New Year, New Options

[Justnobodyfqwl]

Happy 2025 everyone! Now that the playtest survey is wrapped up and we're looking towards the horizon of Starfinder 2e's release, i've been thinking about the survey's prompt about what new character options we would want. I'm going to focus on "subclasses" for the current 6 classes-

Soldiers: I'd love a Battlefield Demolitions fighting style for interacting with destroying objects. I'm not sure how to handle stationary objects needing to make reflex saves against area-fire/auto-fire, but Terror Forming and Excavating Bombardment make me really excited for the idea of a soldier that interacts with the terrain and map. I imagine they'd give all weapons they use the Razing trait when making area attacks, and copy the Demolitionist archetype in allowing you to ignore an amount of hardness equal to your level. Other options could include making cover less effective if its been the target of an AoE, or using the destructive power of your weaponry to give Tech items the Glitching condition

Operative: I'd love to see an Operative subclass that combines improvised weapons with thrown weapons- the ability to grab and throw any small item as if it was a firearm. Since the Operative leans into a lot of Action Movie Coolguy Stuff, I think it's a fun way to do that trope- the action movie protagonist that can grab anything in a fight and toss it with deadly accuracy.

I'd also, less seriously, love to see an Operative that leans into the idea of being an over the top cool charmer-operative. Something like James Bond or Bayonetta that combines high charisma with high firepower. Maybe it allows you to Aim at an enemy when you Bon Mot, Demoralize, or Create a Diversion?

Mystic: I'd love Mystic connections that lean into very vague, supernatural, futuristic stuff! I think the emphasis on modernity and psychic connections between living things makes me really want a Cities Mystic, almost like a reverse Druid. An emphasis on social skills, connecting you with the minds of other peoples, weaponizing electricity and metal signs/buildings, etc.

What are some new subclass options that you'd want for Starfinder 2e? Bonus points if its built more around themes or tropes, instead of just mechanical niches.

[moosher12]

I'd love to see more of the Mystic's 1E subtypes make their way over.

Xenodruids I feel can be replaced with actual Pathfinder Druids.

But there was also the Empath, the Mindbreaker, the Overlord, and the Star Shaman,

[Perpdepog]

I hope we eventually get a witchwarper whose Quantum Field is them overlaying portions of a specific other plane onto the Universe with various effects.

I also hope that we get a soldier who plays extra nice with an eventual implementation of power armor ... mostly because I also really want explicit rules for power armor.

I love the idea of an operative who can throw stuff, and who uses improvised weapons in general, the person who could kill someone with a paperclip sounds very action movie.

I forget if we've got one already, but an envoy who focuses on Performance as their skill for their leadership style. The rest of the party effectively become their camera crew, fellow musicians, back-up dancers, whatever.

And I'd really like to see the alternate expressions for solarian to make the jump. I'm very much looking forward to getting electrical solarians back at some point.

[DMurnett]

Something I'm hoping for is more support for more stuff you can do in PF. Animal companions and familiars (probably for Mystic), the reintroduction of staves to the core caster considerations (I don't wanna live in 4 slot heaven hell), things that actually use the game's melee and especially Advanced melee weapons, etc.

On subclass side though, I definitely love the idea of an improviser Operative, and I'd love to see some Solarian Class Archetypes (let's be real that's probably how it would be implemented) to give them more subclasses. I think it would also be fun to have an "old-fashioned" operative who specializes in Archaic ranged weapons.

[E.G]

I am still thinking how to add objects to the VTT. Like, should every wall have HP stat now? or only check when relevant? should cover take damage if miss but not crit miss? etc etc

[Driftbourne]

The big question for 2025 is what in the world can Paizo do to outdo "The Gap" Is it even possible to outdo "The Gap"?

[moosher12]

Driftbourne wrote:

The big question for 2025 is what in the world can Paizo do to outdo "The Gap" Is it even possible to outdo "The Gap"?

