Not Yet Announced SF2e Hopes

[Driftbourne]

Xenobiologist wrote:

Chalk might cost a credit on Absalom Station because it has to be imported from a planet or very large moon, and is denser than food. So toothpaste it is!

I agree the evolutionists are a cool concept. Is anyone hoping for additional evolutionist niches? There are two others on Starfinder Infinite (Draconic and Warped). I don't know what the latter is. I could imagine hybrid/magitech machine, or elemental, or trying to cross a sci-fi style singularity (distinct from ascending to godhood). Or attempting to transcend the limits of linear time (but that might better fit precogs/witchwarpers). Or trying to inhabit a swarm of bodies linked together by one mind and soul. Or gradually replacing your body with a different type of matter (dark matter? starmetal?) What about an android or SRO wanting to become biological, would that be Vital or a new niche?

I could imagine biohackers being modified alchemists, but where those are chemists, biohackers are biologists. An alchemist gives you a pharmaceutical pill that alters your biochemistry. A biohacker injects you with gene therapy to alter your genome. But being a biologist, and being proficient with injection weapons, could be separate alternate class features so alchemists can shoot pharma-darts(TM).

Love the idea of android or SRO wanting to become biological as a niche. Along the same line of thought augmentation that gives an android or SRO wanting to have more biological features.

A hologram evolving to have a permanent body either mechanical or biological would be interesting too.

Although precog got moved into the witchwarper their focus of time manipulation is mostly focused on their quantum field. A time evolutionist niche could focus on time-related to themself or centered on themself. Maybe paradoxes could be tied to building up mutation points and spending them.

Niches could also be used to evolve into more powerful species that would be too unbalanced to be playable as a stating ancestry.

One of my evolutionist concepts I've been building is a Novan mechanized nich evolutionist whose goal is to become a tiny Dyson sphere.

[Justnobodyfqwl]

Possibly controversial take, so take it with a grain of salt: I think we might actually be more likely to see a new class before we see a Biohacker or Vanguard.

PF2E expressed its own desire to move towards new class concepts, rather than keep translating pf1e ideas over for increasingly diminishing returns.

I think it's been for the best! It feels like the creators have gotten more confident in how they design class mechanics. We've seen a lot of new, flavorful, and fun design space.

And now with SF2E, we see that they're even MORE confident in how they design in the 2e system. They're also willing to completely redesign the role of a class and it's core mechanics, ala Soldier and Operative

With all this in mind, this upcoming playtest represents all the core SF1E classes. We might see something totally different sooner than we expect!

[moosher12]

I should probably encourage that while some Starfinder 1E classes may not directly get a 2E class, Pathfinder 2E did a pretty good job of bringing back many of the 1E classes as either spiritual successor classes, subclasses, archetypes, or class archetypes, or combining two classes into one of the above for the 2E paradigm. Very few of the old classes are left without a clear equivalent in 2E at this point.

The old classes may have their core ideas condensed into an archetype that can be accessed across many core classes, two or more classes might have their concepts combined and redistributed into one or more new classes, a class might be renamed, or a class might have options removed as those aspects of their class fantasy can be more fruitfully fulfilled by another class in Pathfinder.

So yes, while it is true new classes are on the horizon, and that old classes are not likely to be directly ported, Pathfinder 2E has shown us that the fantasy of most of those classes will likely be fulfilled in the coming years. They're likely to come, they just might not be in the form of a direct class of the same name.

[Sharkbite]

My two favorite characters from 1E were a Nanocyte and an Evolutionist. They were fun classes. It'd be great to see them.

That being said, I'm not looking to re-create the same characters I made before, and easily half of what made them so fun was that they were crazy alien species that I spent a bunch of ACP to unlock and basically never saw anybody else playing.

To give real perspective, I played six playtest games since January. I have seen more Human characters in those six games than I have seen in the past four YEARS of playing Starfinder 1E.

I need more Ancestries, and I need for some of them to not just be vague reskins of existing ones. I don't just want "Star Trek diversity", where everybody looks like a human with one cosmetic difference that is barely noteworthy.

I want "Futurama diversity"! I want aliens that are so un-human that they create an immediate distinction.

And an SRO or Anacite Ancestry for people who want to play robots that are like REAL robots, instead of the almost-human Androids. Nothing wrong with Androids, but they do not scratch the same itch.

