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Best:
Android, but Elf is very close.
Stat Array: Advantage Android (slight). You are more likely to want to dump Cha than Con.
Vision: Advantage Android. Darkvision plus low light against simply low light. No light is, probably, a more likely condition in SF than PF.
Save Bonuses: Android: Android gets a wider range of bonuses, Elves get a flat immunity to magical sleep plus a bonus against enchantment spells and effects. The android bonus against mind affecting spells means a bonus to save against mind thrust (a mind affecting divination spell). Mind thrust is one of the most common combat spells in the game.
Skill Bonus: Advantage Elf. Elf gets a +2 to perception, one of the most rolled skills in the game and to mysticism (some, but not much, use). Android gets a bonus to avoid sense motive checks. Not that great on a character with a cha penalty.
Misc: Advantage Elf. Android gets an extra armor upgrade slot. Elf gets +2 to overcoming SR.
Overall the Android favors flashy bonuses that do not effect rolls. The Elf is more dice roll heavy.
Other notable race:
Gnome (Good): A Bleachling with +2 Int, +2 Con -2 Str isn't bad. On the other hand, that forces 16 Int, 16 Dex, 12 Con. Android and Elf could take one of Int or Dex to 18. The ability to reroll a one can be helpful. +2 Culture isn't bad. The spell like abilities are largely forgettable. The +2 to save against illusion isn't as good as a bonus against mind affecting spells, as psi type spells are fairly well represented in the current material. It's a solid mechanical choice, though the lower starting hitpoints may be a problem.
Ysoki (Neutral): Would be better if small size gave you an AC bonus (could not find one for characters in SRD). While the cheek pouch is a cool mechanical idea, it won't let you fast draw a longarm. This race really wants to be operatives.
Damaya Lashunta (Situational). At +2 Cha, +2 Int , -2 Con. This is a ship captain race. Its bonuses are built largely around social situations. Get two extra cantrips (only one of which would normally be kept after low levels) and can cast detect thoughts once a day. You get to assign two +2 racial bonuses to whatever you will be rolling a lot.
Witchwyrd (situational). A more combat focused ship captain. The stat array is the same, with the same downsides (10 Str, 8 Con, 16 Dex, 16 Int, 10 Wis, 12 Cha). As a one shot, one a day detect thoughts is more useful than magic missile. A character is likely to only want to cast detect thoughts once, but to have magic missile as a learned spell. On the other hand a Witchwyrd is one extra casting of magic missile, plus the ability to wield both a longarm and melee weapon at the same time. Diplomacy and Bluff are both likely to be used by a character taking the role as the party's face (though there is still a problem that those are not class skills for a technomancer).
If later material gives the witchwyrd the ability to gain and at will tongues and buy a planeshifting drive not normally available to characters, this race might get substantially better. The 8 Con is still a problem. Also, this is a reskin of the Arcane from Spelljammer, so the concept may feel a bit unoriginal to some players.
Contemplative (Bad). +4 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Con, -2 Str and cannot use two handed weapons. The giant flying brain is simply too far down a hole for the most obvious fix -- powered armor with a weapons mount. If we had 1/2 BAB full caster classes a contemplative would be a good choice. The inability to use longarms is just too much of a problem right now.
Ryphorian. It's a better human! Unfortunately with +2 Con, +2 Wis and -2 Str this race makes much better mystics than technomancers.
Space Goblin (excellent). I'm amazed I just wrote that. With +4 Dex, -2 Cha an 18 Int, 16 Dex stat array is very doable. Space Goblins get darkvision, an enhanced move speed, race bonsues to Engineering, stealth and survival and the ability to cobble together items for a turn. While there are setting issues with taking this race, it actually is an excellent mechanical choice for a technomaner.
Verthani (good). +2 Int, +2 Con, -2 Str. It's a better half-elf! Allows for a 8 Str, 12 Con, 16 Dex, 16 Int, 10 Wis, 10 Cha array. Gets an extra implant slot and has low light vision, a very situational stealth ability and skill focus. A solid choice, but not really one with the mechanical advantages of some of the others.
Nice summary. Thanks
You forgot Skittermander. :-)
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With race attributes in Starfinder there are only two considerations:
- Avoid races with a bonus on a dump stat.
- Avoid races with a penalty on a focused stat.
From this we can say that getting to 16 Dex/18 Int is no different among androids, goblins, grays, ikeshtis, and ysoki.
But arguably one should also avoid starting with any attribute above 16: The +2 bump at level 5 is too good to give up. This opens up "ideal" race selection for the purpose of a technomancer to bleachlings, urogs, and verthani--if favoring a small Con bonus above Wis--or kalos and elves if favoring Wis over Con.
