Why the lack of Full Casters?

[bookrat]

The idea of an ancient civilization that knew more than we know today is a classic trope.

Golarion is now that ancient civilization. We all lived through it, but now it's the future and the knowledge has been lost.

[BlueSalvo]

For Starfinder what is there now are full casters. Starfinder is not Pathfinder 2.0 it is a spin-off that shares some DNA with PF but is it's own thing.

[HWalsh]

Starfinder is not Pathfinder 2.0 - I agree with BlueSalvo.

Having played it now, as opposed to theory crafting it, there are significant core system changes that alter how things work.

1. You no longer *have to have* a Con Bonus. It might be nice, but not necessary.

2. Attacks of Opportunity do not trigger on Combat Maneuvers. This changes combat dynamics a lot.

3. Every class has "click abilities". Some of these click abilities don't drain resources.

4. Damage scales naturally, something that was a problem in Pathfinder.

[Nox Aeterna]

I hope this came about as this is a futuristc RPG and thus they decided it would be better to diminish casters in favor of technology, which i do believe makes a lot of sense actually.

Being more realistic, i think they did this for balance, they wanted to remove the true full casters of the system and that is that.

Unfortunately, while i do think this makes a lot of sense in a futuristic setting, if they copy this for PF 2.0, whenever that comes out if ever, then wont be playing that at all. Since in a setting like PF i do believe magic should be the focus and should be super powerful.

[doctor_wu]

Ventnor wrote:

doctor_wu wrote:

Actually speaking of verstatility meaning power a ysoki technomancer can do every role other than captain and not the best at gunner.

Technomancers get Piloting as a class skill. They can be perfectly fine gunners if they want to be.

Yes but I think more often I would have really good int than really good dex. A Dex based soldier will be a better gunner.

I do not think you will see many technomancers with dex as the highest stat.

[Deadmanwalking]

doctor_wu wrote:

Ventnor wrote:

doctor_wu wrote:

Actually speaking of verstatility meaning power a ysoki technomancer can do every role other than captain and not the best at gunner.

Technomancers get Piloting as a class skill. They can be perfectly fine gunners if they want to be.

Yes but I think more often I would have really good int than really good dex. A Dex based soldier will be a better gunner.

I do not think you will see many technomancers with dex as the highest stat.

Eh. If going with a two-stat setup, I can easily see Dex 18 Int 16 on a build focused more on buff spells than those with Save DCs (note: this is a good build). Toss on Longarm or Sniper Proficiency, and we're talking a build I suspect will see a fair bit of use. Check all the talk about how Technomancers are the best snipers, there've been a few threads.

[Aqua Zesty Man]

Rub-Eta wrote:

Because all high-level full casters went back in time, before the Gap, to live on Golarion. Why? Because they could. And that's why there's no left.

I guess they all pitched in to build an Atavachron?

[jimthegray]

The Drunken Dragon wrote:

Balancer wrote:

The Drunken Dragon wrote:

Balance,

And because from a meta level, that degree of specialization is seen as...archaic. There's some writing in-universe about the Arcanimirium being derisive of its few members that dedicate the entirety of their study to magic, labeling them "esotericists" and viewing them the way physicists view philosophers irl

I'm imagining a guy huddled up in his room with piles of books raving about how he'll show them all one day, they called him crazy but who'll be laughing when he's wished all his enemies into the sun! Who'll be laughing then! Just you see!

I mean, when you can just learn how to build a rocket launcher or an ice gun, why bother just figuring out a spell that can do it...twice a day?

you cant always walk around with an obvious weapon.

also weapons can be taken away etc
also some people just want to tell a dude to die..and they will :P

[Thrice Great Hermes]

Wrath wrote:

A lot of the stuff Magic would accomplish is literally replaced with technology now. Who needs teleporting mages or planeshifting etc when you have gear and ships that can do that for you.

Plus the balance thing as already mentioned.

Someone that values personal ability/power over dependence on artifice and cuts a lot of their overhead by not needing to pay for gear.