meepothegreat's page

What did you all do in terms of gifts from the Ekujae to the party members? The module recommends Sixth level permanent magic items particular to each PC. I don’t really know the magic in Pathfinder 2 well yet and would love to hear what you all did!

I sort of delved through appropriate level items and tried to find something that should help with help them. My party has...had...a lot of casters. So I tried to give a wand it staff if I could.

meepothegreat wrote:

I have even killed two characters and seemingly knock some players to the ground consistently. Is anyone else having this happen for them too?

Running Age of Ashes as written I have found that it's more common for at least one PC to hit the dying state in a given battle than not. The party has learned to heal up after battles before proceeding.

Interesting. I guess there isn't a time limit specified for things to happen really as well. Every session I've started making sure they start with a hero point each since the first book. I figure they are supposed to be the heroes of the story/town.

These are tough fights. My party cleared out the whole surface-level of the Mine and would have TPKed if not for the cleric. They came back the next day (minus the Cleric; he couldn't make the session) to deal with the mine pit and TPKed. Part of this was some awful decisions on their part. Part of it was a few mistakes I made on mine. I had no idea they would TPK. The whole pit together is an Extreme encounter, but so many of the creatures ignore the PCs unless they come into the pit or attack the pillar that I thought they would have it. Naunets wrecked them, though.

These are tough encounters.

Our session yesterday started with the boss fight and I figured we'd roll into the next book. I ended up killing three players and almost a fourth. The final 2/5 of the party ran away with hopes of finding help. One player has died twice and is understandably annoyed. They expressed worry about continuing to struggle with future encounters and I don't know how to assuage that fear.

My party is almost done with this book and they seem to struggle with encounters. There are some from the GMs point (Me) that go by with minimal effort required from the group. Some encounter seem to take all of their resources and they have the retreat and reset constantly. I have been running everything as written and leveling them when the book suggests they should gain their next level.

I have even killed two characters and seemingly knock some players to the ground consistently. Is anyone else having this happen for them too?

Energetic fusion is handy, but it can only be used on projectile weapons, so shell knuckles are not valid.

If you were houseruling it to allow it to be used on she'll knuckles, you would have to rule that it grants the powered property, to make overcharge valid. As one other note, a powered melee weapon with usage 1 gets 20 minutes of use per standard battery, not twenty attacks.

Without the shell you don't do any damage with shell knuckles beyond it being used as a improvised. Requiring ammo like this sort of slots it into that catagory of a projectile weapon. Effectively it is a projectile weapon with the range of 5 feet, with no range increments.

Energetic follows the usage of the weapon expenditure to decide the size of battery required to replace the normal ammo type. Shell Knuckles has a ammo capacity of 1 and a usage of 1. So the usage would be 1 with a 20 charge battery. With overcharge you would spend three times the ammo with every shot, so 3 for every punch.

I don't see why you would even rule that as a powered weapon? Now THAT would be game breaking. You would end up being able to fight for 200 rounds? "Gee has it been twenty minutes? I need a reload!"

If you wanted to chalk this up to table variance...sure we could agree to disagree.

I think the energetic and conserving fusions are amazing. For example, you can put energetic on shell knuckles and instead of having to reload every punch you reload every 20 punches. It replaces the single shotgun shell with a 20 charge battery. I think this also allows a mechanic to apply his overcharge ability.

Conserving makes sure you don't spend ammo if you miss you shot, allowing characters with a lower BAB to save a little money. Or help a drone from reloading sooner.

Honestly by the time you can get the swagger version all you need to do is apply energetic fusion and it becomes less of a point. Now I have 20 shots before I run out instead of six.

I currently use the Bravado as an operative, but I run a non optimized detective other then skills. Would lightning reload have been cool to take in SFS? Heck yes. Would it make or break the character by not having it? No, because it would of lost value after 6th level beyond an eventual reload in combat.

Thinking on it, it really only helps if you know you're getting into extended fights a lot. Maybe Paizo didn't want to deal with people complaining about a class power they picked which ends up not getting much use?

You don't even get your full level to damage with small arms though either. Why hold onto them if you're going to multi-attack? Why not pick up longarm proficiency at 7th and do more damage? I guess for the occasional time when you want to trick attack. /shrug

Bootsie wrote:

meepothegreat wrote:

As long as you're not doing society play its legit.

