I've been dabbling in Starfinder Society for a bit (got 4 sessions under my belt), and I really like the idea of the Mystic. Especially since my lodge doesn't seem to have a lot of them and I've always liked support characters. Yesterday I played a higher tier with a pregen (Keskodai), and I was amazed at how good of a healer he was. I was talking about this with a friend and he said he also has a Mystic like that. So, not wanting to copy someone's build, I was looking for other potential builds, and I thought of a melee variant (since a lot of people seem to be going for ranged options, and the need for a frontline). But I was wondering if that's a good idea. I have 3 XP on it (and one at tier 4), so I can theoretically rebuild to this, but once I've played it, I'm stuck, so I'd like to make sure if it's viable.
I was thinking of the following:
Race: Shirren (I like them, and they have nice racial features).
Theme: not sure, I usually build flavour around the build, not the other way around. This'll come last.
Stats (pre-racial):
STR 16
DEX 10
CON 10 or 12
INT 10
WIS 12 or 14
CHA 10
Since I'll most likely be hitting people instead of casting, WIS isn't that much of a priority. My current build has WIS at 16 (post-racial), which only seems to matter if you're going for save or suck spells. Which, hopefully, I won't have to use all that much. So if a WIS of 12 (14 post-racial) is enough, the rest can go in CON.
Connection: Not sure yet. To be honest, I'm not that amazed by most of the bonus spells. I can still go for Healer for quick lay on hands on myself, but there are other options. A lot of them depend on saves, which will not be that high, compared to other Mystics. My current Mystic is a Star Shaman, which I honestly like, but honestly, isn't amazing. Xenodruid seems pretty cool, and Animal Adaptation seems useful.
Multiclass (?): I was thinking maybe dipping one level into Soldier for a few more class skills, heavy armor, and maybe some bigger weapons. Blitz Soldier is very tempting, but a bit lame. Bombard seems pretty good, but I'm not sure how good grenades are. Don't intend to use the self-made grenade very often, certainly not at higher levels. Guard also seems pretty decent, with less armor check penalty. Again, not sure how relevant that'll be, but considering I have no DEX, seems convenient.
Feats: If I'm dipping Soldier at first level, a lot of BAB 1 feats open up. Quick Draw and Step Up seem good. My current character has Nimble Moves, which seems pretty good as well.
Weapons/Armour: No idea. I want to go primarily Mystic, so eventually I'll get Weapon Specialization with small arms only, but I can pick that up with a feat. Any advice on that? Pick a good melee weapon I'll need a feat to get extra damage on, or stick to basic melee weapons?
Anyway, thanks a lot for reading and helping out.
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I had a similar idea for a Barathu Mystic. I would put points in WS and ST. I would get proficiency with Advanced Melee Weapons to give me access to a Pike so I could fly 10-feet above the battlefield and threaten a 15' diameter area and extend that with Early Stage Adaptation occasionally to 20' when needed. This would be great with Coordinated Shot. I decided to go with a Life Mystic so I could channel heal myself as a move action in combat and help out others as needed. But then I ran the numbers. The first problem I discovered was that with only Light Armor Proficiency and an 8 Dex, I was way too easy a target even hovering 10' above everyone with a reach weapon. So Heavy Armor Proficiency was a must. This meant I needed a minimum of 3 feats, Advanced Melee Weapon Proficiency, Advanced Melee Weapon Specialization and Heavy Armor Proficiency (4 if I want Coordinated Shot). In other words, the build wouldn’t jell until 5th or 7th level. So, I sucked it up and decided to start with a first level of Soldier. Blitz Soldier only helped my initiative as I don’t have a ground speed. Armor Storm and Bombard looked interesting, but neither of them scaled as I was only taking 1 level of Soldier. So, I went with Arcane Assailant.
Stats are:
ST: 18
DX: 8
CN: 12
IN: 11
WS: 14
Ch: 10
Theme-wise I chose Bioengineer mostly for RP reasons. He’s supposed to be a doctor, but with only an 11 IN he got his diploma from the cheapest online medical school he could find. He mostly fakes his doctor skills with various forms of Mystic healing. Which doesn’t mean he isn’t a good healer. He just isn’t quite the doctor he claims to be.
I also decided I would max out my ST to maximize low level competence but would only bump it via artificial means after that, putting all my level bumps into DX, CN, IN, & WS. This would also help compensate for the fact that I wasn’t going to be a full BAB character. And, it also means double ST damage with Early Stage Adaptation would be more effect. Of course, all of this would probably work better if I just made him a soldier, but I already have one of those.
Generally speaking, if you don’t know what feat to take at first level, take Weapon Focus. Attack bonuses are few and hard to come by in SF.
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So, to answer the question in your post title, without reading your post, an emphatic HELL YES, YOU CAN!!!”
Let me tell you about a mystic I GM’d for at Origins. Tier 5-6, 4 player. He was a level 6 Mystic doctor.
The doc wore powered armor with DR/5- and a force field. He also took Technomantic Dabbler and carried no weapons. When he would recall knowledge, the first thing he would tell me was that he was trying to remember wether or not Mind Thrust was effective against this type of creature. He literally acted as a front line fighter built primarily around Con, Wis and Dex with some Int iirc. He would run in to touch patty members, eat AoOs in the process and generally not care. If no one needed his medical services he would Mind Thrust or Magic Missile accordingly. He never needed a weapon.
This guy was a real treat to have at the table and built an outstanding combat medic. This goes to prove that if he can tank mobs and receive a proper front-line beating, you can absolutely make a melee Mystic!
