I am GMing a game with a table of eight players (long story, not necessarily my choice) and this will be the first roleplaying experience for four of the players. To make the character creation night easier on them (and me) I have been posting daily "Starfinder Spotlight" posts that highlight the different races, themes, and classes sans stats.
After I got through all the races I went through the themes. In order to make this less abstract, I posted a picture of a popular Sci-Fi character from movies/TV/Video games for each of the themes.
The problem I am running into is I can't think of any characters that would fit some of the classes. In particular: Mechanic, Mystic, Solarian, Technomancer.
Anyone have any ideas for characters that fit these classes?
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At least in The Force Awakens, Rey is a perfect example of a Mechanic. Even before Finn and BB-8 bring the plot to her, she's been surviving on Jakku by scavenging parts from old battleships, and she repeatedly demonstrates technical know-how in the first act of the movie before she really gets the hang of her Force abilities.
And basically any Jedi character in Star Wars is a fine example of a Mystic. Mystics even have a spell that's called psychokinetic strangulation, which allows you to find people's lack of faith disturbing!
At least in The Force Awakens, Rey is a perfect example of a Mechanic. Even before Finn and BB-8 bring the plot to her, she's been surviving on Jakku by scavenging parts from old battleships, and she repeatedly demonstrates technical know-how in the first act of the movie before she really gets the hang of her Force abilities.
And basically any Jedi character in Star Wars is a fine example of a Mystic. Mystics even have a spell that's called psychokinetic strangulation, which allows you to find people's lack of faith disturbing!
Rey is perfect for the mechanic! I will likely have to use Jedi for the others as well. I was hoping to avoid using all Jedi. Maybe Tali from Mass Effect for the Technomancer...
Thank you for the Rey suggestion!
River Tam from Firefly has some Mindbreaker Mystic vibes going on. (Use the "I can kill you with my brain" moment.) The fantasy part of sci-fa is hard, because that's what makes Starfinder stick out.
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Well, for Technomancer, how about Babylon 5's "Technomages"?
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Yeah, as noted anything Jedi involved is a great example of either a Mystic or a Solarian. Those are the Classes you use to build Jedi. Psychics from sci-fi also usually fall under Mystic.
As for Mechanic and Technomancer, most hackers in sci-fi fall under one or the other of those (though a few more sneaky/physical ones are likely Operatives). Kaylee from Firefly is a pretty solid example of the Mechanic version, as are almost all cyberpunk hackers/slicers/deckers.
Another good example of a mechanic, although I don't know if your group has played it, would be Amanda Ripley from Alien: Isolation. Capable of handling weapons, certainly, but much more effective at using the environment to create control.
I'd look to the Seargeant from Ghost in the Shell as an Excortex mechanic, and Torbjörn as a drone mechanic (or Efie Oladele, Orisa's creator. Both from Overwatch).
Solarion's tricky because it's not quite a lot of things. Not quite a Jedi, not quite a Lantern Corps, not quite Psylocke. I agree that chaos from Xenosaga (note the lowercase is proper for him, for some reason) might not be a bad fit for it even if he's a bit obscure. The Gems from Steven Universe also deserve a mention.
I'm sure that you've already thought of this, but Captain Picard is THE Envoy.
And yet, so is Starlord....
Also check out this thread.
Why wouldn't Peter Quill be an operative? Seems like he has the skills to do just about anything/everything he wants without any prep at all. Just "wings it" all the time.
That screams operative/spacefarer to me. Not to mention he almost exclusively uses small arms, whereas Gamora frequently uses advanced melee weapons, longarms, and heavy weapons (which would likely make her a soldier, along with Dax).
Rocket Rackoon is clearly the Mechanic with a lot of tech. Groot is either a monster, a mystic, or a combination of the two.
Why wouldn't Peter Quill be an operative? Seems like he has the skills to do just about anything/everything he wants without any prep at all. Just "wings it" all the time.
Because - Clever Feint:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaaJyAjvajoAlthough I would agree, Envoy/Operative makes sense.
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Peter Quill is, first and foremost, a con artist. He talks to people, he tricks them, he persuades them, he seduces them, he plans for them. All Envoy stuff. His other skills are secondary to his core concept.
This is not the best way to decide whether someone is an Envoy or Operative. Operative is almost as good at all of this as Envoy if built for it, after all. They get bonus to Bluff and it's a Class Skill, and are thus excellent con artists.
No, the best way to determine this is whether the particular character in question is an inspiring leader in combat. Someone who exercises tactical command in an effective fashion. If they are, they're definitely an Envoy. If not...probably not.
Personally, given his clearly high Dex as well as style of combat, I'd peg Quill as an Operative.
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I'm totally fine with the idea that he could be both.
One of my goals is to make a combat-focused Technomancer based on Nanoha Takamachi...
Besides that, a few other extreme examples:
Mystic would be like Zahn from Farscape, Yoda, or (in attitude, at least) Delen from Babylon 5.
Solarians are any monk-types with powers. Rangers from Babylon 5 with Mass Effect Biotics.
Mechanic would be like Gaige from Borderlands 2 for the drone. The Exocortex reminds me of the Pathfinders from Mass Effect Andromeda.
