Plasma grenade (Warning: Gun Gale Online reference)

[Laclale♪]

There's a thing I need to see in StarFinder too, Plasma grenades.

Plasma grenade explodes in blue electricity, and visible from far.

And Twin grenade launcher held by high STR character. She's such a grenader, and once shoot 5 grenades at once.

[Teridax]

I think both of these suggestions can be "yes and"-ed, and made to fit in Starfinder:

I think it would be worth implementing a fuze trait that delays a thing from taking effect for a specified number of rounds. Slap this on some grenades, and you'd be able to create delayed grenades that could be used to flush enemies out of cover, or else deal damage significantly above that of instant grenades of the same level. This could form the basis of the plasma grenade mentioned in the OP, where the grenade could have a particularly audible timer and could even be attacked to detonate prematurely.

We need many more kickback weapons, and in fact the kickback trait should probably form the backbone of heavy weapons, as well as upgrades that make a weapon heavier. I think the Soldier should be made to not need Dexterity at all, not even for Primary Target, and instead ought to use their Strength to shoot heavier guns and attach heavier upgrades with impunity. You could have heavier, but stronger versions of regular guns or upgrades that add or increase your kickback trait, which would be difficult for most classes to wield but which would work especially well in the hands of a Soldier.

[Driftbourne]

Teridax wrote:

I think it would be worth implementing a fuze trait that delays a thing from taking effect for a specified number of rounds. Slap this on some grenades, and you'd be able to create delayed grenades that could be used to flush enemies out of cover, or else deal damage significantly above that of instant grenades of the same level. This could form the basis of the plasma grenade mentioned in the OP, where the grenade could have a particularly audible timer and could even be attacked to detonate prematurely.

This just sparked an idea what if some complex grenades were basically throwable hazards? The hazard rules can deal with having a delay or having a sequence of effects. The hazard rules have a built-in system to set options to disarm or destroy the hazard to stop it. Having a way to disarm or destroy an activated grenade with a multi-round effect, even if successfully dealt with still ties up some of the opponent's actions.

[Teridax]

Driftbourne wrote:

This just sparked an idea what if some complex grenades were basically throwable hazards? The hazard rules can deal with having a delay or having a sequence of effects. The hazard rules have a built-in system to set options to disarm or destroy the hazard to stop it. Having a way to disarm or destroy an activated grenade with a multi-round effect, even if successfully dealt with still ties up some of the opponent's actions.

I really like this idea. Hazards have a rich ruleset that, if applied to deployables, could allow certain items to really shake up encounters in a variety of interesting ways. A grenade that explodes after a duration would be easy to implement as a simple hazard, whereas contraptions that'd produce persistent effects on the battlefield would work as complex hazards. Because hazards have built-in rules for disabling them as you say, and can even be destroyed, this would make it easy to implement mechanics for destroying or disarming grenades and other deployables.

[Driftbourne]

Teridax wrote:

Driftbourne wrote:

This just sparked an idea what if some complex grenades were basically throwable hazards? The hazard rules can deal with having a delay or having a sequence of effects. The hazard rules have a built-in system to set options to disarm or destroy the hazard to stop it. Having a way to disarm or destroy an activated grenade with a multi-round effect, even if successfully dealt with still ties up some of the opponent's actions.

I really like this idea. Hazards have a rich ruleset that, if applied to deployables, could allow certain items to really shake up encounters in a variety of interesting ways. A grenade that explodes after a duration would be easy to implement as a simple hazard, whereas contraptions that'd produce persistent effects on the battlefield would work as complex hazards. Because hazards have built-in rules for disabling them as you say, and can even be destroyed, this would make it easy to implement mechanics for destroying or disarming grenades and other deployables.

Deployables is a good word for it, besides grenades that can be thrown having heaver chargers that have to be placed and either activated remotely, by a timer or trigger, could be fun to have. They don't have to just do extra damage for being bigger, the size could instead allow for a larger area of effect, longer duration, or, a higher DC to save against, and or be harder to disarm.

The other thing the hazard rules have is rules for detecting them too. Probably not needed for grenades but for other deployable devices, it could come into play.

[Justnobodyfqwl]

I think the idea of deployable Hazards is a great idea in small amounts. "The auto-turret makes a ranged strike at initiative 20 and 10 at the closest target" seems like a fun level of complexity in-between "single use grenade" and "summonabie monster".