[Driftbourne]

Sharkbite wrote:

To give real perspective, I played six playtest games since January. I have seen more Human characters in those six games than I have seen in the past four YEARS of playing Starfinder 1E.

The playtest only had 10 ancestries and 2 of the 6 pregens are humans which likely contributed to more people playing humans. Judging the playtest vs the full 140 species of Sf1e isn't fair, it's best to compare it to what Startfinder 1e started with just the Core Rule book.

Sharkbite wrote:

I need more Ancestries, and I need for some of them to not just be vague reskins of existing ones. I don't just want "Star Trek diversity", where everybody looks like a human with one cosmetic difference that is barely noteworthy.

I want "Futurama diversity"! I want aliens that are so un-human that they create an immediate distinction.

Between Galaxy Guide and Player Core, we are starting with, astrazoan, contemplative, dragonkin, kalo, sarcesian, vlaka, android, barathu, human, kasatha, lashunta, pahtra, shirren, skittermander, vesk, and ysoki. That's a fairly diverse list. Add to that khizars from Murder in Metal City which will also be out when the Player Core releases.

We know that contemplatives will be playable in PFS2e so likely there will be some Pathfinder ancestries playable in Starfinder. No idea if they will be included in the SF2e Player Core like they were in SF1e since they are all already printed in PF2e

Sharkbite wrote:

And an SRO or Anacite Ancestry for people who want to play robots that are like REAL robots, instead of the almost-human Androids. Nothing wrong with Androids, but they do not scratch the same itch.

I'd love to see SROs playable in organized play in SF2e I think there's a lot that can be done with SROs and heritage to make them more playable and cover a wider range of shapes and functions of SROs, but it seems like a good ancestry to have in a tech-oriented book like the Tech Core. We will likely find out on April 21 if there will be ancestries in the tech playtest.

[WatersLethe]

I'm really on board with the Anacite hope. I love those guys

[QuidEst]

I'm looking forward to getting even more versatile heritages. While it'll take quite a while to catch up with SF1's playable species, things like being able to properly play a reanimated version of any ancestry is one of the areas SF2 can surpass it. I'm hoping to see that extended to things like xenometric androids, and other, more novel things like a symbiote versatile heritage.

[Justnobodyfqwl]

QuidEst wrote:

I'm looking forward to getting even more versatile heritages. While it'll take quite a while to catch up with SF1's playable species, things like being able to properly play a reanimated version of any ancestry is one of the areas SF2 can surpass it. I'm hoping to see that extended to things like xenometric androids, and other, more novel things like a symbiote versatile heritage.

Seconding the desire for a symbiote versatile heritage, it seems like such a fun idea. I'm throwing my hat in the ring for the Entu Colony. In Starfinder 1e, they would either be a shambling colony, or be permanently symbiosis'd with a species of local bat-like animals, called a Nelentu.

So basically....they were symbiotes who didn't have any way to actually feel like symbiotes. I think the idea of a symbiote Entu versatile heritage is is really fun and evocative! A Nelentu could just be an Awakened Animal + Entu heritage.

(Speaking of which: Starfinder-only Awakened Animal heritage with a fly speed at level 1? Pretty please?)

[Sasha Laranoa Harving]

Xenobiologist wrote:

I agree the evolutionists are a cool concept. Is anyone hoping for additional evolutionist niches? There are two others on Starfinder Infinite (Draconic and Warped). I don't know what the latter is.

Hiya! Glad you liked the ideas I had in my kobold evolutionists book. The warped niche is all about becoming an alternate and better version of yourself, themed around tapping into witchwarper powers and multiversal stuff. It plays up the idea of always changing and ties into some evolutionary focus mechanics. Anyone else interested in picking it up can find it at this link here.

ETA: I also wrote a fiendish evolutionist niche in a different product, available at this link over here.

[Xenobiologist]

I also hope that SROs and Anacites become playable. Possibly as separate ancestries, possibly within a single versatile robot ancestry (not sure how versatile ancestries work). Likewise, I hope xenometric androids can become playable.

How about Elder Things, at least as alien antagonists? They've shown up on Golarion so they should be flying around somewhere.

[DMurnett]

Xenobiologist wrote:

I also hope that SROs and Anacites become playable. Possibly as separate ancestries, possibly within a single versatile robot ancestry (not sure how versatile ancestries work).

