Future Classes (Rampant Speculation)


General Discussion

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As per the subject, what kind of classes do you want to see in the future? The obvious alien pet class would be cool, and maybe a class based on being the hoverbike guy similar to a cavalier sounds fun to me.

Sorry if I managed to miss another thread like this


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I want to see a biology/mutation themed class.

General idea would be a 3/4 BAB class working similarly to the Exocortex Mechanic + Operative, (though as you mentioned wanting an alien pet, maybe there could be the "drone" option as well.)
The key ability would likely be Int, but maybe for diversity could be Con (though that might skew the toughness balance). Since some upgrades would work off of Con, it'd fit nicely, though h.p. may need to be 5 to compensate.

There would be two tracks (three w/ alien pet).
The first would be self-perfection, functioning much like a Monk with an Operative chassis. The PC would get boosts to damage on par with an Operative's Trick attack, but for unarmed or select weapons. Add in movement abilities, maybe even some mental abilities or resistances. There are many ideas that could be stolen from other classes, like for a standard action charge.

The second would be a mutation track, functioning similar to how an Exocortex boosts combat abilities, but with more of a melee focus, perhaps even with built-in weapons that progressed with level. I could see options for better grappling, poisoning, disease, maybe acid (perhaps using the same base damage as able). Senses too, of course. There could be some really alien options here making it quite unique.

As for their skills perks, maybe they could get bonuses to Medicine & Life Sciences w/ abilities based off of those (healing? short term buffs? grant saves/rerolls on diseases/poisons), or for communicating with aliens.

For both (or maybe another track altogether), I could see having a pool of points (based on credits) for getting Augmentations which they could switch every level or perhaps after a day of rest or self-surgery. So, for example, they could have a Dragon Gland one day, then Venom Spurs which they replace later, maybe adding an extra arm (as machinery, but with the 10% cost increase for being biological). Or maybe they could just get better value for when they swap them out?

Balance shouldn't be too much of an issue because there are already classes that have scales to compare to and many of the abilities just broaden the options, not intensify.

Crossing fingers...

The Exchange

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If they do prestige classes that is how I want 9lvl casters.

A shifter class

I like the racial character class idea from rifts. Who doesn't want to play a baby dragon or very unusual alien.


I'd like to see a type of monk/fighter type where they are explicitly modifying themselves (biotech or cybernetics) as the source of their powers and bonuses.

I'd also like to see hybrid caster classes, somewhere between the "amateur" feats or the soldier's arcane assailant and the mystic/technomancer. But I admit I've always been fond of Paladins and Magi.

Most of all, I'd like to see a few classes unique to the setting, like the Solarian. Something beyond the easy-to-identify archetypes.


1. Space Barbarian
2. Xeno hunter (takes aspects of aliens and uses their powers, as they level, they can either choose more aliens, or gain greater abilities of aliens they already examined)


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Item based. So to speak...
A nanite controlling class. They use nanite like things cultivated from their blood to use pseudo items. non casting, but have various abilities taht you can chose that gives you close to replication.

For instance, can create their own weapons (whic h irealize is similiar to technomancer or solarian), or make a stack of grenades. Create a barrier (better than the feat maybe). maybe specific pseduo spell effects. Weird stuff like that.


Mad Paladin wrote:

I'd like to see a type of monk/fighter type where they are explicitly modifying themselves (biotech or cybernetics) as the source of their powers and bonuses.

Space Samurai!


@Martinaj

Yes! A martial class that gets different abilities based off of different alignment types to represetn different typs of codes of honor or something of the like


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I need a rehash of a Rifts Juicer. I've been trying to bounce around the ideas in my head for a standard PF way to do it, but I think an SF form might be easier.


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I am filled with much joy to see some Rifts love.


pulseoptional wrote:
I need a rehash of a Rifts Juicer. I've been trying to bounce around the ideas in my head for a standard PF way to do it, but I think an SF form might be easier.

