I would REALLY like to make a Golden Gun (Destiny 2) equivalent for a Starfinder character. The most obvious thematic choice seems to be Arcane Assailant on the Soldier class, at least to level 5. I'm not sure it's worth a full level 17 dip for the final feature. I've already read, disappointingly, that small arms is a big fat waste compared to long arms. I'm okay with small arms being weaker than long arms, and I don't mind being punished for a role-play decision over DPR, but certainly not to the severity that small arms vs long arms brings.
My question is, can a Golden Gun character be made viable in Starfinder? I'm aware of Operative being competitive with small arms, but there's nothing in the Operative class that reflects a "magical flaming handgun" that makes me want to go that class. Am I, given current published content, SOL?
Wouldn't Technomancer be an option here?
Most Technomancer builds go with Longarms, but if you're using Spellshot, Empowered Weapon, etc., you're not giving up as much DPR with Small Arms as a soldier is. And you are saving two feats.
Neat things can be done with a sword/pistol soldier with the Hit and Run fighting style. Damage isn't going to be spectacular but I think being able to full attack AND move is also pretty cool.
As for arcane assailant, I've significantly houserule that one in my group, and wouldn't recommend anyone use it unless there GM does so. I feel like it was one of the parts that shows the people writing it weren't always on the same page.
If Gear Boosts applied based on damage type instead of weapon category, it'd be okay. If weapon fusions increased damage, it'd be okay. If it granted a few spells, it'd be okay. But none of those things are true RAW, and you're left with what amount to 4 abilities that just make it easier to overcome DR or concealment with one useful ability in the middle.
Also, to be blunt, there is no such thing as a "17 level dip". That is not a dip, that is "I am playing a Soldier".
Wow, this is the best advice I've ever received! It completely answers the question I was asking, I'm so grateful.
Wouldn't Technomancer be an option here?
Most Technomancer builds go with Longarms, but if you're using Spellshot, Empowered Weapon, etc., you're not giving up as much DPR with Small Arms as a soldier is. And you are saving two feats.
I haven't dug very much into the technomancer (not usually a heavy magic user), so I didn't realize there was the potential to fire spells through the weapon! I'll go into it more, thanks for pointing it out.
Neat things can be done with a sword/pistol soldier with the Hit and Run fighting style. Damage isn't going to be spectacular but I think being able to full attack AND move is also pretty cool.
As for arcane assailant...
I do like the hit and run style, and I've made one of those characters too, just hoping I could go a little different way on this one. I was kind of on the same page as you on houseruling, but we'll see what the Gm says!
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I would REALLY like to make a Golden Gun (Destiny 2) equivalent for a Starfinder character. The most obvious thematic choice seems to be Arcane Assailant on the Soldier class, at least to level 5. I'm not sure it's worth a full level 17 dip for the final feature. I've already read, disappointingly, that small arms is a big fat waste compared to long arms. I'm okay with small arms being weaker than long arms, and I don't mind being punished for a role-play decision over DPR, but certainly not to the severity that small arms vs long arms brings.
My question is, can a Golden Gun character be made viable in Starfinder? I'm aware of Operative being competitive with small arms, but there's nothing in the Operative class that reflects a "magical flaming handgun" that makes me want to go that class. Am I, given current published content, SOL?
I haven’t played Destiny 2, but from my brief research online, I think Torbyne has a good point. A hunter seems to use light armor like an operative, and if you are looking to do as much damage as possible with a handgun, operative is your best bet as far as I can tell. As they said, getting a flaming infusion, or even just a plain old laser pistol would let you deal thermal (fire) damage. You won’t be able to one-shot “anything” but hey, that’s a concession to game balance.
Human, one of your first level feats is weapon focus (small arms) and boom, off to the races. Seems like the daredevil would be a good choice for specialization, as it would let you flip around for your trick attack.
Can anyone one-shot anything anymore?
Seems to me that if you were facing something that much weaker than yourself, the game just expects the GM to declare it an insignificant threat, and gloss over the whole encounter.