Xenobiologist's page

Are you just looking for a description of the contemplatives as a species? The 1e race page is here.

I am not a playtester but I want to point out a problem with Low Gravity and High Gravity. They are phrased as gravity types that don't exist in the Universe at all. Do moons and large super-earth planets no longer exist? Does artificial gravity no longer exist? This doesn't make sense.

Good to know that, thanks. I have a long love for Planescape so that forms my default set of assumptions.

So what does decide if a deity is major or minor or demigod, and can they change?

I read Erastil's article on the Pathfinder Wiki and it seems his attitude (in that era) was very pro-rural, anti-urban. So if those values haven't changed then just take most of what I wrote and switch it to his daughter Halcamora instead. Maybe with that she might pick up enough worshippers to ascend to full divinity?

It would probably be fairly easy to reflavor it as a prepared Illusionist, give it some alternate class features (or the 2E equivalent) to make sure it fits into low-tech fantasy. Some of the alternate class features could be designed and flavored to fit into science fantasy as well by being applicable to holograms.

I had an idea for an Int-based Holoartist class whose primary ability is to create holograms, which can be tangible hardlight or intangible. They would probably need to be prepared (similar to prepared spells) but they're created as 3D models programmed with behaviors and then animated and sent into action using a mobile holo-emitter. Your holo-emitter would be able to carry a certain # of them prepared at a time. To switch for one stored in your laptop or datapad you'd need to rest, while making a new one would require downtime (at least until higher levels) and a skill roll to determine its quality. The quality and how well you can control and program them would likely also improve with level, along with the storage capacity of the holo-emitter, and how big a hologram it can project and at what range.

These holograms can be combat drones (if made tangible), social influencing artworks, purely digital avatars on the infowebs, disguises, illusions, visual aids for battle plans or explaining anything, disco balls, backup flashlights, disposable avatars for talking to trigger-happy jerks or sending into deadly places when your environmental suit breaks, strobes to disorient foes, or hopefully flexible enough for a lot of creativity. The class could also include a certain amount of extra options for interacting with and inside of cyberspace, assuming that exists in Starfinder 2E (I hope it will).

Someone published a 1E class similar to my idea called the Fantasist, but I'm not sure if it fully matches what I was thinking.

I do think a class or archetype that gets a cool vehicle is a good idea. Didn't 1E Mechanics eventually get that as an option? Shapeshifter is also a neat idea.

Two questions I have about 2e:

Did Absalom Station change in size or population between editions?
In what district is Little Akiton located?

I also hope that SROs and Anacites become playable. Possibly as separate ancestries, possibly within a single versatile robot ancestry (not sure how versatile ancestries work). Likewise, I hope xenometric androids can become playable.

How about Elder Things, at least as alien antagonists? They've shown up on Golarion so they should be flying around somewhere.

Chalk might cost a credit on Absalom Station because it has to be imported from a planet or very large moon, and is denser than food. So toothpaste it is!

I agree the evolutionists are a cool concept. Is anyone hoping for additional evolutionist niches? There are two others on Starfinder Infinite (Draconic and Warped). I don't know what the latter is. I could imagine hybrid/magitech machine, or elemental, or trying to cross a sci-fi style singularity (distinct from ascending to godhood). Or attempting to transcend the limits of linear time (but that might better fit precogs/witchwarpers). Or trying to inhabit a swarm of bodies linked together by one mind and soul. Or gradually replacing your body with a different type of matter (dark matter? starmetal?) What about an android or SRO wanting to become biological, would that be Vital or a new niche?

I could imagine biohackers being modified alchemists, but where those are chemists, biohackers are biologists. An alchemist gives you a pharmaceutical pill that alters your biochemistry. A biohacker injects you with gene therapy to alter your genome. But being a biologist, and being proficient with injection weapons, could be separate alternate class features so alchemists can shoot pharma-darts(TM).

I like the suggestion about colonists, but I don't think Erastil has to lose as much as you propose. Farming will still matter in futuristic societies, unless every ounce of food is replicated/printed/nanofabricated directly from UBPs or harvested from dead sapients*. Any production that starts with growing a living organism for harvest should count as farming whether it's wide open fields and vinyards, hydroponics, a box of crickets recycling food scraps on a space station, or labs producing genetically engineered yeast and vat-grown meat.

He could insist on remaining the god of old-fashioned outdoor farming on planetary surfaces. Instead, what about branching out into the production of grown organ replacements? That's sort of like farming, it goes into someone's body, and the industry might have started with farming pigs or the like for xenotransplants. He could also branch out into bounty hunters.

* but this might involve hunting so...

I do think it odd that humans, a core species, are centered on such a low-population "world".

