Our GM is allowing character rebuilds using options from the COG. I play a 9th level Solarian tank and I’m planning to change some revelations, feats. Here is one possible build. What do you guys think?
Human with the solar weapon manifestation
Level 1 Feats: Heavy Armor proficiency, Weapon Focus (advanced melee weapons)
Level 2 Revelation: Stellar Rush
Level 3 Feat: Step up
Level 4 Revelation: Gravitic Reinforcement (bonuses to saves)
Level 5 Feat: Enhanced Resistance: Kinetic
Level 6 Revelation: Glow of Life (not entirely certain about this)
Level 7 Feat: Coordinated Shoot
Level 8 Revelation: either Defy Gravity, Blade in the Night, or maybe Draining Agony
Level 9 Feat: Periastra Training; Zenith Revelations: Solar Acceleration / StarQuake
Level 10 Revelation: Soul Furnace
Level 11 ???
Our party includes an envoy, a technomancer, an operative, and an NPC mystic. Since I’m playing the tank, I need those nice save bonuses from Gravitic Reinforcements and I plan to enter most combats graviton attuned. If the monsters don’t have attacks that require saves, I can switch to solar to max damage. I want my revelations balanced so I can use Periastra Training for 1st turn Solar Acceleration.
Are you wanting to go full tank or is the solar weapon core to the character concept?
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I think the big choice you have to make with a solarian is whether you're going to use powers that work as long as you stay attuned, such as Plasma Sheath and Corona. Because if you do that, you don't want to lean on zenith revelations and Periastra Strike doesn't do anything for you.
I play a Solarian tank, heavily use Corona, Plasma Sheath and Stellar Rush. I've got unbalanced revelations but because I never want to nova, that doesn't matter.
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Regarding your build, what about Step Up And Strike?
How is the new solarian shield option for this build?
I was thinking about switching to solar shield, but I don't think it's that much better than what you can buy.
My opinion, while decent it's kind of lacking when you compare it to the Solarian offensive abilities.
I think I'd go Solarian Armor over the Shield just because of the energy type resistances that can be picked up, swapped out.
My biggest complaint (after the lack of 6 skill ranks per level) is the lack of defensive solarian crystals that work defensively in Armor & Shield.
That would be awesome. I would like to expand on that idea and see "solarian" armor that worked with the armor manifestation. Maybe you couldn't use normal upgrades, but you could insert crystals that made revelations a little better, or gave you a small bonus to your KAC/EAC so solarian melee fighters wouldn't feel obliged take the heavy armor feat.
The designers would have to be careful to keep it balanced, but I think it would make the class more flavorful and fun to play.
I think the big choice you have to make with a solarian is whether you're going to use powers that work as long as you stay attuned, such as Plasma Sheath and Corona. Because if you do that, you don't want to lean on zenith revelations and Periastra Strike doesn't do anything for you.
I play a Solarian tank, heavily use Corona, Plasma Sheath and Stellar Rush. I've got unbalanced revelations but because I never want to nova, that doesn't matter.
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Regarding your build, what about Step Up And Strike?
I think a tank build benefits more from graviton attunement so I skipped Plasma Sheath and Corona. The attunement benefit of Stellar Rush is minor, while both Glow of Life and Soul Furnace are useful without attunement.
Standard combat tactics might be:
Round one: solar attunement, move to the target, pop Solar Acceleration for full attack and haste
Round two: graviton, Gravitic Reinforcement and single attack
Round three, four, etc. : move and full attack
Stay graviton attuned until I need Starquake, to avoid aoo's for example.
Finally, I don't feel Step up and Strike is useful because once GM's know you have Step Up, enemy casters will never take guarded steps again - well at least every Pathfinder and Starfinder GM I've ever played with.
Just skimming over and had an idea. What if you dropped heavy weapon proficiency and the zenith revelation for a different feat and 2 manifestations. You could go armor and melee manifestation. It would give you a little more resistance and more creds.
Just skimming over and had an idea. What if you dropped heavy weapon proficiency and the zenith revelation for a different feat and 2 manifestations. You could go armor and melee manifestation. It would give you a little more resistance and more creds.
You can't actually use the second manifestation until you're fully attuned. And Periastra Training doesn't help, that only counts you as fully attuned for the purpose of using a revelation.
Well darn. That would be at least three combat rounds. Hmmmmmnn
Well darn. That would be at least three combat rounds. Hmmmmmnn
It could be argued that a mystic with the Solar Connection and levels as a solarian could have another manifestation in addition to a solar weapon. The epiphany states, "If you have levels in both classes you add them together to determine the effectiveness of your solar weapon." It doesn't specify that the solarian must also have the solar weapon manifestation. Good luck getting that past a competent GM though.
It could be argued that a mystic with the Solar Connection and levels as a solarian could have another manifestation in addition to a solar weapon. The epiphany states, "If you have levels in both classes you add them together to determine the effectiveness of your solar weapon." It doesn't specify that the solarian must also have the solar weapon manifestation. Good luck getting that past a competent GM though.
