then it would use the Trip success/failure table, regardless if it targets a different DC. The only exception would be if it provided its own table to use instead, which it doesn't.

If it rolled a critical failure on any trip attempts, I assume it would fall prone.

Okay, "manly left hook" is the best name of an ability I've seen so far.

Can we please stop calling everything tr-

...oh.

Something about that space Leshy terrifies me to my core.

Are there any other "heroes" at the town meeting? Do they all just run off when the building catches on fire? If the whole town is built around hiring adventurers, there should be some other groups that show up, I imagine.

It could be kind of fun to present a red herring adventure that the players might think is intended for them, but have the council decide on hiring a more experienced group instead. The other adventurers go off to the tavern to celebrate, Warble then presents her case, and the fire happens.