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1) It makes the elemental rock scissor papers fun rather than just annoying.
It would be nice to break out the ice ray we picked up 2 books ago against the fire elemental, but since my main weapon has a +1 to hit and does double damage (or more depending on level) there's no point. If something has fire resitance 5 there's no point switching off of the laser rifle to something with less chance to hit and the same damage
2) It solves the treasure problem with APs.
I don't think I've played in an AP where I felt consistently geared. In PF 1 that's not nearly the problem when your power comes from your build but so much of your gear. But in PF2 walking into encounters where you're supposed to have a potence rune will halve your damage.
3) It makes magic items/tech viable
In pf1 the christmas tree/big six was less than optimal. But in PF2 that effect got cranked up to charlie browns Christmas tree levels. I don't even look at magic items because without weapon and armor runes being up to date you're going to die and after that you're broke. In starfinder I love all the whacky scifi magic gear I can pick up, but with a pf2 loot system I can't see it working out. The items might be there, but if all my money is tied up they may as well not.
4) It lets equipment be personal. Hans blaster is the trusty gun he's had at his side forever. He doesn't have to toss it for the new one the boss dropped.
5) You can give the bad guys gear and not have to worry about overpowering the pcs. They run on automatic bonus progression too so they just have blasters you don't need to worry about the sale value of a large street gangs arsenal.
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I don't disagree with anything said, I think you have some good points, but I'm not sure, if it's the best solution, because we don't know what will be in the SF2e GM Core or its equivalent. I would think that SF2e being 100% compatible with PF2e, would still leave room for SF2e to have its own new optional rule variants.
I wonder if SF2e could have an option rule variant that is more specifically deals with automatic bonus progression just for weapons.
Normally a variant rule is up to the GM or in organized play just not allowed at all. What if individual characters could take a feat to use automatic bonus progression with a specific weapon, or a weapon could have a trait making that weapon use the automatic bonus progression?
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I would say that Automatic Bonus Progression works much better with the space fantasy genre than with normal fantasy.
Sure, you have the occasional cutting edge magical/technology/hybrid items or mega-weapons in science fantasy but those are tend to work better as macguffins or plot devices. The grind of needing to constantly "trade up" equipment is not usually something you see in the inspirational material (apart from cyberpunk augmentations or vehicles/mechs/starships, perhaps). The point about characters switching out their equipment based on the mission is also something that is much more common in science fantasy than normal fantasy.
About the only issues that would probably require clarification on how Automatic Bonus Progression works with the Starfinder 2e Playtest rules would be armor and weapon upgrades (slots, etc.) plus weapon ammunition capacity. Especially for weapons that don't use batteries (which is an issue even without ABP).
About the only issues that would probably require clarification on how Automatic Bonus Progression works with the Starfinder 2e Playtest rules would be armor and weapon upgrades (slots, etc.) plus weapon ammunition capacity. Especially for weapons that don't use batteries (which is an issue even without ABP).
When you hit level x your weapons and armor become the level x that you're wearing.
All valid points, but I expect the upgrade system/track exemplified in the playtest will more or less be what's printed; devs and (whatever percentage of) players seem to want loot drops being a part of progression. Id rather ABP but I won't hold my breath
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All valid points, but I expect the upgrade system/track exemplified in the playtest will more or less be what's printed; devs and (whatever percentage of) players seem to want loot drops being a part of progression. Id rather ABP but I won't hold my breath
The other issue is the playtest surveys closed 3 days ago.
It's not an issue for home games where the GM can choose to use the variant rules, it's mostly an organized play issue. The only way around that I see is something like making a feat, weapon trait, or specific weapons that use automatic level progression and can't otherwise be upgraded.
ABP doesn't work with Solarian because they use a different mechanic or was it something else...? I think I am getting Kineticisr and Solarian mixed up in my head but really APB has some minor issues like it doesn't say how to adjust gold or nothing making it harder to give out loot.
It was the kineticist that ABP doesn't work well with. The gate attenuators act more like spellhearts that add a bonus to impulse attack rolls. Solarian core weapon crystals explicitly mimic potency and striking runes for the solar weapon.
d but really APB has some minor issues like it doesn't say how to adjust gold .
[omniman]Thats the neat part... you don't![/omniman]
1) In every AP I've seen the gold/gear is always off. I can't see home DMs doing any better than professional writers in that regard (and I usually don't)
2) The exponential increase in prices means that the saved gold doesn't matter even if you're not enforcing item levels. You can double someones gold amounts but because things of too high a level cost 10x as much.. it doesn't matter. You have to grow out, not up.
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I like Automatic Rune Progression more than ABP. Magic and tech items that give bonuses to specific skills have never been a problem, and I like that you can switch them out easily if you need to.
I'd love a version of Automatic Rune Progression (Weapon and Armor baseline math advancement only) to get published.
Agreed that it makes a lot of sense for a Sci-fi adjacent game, and it's solves the "everyone is expected to have a gun (or a variety of guns), but good luck affording to keep up with the costs"