Hell yeah - I mean for just pure RP you can probably do it already in SF. Grab the heart upgrade that speeds you up, and the leg speed upgardes, melee soldier and weapon upgrades (Blitz but also Hit and Run seems to work)

Miss me some Rifts. Really want to get the PowerArmor to the point I can play a GlitterBoy =P


i'd like to see a 4th lvl caster who is martial based, in the paladin vein but without the alignment restriction


simplygnome wrote:
pulseoptional wrote:
I need a rehash of a Rifts Juicer. I've been trying to bounce around the ideas in my head for a standard PF way to do it, but I think an SF form might be easier.

Hell yeah - I mean for just pure RP you can probably do it already in SF. Grab the heart upgrade that speeds you up, and the leg speed upgardes, melee soldier and weapon upgrades (Blitz but also Hit and Run seems to work)

Miss me some Rifts. Really want to get the PowerArmor to the point I can play a GlitterBoy =P

I still run Rifts every other Sunday. :)


Add in the obligatory 4/9 casters, 9/9 casters, and the Kineticists superheroes.


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I don't want 9/9 casters. Too many people scream about them being imbalanced.


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HWalsh wrote:
simplygnome wrote:
pulseoptional wrote:
I need a rehash of a Rifts Juicer. I've been trying to bounce around the ideas in my head for a standard PF way to do it, but I think an SF form might be easier.

Hell yeah - I mean for just pure RP you can probably do it already in SF. Grab the heart upgrade that speeds you up, and the leg speed upgardes, melee soldier and weapon upgrades (Blitz but also Hit and Run seems to work)

Miss me some Rifts. Really want to get the PowerArmor to the point I can play a GlitterBoy =P

I still run Rifts every other Sunday. :)

But oh gods that system is so outdated. Still, that IP and the stories are amazing.


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The thing I hated about Rifts was the combat rounds... yes, let us all take 5-9 attacks, with opposing rolls to block, dodge, whatever.


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I hope that we see really new classes with new abilities and concepts and not only modifications/mixed classes like in the last Pathfinder books.

One intressting idea would be a non-magic magician who uses technology and the drift-space/energy to manipulate the world around him (creating micro drift-jumps to move around matter, summon creatures or teleport).


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I'd like a scientist/researcher class with lore skills and class features to boost those beyond what a raw skill check can do. Perhaps with access to science officer starship actions beyond those in the CRB.

I've always enjoyed that kind of role in sci-fi settings.


Castilliano wrote:

I want to see a biology/mutation themed class.

General idea would be a 3/4 BAB class working similarly to the Exocortex Mechanic + Operative, (though as you mentioned wanting an alien pet, maybe there could be the "drone" option as well.)
The key ability would likely be Int, but maybe for diversity could be Con (though that might skew the toughness balance). Since some upgrades would work off of Con, it'd fit nicely, though h.p. may need to be 5 to compensate.

There would be two tracks (three w/ alien pet).
The first would be self-perfection, functioning much like a Monk with an Operative chassis. The PC would get boosts to damage on par with an Operative's Trick attack, but for unarmed or select weapons. Add in movement abilities, maybe even some mental abilities or resistances. There are many ideas that could be stolen from other classes, like for a standard action charge.

The second would be a mutation track, functioning similar to how an Exocortex boosts combat abilities, but with more of a melee focus, perhaps even with built-in weapons that progressed with level. I could see options for better grappling, poisoning, disease, maybe acid (perhaps using the same base damage as able). Senses too, of course. There could be some really alien options here making it quite unique.

As for their skills perks, maybe they could get bonuses to Medicine & Life Sciences w/ abilities based off of those (healing? short term buffs? grant saves/rerolls on diseases/poisons), or for communicating with aliens.

For both (or maybe another track altogether), I could see having a pool of points (based on credits) for getting Augmentations which they could switch every level or perhaps after a day of rest or self-surgery. So, for example, they could have a Dragon Gland one day, then Venom Spurs which they replace later, maybe adding an extra arm (as machinery, but with the 10% cost increase for being biological). Or maybe they could just get better value for when they swap them out?

Balance shouldn't be...

I made something like this as a technology-based class. The Technomorph. They can go T-1000 or Chaos Obliterator.

Grand Lodge

I want a mecha class! I need my gundams and not some lame power armor.


