Pact World SROS


Rules Questions


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Id like to first say the new book is by far my favorite so far. its damn good and I love to see all the new options and info. That said one race in particular stands out as needing quite a bit of clarification.

I have a new player wanting to play the SROS but we need some insight into a few of their racial traits.

First the cyberware provided by the Integrated Equipment trait. Its clear the Com unit, Data Jack & "other" piece of cyberware the player can choose are free at creation. Its also clear that the data jack and com unit can be upgraded later at cost. Whats not clear is the cost of upgrading the "other" piece of cyberware. The rules state:

"An SRO has an additional builtin cybernetic component with an item level no greater than half the SRO’s character level (minimum item level 1). Each time the SRO gains a level, they can swap out this piece of equipment at no additional cost to represent internal reconfigurations"

So is the "other" piece of cyberware the player chooses at character creation free to upgrade each time you lvl or do they pay the cost to upgrade it?

My second question is with the Robotic Trait. It states:

"SROs can be affected by effects or spells that normally target only humanoids, but receive a +4 racial bonus to saving throws against such effects."

What spells is this referencing specifically? it seems to imply that if it can affect a humanoid and require a save they get a +4 to that save which seems a bit OP.

any insight would be appreciated.


In 8 days these kinds of topics will have a lot more participation.


It's free to upgrade the cybernetic upgrade at "no additional cost" and you don't have to go buy it or anything because it "represents internal reconfigurations." The only limit on it is the item level equal to 1/2 character level and when you can only reconfigure it at level ups.

You are understanding the Robotic trait correctly and it is a bit OP. In my opinion SRO's are a VERY strong race. It is supposed to be balanced by the fact that they are vulnerable to anything that can effect constructs as well as normal characters, plus they only get half healing from normal sources. But since the can be effected by spells like make whole I personally don't feel that it is that much of a detriment, but that's just a first impression. Time will tell if that's accurate or not.


The Ragi wrote:
In 8 days these kinds of topics will have a lot more participation.

yeah I realize its a bit early to start questions like these. I just got a player eager for a ruling so thought I would get some opinions. I wish they wrote these a little less ambiguous at times.


baggageboy wrote:

It's free to upgrade the cybernetic upgrade at "no additional cost" and you don't have to go buy it or anything because it "represents internal reconfigurations." The only limit on it is the item level equal to 1/2 character level and when you can only reconfigure it at level ups.

You are understanding the Robotic trait correctly and it is a bit OP. In my opinion SRO's are a VERY strong race. It is supposed to be balanced by the fact that they are vulnerable to anything that can effect constructs as well as normal characters, plus they only get half healing from normal sources. But since the can be effected by spells like make whole I personally don't feel that it is that much of a detriment, but that's just a first impression. Time will tell if that's accurate or not.

yeah.. they take the top spot for OP race for sure. Previously I would of considered that the Android. From what I can see Make whole should indeed affect them and yes the healing limitation is barely anything more than flavor as an engineer can patch them up. If anything it makes them more flexible than standard players turning that supposed liability into almost an advantage. Hell what about a Mechanic Robot that just sits around gaining Stamina points back fixing himself?

I kinda hope the +4 sv thing is just poorly worded that seems way over the top to be honest and even striping away this power with all their natural imunities and free cyberware. they come in and clearly one of the strongest races currently available.


I'm going to presume there's not more relevant rules text that would substantially alter the meaning of what you've provided.

"Can be affected by effects or spells that normally target only humanoids" does not mean they get a blanket +4 racial bonus to saving throws against anything that can target a humanoid. It means they get that bonus to anything that exclusively targets humanoids, which they are vulnerable to despite not being humanoid. At a glance, the "spell" portion of this largely consists of Charm, Dominate, and Hold Person, though I expect this list will grow with time.


Hithesius wrote:

I'm going to presume there's not more relevant rules text that would substantially alter the meaning of what you've provided.

"Can be affected by effects or spells that normally target only humanoids" does not mean they get a blanket +4 racial bonus to saving throws against anything that can target a humanoid. It means they get that bonus to anything that exclusively targets humanoids, which they are vulnerable to despite not being humanoid. At a glance, the "spell" portion of this largely consists of Charm, Dominate, and Hold Person, though I expect this list will grow with time.

I would like to believe that was the intended function as well but its written so vaguely that it needs clarification because they could have and should have simply said that instead. Looking through the spell list its kinda all over the place on its targeting descriptors.