I can help with that! Versatile Heritages (versatile ancestries aren't a thing to my knowledge) are Heritages that (theoretically) any ancestry can take, most commonly used for Planar Scions or other "half" ancestries, but more generally to encompass concepts that are roughly on the ancestry level but don't make sense as a full standalone ancestry. They give some benefits as any other Heritage would, as well as access to their own feat trees and usually their own "sub-heritages" known as lineage feats. Things such as Nephilim (Tiefling and Aasimar (and other similar) rolled into one, lineages corresponding to the specific planar being you have a relation to), Changeling (child of a Hag, lineages corresponding to the specific type of hag), or Prismeni (I'm confident SF veterans don't need me to explain this one, lineages corresponding to the nature of your connection to the Drift).

I don't know enough about Starfinder to be able to say whether SROs or Anacites would be appropriate for this arrangement but at least for SROs my gut feeling says no.

[Zoken44]

I'm unclear what an Anacite is, and don't currently have access to AoN. can someone explain that to me?

[WatersLethe]

Zoken44 wrote:

I'm unclear what an Anacite is, and don't currently have access to AoN. can someone explain that to me?

They're essentially the robot-natives of Aballon. They were created by some ancient species that's lost to history, and some believe they're meant to wait for their return while others believe they should follow in their creators' footsteps.

From the StarfinderWiki

Anacites are the self-modifying constructs native to the world of Aballon. Each anacite is a unique, self-improving construct, and over the millennia of their existence, thousands of different models have developed. Depending on their role, anacites can have any form and can reconfigure themselves to adapt to their circumstances. The most common anacite design is a basic arthropodan form of silvery metal, with multiple legs for efficient travel and claws for accomplishing their assigned tasks.

[Perpdepog]

WatersLethe wrote:

Zoken44 wrote:

I'm unclear what an Anacite is, and don't currently have access to AoN. can someone explain that to me?

They're essentially the robot-natives of Aballon. They were created by some ancient species that's lost to history, and some believe they're meant to wait for their return while others believe they should follow in their creators' footsteps.

From the StarfinderWiki

Anacites are the self-modifying constructs native to the world of Aballon. Each anacite is a unique, self-improving construct, and over the millennia of their existence, thousands of different models have developed. Depending on their role, anacites can have any form and can reconfigure themselves to adapt to their circumstances. The most common anacite design is a basic arthropodan form of silvery metal, with multiple legs for efficient travel and claws for accomplishing their assigned tasks.

They're also kinda-sorta a hivemind, communicating via shortwave. Anacytes were also responsible for building Epoch, one third of the beings who would eventually become Triune.

While I'm not normally big on ancestry-specific archetypes, I think an archetype that lets mechanical ancestries, like SROs and anacytes, get more power out of the modifications to their bodies would be pretty cool. Make the archetype require that the person taking it has the Technological trait or something, perhaps even be applicable to someone with cybernetic augs, and you could wind up with an archetype that has broad appeal.

[Zoken44]

Okay. So I could see Anacites and SRO's being two heritages of a single ancestry.

And Perpdepog that sounds like the Evolutionist class

[Kishmo]

I don't think anacites or SROs are good candidates for versatile heritages, but SROs can really push the regular, vanilla, heritage system to some cool places!
In 1e, SROs could be Small or Medium sized, and although they never got alternate species features, there were a number of neato feats and things that they could take; the usual feats and things of that sort (like go-go-gadget arms or super robo-optics) but also alternate class features specific to contructed creatures, like the Robotic Improvements mechanic, or hacking spell chips into your robo-body. Turning those types of things into Heritage choices could be really interesting - like choosing to be Small, Medium, or (gasp!) even Large, or having a heritage to grant built-in shortwave transcievers, or a built-in spell chip array, and who knows what other stuff the Star Friends could cook up!

In 1e, Anacites were not a playable species, but more like a family of creatures, similar to devils, or velstracs. There's everything from the low-level anacite wingbot messengers to higher level combat anacites. They had their own lore and backstory, and we saw their plot evolve over the course of 1e with the expansion and addition of various factions (most of which named themselves "Those Who [Some Verb]") as well as some veiled allusions to their history, cousin species, and ongoing lore stuff happening in the final season of Society play.

I'm kinda glad that they were never a playable species; it would get confusing. That said, there was nothing saying you couldn't play an SRO and flavour yourself as being an anacite, though! SROs were a broad category of "literally anything sapient and robotic" so there was a lot of leeway there to play around with.

