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I was just wondering what everyone thought about the Exocortex for the Mechanic. I think it's certainly better than the other choices Druids and Rangers got in Pathfinder and it certainly has useful aspects in my opinion. Although I can see how it relys on the GM if you want to use its hacking aspect a lot.
It's definitely a viable option, letting you upgrade your base attack to be effectively Full BAB and giving you free heavy armor/longarm proficiency. Relying on one good base attack bonus rather than two lower ones is good for those who don't wanna rely as strongly on luck. Plus, being able to get some drone boosts for yourself is nice.
I think it'll still end up being less popular if only because who doesn't want a robot buddy?
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...those people who don't like 'pet' classes?
Omg I love the concept of the exocortex.
As soon as I saw it, I immediately thought of this, and fell in love with the idea.
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It's... functional. Not quite what I wanted. My first impression during the previews was something like a digital counterpart to the mechanical drone, but it feels more like this.
The combat potential seems to line up about the same with a drone, so it feels like a personal choice in playstyle. Which isn't bad, but I really wanted to have that whole 'digital familiar' thing going on. I feel like Exo could have used some choice and diversity, though. As it stands, having a class defining feature take up about half of a page (that mostly just adds up to a pair of first-level abilities and occasional upgrades to said abilities) is a little disappointing.
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I find it a bit fiddly. Taking a move action to set up your good BAB on dudes (Meaning that your BAB is lower for other effects like feats) slows it down at the start of the battle and the hacking (Until late) takes away your BAB so it doesn't encourage doing it in combat.
Though, my biggest annoyance with the Mechanic is the 'Split your levels between drone and exo' ability you get super late. A drone at only a percentage of your level is really not a good combatant at all. You end up with a serious case of 'Master of None' if you take advantage of it.
I find it a bit fiddly. Taking a move action to set up your good BAB on dudes (Meaning that your BAB is lower for other effects like feats) slows it down at the start of the battle and the hacking (Until late) takes away your BAB so it doesn't encourage doing it in combat.
Note that, for the purposes of Weapon Focus, this works out very well, giving you +2 to hit past level 9 or so. It does slow down your acquisition of other BaB-based feats, that's true.
As far as spending a move action to acquire targets, that seems fine to me: but as far as hacking and targeting at the same time, I think those should be splittable (one hack and one target lock) at a much lower level.
So basically, I like it a little better than you, but your complaints certainly aren't wrong.
Though, my biggest annoyance with the Mechanic is the 'Split your levels between drone and exo' ability you get super late. A drone at only a percentage of your level is really not a good combatant at all. You end up with a serious case of 'Master of None' if you take advantage of it.
The drone/exo split seems like a terrible idea to use, 100% agree. Maybe it would work if you got to add your Int mod to your level for the choice (drone/exo) that you started the game with? That way you could keep your initial choice at full level and get a little taste of the other one, kinda like the soldier's secondary specialization. Surely at level 20, being followed around by a level 9 mechanic's drone isn't a big impact on your power.
I like the exocortex, but I have three problems with it.
1. I wish it gave you an option choosing your bonus weapon proficiency instead of just giving you longarm proficiency. I play a melee mechanic. It would have been really nice to get advanced melee weapons instead.
2. Many of the exocortex's abilities are awkwardly written and the action economy of using it has issues.
3. It also feels weird that this exocortex is an A.I., but it neither functions as a computer nor does it function as an entity with its own action economy. There's no rules for artificial intelligence in the game. It really feels like the exocortex should work something like a combination of an intelligent item and a computer. As written, it is neither.
I like the exocortex, but I have three problems with it.
1. I wish it gave you an option choosing your bonus weapon proficiency instead of just giving you longarm proficiency. I play a melee mechanic. It would have been really nice to get advanced melee weapons instead.
2. Many of the exocortex's abilities are awkwardly written and the action economy of using it has issues.
3. It also feels weird that this exocortex is an A.I., but it neither functions as a computer nor does it function as an entity with its own action economy. There's no rules for artificial intelligence in the game. It really feels like the exocortex should work something like a combination of an intelligent item and a computer. As written, it is neither.
1. Totally agree. Mechanics have this nice "melee weapons with Powered and ranged energy weapons" theme, I see no reason they shouldn't be equally supported.
2. Totally agree. I feel like it's just a few words away from being clear, so here's hoping we get a little specification.
3. Isn't the exocortex functionally a computer with a tier equal to half the mechanic's level, starting at level 7? It would be cool if it were sapient, but I believe it does everything a computer does at that point.
I did end up home-brewing a melee option for the mechanic (or at least, a type of melee) due to neither of the two options supporting melee weapons, yeah.
I'm tempted to homebrew a more Cortana/Megaman.exe option as well.
I did end up home-brewing a melee option for the mechanic (or at least, a type of melee) due to neither of the two options supporting melee weapons, yeah.
I'm tempted to homebrew a more Cortana/Megaman.exe option as well.
What does Cortana do during combat? My first thought was "maybe it helps with skills, moreso than the other options: maybe it helps with social skills, for example. Maybe it doesn't need to contribute in a fight." But now I'm thinking, no other class has the option of forgoing combat effectiveness. A lot of the Envoy Expertise options are noncombat, but virtually all of the Improvisations are useful in a fight: a lot of the Operative techniques are noncombat, but their Trick Attack and full attacks progress regardless.
So, just to stay consistent with the rest of Starfinder's design direction, I'd suggest any "digital familiar" (to use Rosc's phrase) would have to have some impact on physical combat.