Sounds fair enough to me given how multiclassing as a spellcaster is pretty crappy normally, your other manifestation wont stack with mystic levels, and the fact that you'll be pretty MAD.
Sounds fair enough to me given how multiclassing as a spellcaster is pretty crappy normally, your other manifestation wont stack with mystic levels, and the fact that you'll be pretty MAD.It could be argued that a mystic with the Solar Connection and levels as a solarian could have another manifestation in addition to a solar weapon. The epiphany states, "If you have levels in both classes you add them together to determine the effectiveness of your solar weapon." It doesn't specify that the solarian must also have the solar weapon manifestation. Good luck getting that past a competent GM though.
It's more that you dip mystic so you have a solar weapon AND a solar shield (or flare, or armor)
One level dip for a max level solar weapon alongside another near max level other manifestation is pretty good after all.
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Sounds fair enough to me given how multiclassing as a spellcaster is pretty crappy normally, your other manifestation wont stack with mystic levels, and the fact that you'll be pretty MAD.It could be argued that a mystic with the Solar Connection and levels as a solarian could have another manifestation in addition to a solar weapon. The epiphany states, "If you have levels in both classes you add them together to determine the effectiveness of your solar weapon." It doesn't specify that the solarian must also have the solar weapon manifestation. Good luck getting that past a competent GM though.
sword and shield..i would allow it if for no other reason then it would be cool :)
It's more that you dip mystic so you have a solar weapon AND a solar shield (or flare, or armor)
That was what I was responding to, yes. I don't know why you felt the need to restate this.
It's more that you dip mystic so you have a solar weapon AND a solar shield (or flare, or armor)That was what I was responding to, yes. I don't know why you felt the need to restate this.
It seemed to me that you were considering mystic as your primary class and dipping solarian for a second manifestation given the whole 'multiclassing as a spellcaster is pretty crappy normally'. When you really want to dip mystic as a solarian for two manifestations and only being a level behind on your stellar revelations.
One level dip for a max level solar weapon alongside another near max level other manifestation is pretty good after all.
If your GM allows progression and a second manifestation for a one level mystic dip, I can see it being useful in a couple of builds. Ranged or battlefield controller solarians can use the sword as a backup weapon. For a melee solarian, heavy armor is better than the armor manifestation and the solar shield is next to useless since you cant use it and make full attacks.
An sword and board solarian would be a lot of fun, but current mechanics do not support a viable build.
One level dip for a max level solar weapon alongside another near max level other manifestation is pretty good after all.If your GM allows progression and a second manifestation for a one level mystic dip, I can see it being useful in a couple of builds. Ranged or battlefield controller solarians can use the sword as a backup weapon. For a melee solarian, heavy armor is better than the armor manifestation and the solar shield is next to useless since you cant use it and make full attacks.
An sword and board solarian would be a lot of fun, but current mechanics do not support a viable build.
I think sword and board is fine, it would just be the shield as primary, because it's so dominant in your action economy that it drives you to the one on one tank role, with the sword as a damage booster for your one attack per round if you want completely optimal damage and don't want to invest in Improved Unarmed Strike feat.
One level dip for a max level solar weapon alongside another near max level other manifestation is pretty good after all.If your GM allows progression and a second manifestation for a one level mystic dip, I can see it being useful in a couple of builds. Ranged or battlefield controller solarians can use the sword as a backup weapon. For a melee solarian, heavy armor is better than the armor manifestation and the solar shield is next to useless since you cant use it and make full attacks.
An sword and board solarian would be a lot of fun, but current mechanics do not support a viable build.
Personally I was warmonger connection, power armor, and be able to switch hit between the flare and the weapon, downsides including power armor and needing two solarian crystals.
Personally I was warmonger connection, power armor, and be able to switch hit between the flare and the weapon, downsides including power armor and needing two solarian crystals.
Do you need two crystals if you have multiple manifestations? Since a crystal is inserted into the mote, I would think it would work with both your sword and flare.
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Personally I was warmonger connection, power armor, and be able to switch hit between the flare and the weapon, downsides including power armor and needing two solarian crystals.Do you need two crystals if you have multiple manifestations? Since a crystal is inserted into the mote, I would think it would work with both your sword and flare.
Nobody knows for sure if you can, or must, or can't, use two crystals.
LoL have one mote bright white and one pitch black. So many references. So much on the nose. But if you do a dar and light mote would they cancel each other out? I mean sheading light wise.
From the description, it sounds like additional manifestations either from Extra Manifestations or Solar Connection come as their own mote. Basically, each solar manifestation gives you a mote, and each mote has a mote mode and an active mode. Motes aren't interchangeable, so you'd need a crystal for each mote you wanted to enhance.
I think you're right, which means that you'd have to buy a crystal for each mote. Since I'm 9th level, I was thinking about taking solar shield as an extra manifestation, but the added expense makes it less appealing.
By dipping mystic, you wouldn't have to wait to be fully attuned to summon your 2nd manifestation and you wouldn't need a crystal for the shield since you'd always have your sword ready. As a GM I'd be hesitant to allow this as it seems clear the game designers intended only solar weapon manifestation levels to stack.