[Zoken44]

I would Imagine the SRO working kind of like the Awakened animal heritage (I think someone else said that too) who can choose their size (which changes their ancestry hit points) from tiny to large. And then their heritage could be a variety of purposes for which they were built, which give them different abilities.

[Master Han Del of the Web]

I really, really want to see some version of the Apocalypse Beam or Singularity Cannon return. They were some of my favorite wild heavy weapons in SF1e and seeing them in a system with more robust support and rules for their sort of weapon would be great.

[Zoken44]

That's an interesting idea. In PF2e, and any general midevil-ish fantasy setting, you easily understand why there are magic items laying around that are rare or unique and special. But there are going to be tech items that are comparable to those, and that will make for an interesting lore.

[Zoken44]

So here's another one to pose: with the second edition of Pathfinder, we didn't JUST get adaptations of the previous classes, we got whole new classes (like the Inventor and the Exemplar).

What are some NEW classes you think they might be able to put into Starfinder 2e?

[Mangaholic13]

Perhaps some kind of Scientist based class?
After all, Science is a rather diverse field.

[moosher12]

As a counterpart to the nanocyte, I'd be curious to see a cyborg class. One where the idea is you're borging yourself out way more than the typical adventurer can, perhaps with additional specialized prosthesis that only the cyborg is capable of using. Live at that Cyberpunk fantasy of being more synthetic than biological until you look like 2077 Adam Smasher. Though Nanocyte has a lot of overlap with a cyborg. It'd probably be easier to combine both of these into one class, and perhaps subclasses or individual feat choice would seperate the emphasis between prosthesis and nanomachines. Point being, nanomachines are cool, but I'm a bit more interested in prosthesis. Want to play Raiden sometimes, rather than Armstrong.

Feels apt to also have a hacker archetype to better specialize in it. Would be cool if it could be a class, but I feel hacking is too easily shut-down by not being around cybernetic technology that it'd have some problems as a class.

[QuidEst]

Zoken44 wrote:

So here's another one to pose: with the second edition of Pathfinder, we didn't JUST get adaptations of the previous classes, we got whole new classes (like the Inventor and the Exemplar).

What are some NEW classes you think they might be able to put into Starfinder 2e?

I'll trot out my usual thing I'd like- some kind of magical trickster and/or shapeshifter. Shapeshifting in SF1 was almost exclusively a combat trick (Evolutionist getting a small handful of out-of-combat options after playtest feedback), and PF2 has definitely leaned into that with it mostly being short-lived battle forms. I'd like to be able to fool biometrics, pick an appearance on a whim, and other fun things like that which aren't just "grow big claws". Having a shapeshifter in the two systems that isn't tied to primal magic and protecting nature would be nice; it's very limiting as-is.

[Perpdepog]

A space I keep coming back to is some kind of class whose main gimmick is granting you some sort of vehicle, something you actually drive, pilot, or ride in like a mech. The main snagging point I keep hitting is trying to figure out how it'd be a full class rather than an archetype. I suppose it being a class would mean more power budget could go to your rig, whatever it is, and more feats could let you stuff abilities into it, but that still doesn't feel quite right.

And I have to admit I am coming up dry for other new class ideas, mostly because I'm trying to think of sci fi concepts Starfinder hasn't really touched yet, but everything I am coming up with is covered to one degree or another.

Perhaps some manner of avatar embodying class? A more martial version of the mystic or animist who draws powers from various astral entities and concepts. A planet's world-soul, the collected might of a world's infosphere, something something eldritch tentacles, and so on.

[moosher12]

Perhaps a vehicle-based class might have easy operation of power armor, or might get to build a small-sized (actually large sized) mech that can be piloted into the average battleground.

Though otherwise, Pathfinder does have a designated driver archetype in the form of the trick driver archetype, as well as the vehicle mechanic archetype. Though I suppose such a class could potentially be a more potent form of these archetypes.

[Justnobodyfqwl]

I think it's hard to think up new Starfinder classes because I can't really say I'd ever come up with the ones that they already made.

It feels intuitive enough to have "badass John Wick guns and kung fu guy" or "big scary soldier who supports with suppressing fire". It's even reasonable to say "vague mystical cleric-druid" or "caster who opens pockets of weird in the universe".