As much as I like the Catania feel of Starfinder I think it's ok if we skip a playable species that eats sewage, at least for social encounters, especially ones involving eating. I don't have the dietary habits of all the playable species memorized so I wouldn't be surprised if some pointed out we already have one.

It's not official, but you can play a space Otyugh.

Well I'm very glad to learn that non-magical medicine is more viable in 2e. :) I guess the Pathfinder Wiki isn't always entirely accurate.

Did the entire novella ever get released as an ebook? If so what's the name to search for in the catalog?

I would like to know the locations of these (or of their headquarters), please, of anyone has gathered that data.

Here is what I have found so far, mostly in the Starfinder Wiki:

AbadarCorp: headquarters Golden Vault, Absalom Station, Pact Worlds
Arabani Arms, Ltd.: headquarters on Apostae, Pact Worlds
Arch Energy Consortium: headquarters Brilliance, orbiting Mataras, Pact Worlds
Automatrix Robotics: headquarters in Automatrix, Aballon, Pact Worlds
Emergence Cybernetics: headquarters on Aballon, Pact Worlds
Exemplar-23: headquarters on Aballon, Pact Worlds
Fireside Foundry: headquarters in Fireside, Burning Archipelago, Mataras, Pact Worlds
Forgeworks Innovations: headquarters in Conqueror’s Forge, Ghavaniska system
Idari Crucible Works: headquarters in Idari, Pact Worlds
Iratha Incorporated: headquarters in Bretheda, Pact Worlds
Life Innovations: headquarters in Bretheda, Pact Worlds
NatuReal Compounds Ltd.: headquarters NatuReal Solar Bureau in Fireside, Burning Archipelago, Mataras, Pact Worlds
Resurgent Technologies: headquarters on Aballon, Pact Worlds
Ringworks Industries: headquarters in Skydock, orbiting Verces, Pact Worlds
Sanjaval Spaceflight Systems: headquarters in Lucent Shipyards, Mataras, Pact Worlds
Skybreak Holdings: headquarters in Sovyrian, Castrovel, Pact Worlds
Ulrikka Clanholdings: headquarters in Diaspora, Pact Worlds
Vellsencraft Ltd.: headquarters on Akiton, Pact Worlds
Vestrani Gaming Complex: casino in Verdeon, Burning Archipelago, Mataras, Pact Worlds

I would like to know the locations of these (or of their headquarters), please, of anyone has gathered that data.

[?????] The name "alchemist" suggests magical potions. The alchemy page on Pathfinder Wiki says alchemy is "not magic". It's described like chemistry but with magical-sounding words like "elixir" and "potion". However, the page on the alchemist class is all about magic and doesn't mention the words "science", "heal", or "medicine". This is confusing. [/?????]

If it feels like magic and mysticism instead of futuristic science, it'll be like playing a mystic again. I called it "nanobots" in game but I knew I was just casting a mystic cure spell. Likewise, if it feels like an envoy pep talk it won't feel like medical science.

I'm really looking for the experience of playing a field biologist, or medical doctor, or physics engineer, or scientific archaeologist, in a way that feels distinct from magic and contributes in a distinct way. Applying scientific methods in a universe that also contains magic. The investigator [as described on Pathfinder Wiki] covers murder mystery forensics and might kindof cover archaeology? Not sure. Any class features that refer to medieval tech and magic would need to be swapped out, tho. Shooting people with serum darts optional, but it's a good way to deliver medicines and nanobots at range. Being able to debuff instead of kill also fit the character concept I had.

Likewise, I wish to try playing an alien being. I appreciate that they will still include aliens in the Player Core and Galaxy Guide. I really hope that Galaxy Guide and Tech book count as "core" for a new-ish player in Society play.

I also wish/hope that the Player Core and Tech book will include a variety of cyber and biotech augmentation options that anyone can get. I really like to see a positive and flexible depiction of augmentation in fiction, hopefully even a bit more flexible than the SF1 design.

This brings up a question I was wondering.

Embroi was invaded by devils from Hell and conquered. And it seems (from the Starfinder wiki) that armies of heavenly beings aren't fighting to save it. But it seems other planets have not been invaded by planar outsiders. My question is, what stops them from doing it everywhere?

In D&D 2e, the Outer Planes are infinite and there are infinite fiends, celestials, slaadi, and modrons. But they can't turn the Material Plane into an eternal battlefield because some magic or inherent thing in their outsider nature prevents them from sending infinite armies to the Prime Material without being summoned by cultists.

So, does Starfinder and/or Pathfinder have some kind of lore reason that infinite demons and devils don't conquer everything, or wage giant angel-demon wars on every planet? Did someone in fact summon or invite the devils to Embroi, or open an unusually large and stable portal to Hell?

I'm specifically not asking for spoilers of published adventures, though. Just... pondering.

