I am currently busy with recruiting more GM's.
The things I do:
1) Have them run a bounty or quest, shorter is easier
2) Be sure to sit next to the GM so I can answer questions
3) I have put (almost) all my resources at my playing location, that includes an ever increasing stack of flipmats, cardboard miniature boxes, GM screen, combat tracker etc.
4) Lend them one of my scenario's for the session, and do that well in advance so they can ask questions while preparing.
I am also a VA.
I have played Starfinder in the past, got a character to level 5 and another to level 3, at which point I stopped.
Kept playing (and GMing) 1st edition Pathfinder, and for the last year and a half am playing and GMing PF2e.
I dislike the ship combat because the most useful roles are pilot (dex based) and gunner (dex based) The mechanic is Int based, and there is some stuff to do for a Cha based character, but wis and strength based characters are out of luck.
My second character was a soldier, but my first attempt was due to optimization an exact copy of another players soldier, so I switched to an Intimidation built. At level 3 I realized that I would struggle to keep up with the increasing DC's.
My wishlist:
- Have roles for all builds in ship to ship combat instead of dex/int always the main and CHA the back-up slot.
- Make the DC increase match the increase in bonusses, I want to get better at my main goal, not worse.
- Make the character creation a bit easier and more flexible than in PF2e. The fact that you have to choose sets (For example: Background gives stats, a skill and a skill feat, and don't get me started on picking a deity as a cleric or champion) is more annoying than fun.
My occultist has the Shadow Beast focus power and is level 11.
Shadow Beast:
Shadow Beast (Sp): As a standard action, you can call forth one or more beasts made of shadow by expending 1 point of mental focus. This functions as shadow conjuration, but it can be used to duplicate only the effects of summon monster spells. Creatures created with this spell deal 50% of the normal damage to those that disbelieve the illusion, and their nondamaging effects have only a 50% chance of affecting disbelieving targets. This can be used to duplicate any summon monster spell up to summon monster V. For every 2 additional levels you possess beyond 9th, the maximum spell level you can duplicate with this ability increases by 1 (to a maximum of summon monster IX at 17th level). Regardless of the spell duplicated, the creatures remain for 1 round per occultist level you possess. You must be at least 9th level to select this focus power.
Shadow Conjuration:
You use material from the Plane of Shadow to shape quasi-real illusions of one or more creatures, objects, or forces. Shadow conjuration can mimic any sorcerer or wizard conjuration (summoning) or conjuration (creation) spell of 3rd level or lower.
Shadow conjurations are only one-fifth (20%) as strong as the real things, though creatures who believe the shadow conjurations to be real are affected by them at full strength. Any creature that interacts with the spell can make a Will save to recognize its true nature.
Spells that deal damage have normal effects unless the affected creature succeeds on a Will save. Each disbelieving creature takes only one-fifth (20%) damage from the attack. If the disbelieved attack has a special effect other than damage, that effect is only 20% likely to occur. Regardless of the result of the save to disbelieve, an affected creature is also allowed any save that the spell being simulated allows, but the save DC is set according to shadow conjuration's level (4th) rather than the spell's normal level. In addition, any effect created by shadow conjuration allows spell resistance, even if the spell it is simulating does not. Shadow objects or substances have normal effects except against those who disbelieve them. Against disbelievers, they are 20% likely to work.
A shadow creature has one-fifth the hit points of a normal creature of its kind (regardless of whether it's recognized as shadowy). It deals normal damage and has all normal abilities and weaknesses. Against a creature that recognizes it as a shadow creature, however, the shadow creature's damage is one-fifth (20%) normal, and all special abilities that do not deal lethal damage are only 20% likely to work. (Roll for each use and each affected character separately.) Furthermore, the shadow creature's AC bonuses are just one-fifth as large.
A creature that succeeds on its save sees the shadow conjurations as transparent images superimposed on vague, shadowy forms. Objects automatically succeed on their Will saves against this spell.
In other words, he can now summon a succubus with the profane gift power
Profane Gift:
Profane Gift (Su) Once per day as a full-round action, a succubus may grant a profane gift to a willing humanoid creature by touching it for 1 full round. The target gains a +2 profane bonus to an ability score of his choice. A single creature may have no more than one profane gift from a succubus at a time. As long as the profane gift persists, the succubus can communicate telepathically with the target across any distance (and may use her suggestion spell-like ability through it). A profane gift is removed by dispel evil or dispel chaos. The succubus can remove it as well as a free action (causing 2d6 Charisma drain to the victim, no save).
As the succubus is an illusion, how would this affect him?
As the illusion disappears after 11 rounds, does the profane gift also disappear?
I wanted a bit of cash left over for investing in the Caravan sort of thing.
How should we invest in the Caravan? By chipping in for trade goods?
I was so free to set up a separate loot sheet for the Caravan.
I suggest that everyone substracts the money he want to use for the caravan from his own money, and put in into the caravan funds.
Make sure you can easily verify how much money you have invested in the caravan, and put that number in your field on the Caravan sheet. (I am even lazier, and have my Caravan sheet field linked to the total Caravan donations on my sheet, so those will always match.)
There we can track the caravan expenses and see if everyone is paying their share.
I don't mind if there are differences between the individual contributions because different classes have different spending habits. Just try to keep it balanced.