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My Dwarf Mystic Starknight has 2xp, and is signed up for both sessions of the next Gameday. She's styled to be a frontliner. Dwarves have proficiency and specialization in Advanced Weaponry, and her Archetype gives her Heavy Armor proficiency at 2nd level (which she moves at her full speed in). I gave her a Boon for +2 Wisdom, so her starting stats are:
STR 18
DEX 10
CON 13
INT 10
WIS 16
CHA 08
During level ups I'll increase her Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and Wisdom. Wisdom is very important for a Mystic, since you use Resolve more than most other classes.
The only thing I'm debating is starting with a 16 Str instead and putting those points elsewhere, like Dex or Con. But having an 18 Str and being a 3/4 class gives me +1 attack/damage for ten Levels of her career, even if the 15th Level increase doesn't do anything for her (which I'll probably use for Int at that point).
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I am making mine as a kasatha with the Star Knight archetype. Some two-handed basic melee weapons deal comparable damage to one-handed advanced melee weapons. A kasatha can hold a spear in two hands and have two hands left over for holding a small arm and for casting spells. Plus having the Strength and Wisdom as higher stats helps.
One of the players at the last table I ran was a melee Nuar Mystic with the Mind Breaker connection. He had 16 Strength and used the damage reflection connection power to turn damage back on the enemy.
So, to answer the question in your post title, without reading your post, an emphatic HELL YES, YOU CAN!!!”
Let me tell you about a mystic I GM’d for at Origins. Tier 5-6, 4 player. He was a level 6 Mystic doctor.
The doc wore powered armor with DR/5- and a force field. He also took Technomantic Dabbler and carried no weapons. When he would recall knowledge, the first thing he would tell me was that he was trying to remember wether or not Mind Thrust was effective against this type of creature. He literally acted as a front line fighter built primarily around Con, Wis and Dex with some Int iirc. He would run in to touch patty members, eat AoOs in the process and generally not care. If no one needed his medical services he would Mind Thrust or Magic Missile accordingly. He never needed a weapon.
This guy was a real treat to have at the table and built an outstanding combat medic. This goes to prove that if he can tank mobs and receive a proper front-line beating, you can absolutely make a melee Mystic!
Huh, never really thought of being just a tank, rather than a damage dealer. That sounds pretty good. I'll have to think about that, thanks!
Star Knight seems pretty sweet as well, mainly getting heavy armour for free, instead of spending a feat on it. Not sure if it'll fit the flavour I'm going for, but I'll think about it. One fewer spell known is manageable, I think.
So, to answer the question in your post title, without reading your post, an emphatic HELL YES, YOU CAN!!!”
Let me tell you about a mystic I GM’d for at Origins. Tier 5-6, 4 player. He was a level 6 Mystic doctor.
The doc wore powered armor with DR/5- and a force field. He also took Technomantic Dabbler and carried no weapons. When he would recall knowledge, the first thing he would tell me was that he was trying to remember wether or not Mind Thrust was effective against this type of creature. He literally acted as a front line fighter built primarily around Con, Wis and Dex with some Int iirc. He would run in to touch patty members, eat AoOs in the process and generally not care. If no one needed his medical services he would Mind Thrust or Magic Missile accordingly. He never needed a weapon.
This guy was a real treat to have at the table and built an outstanding combat medic. This goes to prove that if he can tank mobs and receive a proper front-line beating, you can absolutely make a melee Mystic!
I am wondering: how did a level 6 mystic got proficiency in power armor?
The feat needs BAB +5 as a prerequisite which the mystic doesn't have at that level.
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Star Knight gives you proficiency if you already have Heavy Armor proficiency.
Actually, it doesn't. It gives either light armor proficiency, heavy armor proficiency, or fortification if you are already proficient with both. I think he just wore it without proficiency. Yes, you do get lower EAC/KAC, but that wasn't the point of the build. The point was to have a lot of stamina, DR 5/- and just tank the hits whenever necessary. Which can be a good method, especially if you can also heal yourself when needed.
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Star Knight gives you proficiency if you already have Heavy Armor proficiency.Actually, it doesn't. It gives either light armor proficiency, heavy armor proficiency, or fortification if you are already proficient with both. I think he just wore it without proficiency. Yes, you do get lower EAC/KAC, but that wasn't the point of the build. The point was to have a lot of stamina, DR 5/- and just tank the hits whenever necessary. Which can be a good method, especially if you can also heal yourself when needed.
That was exactly the case. Half move speed, -EAC/KAC, etc. He was not proficient. He was just built to get in, administer treatment and get out. Mind thrust or magic missile when there's no healing to be done. Legit combat medic.
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Playing a Dwarf Mystic in my run through of Against the Aeon Throne and going with melee (and everything analog except her comm unit, which her kids made her buy but that's a different story) - it's surprisingly effective, but both a reach weapon and heavy armor proficiency seem like musts. stats are 14/12/12/11/16/10 after using my boon to get +2 to any stat 14 or less.
I do not know if you can melee as a pure mystic. The weapons that can be used at tier 5 don't do much damage. I just reached lvl as a mixed classed mystic soldier the latter only having two levels. I only just picked up a melee weapon this lvl from the store and am waiting to give it a try. But i am not expecting much from the d6+2 dmg. Correct me if i dont get to add str to dmg yet.
1) Mystics have almost nothing to spend their feats on to mystic better. So snagging heavy armor prof and advanced melee weapon prof with your feats isn't that hard.
2) Your cookie cutter melee mystic build is a Vesk with a ring of fangs and improved unarmed strike: they are the weapon.
You add strength to damage rolls for melee right out of the gate. Its at level 3 that you get to add specialization damage