Blitz Bear Build Advice


Advice


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(Sorry, couldn't figure out a word for Advice that started with B.)

So, my Discord gaming group is starting up a Starfinder campaign (something Homebrew the GM is cooking up, all we know right now is that it's supposed to be a bit Firefly-esque and we're starting in prison.) Had Session 0 wednesday and the party is as follows:

Uplifted Bear Soldier-Blitz (Me)
Skittermander Operative-Ghost (because really, who expects a Skittermander to be the spy?)
Ysoki Mechanic w/drone
Damaya Lashunta Technomancer (Ace Pilot theme, has said he plans to be more a support caster than a blaster, also likely to be the primary pilot once we get a ship)
Human (IIRC) Mystic (has said she's going to be the healer, IIRC she's picked a theme and/or archetype to boost that)

IIRC only the GM and Mystic have played Starfinder before, though I'm reasonably familiar.

Initially, I was going to lean hard into SPEED!, just race around charging everything I could, took Fleet as my first feat (60 feet base speed!). Stats 14/14/14/13/8/10 (Scholar theme, wanting to model him a bit on Beast from X-Men-brutal in combat but can also write a peer-reviewed article on, in this case, genetics). Figured Improved Init at 2, Toughness at 3, IUS at 4, Climbing master at 5 (Now I can charge 120 ft/round straight up walls! Muwhahaha!), maybe Wrathful Warrior for my second style, Unarmed Mauler for my first gear boost.

But then I did some more thinking, and for the party's primary melee my STR is kind low, and Fleet limits you to light armor. I'm probably going to want heavy armor. Maybe powered armor. So...maybe modify my stats to something like 18/12/12/13/8/10? Go ahead and pick up Improved Init at 1? Maybe take the Powered Armor Jockey archetype and the Nimble Juggernaut gear boost (at 7) to let me use my full speed in armor? Probably Melee Striker for my first gear boost since I'll have more STR to take advantage of. But do I want to boost STR that much if I'm angling for power armor? I'm pretty sure my GM will let me wait to 6 to decide if I'm taking the archetype, so I could keep the high STR and just use heavy armor.

Thoughts, questions, comments, threats, promises?


Definitely go for higher strength. Interstellar Species has a couple of feats that boost your unarmed damage if you hit a target twice in one round.


One thing to note if you are after the movement speed, Power armour limits your speed to the Armours listed speed, so your 50 ft (Bear+Blitz) would be reduced to 30 ft in most Power Armours.
I do think Heavy armour with Nimble Juggernaught is a good way to go

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Power armor on large creatures like bears also has the disadvantage that it's unclear if they can even fit inside or operate medium powered armors.


Wesrolter wrote:

One thing to note if you are after the movement speed, Power armour limits your speed to the Armours listed speed, so your 50 ft (Bear+Blitz) would be reduced to 30 ft in most Power Armours.

I do think Heavy armour with Nimble Juggernaught is a good way to go

That’s where the archetype and gear boost come in:

Powered Armor Jockey: Perfect Fit wrote:

You feel at home in heavier armor, including powered armor, as though it were a second skin. While you are wearing powered armor, increase its land speed by 10 feet, up to your normal land speed, and reduce the speed adjustment from heavy armor you wear by 5 feet. In addition, reduce the armor check penalty of heavy armor or powered armor you wear by 1 (to a minimum of 0). This armor check penalty reduction stacks with reductions from other abilities, such as the armor training technique of the soldier’s guard fighting style.

Nimble Juggernaut wrote:


Whenever you’re wearing armor (including powered armor), you reduce your total armor check penalty by 1 (minimum 0) and total speed adjustment by 5 feet (minimum adjustment 0 feet). The armor check penalty reduction increases by 1 at 7th level and every 4 levels thereafter. At 11th level, you reduce the armor’s speed adjustment by 10 feet (minimum adjustment 0 feet). These benefits stack with similar effects, such as from the guard fighting style’s 1st-level style technique.

By 11th I should be able to move my full 50 feet in a powered armor with a speed of 30, right?


No just 40. Speed adjustments are the heavy armor penalty. Power armor replaces your speed it doesn’t adjust it.


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Blitz bear build brainstorm?

Power armor doesn't seem worth it unless you can start with a fairly low strength and have the power armor replace it later.

You are large but don't have reach. That is a pain. I'd highly recommend and EAC reach weapon.


Power armor just generally isn't worth it unfortunately, although at higher levels there are some options that have decent move speed and ancillary effects (like celerity rigging).

Honestly the best use of powered armor is for ranged focused character's to replace their strength so they can utilize melee weapons in the rare instances they need too.

Melee focused characters often get shafted because they already have equal or higher strength, and higher movement speed in a lot of cases.

For an benefit of like maybe 1 or 2 AC over heavy armor.

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