Can a GM bring their COM to the table and let PCs use the new Starship Roles?

[Nefreet]

I love that the Character Operations Manual introduced new Starship Roles. Now a Str-focused Soldier or Wis-focused Mystic can finally support their team in Starship Combat.

Problem is, as I just experienced, some of those exact players don't own the COM (whatever their reasons may be, no judgment). Now, normally, with any other character option, I would champion the motto of "Gotta pay to play". But expanding the rules for Starship Combat feels to me that it should be handled differently.

Can a GM bring their COM to the table and let PCs use the new Starship Roles?

[RealAlchemy]

Nefreet wrote:

I love that the Character Operations Manual introduced new Starship Roles. Now a Str-focused Soldier or Wis-focused Mystic can finally support their team in Starship Combat.

Problem is, as I just experienced, some of those exact players don't own the COM (whatever their reasons may be, no judgment). Now, normally, with any other character option, I would champion the motto of "Gotta pay to play". But expanding the rules for Starship Combat feels to me that it should be handled differently.

Can a GM bring their COM to the table and let PCs use the new Starship Roles?

My opinion is that once the rules have changed, the rules exist whether you own the book or not. The new starship combat roles are an example of this. Thus they should be able to be used as long as a COM is at the table or can be referenced.

[Xenocrat]

It's not a general rules change, it's a particular rule that a PC has to affirmatively claim by declaring and assuming that starship role. It's true you don't have to spend a character resource on it, but I'm not sure why that should be the distinguishing issue.

[Gary Bush]

I don't see any problem with these combat roles being available for everyone at the table. It is the GMs responsibility to know about them and how they operate.

[Hmm]

I thought that the COM starship roles were declared legal for a whole table to use on a Pathfinder Friday (yes, I know how weird that sounds... but the Pathfinder Friday was focused on Organized Play in general) twitch episode. I may have to see if I can find that tonight when I get home.

I have already used them three times since then in Organized Play, since as the GM, I had COM.

Here are brief COM roles cheat sheets that I handed to players. I'm hoping someone will come up with something prettier.

Hmm

[Nefreet]

Thank you for those! I, too, want to create something prettier eventually.

[BigNorseWolf]

Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:

I thought that the COM starship roles were declared legal for a whole table to use on a Pathfinder Friday (yes, I know how weird that sounds... but the Pathfinder Friday was focused on Organized Play in general) twitch episode. I may have to see if I can find that tonight when I get home.

I have already used them three times since then in Organized Play, since as the GM, I had COM.

Here are brief COM roles cheat sheets that I handed to players. I'm hoping someone will come up with something prettier.

Hmm

we have a pathfinder friday?

[Gary Bush]

Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:

I thought that the COM starship roles were declared legal for a whole table to use on a Pathfinder Friday (yes, I know how weird that sounds... but the Pathfinder Friday was focused on Organized Play in general) twitch episode. I may have to see if I can find that tonight when I get home.

I have already used them three times since then in Organized Play, since as the GM, I had COM.

Here are brief COM roles cheat sheets that I handed to players. I'm hoping someone will come up with something prettier.

Hmm

Sweet. Do you plan to add these to PFSPrep?

[Belafon]

Amusingly enough, I just got around to pdf-ing mine this morning, so I put them up on PFSPrep.

Link