Starfinder versus pathfinder vote #4: 5ft step vrs guarded step.

[Vidmaster7]

To me this one seems pretty straight forward. The old 5 foot step which you could take when you hadn't move in the round and got you out of provoking. Versus the new guarded step which is a move action. I never cared much for the old 5 foot step rules but i'm not sure on guarded yet. what do you guys think?

[Vidmaster7]

Vote here for pathfinder 5 ft step

[Vidmaster7]

Vote here for starfinder guarded step.

[Vidmaster7]

Vote here if you don't like either of them.

[Vidmaster7]

HA not a lot went on with this one.

[RyanH]

I feel the movement in Pathfinder, just a 5 ft step with a full attack limits movement. The battlefield becomes very static. Allowing no movement with a full action will make it even MORE static.

I know, it's probably true that you aren't going to get to move much AND take multiple attacks, or pull off a great cleave... but it just kills the dynamic possibilities of combat!

I want to see more movement in combat... which I guess is really more on the player.

[The_Mad_Monarch]

RyanH wrote:

I feel the movement in Pathfinder, just a 5 ft step with a full attack limits movement. The battlefield becomes very static. Allowing no movement with a full action will make it even MORE static.

I know, it's probably true that you aren't going to get to move much AND take multiple attacks, or pull off a great cleave... but it just kills the dynamic possibilities of combat!

I want to see more movement in combat... which I guess is really more on the player.

I actually really like 'hit and run' on the soldier combat styles. While I'd like more options that grant movement based abilities (you do get a handful on the Solarian depending on your choices). A bit off topic of the 5' step and guarded step, but something neat regardless.

I think the 5' step is pretty much a necessity in Pathfinder, so you
can actually make full attacks. With full attacks working differently, that isn't really the case.

Unlike Pathfinder, it doesn't seem to prevent you from moving in the same round you take a 5', so theoretically I think you can do a guarded step, then use the Standard action as a move to move out of the way. So it seems a bit easier to escape melee in Starfinder, unless I am missing a ruling here. Not sure how a guarded step and move would compare with a Withdraw maneuver in Pathfinder though, but something to take into account.

[HWalsh]

RyanH wrote:

I feel the movement in Pathfinder, just a 5 ft step with a full attack limits movement. The battlefield becomes very static. Allowing no movement with a full action will make it even MORE static.

I know, it's probably true that you aren't going to get to move much AND take multiple attacks, or pull off a great cleave... but it just kills the dynamic possibilities of combat!

I want to see more movement in combat... which I guess is really more on the player.

I think in Starfinder that you'll see more movement.

Why? Well full attacking isn't as important. It is important, don't get me wrong, but it isn't as important as it used to be.

Here, lemme give you an example:

Level 7 - +5 (maybe +6) from stat (with enhancement), +1 Weapon Focus, you are rolling 1d20+13 - This is reasonable. Now you are going to full attack, okay reduce each of those attacks by -4.

You're rolling 1d20+9

Vs EAC/KAC 22/25 (for heavy armor) and 23/24 (for light and full dex) (going off of PC EAC/KAC as an example because lack of bestiary)

Meaning you need a 13-14 on an Energy Attack or a 15-16 on a Kinetic Attack. You have a 60-65% chance to outright miss on energy or a 70-75% chance to outright miss on kinetic if you full attack.

It may not be worth it to do all the time, when doing a normal attack would leave you with a 1d20+13 (improving all percentages by 20%)

This is considerably different than Pathfinder where instead of 2 attacks at a reduced bonus you'd get 1 attack at 1d20+13/1d20+8

So that alters the dynamic a little bit.

Because of that, and because a lot of the boosting abilities require move actions, you'll see less full attacks on the whole in Starfinder. Also, with the increased amount of durability (from compounded HP/SP) eating an AoO isn't anywhere near as catastrophic as it could be in Pathfinder.

You'll see "Step Up" and "Step Up and Strike" on melee characters a lot as well. Meaning "guarded step" (or old 5ft step) suddenly becomes far less useful compared to just moving, eating the AoO, and shooting. (Or simply full attacking in melee and eating the AoO)

[Vidmaster7]

That is some good input right there.

[HWalsh]

Vidmaster7 wrote:

That is some good input right there.

Thank you. ^_^