Scroll down the link to the release schedule is at the bottom of the page. The current release schedule goes through July.

Thanks!

So the "corebook" for GMs is actually the PF corebook that already exists, instead of a new book? Or is the Galaxy Guide actually kindof the GM core? The description includes player options.

I didn't have the chance to join the playtest tho. I've been seriously ill off and on for 2+ years. I feel like you're assuming I playtested and just didn't bother to use the form. :(

Is that the only option? I thought they used to read some of the subforums but I don't know which ones.

Someone please help me find the 2025 release schedule for SF?

I wish to see science-fiction-based character options. Ones that we don't have to wait 4+ years and purchase 4+ hardbacks just to scavenge for bits to assemble into a slightly scifi concept. The core classes so far are the least scifi of the bunch and "play a Pathfinder class" doesn't help here.

I wish to finally be allowed to play a medical doctor who uses actual [in-world] science and advanced tech, flesh-reassembling nanobots, something _non_magical_, to Stabilize and heal HP and poisonings, in an amount that matters during play. A doctor who _mostly_ uses science and technology instead of prayer or magic potions, who focuses on science instead of it being a single useless skill on the character sheet of an Envoy or Mystic.

That's a pretty basic, common scifi concept and pretty much impossible for most of SF1's run.

How is it that people find ways to communicate with the Devs? Do they ever read these threads?

It has been over 30 days, now. Does anyone know how to find these? I searched the Store for Second Contact and didn't find it.

234. This potion was crafted using the magical essence (or a body part) of an extraplanar outsider. For the potion's duration you take on the appearance, voice, odor, etc. of a planar scion of that ancestry, overlaid on top of your actual species. (If the potion has an instaneous duration, the effect lasts for 1d4 hours per CL.) If you're already a planar scion this can make you look like a mixture of two planar heritages, or just exaggerate your existing planar heritage (add an additional physical feature if you rolled for them at random). You gain no planar scion mechanical effects other than the Cha modifier (if any) but people who know you don't recognize you unless they witnessed the transformation, and anyone you meet tends to assume your alignment matches your heritage.

235. As #234, but the potion was crafted using pixie dust or the blood of a fey creature. You take on the appearance of a half-fey creature temporarily.

236. As #234, but instead of cosmetic changes you temporarily gain all the beneficial effects of a planar scion ancestry with none of the drawbacks and no cosmetic changes.

237. Your eyes glow in the same color as the potion, for the same duration as #234. This gives you a -2 alchemical? penalty to all Stealth attempts, but you also get low-light vision until it wears off.

238. Synesthesia for the potion's duration, or 24 hours if it had an instantaneous duration.

239. You fart rainbows for the next 1d8 days. Once per day, you can double your jumping distance by willfully farting an especially forceful rainbow.

240. One of your eyes permanently changes color.

241. This potion contains pressurized gas. While you were carrying the potion, it sloshed around and when you open it, it fizzes and explodes all over you before you can drink it. As it splashes you it takes effect as normal, but you're wet all over and kind of sticky, and you smell like the potion. If you dry or wash it off, any non-instantaneous effects end early. Otherwise when the potion wears off, you also finally dry off and stop smelling.

242. Immediately after drinking the potion, you have a mild allergic reaction. Roll any die. Evens, you sneeze loudly. Odds, you have a rash until the next time you sleep or rest normally.

243. This potion is so minty-fresh and refreshing, that it leaves you perfectly clean and gives you fresh breath as though you just bathed and brushed your teeth.

244. You experience one random, strong emotion for the next round.

Eewwwwww.

Alright, here's some brainstorming.

1. Heaving fleshquakes
2. Eruptions of ichor
3. Ichor that has subtly or radically different effects on drinkers, than before.
4. Orocoroans behaving very differently from before. Most are unusually energetic.
5. Strange sounds you can feel through your boots.
6. Weird, indescribable smells permeate the breathable air in the domed cities. Each city acquires a different smell. None are pleasant to offworlders but nobody can agree what they smell like.
7. Sinkholes and flesh-movements that swallow up people, animals, objects, and sometimes whole vehicles.
8. Landmarks and patches of landscape that have changed color and/or texture. Fleshy growths may develop.

9. Buildings in a city rearrange when the PCs aren't looking. The resulting arrangement is sometimes "wrong":
9a. Geometrically impossible (buildings or rooms occupying the same space, or with their gravity oriented contrary to the planet surface, or larger or smaller on the inside, or internal and external angles no longer match).
9b. Looks like an optical illusion.
9c. Internal and external angles of buildings change without damaging materials.
9d. Building materials change to flesh or something unidentifiable.
9e. Some parts become incorporeal, including everything and everyone they contain. Even the air inside turns incorporeal.
9f. Unnameable, subtle wrongness that seems to disappear if you focus on or look directly at it. Causes vertigo and confusion.