What'd be the issue in society?

Lightning Reload is banhammered in society play

Which I don't think I understand why, but maybe there's an abusive trick it I am not seeing. I guess sniper rifles?

Ascalaphus wrote:

SuperBidi wrote:

The most logical answer is Reflex Save!

Yeah, I like to play the devil advocate :P

I think it's a sensible idea though. Armor shouldn't really have much bearing on how hard it is to catch you in a net.

Or how hard it is to grapple you.

Isn't that the point of KAC+8?

Ill take it one step further and say KAC+8.

I would LOVE to see new a couple more drone chassis options. One thing that bothers me is the combat drone is better at melee then range. When looking at the mods it comes with though you can stick a rifle on it at level one. Maybe give the option to swap the strength and dexterity?

Some nice ideas here. Our session today was shorter than usual, and we spent a good chunk of it using our new wealth to re-equip/upgrade our items. (Half of the session was 1 space combat...I'm not a great captain...)

Our Vanguard has obtained a shield and a one-handed weapon and is looking to be a tank. I've upgraded from a Pike to a Dragonglaive and, after learning that armor check penalties only really apply when I try hovering or something, I upgraded from the lighter Iridishell armor to Defiance Squad armor (looking at Kyokor Plating next). The Operative got a number of Library chips and a Sniper Rifle, and the Biohacker got a 4000 credit light armor, giving him the highest AC (Zeizerer Diffractor II is erroneously listed as 1200 on Archives of Nethys).

We didn't actually get into any combat, but it seems we'll be more in the open, allowing easier formation movement. The Vanguard has suggested that he and I form a kind of 2-part unit. He's in front taking the hits while I'm behind him smashing face. I think that'll work well, especially since I'm part Mystic and can heal him if necessary. (Though I'd prefer to use Command or Fear)

I'll have to look into these Falcon Boots. It seems they're from the AP itself, so I'm not sure if I'll have to find them, or if they're available for purchase.

If you are asking if they are SFS legal then yes they are. Make sure you read them though, I was gm'ing a table and had to shut down a guys whole build based on them because he did not read the action economy requirements.

"Any other Elebrians out there?"

Zo! Jr. asks.

I have one! But they rarely come out to play...I still need to share my boon sheet with someone too.

meepothegreat wrote:

How does one get the Ferran and Woioko boon? I had not heard of these races till this post. haha

Online Megaregion Convention GM Boon.

Weird, so you have to GM for an online convention? Another thing I never realized existed.

How does one get the Ferran and Woioko boon? I had not heard of these races till this post. haha

meepothegreat wrote:

They mention having to lay off almost their entire staff at the end of 2018 too. Right now it is just the three owners and one other employee supposedly. The four of them are trying to respond to all the emails and social media stuff. Can you imagine how tough that would get after a point? I get they messed up but at least they're saying something now.

My degree is in trees but i can put up a google doc and link people to it in 15 minutes.

With the way they ran their company I am betting they didn't think of this even with staff. Haha

They mention having to lay off almost their entire staff at the end of 2018 too. Right now it is just the three owners and one other employee supposedly. The four of them are trying to respond to all the emails and social media stuff. Can you imagine how tough that would get after a point? I get they messed up but at least they're saying something now.

meepothegreat wrote:

Assume 1. Assume also a 18 int. That is 5 first level spells a day I believe, six for that trick that gives you a freebie. You are down 3 spells, two if you use your once per day ability. Every added ally who asks for it drains that down by another one. Not efficient.

Junk armor is one of the very few spells which scales with level. So, no, I don't assume 1, because I'll never take it that early. I assume 7. And suddenly, it costs nothing.

My assume 1 is aimed towards casting it to provide an ally with armour as you pointed out. Unless you mean letting your party take all the best armour that is found or bought? I guess I should of pointed out the rest of the numbers were for a 5th level caster too.

You're also basing this off a technomancer that isnt using it for heavy armour I am guessing? Where I was considering the double usage. I can throw up more numbers for Tech level 7,6,5 light-junk heavy upgrade vs junk light-upgrade junk heavy armour if you want? Because the numbers don't really shift much there.

