Multiple archetypes?

[Garrett Larghi]

I have not seen anything against taking 2 or more archetypes unless they have the same level replacements. Please correct me if I am wrong! What combos are out there? I know the free trader fits with a few. What have you guys thought of?

[HammerJack]

From CRB page 126: "You also cannot add more than one archetype to a specific class. For example, once you have added the Starfinder forerunner archetype to the envoy class, you cannot add any other archetype to that class. If you multiclass and gain a level in a new class, you can add a new archetype to that class when you reach the appropriate level."

So you need to be multiclassing, to combine archetypes.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

EDIT: Yeah, what Hammerjack said. ↑

[Garrett Larghi]

That is unfortunate but makes sense. Thanks for the correction guys :)

[Metaphysician]

Given the fairly harsh trade offs from even taking one archetype, what kind of combination would even possibly be worth taking two? You'd be sacrificing even more generally useful class abilities for narrowly useful archetype abilities, only spread across two different "narrow" uses. That's kind of going to break your ability to focus on one particular role to benefit from your archetype.

( To say nothing that you'd need to find two archetypes that don't overlap in which abilities they replace, otherwise you either have an order-of-operations problem or else are just nerfing one or more archetype. )

P.S.: I kind of suspect the answer is "But I want this one broken Esotericist ability!"

[Xenocrat]

Metaphysician wrote:

( To say nothing that you'd need to find two archetypes that don't overlap in which abilities they replace, otherwise you either have an order-of-operations problem or else are just nerfing one or more archetype. )

That's really easy, COM has two different single ability archetypes at different levels. If it were legal you could stack three archetypes just from COM without having any overlapping abilities or touching the Esotericist or Battleflower with their ala carte options.

[Metaphysician]

Xenocrat wrote:

Metaphysician wrote:

( To say nothing that you'd need to find two archetypes that don't overlap in which abilities they replace, otherwise you either have an order-of-operations problem or else are just nerfing one or more archetype. )

That's really easy, COM has two different single ability archetypes at different levels. If it were legal you could stack three archetypes just from COM without having any overlapping abilities or touching the Esotericist or Battleflower with their ala carte options.

Yes, but the thing is that, part of what balances the use of those archetypes is that you don't need to sacrifice much. I strongly suspect that, in practice, if you tried to combine them? The whole would end up less than the sum of the parts.

[Garrett Larghi]

I have some players in my group that would rather have an archetype than be optimal. I can go either way. Lots of the archetypes are very role play boosters and define you character. I would not be opposed to my players picking up more than one if they felt it grew their character in some way. It is not game breaking. Is it?

["Dr." Cupi]

At the moment it is not. Who know what the future will hold. Often times the OP staff has to make decisions based on potential future books and mechanics. They may not make sense now.

That said, in home games you can allow or disallow whatever you want. In fact, and I feel confident in saying this, I'm sure that the developers would encourage you to shift rules at your home table for the sake of an interesting and fun game.