10. Things that affect ichor-drinkers and Aucturn-cultists more often than other people:
10a. Nightmares. They range from disturbing to outright sanity blasting.
10b. Waves of emotion. Most are indescribable and confusing. Those that can be named are usually deep awe, anticipation, excitement, dread, fear, and joy.
10c. Urges to do random, bizarre, inexplicable things. 65% chance the person forgets about it after doing it.
10d. Seizures
10e. Hallucinations
10f. Mutations

11. A sense of impending doom. Get off the planet, NOW!
12. The ichor, or a strange cloud, heals an injured character but also causes a small mutation or change in personality, or grants an ugly (but useful) biomod to the healed body part. Will they accept the gift of Aucturn, or get it removed ASAP?

This seems like a good time to use the Corruption system from Everyman Games.

Thanks.

Sadly what I wanted to play was a Biohacker who is an actual medical doctor. Which isn't really an option for that class in 1E until after both Tech Revolution and SF Enhanced came out. :(

Either way I'd have to buy a large number of extra books just to play a very basic concept, because they have something against science-based medicine.

Which classes and races will be core? I heard there are only 6 classes in 2e, fewer than 1st edition core.

119. 34 terabytes of adorable 3D pet videos featuring cats, dogs, squoxes, squirrels, rats, ducks, mewclocks, large caterpillars, giant cicada grubs, tiny dragonets, miniature shotalashus, Castrovelian and Vercite farm animals, and even a few proogs. The collection seems to have been curated from greatest hits because there are no duds and no annoying music.

120. A crudely shot home video of a small child opening a present, squealing joyfully, and playing with their new toy.

121. A snuff film. It releases a computer virus if you watch the film up to the 13 second mark.

122. An internal Steward record discussing a famous serial-killer case solved 112 years ago. The file seems to have been declassified (at least internally), but still has some redacted sentences.

123. An encrypted file dated to the Gap. When decrypted it proves to be somebody's dental records.

124. Numerous secret recipes for gourmet desserts sold by a famous chef. The treats are so amazingly delicious that any carbon-and-water organism (living or borai) who eats one regains a Resolve point on the spot (limit 1 RP per day). However, if they are shared beyond a small group you will receive a strongly-worded cease-and-desist letter, a virus designed to delete the files, and possibly a lawsuit.

125. Full genomes for several alien organisms, each using six base-pairs instead of four. They are not related to any known life-form, but most are related to each other.

126. Vacation photos of a Nuar family in a beautiful, pristine wilderness park on some planet you don't recognize.

127. A break-up email.

128. A 3D holo-ad for Akfverdtig's Amazing Legzikson Tablets. The jingle is an annoying earworm that doesn't even entirely explain what Legzikson is or what it supposedly does. The accompanying contact info is out of date and useless.

129. A sort of musical archaeological collection. It includes Star Sugar Heartlove!!!, a Dwarven epic poem about the Quest for Sky, the first album or song released by each of several famous historical musicians and bands, and the first known song released in each of certain popular musical genres (sugar pop, rat-hop, Hellmetal grunge, Pahtra protest yowls, devotion techno, fractal-beat, fractal-palindrome, pun-rap, etc.)

130. Instructions for assembling a "self-assembling" furniture set. The remains of said furniture might be found somewhere in the vessel, building, or station where you found the data.

Did the devs say Aucturn is hatching this year? O_O

Yeah I can't see the planets either, even zoomed in on the inner system with planet scale at maximum.

But I can see the names moving, which is still pretty cool!

If you can't make the planets bigger, can you make their orbits visible as ellipses?

Edit: Is Triaxus supposed to have an apogee so far beyond Aucturn?

I still use the first chapter of "Babylon 5 - Galactic Guide" for solar and planetary system creation. Still, science has evolved since that printing (namely, an explosion in detection of exoplanets, including around binary star systems) and could use an update,

Fortunately there is a book coming out on DriveThruRPG this year, Architect of Worlds, which will be all about generating stars and planetary systems. It's system-neutral and based on all the latest science, written by Jon F. Zeigler, who designed the solar system generator in GURPS Space. So although it won't do anything for magical worlds or planar influence, and might not have anything about megastructures, I trust it'll be awesome for realistic solar systems.

These are fun!
In general it'd be even better to make options that are setting-agnostic, or separate options for fantasy vs. futuristic, like my 543 below.
.

543. Playing an expensive vidgame
(comic: playing a children's vidgame and throwing a tantrum when they lose a life)
(PF: Playing polo on a very handsome mount, or playing hopscotch.)

544. Giving a passionate political speech to convert a crowd to truly heinous or violent behavior that endangers someone the PCs care about.
(Comic: Giving a passionate political speech to a crowd that "Evil will always win, because Good is dumb.")