Sure if you're using it ONLY for light armour, the base numbers can be better. But if you're only using the light version why are you hurting your own armour class? Why limit your max dex to two?

As long as you keep that free hand free it doesn't have the Unwieldy trait, so it should be free to Trick attack with.

I'm not sure why you'd need quickload? It has 6 rounds in it before needing to be reloaded. It would be useful after your 6th attack, but before then you should be able to use it as normal without penalty. Unless I'm really missing something.

I know the Bravado Hand cannon has this problem, maybe he was thinking the tech level 2 one?

As long as you're not doing society play its legit.

The really bad thing about Junk Armor is that you can't use armor upgrades.

Which is a big draw back for most races. Androids remedy this by having at least one slot. Never without jump jets or a Jetpack. Haha.

meepothegreat wrote:

EX: 5th level techno can buy Ysoki Refractor Suit. Tech Lvl 6, cost

4,120, EAC+7 KAC+7 Max Dex=5 Armour check penalty 0 becomes EAC+8 KAC+9 Max Dex=2 Armour check penalty -2.

Emphasis mine.

You compare it to a level +1 armor, meaning that your Technomancer is always wearing a top of the notch armor. Which is clearly unlikely.
Compare it to a level 5 armor, and suddenly, it's better than any armor you can find (if I except the low Max Dex bonus).
And realize that you don't have to buy anything (meaning that you can give the best armors to your fellow party members) and it's suddenly absolutely excellent.

My comparison was based off turning light armour to heavy armour using the spell.

So lets look at the D-suit at the same 5th level caster.So it looks something like EAC+6 KAC+8 Max Dex=2. Which when in use with a 14 dex you get EAC+8 KAC+10.

Where Junk Armour upgrading itself looks like EAC+6 KAC+9 Max Dex=0 with a acp of -2.

Lets go tech level 4. Arochor Hide, Basic turns into EAC+8 KAC+9 with an acp of -2. That is already adding in the two from max dex if you have a 14 in that score.

Lets do tech level 3. Clearweave, i. You turn it into EAC+6 KAC+7 if you add in the ax dex if you have a 14 dex.

So yes if you're using tech level -2 will make better armour. I have a melee-mancer. I use the spell along with Junk Blade. My main concern is armour. If you just want to give your friends light armour it can be okay. In that same vein you're burning two spells for yourself and at least one more per player who asks for it. Assume 1. Assume also a 18 int. That is 5 first level spells a day I believe, six for that trick that gives you a freebie. You are down 3 spells, two if you use your once per day ability. Every added ally who asks for it drains that down by another one. Not efficient.

I think you're not getting the full benefit of the spell at that point though. In my opinion you use junk armour to modify light armour you have already bought to make it "better."

EX: 5th level techno can buy Ysoki Refractor Suit. Tech Lvl 6, cost
4,120, EAC+7 KAC+7 Max Dex=5 Armour check penalty 0 becomes EAC+8 KAC+9 Max Dex=2 Armour check penalty -2.

If you used Junk Armour on Junk Armour you get; EAC+5 KAC+7 Max Dex=2 becomes EAC+6 KAC+9 Max Dex=0 since I don't think it can be -1 and a armour check penalty of -2.

You lose 2 EAC. Also if you have at least a 14 dex you lose 2 more points in both EAC and KAC. Great fluff and adds character, just not optimal. (Not EVERY character needs to be optimal...just adds to some survivability.)

If your GM allows it, not much to worry about. From what I looked through I don't see anything from stopping you except for maybe the crafting element?

Milked venom tends to be held at very cold temperatures as your average fridge could still lead to denaturing the material. You would also have to use different vials every time. I would think constantly pulling the same one out to fill would risk contamination or damaging previous material.

I would love to see one that deals with a "ghost ship." One where you can really play up the horror like Cries from the Drift. Or something to do with space pirates could be a blast too!

This makes me sad, I always enjoyed the modules.

To be fair, Operatives are the class that can get the most use out of it since they can get up to 4 attacks, which is something not even soldiers can do.

