Android mechanic first feat?


General Discussion


I'm totally new to d20 and am making my first character for it. An android mechanic. What is a good first feat? I'm not sure about barricade. I was thinking of a combat one but the ones I want can't be got at first level.

I was thinking skill synergy and taking two skills as class skills. Any advice on skills to take? Or should I take a different feat?


This should probably go in the Advice forum.

It depends on what you want to do with your character. Are you exocortex or drone (or one of the new ones from COM)? What's your theme?

If you're a drone mechanic, consider getting Longarm Proficiency. If you are exocortex already, maybe Weapon Focus if you are concerned about combat.

Skill Synergy is always good, but you should find out what the rest of the party is taking, so you can grab something that isn't redundant.


Can you take it at level 1? I thought a pre req was a damage bonus of 1. i'm taking the exocomp not the drone.


I, Lucifer wrote:
Can you take it at level 1? I thought a pre req was a damage bonus of 1. i'm taking the exocomp not the drone.

Oops, never mind, it's a different feat that takes a bonus to hit before you take it.


If you go to the Advice forum. The very first sticky has a link to a bunch of Starfinder guides. Most of them are a bit dated but the info is still good.

If you don't want to mess around reading those, Feat: Improved Initiative is always a good standby feat. Anything that helps you act before the bad guys is always worthwhile.


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If you're an exocortex mechanic, weapon focus longarms

If you're a drone mechanic, weapon proficiency longarms.


Issue with Weapon Focus is that it requires a +1 BAB. Mechanic at 1st level starts with a +0 BAB.


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Matt2VK wrote:
Issue with Weapon Focus is that it requires a +1 BAB. Mechanic at 1st level starts with a +0 BAB.

Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon type.

Requiring BAB +1 is so last millenium


I just checked and focus does >not< require a BAB. I thought it did but was conflating it with another feat that adds half your bab to your damage. >My bad.<

So i'm kinda at the flip a coin level between skill synergy for a +2 to engineering and physics or weapon focus for small arms.


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I, Lucifer wrote:

I just checked and focus does >not< require a BAB. I thought it did but was conflating it with another feat that adds half your bab to your damage. >My bad.<

So i'm kinda at the flip a coin level between skill synergy for a +2 to engineering and physics or weapon focus for small arms.

This should help narrow it down

Skill synergy provides an insight bonus.

As a mechanic you have bypass, which provides a scaling bonus to computers and engineering.

Since both are insight bonuses, they will not stack with each other. That skill synergy will do nothing for you once your bypass hits +2 at 5th level.

Unless you plan on taking versatile focus, weapon focus for small arms isn't worth it. Small arms in starfinder don't do enough damage on their own to be worth firing. They have smaller dice themselves AND specialization in them does half level instead of level to damage.

They need to work with something like trick attack or the biohackers full level damage. If you plan to do damage with a gun at all, longarms are where it's at.


Can someone explain insight bonus to me quick? I see tge term but don't get it yet.


Bonuses have different types. Enhancement bonuses come from magic, insight bonuses come from knowing more stuff, a divine bonus comes from a deity or deity adjacent entity etc.

Different bonuses from the same type won't stack with each other. If you have a +2 insight bonus a +1 insight bonus and a +4 insight bonus... you have a +4 insight bonus.

If you have 72 +2 insight bonuses, your insight bonus is a +2.

It's a way for designers to offer different ways of being good at skills, without worrying about people piling on 30 minor bonuses to get +64 to stealth or something.

Bonuses and stuffs


So skill bonues per level are the same as insight bonuses?


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

I'm not sure I entirely understand your question.

The mechanic class feature that gives a bonus to computers and engineering, which increases as you level, is an insight bonus.

Putting additional ranks into a skill as you gain levels is not a bonus, of any category.

Types of bonuses, like insight or enhancement, are basically tags that exist to say "this bonus does not stack with other things that have the insight tag." So you can't take skill synergy, skill focus, and your class feature, and have them all add onto engineering skill.


Yes I've Studied the rules and understand how bypass works and insight bonuses. Now I get them. This system is very different than, say, gurps or eaba.


I, Lucifer wrote:
So skill bonues per level are the same as insight bonuses?

Your skill ranks are your skill ranks. They're not a bonus type.

Bypass: At 1st level, you gain a +1 insight bonus to Computers and Engineering skill checks. At 5th level, every 4 levels thereafter, and at 20th level, this bonus increases by 1.

The bypass ability is an insight bonus. So far every class that has a way to be better at their favored skills also has an insight bonus. (Operatives edge and skill focus for operatives, envoys have a 1d6 insight bonus, mystics have channel skill.

These are all insight bonuses, as are skill synergy and skill focus, by design. The game doesn't want you stacking them together for a super high bonus.


Sorry about that bad info on Weapon Focus. Still way too used to pathfinder feats of same name.


Matt2VK wrote:
Sorry about that bad info on Weapon Focus. Still way too used to pathfinder feats of same name.

I still find the occasional 3.5 ism in my pathfinder games...


I'm understanding bonuses not and getting how insight bonuses work. I may take skill synergy for physics and maybe perception since my bypass does nothing for them.

I may use my exocortex skill focus for computers or engineering until my bypass bonus reaches 3 at which level I swap it's skill focus for something else.

Yeah, I'm starting to get the idea of this system.


Generally speaking, if you want to take skill synergy, it is better to take it to gain a new class skill than to enhance an existing skill. One reason, as has already been discussed, is the nature of bonus stacking. Another is that if you use it to create a new class skill, you essentially get a +3 bonus (the Class Skill bonus) rather than a +2.

I can't upvote enough BNW's suggestion about Longarm Prof. It doesn't seem like much when you look at it on paper, but Weapon Focus Longarm (for exocortex) or Longarm Proficiency (for drone) will serve you well your entire career as a mechanic. Other options (though I'd wait for later, personally) are Mobility, Improved Intiative, and Iron Will are also options.

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