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Just that it delays Weapon specialization and every solarian ability by a level.
Is there any good mechanical reason for a solarian to *not* have their first level be in soldier (blitz)?
Probably not, at least none that I can think of.
This is an incredible deal that solves many of a solarian's woes; why pass it up?
Well either a player might not want/be allowed to multiclass or it just might not fit the story the player wanted the character to have. For example the player might want their character to have always had his solar manifestation rather than have it mysteriously appear at 2nd level. Obviously if the character doesn't start at 1st level that's a different story but if you're playing a published adventure it's not necessarily an option you have.
Yes. One good reason in particular is that they would take all their levels as Soldier.
On serious note, Soldier also grants strength-and-a-half at level 3, along with weapon specialization, and full weapon proficiencies. You could simply use advanced melee weapons in the meantime while waiting for your solar weapon to scale up - if you use one.
Otherwise, you really are slowing down Solarion progression, and on levels more than just Weapon Specialization. It's rare that a campaign that starts at 1st level will reach 20th level (it does happen, but is less common), so when thinking of a character build, progression is important to keep in mind. A starting level of soldier means you'll be more soldier than solarion, even with solarion levels, for several sessions at least - possibly months real-life time depending on how frequently exp is divvied out and how frequently you play.
If there's anything further you would then want from soldier (like gear boost), you're delaying even more on solarion features.
Other than that? You're loosing a die of damage or 5 points of resistance, a revelation, and Stellar Paragon. Not a lot overall, but it may make your Zenith harder to achieve at level 20.
I think if you wanna build a Solarian this way you pretty much have to take Solarian at level 1 and multiclass later on. Otherwise you're a Soldier who gains Solarian powers randomly rather than a Solarian whose really good at fighting.
A Mechanic should take Drone and dip Soldier over take Armor boost choice as well.
I think if you wanna build a Solarian this way you pretty much have to take Solarian at level 1 and multiclass later on. Otherwise you're a Soldier who gains Solarian powers randomly rather than a Solarian whose really good at fighting.
I'm honestly not sure why you're making this distinction.
At 2nd [character] level the character would be equally both, and 3rd level and beyond, primarily a solarion.but if you're playing a published adventure it's not necessarily an option you have.
Why/How would a published adventure dictate your character decisions?
Is there any good mechanical reason for a solarian to *not* have their first level be in soldier (blitz)?
Such a one-level dip would confer Strength or Dexterity as a key ability score for Resolve Points, thereby allowing a solarian to safely keep Charisma at 10-11 (never use Black Hole and Supernova, ever). It would grant heavy armor proficiency, solving AC concerns, and the Blitz fighting style would grant +4 initiative and +10 speed.
This is an incredible deal that solves many of a solarian's woes; why pass it up?
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I think if you wanna build a Solarian this way you pretty much have to take Solarian at level 1 and multiclass later on. Otherwise you're a Soldier who gains Solarian powers randomly rather than a Solarian whose really good at fighting.I'm honestly not sure why you're making this distinction.
At 2nd [character] level the character would be equally both, and 3rd level and beyond, primarily a solarion.but if you're playing a published adventure it's not necessarily an option you have.Why/How would a published adventure dictate your character decisions?
I don't think a player who wanted their character to be a Solarian would want to start off anything but a Solarian, it doesn't make much thematic sense to just be good at hitting stuff and then randomly get weird space powers at level 2. The idea is fine but I just don't think level 1 is the right time thematically if you're starting play at level 1. When I say playing a published adventure I mean you start at level 1 so you again if you want a Solarian character it doesn't make sense to start as something other than Solarian. I think the build is good but I don't think taking the dip at level 1 makes sense if you're starting play at level 1 because then you have the complication of trying to explain away why you didn't have Solarian powers for all that time.
I don't think a player who wanted their character to be a Solarian would want to start off anything but a Solarian, it doesn't make much thematic sense to just be good at hitting stuff and then randomly get weird space powers at level 2.
What's wrong with starting out as a mundane soldier who discovers incredible latent space powers and decides to pursue them?
I don't think a player who wanted their character to be a Solarian would want to start off anything but a Solarian, it doesn't make much thematic sense to just be good at hitting stuff and then randomly get weird space powers at level 2.What's wrong with starting out as a mundane soldier who discovers incredible latent space powers and decides to pursue them?
Apologies if this is scarcasm, I'm too tired to tell. If that's what a player wants to do then it's fine but I don't think everyone's gonna wanna go for that kind of story in which case dipping for 1st level doesn't make a lot of sense.
Castilonium is pointing out that discovering powers later is a common in-genre thing. Randomly nixing it without any rules, setting or any other basis for doing so seems arbitrary.
