| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
With the ability to access data and information via the ship's network or, in the case of the being on an advanced enough world, the planet's internet, I'd like to see some bonuses for using a search engine to figure out stuff. Especially for Knowledge skills. Googling a weakness for a hydra would be interesting for a starfaring crew.
Especially when you take into account how often Google can lead you astray. I envision Int checks to avoid troll sites giving you "helpful" information like "In ancient times, the one weakness of the Flesh Golem was magical electricity"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
^Add to that sites that just outright want to con you into buying something in a hurry (and they also spam your incoming communications thereafter whether you buy something or not).
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm a okay with all of these ideas
Very interesting stuff has just been confirmed (with a possibility for change down the line of course), link below:
http://geekandsundry.com/interview-with-the-creator-of-starfinder-pathfinde rs-sci-fi-sister-game/
It seems like there's going to be a major focus on race in Starfinder, with Human, Ratfolk, Android, and Lashunta confirmed as core, along with at least two new alien races from star systems outside of our own. It's also been mentioned that all Pathfinder core races will be included in the Starfinder core rulebook, though the focus will be on the new, more alien races. Elves, Dwarven, etc will likely be 'uncommon' races in Starfinder. Players will have access to more monstrous races than is common in Pathfinder as well, which came as a surprise to me. How they balance that will be very interesting.
It seems we can expect more of a Star Wars setting for our science fantasy game, which James cites as being 'in the middle' of very high tech sci-fi and 'fantasy in space'.
Additionally, it seems that we can expect 7 classes at launch, with tecnomancer name dropped again. This suggests that soldier and assassin may also be classes, though it's quite possible the two can be built out of the same class. There was also a lot of deliberation about what it means to be a druid in a galaxy with countless biomes, so we could see a Xenodruid class, or perhaps one can be built out of a 'shaman' chassis of some type. What 7 classes can you see them deciding on,and what roles will they fulfill? Will each class follow the Pathfinder design, or will there be more customization, allowing very different tropes to emerge from a common template?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Very interesting stuff has just been confirmed (with a possibility for change down the line of course), link below:
Link fixed. :)
Link fixed. :)Very interesting stuff has just been confirmed (with a possibility for change down the line of course), link below:
Thank you very much, I'm not very forum savvy yet.
Also, I forgot to mention that mechanic was also called out, which may be our pure tech class, depending on how things line up. I can forsee a medic/chemist type as well, as an evolution of the alchemist. But with only seven classes, how will they make room for three distinct kinds of magic? There may be only one caster that decides a flavour for their magic as a class feature, gaining access to a different spell list (or spell pieces, if they go with the words of power design).
Were did it say we are getting 7 classes?
And where are we getting the Mechanic from?
Any hope they might actually go classless? Or at least severely curtail the class nonsense and use something like "generic" classes from Unearthed Arcana? (not npc classes! Seriously have no idea where that came from)
| 6 people marked this as a favorite. |
I'd honestly rather not. While I get that this will have some rules changes, I still want this to be close enough so I can run classic classes along side this. Such a big departure from Pathfinder would honestly leave a bitter taste, especially since there is a lot of old material I want to use.
I want Starfinder, not a stealth Pathfinder 2.0
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I agree with Odraude, I want to be able to use Pathfinder classes in Starfinder and vice versa.
New classes are nice but I also would like to see them take a page or two out of Dragonstar and adapt existing classes to outer space. The way they restructured pretty much everything favorably impressed me. I also expect them to extrapolate what they did to certain classes in Unchained and maybe take that same approach to rangers, paladins and other core classes.
You can adapt existing classes for outer space with archetypes, equipment, and/or a simple change in weapon prof. and class skills.
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
7 classes..in that case I think there will be one pure caster class, with options to switch out the flavor to cleric, druid, wizard, what have you.
I also think they can fold "doctor" into the tech/mechanic class. That gives multiple paths to healing - technological or magical.
I think maybe the vigilante is a bit of a test for this sort of design space - a class chassis with multiple options that play quite differently.
A friend of mine was saying they really only need the Mass Effect 6 classes:
Fight
Magic
Tech
Fight/Tech
Fight/Magic
Magic/Tech
He was being a bit facetious but there seems to be some truth there.
In light of the 7 class estimate I'll probably amend my previous speculation.
The message I'm recieving is that they may have trouble with linking high personal technology with class levels, in the sense that technology isn't exactly a personal power and rather the expertise in technology is a personal power. They may be reconciling this by linking high technology (technology past buyable gear) to a personal power that would justify why it's not being shared or mass produced. An example of this is the Alchemist, who logically should be able to just brew extracts indefinitely but is limited because extracts are linked to a personal power so that he can make 'free' potions without breaking the game. This means that something like a Technomancer would be interacting or creating technology on the same basis that an alchemist does with extracts and bombs.