Balancer wrote:
I want a mecha class! I need my gundams and not some lame power armor.

Feels like it would be an archetype.

probably need mecha rules first too.
I wonder if it would have the problem as the caviler but worse can't fit into small areas etc.


Balancer wrote:
I want a mecha class! I need my gundams and not some lame power armor.

I have been building a mech rulebook. It's about 45 pages right now. It sits in a place kind of in between personal combat and starship combat.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

There are two classes that I think the inclusion of would fix most of the problems with Starfinder.

1. Prepared level 9 caster
2. Holy warrior, with detect evil as a free action, and something resembling smite evil.

The inclusion of 1 would fix the lack of prepared casters, and also the lack of level 9 casters. The inclusion of 2 would provide support to get rid of the morally grey feel of Starfinder.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

A prepared caster. I don't even want it to be level 9, I'd take a level 6 caster who uses arcanist style spell preparation.


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I would love to see a 9th level caster class. . . that is basically an NPC class, because they are non-combat scholars with no adventuring skills. Its use is to represent the professional doctors of magic who never really leave the universities and offices and laboratories in which they work, because those are the only places esoteric 7th+ level magic is actually still useful. :p

More seriously, I am actually rather disinclined to see them make many, or any, new classes. The current ones cover all the main concepts very broadly, and any new one would have a strong tendency towards being "Basically a Mechanic, only with biotech!" or "Basically a Soldier, only with unarmed!". It'd be better to provide more options for the existing classes, so they can be used to cover more and more cases.

The only exception, for me, is that I'd like to see a "Phrenic Master" type class, which is basically the Jedi that the Solarian is not. Lots of psychic based powers, and class abilities that emphasize mobility and avoidance in combat. Maybe even class abilities that support no-armor builds. I'd be curious to see if this could be built so that he's, technically, a full 6-level caster class, just one where all his non-caster abilities are focused around augmented combat skills. Not sure if it'd be possible, though, at least without eviscerating his spells known/spells per day list.


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Redelia wrote:
...the morally grey feel of Starfinder.

I think this is very much intentional. Sci-fi and Sci-fa have always been more about the human condition than traditional fantasy stories. They're about the grey areas and anxieties we feel today as much as the futures we envision. For every Voltron out there with heroes showcasing the ideals of humanity, you have three Gundam Wing, Akira, or With Morning Comes the Mistfall style stories that ask what IS morality, when you get right down to it? Or in the vein of Bladerunner and Ghost in the Shell what, for that matter, is humanity?

That said, we DO have the Knights of Golarion, and the churches of Iomedae and Sarenrae are still strong presences in the System. One of the Mystic iconics is essentially a Paladin in all but name, and another is almost explicitly a cleric of Desna with all Her attendant baggage.

-----

As far as classes I'd like to see, I'd love for a non-engineer class that focused on augments and augmenting themselves with ever-increasing firepower. Kind of like a cross between Ziggurat-8 of Xenosaga and Megaman or Cyborg. Lots of augmentations and upgrades so that his or her kaboom gets bigger, maybe asking them to invest credits so that WBL isn't skewed or just giving them REALLY nice tricks with augments that most people don't get access to.


I think that augments could mostly be done just by expanding the already present list of augmentations.

A lot of stuff could just be done with equipment additions and more player agency in regards to equipment.

Though for classes, possibly a Shifter, but even that could just be an Archetype or represented via equipment.


username derail:
If you think that's bad, look at what can learn steel wing. Elgyem, Silvally, Dodrio, gligar


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Metaphysician wrote:


More seriously, I am actually rather disinclined to see them make many, or any, new classes. The current ones cover all the main concepts very broadly, and any new one would have a strong tendency towards being "Basically a Mechanic, only with biotech!" or "Basically a Soldier, only with unarmed!". It'd be better to provide more options for the existing classes, so they can be used to cover more and more cases.

Problem with this is that we'd have previously been able to get the biotech on he mechanic chassis, or a monk-style solarian, or a mystic that wasn't into connecting but instead on smiling the unrighteous via archetypes, but that option hasn't come in yet. I was hoping that the classes would be modular enough to support that style of class modification, but they fell slightly short.

