So I'm looking at the biohacker ampoule line. Which... yeah its slow, and pretty restrictive and painful requirement of resolve to use in some cases. But ahwell It is still cool.
I'd love to use these, to an extent they feel like magic bullets for a biohacker!
Presumably, with how the theorom is worded. I think a biohacker with this could craft the ampoules. I do like that that becomes an option.
Some of the rules for spell amps are a bit confusing though. Particularly with objects. It doesn't discount objects, as a target. Just not when its acreature and object at once. So that would mean there are some new spells that are interesting potentially.
Translocate Object is one that seems to be valid if im not missing something. They have the harmless text, not divination, doesn't create a link.
Mystic healing I think is an option. As the imbiber is the caster and the target. but you can't give your own HP due to that. Which is too bad. But does mean its functionally a cheap healing item for free each day. Although if it does let you transfer your own hp i think that'd be pretty great for biohacker to have in the pocket.
I also can't rule out i'm misunderstanding how ampoule work though. I assume whoever is getting injected makes the choices and is the caster and target. and its not like you inject yourself THEN cast the spell as per usual casting?
spell amp text:
spell amp duplicates the effect of a beneficial spell (a spell with “harmless” in its Saving Throw or Spell Resistance entry), excluding divination spells or spells that create some link between the caster and the target. In addition, the spell must be 3rd level or lower, have a casting time of 1 minute or less, and target one or more creatures (but not spells that target just the spellcaster). If a spell targets both creatures and objects, it only affects creatures when used as a spell amp. If a spell requires expending a Resolve Point to cast, it also requires the user to spend a Resolve Point when used as a spell amp (if you choose not to spend a Resolve Point or don’t have any Resolve Points remaining, the spell amp has no effect).
Amp Exper. Biohacker theorom:
Ampoule Expertise (Su)
Source Galactic Magic pg. 19
You’ve discovered how to create specialized spell ampoules using ingredients in your custom microlab. Your selection of spell amps is limited to a number of spells equal to 3 + half your biohacker level; these spells must fulfill all the requirements for a spell amp as detailed on page 224 of the Starfinder Core Rulebook. These spells comprise the list of spell amps you can create with this ability. Each time you gain a biohacker level, you can swap out one spell on this list for another spell that qualifies. Whenever you gain an even‑numbered biohacker level, you also select one additional spell to add to your list of spell amps.
The first time each day that you create your biohacks, you can create two 0-level spell amps and one 1st-level spell amp from your list. At 8th level, you also can prepare one 2nd-level spell amp from your list. Your spell amps are highly experimental and provide a benefit only when either consumed by you or when an imbiber also spends 1 Resolve Point as part of the action to consume the spell amp. You can inject these spell amps as though they were biohacks, though you must expend 1 Resolve Point and a biohack to do so.
Yoonki's guide has a handy list.:
Level 0: climate adaptation, realign, stabilize.
Level 1: biome adaptation, blessing of youth I, dampening field, extra sense I, flight I, fluid morphism, keen senses, life bubble, might of the ellicoth, mystic cure I, necromantic revitalization I, pyre wreath, remove condition lesser, swim I, helping hands, lifting frame, polymorph I.
Level 2: benevolent synesthesia, blessing of youth II, darkvision, extra sense II, flight II, instant upgrade, invisibility, invisibility to technology, mystic cure II, necromantic revitalization II, perfect recall, remove condition, resist radiation, restoration lesser, spider climb, swim II, cairn form, polymorph II.
Also realizing i'm not entirely sure how the spell level and such works. I just realized it doesn't have the usual text for other things like the mechanic's spell chip. That would state your level is the caster level and Int is your casting stat.. huh.
Who makes decisions: "When you are injected with a spell amp, you get to make any decisions about the spell’s effect as if you were the caster of the spell—you are both the effective target and the caster of the effect." So when you're injected, you're affected as if the spell has been cast on you, and you get to make relevant decisions. No further casting time required :)
Caster Level: "A spell amp always has an item level equal to three times the level of the spell it duplicates (treat as a 2nd-level item for spell amps with 0-level spells), and a caster level equal to its item level. Creating a spell ampoule has the same requirements as creating a spell gem (see below)."
Translocate Object wouldn't be a valid choice, since that spell's target is "one object," and Spell Amps "...must target one or more creatures (but not spells that target just the spellcaster)".
I think Mystic Cure would work, yeah - although it's a bit of an edge case, in that Serums of Healing are cheaper than making spell amps of the associated Mystic Cure, and as a Biohacker you can already make non-magical versions of those using Life/Phys Sci. It's not bad, per se, but it's just a thing Biohackers can do already out of the gate.
Re: crafting your own outside of the daily allotment - one possible, strict, reading of the RAW would be that this ability doesn't let you use the regular Crafting rules, and you're stuck with the amount of daily Amps granted by the ability. My reasoning is:
- spell amps have the same requirement to make as spell gems
- spell gems say "to craft a spell gem, you have to know the spell you’re encoding into the gem." Biohackers still don't have a spell list and don't know the spells, and the theorem specifically states, "these spells comprise the list of spell amps you can create with this ability" (emphasis mine.)
...that said, I think you'd have to be a pretty stingy GM to not let a Biohacker with this ability and relevant skills craft more Spell Amps of their chosen spells, as per the usual Crafting rules. I can't imagine it being game-breaking.
About which are the most useful: Life Bubble. Always, Life Bubble :D
Feels like most of the time it'd be lesser restoraton, lifting frame, helping hands for level 1 stuff. Since you sadly have to make it in the morning and not make one each 10m rest. Which would've been great since Biohackers really drip that prepared combatant flavor w ith how they mechanically work.