With that in mind I'd still speculate that the groups would be:
Magical technology interfacer/Technomancer - An arcane class that interacts with technology on a magical basis.
Magical biology interfacer/Biomancer - Somewhat where the druid went that would be similar to the the alchemist in terms of interacting a lot with creatures and self modulation.
Mundane Martial/Marine - Necessary. There's a lot of tropes within that one span of things. Would probably consolidate a few Pathfinder classes to cover more ground. It would probably mix in all the full BAB martial classes into a bunch of specializations
Mundane Skill Monkey/Technician - Probably the thing that interacts with chemistry/biology/technology without magic the most. If its the case would probably come with Domain-like schools of thought that grant it tiers of abilities.
Mundane Sneak/Agent - Again a lot of tropes within the same span but like the Marine would kind of look like a few classes in a blender.
This is similar to my previous speculation but with the '-mancer' parts meaning something and covers five grounds. The other two slots would probably be a more pure psychic magic user/Exper and a pure divine magic user/Jedi?
I also suspect that magical interfacing with technology will be relatively mundane so we can probably look forward with magic related subsystems that don't require being a spellcaster. Maybe a feat tree of magic talents or something. Basically just a lot of minor magic that's just commonplace now since you can just look up stuff in a PDA instead of having to go to an esoteric magic academy to learn about magic.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
|
well we know there is a soldier class, some sort of technician/mechanic/engineer class, the technomancer, and a solarian class. So speculation on the classes should keep the known ones in mind.
The solarian seems to be an outlier from any structure people are talking about, having been described as having powers based on stars and their lifecycles, so not just light and solar blasts, but maybe gravity, black holes, creating new materials, etc.
Well, in dealing with tech, they need to understand the ironman principal, there is a difference between what tony stark can do and what ironman can do. In fact some funny youtube videos exist about how if all the avengers had ironman suits, they'd be better than they already are.
Now the core rules are already broken regarding items, and it seems to me that including tech will just make it worse.
So I figure how a class interacts with items will need lots of careful thought.
Personally, I'd make the techie classes simply able to get more out of whatever tech they have, but not give them tech. But if they don't make some major changes regarding wealth and items, then I'm not holding out much hope.
I wonder if the Solarian will focus on tech, spells, or spell powers/supernatural abilities.
They could just give us a pilot class for star/space ships and mechs.
|
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
|
well we know there is a soldier class, some sort of technician/mechanic/engineer class, the technomancer, and a solarian class. So speculation on the classes should keep the known ones in mind.
The solarian seems to be an outlier from any structure people are talking about, having been described as having powers based on stars and their lifecycles, so not just light and solar blasts, but maybe gravity, black holes, creating new materials, etc.
Where did you hear about the Solarian? That's news to me.
Hmm... well you know mechanically we can fold a couple of the Pathfinder classes into one another (fighter/monk, cleric/paladin, wizard/sorcerer) so maybe seven is not as restrictive as we think (particularly if we have things like archetypes and branching development paths.) Of course, as we're already seeing with two of the mentioned classes, Paizo is having lots of fun tearing our expectations apart.
They talked about the Solarian a bit at the seminar at Paizocon. As for what kinds of powers, my assumption based on how they described it was that it would be a magical class, and I'd guess spell like abilities and supernatural abilities, but that's possibly my assumptions.
Soldier - Main Martial
Scoundrel - Party Face + Shady Tactics
Solarian - Divine Caster or "Celestial" Caster (think hermetic theurgy)
Technician - Tech Skill Monkey
Technomage - Wizard but with all his spells on a PDA.
I hope the solarian is like a divine caster version of the kineticist as in it focuses on spell like and supernatural powers.
I hope they remember to give classes like the Soldier class features for utility in non-combat situations. If it ends up anything like the Fighter in Pathfinder, I'll be very sad.
Don't forget the politician!
Got to have someone lead all the little people.
:)
Oh wait, Comander sounds less greasy, so maybe we'll go with that. Can't forget appearances after all.
|
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm hoping "being a pilot" is a function of the skill system. If it requires too many resources you end up with a situation where sometimes nobody plays the pilot because it's too "expensive" a character option. Even requiring a feat is too much, let alone class levels.
Pathfinder has done a good job at moving away from the paradigm that someone has to play a rogue, or has to play a cleric. I'd hate to see Starfinder go down the path of "someone has to play the pilot."