I always assumed they benefited more from trick attack. Since I really only get to play SFS it would appear true for me at least.

meepothegreat wrote:

HammerJack wrote:

Twinned Threat (Ex)

While wielding at least two one-handed melee weapons, when you successfully attack and deal damage with one of those weapons, you gain a +2 insight bonus to damage with all other one-handed melee weapons you wield until the end of your turn. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 soldier levels you have. Additionally, if you are wielding two identical one-handed melee weapons and make a full attack using both, increase the DC of those weapons’ critical hit effects by 1 until the end of your turn.

It does not.

Bummer, it wouldn't be optimal but it would be a neat non-ring of fangs "punching' build

There are plenty of advanced one-handed punching weapons. Painclaws, Heat-Amp Gauntlets, Electrovore Gloves, Resonant Gauntlets...

The high-tech two-fisted punching build can exist in many flavors.

Yeah, I just wish I could use this weapon family. I like the idea of building of the charge with multiple hits. This was also a weapon that struck me as odd to have the operative quality.

https://www.aonsrd.com/WeaponDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Spark&Family=Polarit y%20Gauntlets

Secondary target in case of critical must be the same, so you're dealing 1d6+5 damage to it.

Critical hit only speaks about the damage done to the first target, nothing about the potential damage done to other targets, so it shouldn't be multiplied.
The description of Arc also points to this reading.

Ah you're right, I must of skimmed that last line. My weak case for the arc gear effect being multiplied is because its a special ability from the class, not the crit effect of arc. I believe the line from critical hits though only calls out the special ability damage as an added bonus from each die roll. So most likely no, it doesn't multiply.

Arc

The attack’s energy leaps to a second creature. This secondary target must be within 10 feet of your original target and must be the creature closest to the original target (you choose if multiple creatures are equidistant). Roll the amount of damage listed in the weapon’s arc—the secondary target takes this damage (not multiplied by the critical hit), of whatever type the weapon deals.

Electric Arc

When you hit a target with a weapon in the shock category, electricity arcs out from your original target to deal electricity damage to a secondary subject within 10 feet of the original target. This damage is equal to the weapon’s level. The secondary subject must be the creature nearest to the original target (your choice if multiple creatures are equidistant).

This gear boost does not function for weapons that have the explode or blast special property. If you use this gear boost with a weapon with the arc critical hit effect (see page 182), your secondary subject for electric arc must be the same as your secondary subject for the arc critical effect.

I would say no the target of the arc doesn't take any extra damage from things such as weapon specialization. This "arching" damage is a special effect generating damage on that target. Under the arc critical effect it even mentions you do not multiply this damage.

So on a 4th level soldier with an Arch Caster, Aurora the damage would be 2d6+4 and 5 damage to a target ten feet away, or 4d6+8 then 1d6 to a target 10 feet away and then 5 damage to another target. (or the same as the 1d6) Since it is a power I could see an argument for it being 10 damage.

Nothing about the throwing fusion gets around the solar weapon vanishing when you throw it. There's no text letting you.

That said, here we have Owen saying you can put fusions on crystals.

Which to me makes sense. They have to summon their weapon from the mote if I remember correctly. To use a crystal you "install" it in your mote we well. It is sort of a mystic reservoir being modified or amplified with magic/mystic material.

In pathfinder I used to run a lasso build which is kind of the same idea. If you build around being cc you can really hamper people. Along with flash freeze on a bombard soldier and you're wrecking peoples movement.

Twinned Threat (Ex)

While wielding at least two one-handed melee weapons, when you successfully attack and deal damage with one of those weapons, you gain a +2 insight bonus to damage with all other one-handed melee weapons you wield until the end of your turn. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 soldier levels you have. Additionally, if you are wielding two identical one-handed melee weapons and make a full attack using both, increase the DC of those weapons’ critical hit effects by 1 until the end of your turn.

It does not.

Bummer, it wouldn't be optimal but it would be a neat non-ring of fangs "punching' build

Twinned Threat doesn't work for 2-handed weapons right? I was building a polarity gauntlet character and realized they are not 1-handed.

True... but between the lower damage dice and (more importantly) the 1/2 level specialization, making something an operative weapon means making it trash for strength-based fighters.

Which is why I love using the Handcannons. Nothing like picking up 2d8 at 3rd level as an operative and blowing a hole in a monster.