The ability as written says this and only this.

Robotic: SROs are immune to bleed, disease, death effects, poison, nonlethal damage, and sleep effects unless those effects specify they affect constructs. SROs can be affected by effects or spells that normally target only humanoids, but receive a +4 racial bonus to saving throws against such effects. SROs can eat and drink, though they don’t need to, and they must recharge their internal batteries by entering an off-line mode that is similar to sleep for 8 hours every day. SROs do not breathe or suffer the normal environmental effects of being in a vacuum.


Even with the full description of the trait, I don't see any of the vagueness or ambiguity you're worried about. It's very clear. Spells or effects that normally target only humanoids. That is, exclusively. If a spell or effect targets something other than humanoids, specifically and exclusively, the SRO will receive no bonus to its saving throw against it.

Where is the ambiguity here? I want to help sort this out, but I don't understand what exactly is leading you to to the conclusions you're reaching.


Hithesius wrote:

Even with the full description of the trait, I don't see any of the vagueness or ambiguity you're worried about. It's very clear. Spells or effects that normally target only humanoids. That is, exclusively. If a spell or effect targets something other than humanoids, specifically and exclusively, the SRO will receive no bonus to its saving throw against it.

Where is the ambiguity here?

Thanks for the response, what your saying makes sense Its just not as clear once you get into the spell list and start traipsing through the target descriptors but as your explaining it, it makes sense. I guess I wasn't reading it as targeting Only Humanoids and reading it as could target humanoids. Given that explanation I would assume "One target Creature" or "living Creature" would be their own descriptors and not apply as well.


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Yes, that's right. The SRO receives a bonus to its save against Charm Person, because Charm Person specifically targets "one humanoid," rather than "one creature." The SRO would receive no bonus from Robotic against, say, Fear, or Mind Probe, or Disintegrate, because while these all target "one creature" and can target humanoids, they do not target only humanoids.

Robotic looks like a strong trait, yes, but it's not nearly so strong as that reading would make it. If it actually was a blanket +4 to anything that can target humanoids in general, that certainly would be ridiculous.

Dark Archive

The integrated equipment is kind of pidgeon holded until lv 6 eh? Am I reading that right? Early you take a limb or voice changer? Then some small choices at 6 but free dermal plating at 10 is kind of cool.


We're very early in Starfinder's run so the augments are quite limited, but the Armory book due in August will likely add a lot of new options. :)


I'm a big fan of the Voice Amplifier from Alien Archive.

I'm not sure if anyone else at the table is amused by a gallant robo-knight who keeps forgetting to turn his volume down, but I certainly am.


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Lost In Limbo wrote:

I'm a big fan of the Voice Amplifier from Alien Archive.

I'm not sure if anyone else at the table is amused by a gallant robo-knight who keeps forgetting to turn his volume down, but I certainly am.

"IGNORE ME! GO ABOUT YOUR DAILY LIVES AS THOUGH I WERE NOT HERE."

"oh great you can read my mind." "IGNORE ME! ...ALSO YES."

Dark Archive

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The one I just built is a lv 5 envoy that took the technomancer dabbler feat. 'mending' isn't the best but i like the idea of rping it as like auto-repairing bots, then comprehend languages and detect magic. the original robots purpose was like a protocol droid :)

they are kind of tough to heal eh.

Liberty's Edge

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

*Summon Dead*

How do SROs fit in with Envoy Get'Em and Expanded Attunement (Ex)
You can use beneficial mind-affecting envoy improvisations to aid allies who usually would not be able to gain benefits from mind-affecting effects, such as constructs, robots, and undead. If the improvisation grants a morale bonus, even allies who can’t normally benefit from morale bonuses gain that bonus. So do SROS not fall under this then?

Grand Lodge

Constructs, as a rule, are immune to mind-affecting effects. For... some reason. That ability right there demonstrates it makes perfect sense for them to be affected.

SROs don’t get the full list of construct immunities, so they’re not immune in the first place. So you don’t need that.


Super Zero wrote:

Constructs, as a rule, are immune to mind-affecting effects. For... some reason. That ability right there demonstrates it makes perfect sense for them to be affected.

SROs don’t get the full list of construct immunities, so they’re not immune in the first place. So you don’t need that.

Actually, as far as I can tell, there is nothing that says that SRO's don't get full construct immunities; although given the wording of robotic, it is fairly clear that they are not supposed to by RAI

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