But I don't know if I'd come up with "melee fighter stance dancer who alternates between forces of the sun while making plasma blades", or "brawling entropy warrior who invokes the natural decay of the universe to break your stuff".

I guess there's different ways to pitch classes.

One way is the "invoke a pop culture fantasy I want to play". I'd love a shapeshifting focused class, one that can alter its body on the fly and take absurd forms in order to overcome challenges. Metamorpho comics, John Carpenter's The Thing, or the old Animorphs novels are big inspirations.

Another way is the "identifying a mechanical niche". I love the way that SF2E emphasizes taking cover, and having verticality in fights and problems. I would maybe love a class that leans into the two by making some kind of floating platform- you could place them around the battlefield to act as cover, give allies more range, etc. (I wouldn't be shocked if a Mechanic or a Retooled Witchwarper looked more like this)

The final way is just "try to come up with an exciting pitch for Cool Science Fantasy Powers With A Theme". Technomancer and Mechanic are about how cool machines and tech are. Solarians are how cool Stars and gravity are. Vanguards are about cosmic entropy. What else could we do? How about Meteors and Satellites, where you have a finate amount of orbiting objects you can place around the battlefield?

These are just my basic pitches. I can't imagine the Advanced Players Guide is going to have The EvolutionShifter, The Wallmaster, and The Meteor Belter.... But if it does, we know how they did it ;p

[DMurnett]

Justnobodyfqwl wrote:

One way is the "invoke a pop culture fantasy I want to play". I'd love a shapeshifting focused class, one that can alter its body on the fly and take absurd forms in order to overcome challenges. Metamorpho comics, John Carpenter's The Thing, or the old Animorphs novels are big inspirations.

Ben 10, anyone?

Also I think your analysis of the Solarian class in specific is missing crucial context. They are a pretty direct stand-in for a rather specific pop culture thing. They're Jedi knights! Not one-to-one, but think about it. Drawing power from a philosophy of cosmic one-ness (The Cycle), they summon personal energy weapons, and their totality includes agents of literal light and dark, with them ultimately striving to keep the cosmic balance. They're also given the cool solar gimmick because stars and black holes are, indeed, awesome. And lumping Technomancer and Mechanic in this pile I fully don't get, to me they seem as standard sci-fi/space fantasy ideas as Operative, Soldier, or Envoy.

[moosher12]

Huh, I'll be honest, I never saw the solarion that way. But after seeing an explainer on reddit, that kind of makes sense.

[Justnobodyfqwl]

DMurnett wrote:

Also I think your analysis of the Solarian class in specific is missing crucial context. They are a pretty direct stand-in for a rather specific pop culture thing. They're Jedi knights! Not one-to-one, but think about it. Drawing power from a philosophy of cosmic one-ness (The Cycle), they summon personal energy weapons, and their totality includes agents of literal light and dark, with them ultimately striving to keep the cosmic balance. They're also given the cool solar gimmick because stars and black holes are, indeed, awesome. And lumping Technomancer and Mechanic in this pile I fully don't get, to me they seem as standard sci-fi/space fantasy ideas as Operative, Soldier, or Envoy.

WOW that's an obvious one, how'd I forget that? I've only played 2e, so maybe they just feel a bit more original now... But yeah, in 1e they were straight up charisma based paladin-jedi, right?

Yeah ok that's an easy solution for classes: just straight up identify the singular most iconic Science Fantasy Cool Power/Weapon and then just extrapolate from there

[Mangaholic13]

Actually, now that we're on the subject of Sci-Fan stuff...

Dune's Guild Navigators could be an interesting concept to create a class from...

Perhaps half-casters with access to teleportation related abilities?

[Master Han Del of the Web]

Mangaholic13 wrote:

Actually, now that we're on the subject of Sci-Fan stuff...

Dune's Guild Navigators could be an interesting concept to create a class from...

Perhaps half-casters with access to teleportation related abilities?

Conceptually, that feels like that idea could be covered by a Witchwarper subclass.

[SITZKRIEG!]

I am a simple alien gas bag with a simple request/hope. With the barathu becoming a core book ancestry, I hope the thematic bud drone feat makes it into the book as well. :)

https://www.aonsrd.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Bud%20Drone

[Justnobodyfqwl]

I think the idea of a teleportation focused character is very interesting. Mobility, especially vertically mobility, is a lot easier in SF2E than PF2E. With flying speeds available at level 1, it's a lot easier to pitch a character who can teleport up their speed somewhere. Your DM is already building encounters knowing that anyone can buy a jetpack.