Most major space franchises actually do hand out 'weird space powers' later in life. (Luke, Leia, Rey, random protagonist from KotoR, Sisko, Riker (temporarily), Kes (for a value of later in life), Ivanova,
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A Mechanic should take Drone and dip Soldier over take Armor boost choice as well.I'm confused by what you mean by this comment.
Guessing it's saying take one level of soldier rather than the Exocortex Class option that gets all the other proficiencies.
Which I would strongly disagree is equivalent since you wouldn't get free Longarms specialization at level 3, and wouldn't get full BAB progression.
Certainly an option for certain characters but not a 100% sure thing.
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Being less good at something then someone else doesn't make you a poor character. Solarian and Envoy both have their place and are fine classes, they are less optimized then other options but that doesn't mean they are totally worthless. I've seen a lot of argument that the Solarian and Envoy are nonfunctional but the only evidence that is offered in support is that other classes do damage or skills better. That doesn't mean that the Solarian and Envoy can't do anything or can't do anything effectively, just that there are classes that will be swinging harder or Diplomancing better.
The real question is, is there any reason the OP needs some type of personal validation in posing the question when it is fairly obvious that dipping soldier helps both these classes?
....Also, I say "build suboptimal characters, forget being the most powerful thing at the table. As long as you can be marginally effective and are playing what you want and are having fun do what you want". You may counter point that you want to play an Envoy or Solarian that is more effective but then you can level dip and not worry about it so I fail to see the point in splitting hairs.
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A Mechanic should take Drone and dip Soldier over take Armor boost choice as well.I'm confused by what you mean by this comment.Guessing it's saying take one level of soldier rather than the Exocortex Class option that gets all the other proficiencies.
Which I would strongly disagree is equivalent since you wouldn't get free Longarms specialization at level 3, and wouldn't get full BAB progression.
Certainly an option for certain characters but not a 100% sure thing.
You don't get full bab, you get the ability to use a move action to target foe then to boost your attack roll as a bonus of what you lack in BAB against them. Yes, this is +5 for pure Mechanic, but you have to use a move action vs each foe.
And Specialization is just a feat away (versatile Specialization applies it to all weapons you are proficiency (except grenades since you can't specialize them).
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You don't get full bab, you get the ability to use a move action to target foe then to boost your attack roll as a bonus of what you lack in BAB against them. Yes, this is +5 for pure Mechanic, but you have to use a move action vs each foe.
And Specialization is just a feat away (versatile Specialization applies it to all weapons you are proficiency (except grenades since you can't specialize them).
You get effectively full BAB for a move action (which is increasingly more valuable as BAB goes up and is one of the very few sources of +Attack, and you are able to set increasingly more targets as you level.) Not something that a Drone Mechanic can do, no matter how many feats they want to spend. So you're right, not just straight full BAB, but it's close.
Versatile Specialization I would wait for the Errata on because it's conflicting in different places in the rules. The general Class information says you treat weapons youre proficient with AS IF you had the Feat, while the individual Class sections say you get it as a Bonus Feat. So it remains to be seen what the intention was.
Blitz Soldier is a really awesome one level dip for many (all?) classes, and there are a lot of reasons to do it if you're going for that Heavy Weapons Guy feel without being Soldier. I just think any time people speak in absolutes it doesn't do the pros/cons justice.
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Well either a player might not want/be allowed to multiclass or it just might not fit the story the player wanted the character to have. For example the player might want their character to have always had his solar manifestation rather than have it mysteriously appear at 2nd level. Obviously if the character doesn't start at 1st level that's a different story but if you're playing a published adventure it's not necessarily an option you have.
Careful, you might get your role-playing in my RPG, gawrsh. If it doesn't show up on the DPR olympics, it's invalid obviously. Theorycraft is king, don't you know.
Well either a player might not want/be allowed to multiclass or it just might not fit the story the player wanted the character to have. For example the player might want their character to have always had his solar manifestation rather than have it mysteriously appear at 2nd level. Obviously if the character doesn't start at 1st level that's a different story but if you're playing a published adventure it's not necessarily an option you have.Careful, you might get your role-playing in my RPG, gawrsh. If it doesn't show up on the DPR olympics, it's invalid obviously. Theorycraft is king, don't you know.
I don't understand what everyone gets their panties in a bunch for over this. Roleplaying is fun for some people, mechanics are fun for others. Preferring one over the other is fine and neither one is inherently better than the other. If a person wants to play a game with pure mechanics and no RP that is entirely their choice and they are no less valid for it. You can play the game using almost entirely mechanics or roleplay and it's no less valid of a game. Can we please stop with the petty 'my way of playing is better than yours!' rubbish? I was just responding to one of the questions posed here (Noted I mostly agree to the first part, this is a mechanically superior build to the base Solarian in most cases).