"An operative can use the trick attack class feature with a weapon that has the operative special property, and any character can add her Dexterity modifier rather than her Strength modifier to melee attack rolls with these weapons."

You can still use your strength with an operative weapon. Using your dexterity to hit instead is an option.

For one thing, "fixing the class BAB" would be a more complicated process as the current BAB progression is a consistent pattern, and multiclassing is an option.

For another, it is possible for a character to not take weapon focus.

I don't really see weapon focus giving an extra little boost to characters with lower BAB as a problem that needs a solution, let alone a complicated, messy one.

I don't see much multi-classing outside of a dip into soldier. But I get what you mean.

I am pretty sure that Deadly Aim should be affected by combat tracking.

By the same token, weapon focus should be affected, so you would only get the +1 bonus, if your BAB is normally low enough to get the +2, but is full level with tracking, for that shot.

I honestly never thought about that. I also think that is rather silly to add to the feat. Why not just fix the class BAB to reflect this and just have the feat be +1?

He is protecting their assets. Having a group like the Society on your good side is likely good for business. And I'm sure plenty of people realize their mistake and get partial refunds. Partial. And those that don't... well, those that don't return them likely ran out of ammo when they needed more than 2 shots.

Maybe it is just me but if I was out purchasing a laser rifle I would ask about number of shots/battery usage. I guess the vendor could always lie though. This item may of been better off being in a low level adventure as evidence.

"Look at what our investigation brought up! The Consortium has been altering common laser weapons and selling them to new Starfinders/new gullible race."

As other people have said, I'm fairly certain that Serpent lasers aren't meant to be the most sensible weapons, being just another scheme by the Aspis Consortium.

Which seems weird to me so far. As far as I know this is the most underhanded thing they do...It's not like Pathfinder where the compete for ancient sites, magical doodads, trading of illicit goods. In fact iteration 177 (number?) has been most helpful to the society so far. He does seem to be holding certain cards we don't know of though.

Yeah, but it's allow you to make attacks as if your BAB were equal to your level against the target.

Attacks made with deadly aim against that target could benefit from it.

I'm not saying they do, but I am saying I can see it being a reasonable interpretation and that the wording is unclear.

I guess it would be a table variance thing? It isn' that great a feat in my opinion. Things like unwieldy weapons benefit more since you can't full attack.

meepothegreat wrote:

My bet? They killed/imprisoned it. Or it is just sitting in a lair...plotting a way to do it. Not to hijack your question but I want to know if Eletrio(sp?) has one...so many dead Ghibrani...even a divergence of the species. Constant suffering on a global scale and decay of culture/knowledge. "That place is sacred...we are forbidden to enter...But you Starfinders! You guys are a loop hole!"

Edit: Now that I think about this the Disporia belt lost two worlds!

I think Elytrio would be similar to Eox. It was a devastating event, which says a Calecor could form, but Calecor don't form if it is considered a "natural progression of the planet", so is Eox's population blowing themselves up, or Elytrio's population making the planet a nuclear waste, considered natural progression, or an outside force?

For the Disporia, could they even form without a planet? And if they could, they would of likely died as soon as they saw them, as they were not in an condition to return to previous form. And when the Calecor died, the item they leave behind would break as the planet they were connected to no longer exists.

[/spoiler] There is a Starfinder scenario that points to a level of outside influence. Sure as a people they are/were very militant, but a fey feeding on the fears and paranoia of a society on edge?

A question I have always wanted to know is how does this function with the feat Deadly Aim? Would you use the classes actual BAB? The way I read it you would get to use your "full" BAB against only that target. I have been at tables though where a GM rules it as class BAB only.

My bet? They killed/imprisoned it. Or it is just sitting in a lair...plotting a way to do it. Not to hijack your question but I want to know if Eletrio(sp?) has one...so many dead Ghibrani...even a divergence of the species. Constant suffering on a global scale and decay of culture/knowledge. "That place is sacred...we are forbidden to enter...But you Starfinders! You guys are a loop hole!"

Edit: Now that I think about this the Disporia belt lost two worlds!