545. Callously arranging how to permanently eliminate rivals or competitors that pose no serious threat to them.
(Dark: Callously ordering a slave child beaten or tortured to death, or mutilated, for making a tiny mistake while serving in their evil lair.)
(Comic: Sending their child to his room for being a spoilt brat.)

546. Casually harassing or abusing an employee/minion/servant [in a way that none of your players have personally suffered]
(Comic: Calling a rival Villain juvenile grade school names.)

547. Casually littering in a public place.

548. Annexing a town/village/neighborhood/island/space station and evicting the impoverished residents who have nowhere else to go.
(comic: Repossessing someone's spaceship/vehicle/drone/chariot/mount/home because their extended warranty has expired and the villain has been trying to reach them about it.)

549. Torturing and dismembering a tiny animal, clearly amused.

550. Ranting to minions or political followers about how disgusting and intolerable one of the PC's ancestry or religion is.
(comic: Ranting to minions about how poorly the Players have min-maxed their PCs, and how the minions had better not make the same mistakes)

551. Trying out expensive outfits and jewelry in a full-length mirror. A servant is dressing them while they stand and pose.

552. Trying out a new augment/prosthetic/magical replacement for a body part destroyed by the PCs or another party of heroes.
(Comic: Trying out a prosthetic extra head.)

553. Doing the Sunday crossword puzzle.
(PF: Working on a complicated metal or wood sculpture puzzle)

I don't know if I have good advice, but as one of that type of people I will add:

We don't always hang out at LGS. Some towns don't have one anymore. Socially isolated people may have given up on trying, especially if they're socially isolated because of hometown bigotry or incurable COVID vulnerabilities or not having a car or any economic/medical barrier that makes LGS inaccessible to them. All of those barriers have ganged up on me and robbed me of my previous gaming opportunities and time to game.

And some people don't hang out at the LGS because they know the crowd there is not into the games they're into. It's especially hard to find in-person games that are not of the favorite popular types (D&D, PF, WH, 40K, Magic).

So if you're recruiting for a game that nobody else at that LGS ever uses in public, you may need to try a different venue.

Please publish a Player Core #1 that includes the Biohacker, Witchwarper, and Vanguard classes right out the gate. And please please include in the core an option to play an actual, genuine medical doctor using primarily superscience instead of magic to HEAL people's HP and Stamina, not mutate or kill or merely buff them. Or at least multiclassing rules that make it painless to multiclass and DON'T nerf PCs who do this, so they can still be used in Organized Play adventures for their char level.

I love the setting, but I quit playing after 1st level because making the character I envision was totally impossible in SFS. Even now, IF Tech Revolution and SF Enhanced together maybe make it sort-of semi-possible, I'd have to buy 4 books just to have anything resembling my basic character concept. And I'd also have to use up my archetype, theme, and every single feat to make it work. It was very unfun to contemplate.

Please support Organised Play, including a way to convert 1E characters to 2E without losing their experience or boons.

Please don't make non-human Ancestry use up a Feat slot. That just automatically nerfs all non-human PCs compared to humans and takes away their options to use other feats.

As I chose my avatar for this forum, I found some glitches.

1. The first problem I discovered is that the filters/search for Type does not work well with the Types actually on many avatars. When I went to pick my avatar, I searched for Shirren and there were only 2 options shown. Now after looking through every single page of avatars I've counted 13 avatars with Type: Shirren, including my new avatar. 11 of them can't be found by filtering/searching.

Likewise, searching/filtering for Ratfolk only brings up 5 avatars, but there are actually 20. Most are type Ysoki (which you can't search for) and one is type Monstrous Humanoid. I think there are more Android avatars than come up by searching, too.

There are 2 Lizardfolk and 1 Kenku with Type: Monstrous Humanoid instead of Reptilian and Tengu.
Reptilian and Repitilian are both searchable options. Several avatars are type “Repitilian”.
There’s an odd situation in which the Werebat-kin, Werecrocodile-kin, and Skinwalker are all type Shapechanger, but the Were-Kyra (which looks like a gnoll) is type Human.

Several avatars have types that are not search/filter options: Artificial Intelligence, Centaur, Fetchling, Gillman, Gray, Grippli, Humanoid (not monstrous humanoid), Kasatha, Kish, Munravi, Ord, Samsaran, Sarcesian, Strix, Vesk, Vishkanya, Wayang, and Wyvaran. But these types are not search/filter options. Vesk and Wyvaran doen’t show up under Reptilian or 'Repitilian'.

.