Paizo can always release the romantic comedy novel of the love triangle between Irori, Abadar, and Asmodeus.

[Driftbourne]

moosher12 wrote:

Driftbourne wrote:

The big question for 2025 is what in the world can Paizo do to outdo "The Gap" Is it even possible to outdo "The Gap"?

Paizo can always release the romantic comedy novel of the love triangle between Irori, Abadar, and Asmodeus.

I can't prove that there is not an ad for that in the back of "The Gap."

[Justnobodyfqwl]

I've noticed that it's pretty hard to think of new options for the Solarian. I feel like the A/B stance dancing is pretty core to their gameplay loop, and so options that either remove that or add too much to it feel clunky. I'd honestly prefer more customization with my solar forged items- more traits for my solar weapon, or the ability to choose between solar armor and a solar shield, or the ability to choose between a ranged solar shot vs a thrown solar weapon.

I've never read some of these SF1E Mystic options, but there's some really fun ones here that lean into the vague supernatural stylings of the Mystics flavor. Empath, Delusion/Dreamer, Trailblazer, Zeitgeist, and Glitchghost really speak to me!

[Driftbourne]

As much as I'd like to see all or as many as possible of the old species make it to SF2e, I'm looking forward to something completely new that doesn't have something in SF1e or PF2e to compare it to.

[Justnobodyfqwl]

After dedicating a session to them, I actually really am excited about the potential of the Entu. I actually think it would be amazing to have the Entu colony inside someone's mind be a universal heritage! This could allow you to capture the Nelentu with Awakened Animal + Entu, or allow you to play a symbiosis between, say, Human and Entu!

Finally, a chance to live out all of my childhood Animorphs dreams

[Perpdepog]

Justnobodyfqwl wrote:

After dedicating a session to them, I actually really am excited about the potential of the Entu. I actually think it would be amazing to have the Entu colony inside someone's mind be a universal heritage! This could allow you to capture the Nelentu with Awakened Animal + Entu, or allow you to play a symbiosis between, say, Human and Entu!

Finally, a chance to live out all of my childhood Animorphs dreams

First thought I had on reading this was, "wait, they want a versatile heritage where they've got a yerk?" But honestly that could be fun. The symbients from SF1E were cool, and having a beneficial yerk or Tril-like symbiote as a heritage would be fun.

[Justnobodyfqwl]

Perpdepog wrote:

Justnobodyfqwl wrote:

After dedicating a session to them, I actually really am excited about the potential of the Entu. I actually think it would be amazing to have the Entu colony inside someone's mind be a universal heritage! This could allow you to capture the Nelentu with Awakened Animal + Entu, or allow you to play a symbiosis between, say, Human and Entu!

Finally, a chance to live out all of my childhood Animorphs dreams

First thought I had on reading this was, "wait, they want a versatile heritage where they've got a yerk?" But honestly that could be fun. The symbients from SF1E were cool, and having a beneficial yerk or Tril-like symbiote as a heritage would be fun.

Ahaha yes, I actually had a really enjoyable session built around the pitch of "well, what does it look like to have Yeerks try CONSENSUAL symbiosis?"

I wanted to explore 4 kinds of Entu relationships, all aboard a Xenowarden research ship. An entu colony that refuses symbiosis and prefers to live on its own, an entu that jumps around from body to body to understand the animal kingdom better, a Nelentu that has a permanent symbiosis, and the rare & controversial dynamic of an entu and a young barathu trying to enter symbiosis together.

Animorphs was a great point of reference, because it really dives into the reasons why a species that's a sentient (spore colony/slug) would be driven to symbiosis- I whole-heartedly stole the idea that an Entu outside a host is nearly blind & deaf, and they required very specific xenowarden accommodations to just interact with the player. Obviously you don't want that when Entu colonies are playable on their own, but I honestly think it's a lot more interesting when they're a Versatile Heritage.