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Any starfleet engineer has levels in technomancer, even the non-coms. The ships are held together by optimism, luck, and stubborn refusal to accept the laws of, well, any natural science. That's why hey had to separate the science officers from the engineering track; five minutes in an engine room and the sci-Os needed a shot of tequila and their happy place.
And that's before we get into the transporters and replicators.
The Peter Quill debate has mostly abated, but I'll point out that a dance-off could be settled by an acrobatics check, and is one flavorful way to RP the Daredevil's trick attack, even if he usually uses bluff to leave his foes flat footed.
Any starfleet engineer has levels in technomancer, even the non-coms. The ships are held together by optimism, luck, and stubborn refusal to accept the laws of, well, any natural science. That's why hey had to separate the science officers from the engineering track; five minutes in an engine room and the sci-Os needed a shot of tequila and their happy place.
"Love. You can learn all the math in the 'Verse, but you take a boat in the air that you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. Makes her a home." Serenity (2005)
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Spike Spiegel is definitely an Operative with the Daredevil specialization. Either has the Outlaw or Bounty Hunter theme.
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So Ein is a Corgi Technomancer? Or an Envoy who specialized in computer stuff?
Wow! Thank you all for all the suggestions. I certainly forgot to consider "Guardians of the Galaxy" characters, which seems like a huge oversight on my part! And I also didn't consider anime when I was racking my brain for examples.
Also, Lord Fyre, thank you for the link to the other post. I hope this thread wasn't too close to that one.
I will likely go back and add a few more examples to the Themes as well.
You guys are awesome! Thanks again.
I don't love that I spelled Solarian incorrectly.I tell new players that Solarions are basically Jedi without the emotional baggage.There's nothing about that sentence I don't love!
Thus begins your path to the Dark Side. :)
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One of my goals is to make a combat-focused Technomancer based on Nanoha Takamachi...
Besides that, a few other extreme examples:
Mystic would be like Zahn from Farscape, Yoda, or (in attitude, at least) Delen from Babylon 5.
Solarians are any monk-types with powers. Rangers from Babylon 5 with Mass Effect Biotics.
Mechanic would be like Gaige from Borderlands 2 for the drone. The Exocortex reminds me of the Pathfinders from Mass Effect Andromeda.
I'd put Delenn as an Envoy with the Priest theme. You could possibly say the same for G'Kar.
I'd say the Rangers would mostly be Operatives or Soldiers, though you'd have a few Mechanics. B5 in general doesn't have a lot in the way of powers, aside from telepaths and Technomages.
Rick Sanchez of Rick & Morty is probably a technomancer, because his inventions are so advanced that they are functionally indistinguishable from magic.
Morty Smith, meanwhile, is an envoy. Some versions of him can be very persuasive, and he's surprisingly skilled for a kid.
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Exocortex Mechanic - Geordi La Forge is the perfect example. His brain is wired to that visor, and it gives him abilities beyond normal humans.
The mention of Farscape upthread has me thinking about what all of the main characters would be in Starfinder.
Aeryn Sun - Ace Pilot Soldier
Rigel - Icon Envoy
D'Argo - Mercenary Soldier
Zhaan - Mystic Priest
Stark - Also Mystic Priest
Pilot - Spacefarer Mechanic. No, Moya's not his drone. The DRDs are.
Chianna - Outlaw Operative, maybe Envoy multi-class? And she picked up some magic in season 4, so I'm not sure how that would be represented
Jool - Scholar Envoy
Noranti - Xenoseeker Mystic
Sikozu - Scholar Solarian? Or maybe Technomancer? She seemed like an Operative early, until her other abilities were revealed late in season 4.
And that brings us to...
Crichton - ?????? I'm tempted to call him an Envoy/Operative/Mechanic multi-class. He even had his own DRD in the final season, so that would be his Mechanic drone. Scholar theme only in the pilot episode, switching to Icon later - it always bugged me that they completely forgot about him being a scientist after the first episode.
...got a handful here, please bear with, the system is new and I can't open my CORE books because they're disintegrating, and trying to read the .pdf makes me nauseous for some reason...
Mechanic:
Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott -- Star Trek Original Series (Spacer)
Dr. Julian Subatoi Bashir -- Deep Space Nine (Medical Focus, Scholar)
Seamus Harper -- Andromeda (Outlaw)
Gaius Baltar -- Battlestar Galactica (Icon)
Mystic:
Sarek --Star Trek Original Series, Next Generation (Icon)(Could be Envoy as well, but with Mind Melding...
Rev Bem -- Andromeda (Priest)
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Slippery Jim diGriz, The Stainless Steel Rat.
Operative/Outlaw
Don't forget to pack cigars.
Duke Nukem, mercenary soldier
Flynn "Fly" Taggart, mercenary soldier
BJ Blazkowicz, mercenary soldier
Gene Starwind (Outlaw Star) - bounty hunter operative using small arms and daggers and a spellthrower pistol.
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Shepherd Book is definitely an operative with the Priest theme.
Vash the Stampede - android outlaw operative
Meryl Stryfe - human bounty hunter envoy
Milly Thompson - human scholar envoy/engineer (perhaps with a soldier dip)
Nicholas D. Wolfwood - human priest soldier
Millions Knives - android outlaw envoy
Legato Bluesummers - human bounty hunter mystic
Rem Saverem - human scholar engineer and/or technomancer