2. While looking for an avatar I continuously had to deal with this problem. The description box for each avatar takes up a lot of vertical space – in many cases, it’s too tall to fit on my widescreen laptop monitor. It’s especially a problem when subtype and/or deity are listed. To fit this on my screen I would have to zoom out, making the avatars small and hard to see clearly. I’ve noticed that many other parts of this website are designed to fit only on a narrower, taller monitor and don’t adapt to the shape of my monitor, leaving wide left and right margins and making lots of stuff disappear down the bottom of my screen. Avatar selection is an especially problematic example. Yes, I can scroll down (usually) but the way it’s designed, I can only see a fraction of the intended screen image/information/whatever at once. In this case I have to scroll down until the avatar is out of sight to read the bottom of the description. In several cases in the bottom row of each page, I can’t scroll down far enough to see the bottom of the description at all, because it disappears into the big blue and black area at the bottom of the website.

.

2. While manually searching for a new Shirren avatar, I found that several avatars have no name or description, and no source. Some are currently being “used by -1 people”. Sorting by usage doesn’t gather them at the end, in fact it doesn’t seem to sort by how many use the avatar. These are all the ones I found, sorted by date:

• Grey humanoid with pointed ears, glowy red eyes, and a wolf/bear head on their head. Sorted by date, is between Muldnal and Bregga Dreamstalker. -1 users
  
• ^ Similar-looking humanoid with no hat. Is between Ibzairiak the Dragon and Dearga Finlay. 0 users
  
• A copy of Archbaron Darellus Fex. Is between Ginerva and Donarda Gedraedius. Has -1 users
  
• 2 in a row with -1 users each: a 4-eyed, tentacled, horned, blue something and an upset-looking elf with a forehead tattoo. They are in between The First Warden and Natsiel.
  
• Blue Shirren with gold armor and red goggles, in between a Human Technomancer (named “Technomancer”) and a Human Ace Pilot. 1 user.
  
• 2 in a row, 1 user and 3 users. Angry, glowing eyed, blueish woman and a human man. They’re in between Yamtisy and Captain Jemma Redclaw.
  
• Apparently a Kitsune, used by 15 people, in between Reiko and a Human Summoner named “Summoner”
  
• Blue humanoid with antlers and white eyes. Between Giant Killer and Fire Giant. 1 user.
  
• Irritated looking redhead Human man. 3 users. In between 2 of Lictor Octavio Sabinus and looks like the same guy, I think.
  
• Orkish looking green person. 0 users. In between Ewigga and Urnsul.
  
• Veiled humanoid. 6 users. In between Adowyn and Seltyiel.
  
• Humanoid woman with an icicle crown, used by 14 people. Between Ezren and Riftwarden.
  
• Shouting human man, in between a Black Dragon from Dragons Revisited and a Red Dragon from ?. 34 users.
  
• Man in a purple beret, in between Drizz’t miniature and cartoon Wil Save. 15 users.

4. An unrelated problem is that the text formatting to create a list doesn't work on this forum, as you can see above.

I appreciate softcover as an option, both in PODs and in traditional printing. They're cheaper than hardcovers but more solid and physical than ebooks, they're likely to be more durably bound than hardcovers, and they're easier to carry around than a hardcover or my computer.

Somehow I find myself the first to reply. That's weird.

So take this with as many grains of salt as you want; I've never been blessed with a regular gaming group, I'm totally new to Starfinder, I'm interested in sci-fi more than sci-fantasy, and I'm far more interested in roleplaying character interaction and sandboxy stuff than large amounts of combat.

Lastly, I play SFS so I wouldn't/couldn't join a homebrew adventure with my current PC.

So here are my reactions to your pitches.

<1: PANDORA LOST>
Aw, why does the robot society have to be cliched monolithic bad guys? The galaxy is already awash in evil empires and similar things: Jinsul, Swarm, Vesk, and especially the Azlanti. Does it really need another Evil Empire that will doom another sector to grinding oppression? That would be a bummer. What would be more fun is trying to make contact with a civilization that has been misunderstood or mischaracterized by organics who fear replicating robots, but while the robots are truly alien the PCs (especially if some are androids or SROs) have a chance to forge positive relations with this strange nomadic robot society. Robots can get their resources and a comfortable living in solar systems that are too irradiated or barren for organics to inhabit, and a Galaxy is gigantihugemungous. They don't have to conflict with us just because they're different.

<2: POINT ZERO>
The infinite universe/multiverse has no center, of course.
But seriously, this looks like loads of fun and I would play if I had the PC level, time, etc. to play it. This looks like the sort of gaming that excites me a lot. To infinity and beyond! I already want to know WHAT is in there (besides the expected supermassive black hole) and why nobody has gone there yet.

<3: THE LAST SONG OF THE FRONTIER>
It's like the robot empire, but much more dark and I can't imagine it turning out to be a harmless misunderstanding. Not my style of game.

<4: PREY>
Horror isn't my preferred genre. Horror could potentially exacerbate my current mental health challenges, or result in unpleasant experiences at the table.