Humans, half-elves, and half-orcs are obviously disadvantaged in all cases if just focusing on race attributes. It's possible their other abilities can offset that in different ways.
With race attributes in Starfinder there are only two considerations:
- Avoid races with a bonus on a dump stat.
- Avoid races with a penalty on a focused stat.
From this we can say that getting to 16 Dex/18 Int is no different among androids, goblins, grays, ikeshtis, and ysoki.
But arguably one should also avoid starting with any attribute above 16: The +2 bump at level 5 is too good to give up. This opens up "ideal" race selection for the purpose of a technomancer to bleachlings, urogs, and verthani--if favoring a small Con bonus above Wis--or kalos and elves if favoring Wis over Con.
Humans, half-elves, and half-orcs are obviously disadvantaged in all cases if just focusing on race attributes. It's possible their other abilities can offset that in different ways.
Actually, you can get the same number of bonuses with a 16/18 as a 16/16/12 at level 5 just by putting the +2 into something other than your primary stat. The real question is do you want a bonus 3rd level spell at 10th level? 18+4(augmentation) +2 (two +1 boosts) is 24 so +1 third level spell/day and +1 save DC (+7 from stats instead of +6). At 10th level that brings your 3rd level spells/day to 4 from 3. When making this choice, you need to ask yourself how likely the game is to reach 10th level and how likely the character is to survive to 10th level.
Race matters as it dictates what stat can get bumped in a 16/16/12. If both Int and Dex are bonused the third stat can be anything that does not have a penalty. Similarly either Int or Dex get a +4 the 12 can be anything that is not penalized.
Also, running with an 8 Con might not be the best idea in the world. That means you are only getting 4SP per level, which is somewhat squishy. Then again, if your SF game leans a bit more on skills and less on murderhoboing, social skills can be important. Think of it as a play style fork.
When it comes to a "good" race, what I normally mean is that it gives bonuses on common rolls. +2 against mind affecting spells and abilities might not be flashy, but it is likely to come up a lot. Same for perception checks and energy resistance (fire). After that comes bonuses to an area of specialization, for example bonuses to social skills or engineering.
The innate spell races just are not all that great unless they 1. give you at will abilities that will be usable over a long period of time (for example, magic hand is good, daze not so much) or 2. give you a 1/day spell that you either do not have access to or would want to know but are unlikely to need to cast more than once a day.
Ikeshti simply are not good. The race's reproductive cycle can be disruptive. Secondly it has bonuses to desert survival, climbing escaping a grapple and can provide harrying fire for a single turn as a move action between 1 and 3 (max five) times a day. While the last one is pretty decent. They just don't have anything that is going to bonus common rolls.
Grays are a bit better. +4 Int, -2 Str is a really nice stat array. I didn't cover them as it seems like they're going to get errataed. They get dark vision and have a 20% chance of not getting hit one or two times a day (admittedly, depending on what the character is about to get hit with, that can be a lifesaver). The main probably is that they have some not great innate spells and lack generalized bonuses. They're a collection of flashy abilities, without much to back them up (still, it is a really nice stat array).
Gonna have to disagree on Ikeshti, I think they're pretty good because of their situational uses. Usually a Technomancer will want to stay out of combat-but if someone does close in, providing harrying fire to draw an ally towards it to kill it sounds handier than you'd expect, and getting out of a grapple can be crucial. Maybe not handy for the day-to-day, but very handy when dealing with the situations you dont want to be in.
You can’t move, and you take a –2 penalty to your Armor Class, attack rolls, Reflex saving throws, initiative checks, and Dexterity-based skill and ability checks, except those made to grapple your opponent in turn or to escape a grapple
A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
NJECT NANOBOTS T2
School necromancyCasting Time 1 standard action
Range touch
Targets one living creature or construct
Duration instantaneous and 1 round/level; see text
Saving Throw Fortitude partial and Will partial, see text; Spell Resistance yes
You concentrate key particles in your blood into tiny biological nanobots that you can inject into a foe with a touch, disrupting and damaging its natural processes. Make a melee attack against the target’s EAC; if you hit, the nanobots deal 4d8 damage and swarm through the target’s biological or mechanical systems, causing the creature to be confused, as per confusion, for 1 round per your caster level. If the target succeeds at a Fortitude save, it takes only half damage and negates the confusion effect. A confused target can attempt a Will saving throw at the beginning of its turn each round to end the confusion effect.
Casting this spell doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.
So you can still cast and casting does inject nanobots does not provoke. So I guess the question is, do you get a free touch on the creature that is grappling you?
Without the spell failure chance in pathfinder, it seems like grappling a technomancer might be one of the last things you want to do.