Malk_Content wrote:

CorvusMask wrote:

I mean, story wise if you shoot someone and it hits, it dies :P HP is pretty much "Meta currency for avoiding fatal injuries", that is the whole basis of coup de grace in pathfinder, you stab someone in vital organs/neck/etc. You can't survive actual hit to heart/brain or beheading in pathfinder without having explicit special ability to it, its just assumed if you didn't die you didn't get hit anywhere important.

Sooo from in universe perspective CR don't exist and presumably whoever the robbers coming in to rob you should die from one hit. If they aren't robbers, well home defense weapons won't ever be enough anyway :p

Although of course that falls apart as soon as we get into anything environmental. Unless of course the ground didn't actually hit you or the lava you are swimming in avoids you for a moment.

Important characters always land on the floating rocks while the redshirts go directly into the magma

My local red shirt player would disagree, sometimes they're the only ones who land. Haha

Could you use the manufacturing fusion to overcome the limitation?

Quote:

SFS Legal Manufacturing
Source Pact Worlds pg. 195
Item Level 4
Followers of the Prophecies of Kalistrade use manufacturing weapon fusions to ensure they are never without ammunition (or gouged by isolated traders for ammunition), even on long trade missions. This fusion often makes the weapon pearly white with gold accents. You can add up to 400 credits of UPBs to a manufacturing weapon as a swift action. When you do, the fusion’s magic instantly manufactures ammunition inside the weapon worth an equal amount (which might mean recharging a battery) up to the maximum the weapon can carry. This ammunition is nonmagical and can be removed normally.

I guess it would be like dumping money in a more literal sense into the gun? Haha. From how I read it I don't know if I could "overload" using UPBS. i.e banking UPB's and letting it manufacture as needed? Sounds like just paying the cost for the clip. Conserving might beat it on usage.

Item Level 3
Weapons with the conserving fusion preserve their ammunition and charges after a miss. When you miss with a ranged attack roll, your charge or ammunition is not consumed, as though the weapon had never been fired. This fusion does not prevent your weapon from malfunctioning or breaking as a consequence of your attack. Only weapons that use arrows, batteries, darts, flares, grenade arrows, mini-rockets, rounds, or scattergun shells as ammunition can benefit from a conserving fusion.

Good for a home defense weapon where you only plan on shooting once?

But you have to use a good one liner though. Something like..."I only need one shot..."

I kinda feel like it being a joke weapon was the entire point, given it's own flavor text describes it as being meant to drive up the sale of batteries, and even gives it the in-universe nickname of the "snakebite laser". That said, while it is a horrible main weapon (and the level 2 and level 17 versions should just not be used ever) the fact that it is so much cheaper than the equivalent Laser Rifle (for every version but 2 and 17) and gives you access to similar (or even equivalent) damage often a level earlier means that if you have access to free recharges (which many do) then some classes (Solarion and Vanguard come to mind) might find the levels 5 and 8 versions to be useful backup ranged weapons. Especially since 40-charge batteries should be not-uncommon loot and don't exactly sell for much.

There is also the level three fusion that will save your shot if you miss. Just about the only to redeem those mid range rifles. The musket idea could be a fun joke build...Use an envoy for the free reload on himself and a soldier...a Technomancer or even a future Witch Warper could boost the damage.

I was reading through some long arms and I can across the Aspis Consortium gem that is Serpent Lasers. I love the flavor text for this but was disappointed by the stats. With 2/1 usage pretty much across the board how does this really undercut competitors? Between levels 5-8 yeah I see the price difference...But the battery usage alone requires you to carry a bulk of batteries for a meager number of shots.

Surely not every item needs to be used from our growing array of weaponry, but at least change the usage to something like 2/.5. Sure it only doubles the amount of shots but it also makes it worth a little more consideration then a joke item. As it is all I can see it being is a Laser Musket for a rather bad space pirate. Heck, a Mechanic can't even boost the damage with Overcharge because it requires three times the charges.

The book is approved now, I just looked and it doesn’t mention counting it as illegal. I am playing SFS, but even if the book wasn’t approved it’s on the classes spell list. As far as playtest I’d think would be concerned is it’s part of the class...so it should be usable. He mentioned a post saying it wasn’t allowed but I can’t find it. I was checking this section because if a spell wasn’t approved for use I’d assume to see the ruling here.