For instance, if I did a biotech mechanic, adding an AI option would be a snap. But...then does a rig really make sense anymore? Or their various remote hacking abilities? And a lot of mechanic tricks no longe r make thematic sense, probably want to add a few more. Also, life science, medicine, and maybe mysticism would be useful class skills.

By this point, we might as well have a whole new class, so that we can eventually have a few new bio options down the road.

Edit: forgot to actually answer the topic! I'd love to see a class that had a similar mechanic as the old dragon shaman: a class that passively buffed via always-on auras, and had a bit of lay on hands, maybe even an elemental weapon channeling. In SF, that could be accomplished via a Nannie swarm maybe?


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More archtypes than classes, but I want to see stats for non balanced solarions who focus just on gravity or supernova. Also for a neutron star based gravity variant.


I'm pretty happy with the seven classes we have, and through themes/archetypes/fighting styles and such, I feel there is limitless space to develop new ideas upon what we already have. That being said, the farther we move away from "traditional" fantasy classes the more interested I become.

Ideas: a class (or feature) that allows a character to become a sentient AI or a colony of nanobots would be neat.

Other creative combinations of words that come to mind: priests of dark matter, antimatter channelers, quantum body thieves, hologram specialists, vacuum boilers, hardlight crafters, wormhole surfers, drift benders.

Acquisitives

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
The Goat Lord wrote:

I'm pretty happy with the seven classes we have, and through themes/archetypes/fighting styles and such, I feel there is limitless space to develop new ideas upon what we already have. That being said, the farther we move away from "traditional" fantasy classes the more interested I become.

Ideas: a class (or feature) that allows a character to become a sentient AI or a colony of nanobots would be neat.

Other creative combinations of words that come to mind: priests of dark matter, antimatter channelers, quantum body thieves, hologram specialists, vacuum boilers, hardlight crafters, wormhole surfers, drift benders.

i concur.

the seven basic types are great. the modularity/flexibility that was built into the soldier & mystic & operative classes could be expanded upon, but I think sticking with the seven core is the way to go, particularly if/when more archetypes and themes are added.

and remember, starfinder is supposed to be chockful of new playable races which will add new layers to existing class selections.

personally, i think there's tons of room to play around with the myriad combinations of races/classes/themes/archetypes/specializations which were introduced in the core rulebook. heck, first encounter (or whatever it was called) introduced like 4 new playable races.

no need for more classes at this point. none whatsoever.


On the matter of paladins, I'd much rather have them as an archetype. It wouldn't be too hard: just take one or two of the major class features, and rework them as the level 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 18 archetype substitutes. Lean to the generous side, to balance the Mandatory LG Alignment and Code of Conduct requirements. The only significant thing you'd probably have to drop is spellcasting, but paladin spellcasting was always a fairly minor thing in the grand scheme of things.

Sure, most paladins would use Soldier as the base chassis, but even if a Operative ( Paladin ) or Technomancer ( Paladin ) would be weird, no reason they have to be disallowed.


Plus an Operative Paladin is like an Inquisitor, and a Technomancer Paladin makes sense too, since anyone can be heavily devoted to a "holy cause".


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Meanwhile, any class can take the Priest theme. A Soldier with that theme would definitely have a lot in common with a Paladin.


The point of the archetype though is to add more mechanical meat to the concept. It's different to have a Soldier devoted to a god and to have a Soldier who gains power from his devotion to a god.


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In Dead Suns #1, in the paragraph on the Arcanamirium, 'esotericists' are mentioned and described as "a growing subset of magical scholars uninterested technology". I guess that they would be a future class that specializes in ancient, pre-gap, magical arts. If I was designing them, they would be non-prepared casters that eventually gain bonus prepared spell slots that they could use for powerful, ancient magics-- summonings, prismatics, power words, and the like. I would also give them arcana abilities like those of the PF arcanist (only using resolve points).

Anyway, esotericist is a good bet for a future class.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16

A shapeshifter or mutation master

A chemist

A space monk

A magus. I want an actual martial-feeling spellcaster.