As to what that impact would be... shoot darts full of nanites into people so your digital familiar can hack their bodies? It's weird, but it might be made to work, and I'm out of other ideas. I just figure, if this is the option for the person who loves hacking, why not make it applicable to combat.
So far, in my attempt at homebrew I'm making it's combat thing 'You can use spell chips as if you were a spellcaster' with a few free ones a day (So you are not a REAL spellcaster but you can play along).
As Spell Chips already exist and seem VERY fitting for this.
I find it a bit fiddly. Taking a move action to set up your good BAB on dudes (Meaning that your BAB is lower for other effects like feats) slows it down at the start of the battle and the hacking (Until late) takes away your BAB so it doesn't encourage doing it in combat.Note that, for the purposes of Weapon Focus, this works out very well, giving you +2 to hit past level 9 or so. It does slow down your acquisition of other BaB-based feats, that's true.
As far as spending a move action to acquire targets, that seems fine to me: but as far as hacking and targeting at the same time, I think those should be splittable (one hack and one target lock) at a much lower level.
So basically, I like it a little better than you, but your complaints certainly aren't wrong.
Though, my biggest annoyance with the Mechanic is the 'Split your levels between drone and exo' ability you get super late. A drone at only a percentage of your level is really not a good combatant at all. You end up with a serious case of 'Master of None' if you take advantage of it.The drone/exo split seems like a terrible idea to use, 100% agree. Maybe it would work if you got to add your Int mod to your level for the choice (drone/exo) that you started the game with? That way you could keep your initial choice at full level and get a little taste of the other one, kinda like the soldier's secondary specialization. Surely at level 20, being followed around by a level 9 mechanic's drone isn't a big impact on your power.
The only real use for the splittable drone/exo that I can see is if you are primarily drone and are willing to give up one level of drone power for the proficiencies and BAB for the exo and basic target locking abilities. The other point of it would be you wound up not liking what you had and for some reason wanted to switch to the other option. Although why you would continue to play a character to that level only to swap seems odd.
Isn't the exocortex functionally a computer with a tier equal to half the mechanic's level, starting at level 7? It would be cool if it were sapient, but I believe it does everything a computer does at that point.
The custom rig (not the exocortex) is a Tier 0 computer at 1st level and then becomes a computer with a scaling tier at 7th level.
I get around this weirdness by buying a computer small enough to fit in my head, combine it with my custom rig, and then have the exocortex use the computer as a proxy. But it feels weird that the exocortex, itself, is not a computer even though it's flavored as one.
The custom rig (not the exocortex) is a Tier 0 computer at 1st level and then becomes a computer with a scaling tier at 7th level.
I get around this weirdness by buying a computer small enough to fit in my head, combine it with my custom rig, and then have the exocortex use the computer as a proxy. But it feels weird that the exocortex, itself, is not a computer even though it's flavored as one.
Oh god, you're right, every Mechanic comes with a computer, and the Exocortex is just... a software program that plugs into your brain and shows you where to shoot, plus an advanced cryptanalysis attack that lets you hack into computers through their wifi? It's the hyperspecialized processors and ECM/ECCM required to run these focused, powerful programs?
Okay, when I put it like that, it's actually somewhat coherent. It's not very cortex-like, frankly, but... Does that do anything for you?
EDIT: dammit, the exocortex isn't even where you get Remote Hack. But it's where you get to mod your body. I have no idea.
EDIT2: so it's just, instead of tinkering with a drone, you tinker with your body. It's not the Exocortex path, it's the Self-Mod path. You get targeting and extra hacking actions from brain mods, you can install various drone upgrades, and the Skill Focus just comes from some unspecified upgrade depending on the skill...????
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People either seem to think it is either over or under powered.
I personally prefer the mechanics, and pet classes just make me sad if they die.
Though, my biggest annoyance with the Mechanic is the 'Split your levels between drone and exo' ability you get super late. A drone at only a percentage of your level is really not a good combatant at all. You end up with a serious case of 'Master of None' if you take advantage of it.
IMO, it's only (somewhat) useful for a (mostly) drone-focused high-level mechanic that also wants the +2 on hacking checks from Coordinated Assault. The five-level hit to the drone (so the exocortex can gain the Wireless Hack feature) is a bit steep, however; marginally bearable (in theory) if the drone is used more in the scouting/utility role rather than as a strong combatant.
Going the other route, as someone who does not want a combat pet, you can treat your exocortex as 17th level, still get all the bonuses, and then get 3 levels of flight drone - that's enough for a remote control flying spy with enhanced vision, that stills gets almost planetary range. As a 19th/20th level feature, that's pretty cool.
Going the other route, as someone who does not want a combat pet, you can treat your exocortex as 17th level, still get all the bonuses, and then get 3 levels of flight drone - that's enough for a remote control flying spy with enhanced vision, that stills gets almost planetary range. As a 19th/20th level feature, that's pretty cool.
Mind you, you can just BUY that with money. Spy Drone, 4550.
1. I wish it gave you an option choosing your bonus weapon proficiency instead of just giving you longarm proficiency. I play a melee mechanic. It would have been really nice to get advanced melee weapons instead.
If you play as a dwarf you get advanced melee proficiency, and specialization at 3rd level.
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1. I wish it gave you an option choosing your bonus weapon proficiency instead of just giving you longarm proficiency. I play a melee mechanic. It would have been really nice to get advanced melee weapons instead.If you play as a dwarf you get advanced melee proficiency, and specialization at 3rd level.
Dwarf mechanic wielding a two-handed pipewrench (use damage stats for a dwarven longhammer)