Yeah, it's only a 'level hike' for level 1 PCs.

Garretmander wrote:

Xenobiologist wrote:

Are biotech augmentations equally worthwhile?

Also, why does duplicating a cybernetic effect with a biotech augmentation cost 10% more and require an additional item? What's the mechanical advantage between cyber and bio versios of XYZ?

They're not vulnerable to the various mechanic tricks and spells that affect technology. I dunno if that justifies a 10% price increase, but it's something.

Something needs to specifically affect augmentations in order to affect cybernetic implants

Once installed, they become a part of your body and generally can’t be affected by abilities that destroy or disable objects or target technological items or creatures.

So Adaptive Biochains actually gives no advantage to justify the price and level hike?

I'm finding these useful.

But is anyone else having trouble with the downloaded version of Jimble's spreadsheet? Microsoft Excel cannot open the file. I tried with two Office versions on Mac and PC. I found the same problem with the sortable Spells spreadsheet.

Are biotech augmentations equally worthwhile?

Also, why does duplicating a cybernetic effect with a biotech augmentation cost 10% more and require an additional item? What's the mechanical advantage between cyber and bio versios of XYZ?

Hmm wrote:

I could dig a book that delved more into Starfinder deities. I don't know if that is a full book by itself, or one that deals with the planes and demiplanes as well. I'd love a chapter on the Akashic Library.

Hmm

Planescape is by far my all-time favorite game setting, I'd love to see a version of that that was updated for the Starfinder era. Infernal space stations orbiting Dis, specialized monastery ships flying through Limbo, Hell and the Abyss fighting over the souls of great inventors or military commanders to gain advantage in their eternal war, heavenly space marines rolling in to protect upper planar interests...

I love Planescape too, and I'd be interested in any Book of the Planes, even if I don't become a regular SF player. It can't use all the IP that Planescape had, and PF has its own names and geography and Outsider races for the planes. But it would be interesting, and a good place to also discuss gods (including gods that didn't get into the Core) and various religions and philosophies. Optional mechanical effects of worshipping a specific god, or feats that represent exceptional faith and [some benefit], would be interesting.

One thing to think about: The Pact Worlds has gone from medieval tech to superscience. But there have been other worlds that had superscience centuries or millennia ago -- e.g. Androffa. So wouldn't high tech have been known on the Planes for a long while now? The question to me is less "what are the Planes like now (in-universe)" but "Given that the universe now (meta) includes the concept of high tech, what cool stuff can you add to the Planes in any era?"

Frankly, I think the Mystic's "divinity-optional" approach is a way better approach for Starfinder's setting.

The Mystic's thing seems like a way to incorporate "The Force" or the equivalent. If you mean that you think religion should be less prominent than in PF, I would disagree. While that would fit well into a purely sci-fi setting, I don't think the erosion or disappearance of faiths is a given even in scifi. And this is a setting where magic and the gods are verifiably real. So I wouldn't expect religion to be on the wane. Indeed, given that the gods made off with an entire planet, and introduced hyperspace travel to the entire galaxy, they're profoundly visible after the Gap.

That doesn't mean there's no room for an Athar-like faction who don't believe the "gods" are anything more than absurdly powerful Prime Material beings, and don't think they deserve worship. If I were a (non-Hylki) human or elf or dwarf, I might be pretty ticked off about the Gap and Golarion's disappearance, and maybe blame the gods. (If I was Hylki, I might be ticked off at Triune for that FTL thing...)

I'm curious about where to fit characters who worship a group of gods (as though it was a pantheon) or a traveller who just honors the local gods of whatever place they visit today. My Mystic/scientist worships 3 different deities regularly (one of which is only mentioned in PF), plus others depending on the situation, and doesn't believe that zir mystic connection depends directly on any one deity.

Does Shirren Blindsense (vibration, antennae) still work while wearing armor/a space suit, with the helmet on?

What about Blindsense and blindsight for other characters?

Well I think I have my build set at least for level 1, except that last spell. Not sure yet where I'll go from there.

Thanks much everyone!

Last question: is it acceptable or unacceptable to necro this thread when leveling up to get additional advice?

Thanks, all of you. This is great news!

(why are none of my posts visible?)

Seeking Shot: http://aonsrd.com/SpellDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Seeking%20Shot&Family=None
Next time I shoot or stab someone I can perceive, I can ignore cover, concealment, and line-of-sight.

SFS scenarios are designed to fit inside of a 4 hour window and appeal to as broad a base of players as possible.

...
Personally, since you can be playing these with any random group of 2-5 other yahoos, I tend to swing more towards generalist characters than specialists. I think it's okay to specialize in one thing, but after that, I try to cast as broad a net as possible to try to contribute to as much of the scenario as possible.