One cool idea for a class I would like to see would be a 'Drift Mage'.

A drift mage would be a little bit like a combination of a Navigator from Dune, with a conjurer/extra-planar geographer. They could get your ship through the drift faster, and perform other snazzy drift tricks on your ship, and could bring zones of drift into the material plane. Spells and abilities would focus on the conjuration and dismissal of extra-dimensional creatures, weird drift effects, teleportation, and extra-dimensional spaces. One of their powers might be to allow teleportation between starships. Another might be to push a ship into the drift, another to disrupt a ships drift drive, etc. They would be the starship affecting spellcasters (at least when it comes to drift effects).


I predict a techno/mystic theurge.. 3rd level spells from both classes at level 20! Whaaaaaat!?!


David knott 242 wrote:

Meanwhile, any class can take the Priest theme. A Soldier with that theme would definitely have a lot in common with a Paladin.

Priest theme soldier with the arcane assailant primary style comes gets most of the way there. But there's a lack of the "partial" caster option like paladins or rangers or such. There's no in-between of the amateur feats (which are neat, I will say) and a full caster class (arguments of the 6 vs 9 are not something I want to get into; I disagree with some arguments presented, and I'll leave it there).


S. J. Digriz wrote:

One cool idea for a class I would like to see would be a 'Drift Mage'.

A drift mage would be a little bit like a combination of a Navigator from Dune, with a conjurer/extra-planar geographer. They could get your ship through the drift faster, and perform other snazzy drift tricks on your ship, and could bring zones of drift into the material plane. Spells and abilities would focus on the conjuration and dismissal of extra-dimensional creatures, weird drift effects, teleportation, and extra-dimensional spaces. One of their powers might be to allow teleportation between starships. Another might be to push a ship into the drift, another to disrupt a ships drift drive, etc. They would be the starship affecting spellcasters (at least when it comes to drift effects).

I don't se this happening as the tech only nature of the Drift as a means to reach it seems like a foundation of the setting.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

There isn't many pathfinder classes I'd like to see ported into Starfinder, but I definitely want to see at least the Kineticist.

I think it's perfect for the sci-fi/fantasy mash-up feel, and moving stuff with your brain is very on-theme for Science Fantasy.


I think that instead of making new spellcasting classes that focus on different types of magic, that instead new spells should be made with some caveats to access them (maybe a feat, maybe a magic hack, or maybe an archetype). That way specialists can still feel special and it keeps down class bloat.


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No love for a Space Barbarian?


David knott 242 wrote:

Meanwhile, any class can take the Priest theme. A Soldier with that theme would definitely have a lot in common with a Paladin.

Not *really*, because you can be a Priest to any god of any alignment.


I would also like to see a hybrid operative/envoy class, but that's just because they didn't get the envoy right. Envoy was a great idea for a class, but its abilities need to be compared to the operative. Compare, for example, the envoy's disquise abilities to the operatives, or their hacking abilities. The envoy's secondary powers (hacking, disquise, medicine) needed to be on par with the operative's. A hybrid class that does that would be welcome.


@S.J.Digriz

Well, the Envoy is a damn good buffer

giving extra actions and bonuses to hit and then later damage

are pretty strong for a support class, especially with how powerful extra actions can be in Starfinder

Liberty's Edge

S. J. Digriz wrote:
I would also like to see a hybrid operative/envoy class, but that's just because they didn't get the envoy right. Envoy was a great idea for a class, but its abilities need to be compared to the operative. Compare, for example, the envoy's disquise abilities to the operatives, or their hacking abilities. The envoy's secondary powers (hacking, disquise, medicine) needed to be on par with the operative's. A hybrid class that does that would be welcome.

Huh? Hacking they're close to equally good at. They're actually better forgers. Medicine, IMO, they're better at, since all Operatives have is Field Treatment, which only works on you and costs Resolve. And Cunning Disguise is amazing. It's probably not as good as Master of Disguise, but it's better than Quick Disguise IMO.

Besides, all this seems more an argument for more/better Expertise Talents than a new Class.

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