Heck I'd make Pilot a skill that can be used untrained. At least then the party can get from point A to point B, but they won't be winning any dogfights unless they choose to invest resources.
Or I suppose they could make ships with pilot AI that fly themselves. That would work too. I just don't want party travel locked behind a class or feat gate.
I could see pilot rolled into skills, and just have feats or talents that make you better at it. Soldiers could have a talent that makes them better dog fighters, while scoundrels have a talent that makes them better at flying under the radar. But I think having a whole class dedicated to one thing would be too much
Though an Ace Pilot prestige class wouldn't be bad.
I'm also hoping they avoid "someone has to play a pilot". I think they should allow anyone to fly, maybe with an accompanying skill when flying in dangerous situations eg, asteroid fields, dog fights, storms, etc, although maybe even that is too much. Letting every class have access to different talents to contribute to a ships operation could be pretty cool. Soldiers could get the most out of a ships weapons, Scoundrels could keep the ship off the radar/fool targeting systems and Technomancers could bolster shields or maybe divert power where it's needed most. I would be wary of a class fully based around being a pilot, even a prestige class, partly because we don't know just how much of a role it has in the game.
Social talents for Soldiers could be pretty cool. Letting a player choose what kind of reputation they want their character to have (feared warlord, admired soldier, etc) sounds awesome.
I think I would also like to see ways for a Soldier to help their team not unlike a cavalier would. They could give words of encouragement (or beratement) to help their allies shrug off wounds or conditions. They could give their allies extra actions for movement. Maybe they could even be better at using the aid another action than other classes. The possibilities are endless.
A while back, I spitballed an idea for this problem:
...this is also a problem in Shadowrun, where usually the party only has a single rigger PC controlling the main vehicle and drones (vehicular and gun emplacements) while the rest of the party is off dealing with other threats. As a GM, I always found it tough getting anyone to play the rigger (or the decker/hacker), and next to impossible to get other party members to allocate skill points and cyberware as gunners and assistant riggers.
So... maybe have the weapons and other ship systems be quasi-smart systems? Just spitballing here: from a RAW mechanics perspective, ranged weapon skills aren't really that different from heavy weapons/gunnery skills. Directing animal companions/eidelons/cohorts isn't that different from directing ship drones. Maybe the ship/vehicle/base systems are semi-smart enough to translate a meat ("wetware") user's reflexes, target-differentiation, training, tactics into usable commands? Sure, your elven archer may not be optimally trained to fire rail guns, but he understands enough (tactics, cover, targeting, ammo control, coordinating with teammates, etc.) that the the ship's semi-smart system can translate his mental commands into rail gun attacks. That way, the team can still contribute in ship actions without the PCs dropping too many resources into those skills/feats that are useless on away teams/off ship. And if a PC (or NPC) wants to dedicate themselves by taking specialized ship training/feats/archetype, they can be even better than most at the job (while understanding they'll be less optimal in off-ship encounters).
Well I imagined that if everyone would get involved with ship combat, at least one person would be running weapons which would be comparable to siege weapons only automatically loaded, so you'd still be able to use feats and stuff.
About Piloting: I think a general Skill is the best way too go, with a Feat (and or class feature) for specific vehicles (mech, fighter, large vessel, capital vessel) allowing additional options.
As an example. The pilot skill allows you to pilot land vehicles and small craft (shuttles and whatnot) with no penalty. You can still pilot things like Walkers/mecha, large ships and capital ships, but at -4 non-proficiency penalty (a feat or class feature can eliminate this, if Traits are a thing, perhaps a Natural Pilot trait reduces it too -2).
In addition, taking the feat also gives a second bonus. It allows you to perform a second action while piloting the vessel (makes piloting rolls a move action instead of a standard perhaps). So now you can fly while also firing a weapons system or something (very important for someone who wants to dogfight).
I really hope they don't lock dogfighting behind a feat. Feat taxes are a huge issue in Pathfinder and one that hopefully will not be translated into Starfinder.
I don't think piloting has to be solved too differently than what it is now. For general maneuvering and such fly and ride (or whatever would be the eventual equivalent) is enough and for anything truly technical, a skill check based on the propulsion system. (Only assuming vehicles that do not have intuitive controls) Its what I do for Pathfinder and it works out. (I will admit that I omit a lot of the nooks and cranies of vehicle rules to get things done bit faster.) Sure you can have feat access to super fancy maneuvers or hull attacks but I think the existing skills work well enough. No need for a piloting specific skill because that would just devalue it.