I have seen some really 'bad' builds out there at level 1. They all survived. There's only a handful of level 1 scenarios where there's any serious risk of death unless you Leroy Jenkins your way through it. You'll be fine.

This is very useful to know, thanks!

You don't have to take skill synergy. You can take a rank in the skill and use it even if it isn't a class skill. You can also switch your theme to one that grants computers as a class skill. Even with it not being a class skill, the DC's on Science Officer actions are overall the lowest of any of the roles, so you can make it work. You can also avoid scenarios with the Starship Tag (a lot of people do) until you get your level of Biohacker and have it as a class skill.

To be clear, you won't get another feat at level 2 if you take Biohacker 1, though.

Yeah, I misunderstood feats, whoops.

I'd rather not avoid starship stuff, it's fun. Also I'm playing whatever scenarios fit in my convention schedule at the time, so I shouldn't be picky...

Now if Computers aren't a class skill, then I'd have 3 instead of 6. I think you're saying that'll still be enough on a ship (I didn't use Keskodai as a sci officer, so I didn't get to try that).

But! when I rebuild, I can make Biohacker my 1st level, trade my Needler Pistol for a Rifle, and trade Skill Synergy for a Longarm combat feat. Then I could make Mystic my 2nd level.
So while at level 1 I wouldn't be the best shot, I'd be a decent shot plus good with Computers.

Quote:

I guess I could switch to Dex 14 and Int 13, and give up a rank in Survival, Profession, or Mysticism. Then I'd also lose 1 from Computers, Culture, Life Sci, Medicine, Physical Sci, and Profession. Would that be better than what I have now?

Of the 3, survival comes up the least often, but it still comes up. I'd definitely drop it before the other two. Or drop computers and avoid any scenarios with the Starship Tag until you can up your Int later. You would lose 1 from those other skills (except Profession, there are Wis based Profession skills, you should probably pick one of those), for now, but unless they change something in the final release, if you go intuitive Biohacker, you'll get your Wis to those skills instead once you get that level.

This also seems like something to do in my rebuild, rather than immediately. I could move 1 Computers rank into Perception at that time.

Does anyone have any advice about the spells and/or items in the OP? I'm considering Remove Condition (lesser), Fear, Seeking Shot, and Share Language. I'm also wondering if Daze is useful in combat in tier 1-X scenarios (I can always replace it with something else when I rebuild). And at lv 2 I think I could probably hide some injections in a hideaway leg so I'd always be "armed" a little bit even if captured and stripped. Or hide a spare battery and a couple wires... and a spare comm.

Lastly - how do I purchase drugs and acids to put in my awesome dart gun(s)? I only see Medicinals in the Archives of Nethys, and acid dart guns as a separate type of gun that don't get the Injection quality for some reason. I could ask the GM to let me break batteries and drip out the acid, but I don't know if they'd let me. It also isn't clear to me if I can put a Healing Serum into a dart and shoot it (not sure I'd want to tho, without a Merciful fusion).

1. As far as I can tell, Armor Check penalties do not penalize attack rolls. Is this correct?

2. Drawing things quickly, when action economy matters: do I ever need a separate action to draw a grenade in combat? I assume I don't need an action to draw a gun or knife.

3. SFS and languages. If I'm making a character for SFS using only the core, am I allowed to have my PC speak Nchaki, Arkanen, and/or Barathu? Am I allowed to have them grow up on Nchak or Osoro, and specifically are there any Shirren populations on those moons? I'd think there are Shirren on Nchak, but I don't know.

And 'improved' includes 'tripled in size'?

Maybe they did that (somehow) to avoid being eaten by Snakefolk murderhobos who kept invading their underground towns...

I know everyone wants official Paizo versions of these, and many of you probably already know about third party options. But for anyone willing and able to use 3pp races while you wait, there are space kobolds and several animal-folk options - including gnolls and platypi (although they aren't alien platypus warriors).

(I don't know whether anyone wants urls.)

Thanks!

Let me make sure I got this right.

Based on your total levels:
Ability score and modifier increases
max Ranks allowed in each Skill
Feats and Theme Benefits
Items you can buy
Tier in SFS
XP needed for next level (SFS)

Based on your current Class level:
Skill ranks from current level
Class Skills and Class bonuses to Skills
SP and HP
Base Saving Throw Bonuses
Base Attack Bonuses
Class Abilities, Class Feats, and Connection Powers
Spells known and Spell slots
Proficiencies

other:
Skill ranks from each previous level, when increasing Ability modifiers: class and class level of each previous character level
RP: total level, and best Key Ability Score
Caster level: total of spellcasting classes
level prerequisites in Feats: as listed in the Feat
Items you can craft: Skill Ranks (max = total level)

Is that all correct?