While I love Nightcrawler style personal teleportation, it might be more starfinder-y to make the class about opening wormholes or magic portals. Instead of a singular quantum field like a Witchwarper, you might place two ends of a portal in different spots- and they can redirect shots or transport allies. (The Solarian has a higher level feat that does this. It honestly seems to fun, I wouldn't mind stealing it outright- and finding more limited ways to do it at low levels).

As fun as it sounds mechanically, I'm not really sure if there's enough design space for a whole class. But I'm also not sure how much you could trim for the power budget of an archetype, either. (2nd level archetype feat- teleport up to half your speed. 4th level feat- teleport up to your speed. 6th level feat- Make portals around the battlefield. For fun feats- use teleporting to juggle items in hand, hide items in interdimensional pockets, or have a reaction against attacks)

[Zoken44]

Okay, I have an idea, and this maybe weird, but it's inspired by Margaret Encino on Dimension 20's Star Struck Odyssey. Like someone who can manipulate the corporate side of things. This maybe more of an archetype or class archetype for the Envoy though.

[Master Han Del of the Web]

Zoken44 wrote:

Okay, I have an idea, and this maybe weird, but it's inspired by Margaret Encino on Dimension 20's Star Struck Odyssey. Like someone who can manipulate the corporate side of things. This maybe more of an archetype or class archetype for the Envoy though.

Something like the Dandy archetype but updated for the setting?

[DMurnett]

Yeah I dunno Marge strikes me as an Infosphere Director Envoy. It's kinda funny how much trouble we're collectively having coming up with actual new class ideas lol

[Zoken44]

Okay, I'm gonna see what I can do...

The Netizen: You have lived a very protected life up until now, behind avatars on infospheres, as a Corpo-face, or as the agent of a vast faction, spread across the stars. you specialize in bringing to bear not just your skills, but the skills and resources of your whole network of contacts. Your subclass is called your "Network". Either Infosphere Influence, Corpo-Class, or Faction Fighting" focusing on, respectively, skills checks, resource acquition, and combat advantages.

You gain bonuses to recall knowledge checks, since you are running information by your network. Further, in downtime you earn income without making a check, and can do any other activity in addition, provided it doesn't violate an anathema based on your Network.

Sort of a sci-fi update to the Investigator (In so much as the Soldier is the scifi update to the fighter, and operative for Rogue). They would all have special abilities on the Infospheres (depending on how those rules operate)

[Master Han Del of the Web]

I think there's some design room for a 'Hivemind' class building off a similar design concept to summoner and maybe a bit of necromancer. A single character with multiple bodies leveraging battlefield control as their primary edge over raw offense or defense. Bring forward summoner's shared HP concept but give it options to fully sacrifice bodies for healing or to reduce the severity of incoming damage.

[Zoken44]

So what would be a main feature of the Hivemind class?

I'm thinking that FOr my networking, the one of the main features is "Secret handshake" can only be SUCCESSFULLY used 1 x day. You make a recall knowledge check against a standard DC for a person, and if you succeed It turns out that person is part of your network and is friendly to you (NO MATTER WHAT THEIR STATUS PRIOR) if you critically succeed, they are Helpful, and will either fight with you, or offer some other form of significant aide.

You can also make persuasion checks to get people to join your Network.

[Perpdepog]

Justnobodyfqwl wrote:

I think the idea of a teleportation focused character is very interesting. Mobility, especially vertically mobility, is a lot easier in SF2E than PF2E. With flying speeds available at level 1, it's a lot easier to pitch a character who can teleport up their speed somewhere. Your DM is already building encounters knowing that anyone can buy a jetpack.

While I love Nightcrawler style personal teleportation, it might be more starfinder-y to make the class about opening wormholes or magic portals. Instead of a singular quantum field like a Witchwarper, you might place two ends of a portal in different spots- and they can redirect shots or transport allies. (The Solarian has a higher level feat that does this. It honestly seems to fun, I wouldn't mind stealing it outright- and finding more limited ways to do it at low levels).

As fun as it sounds mechanically, I'm not really sure if there's enough design space for a whole class. But I'm also not sure how much you could trim for the power budget of an archetype, either. (2nd level archetype feat- teleport up to half your speed. 4th level feat- teleport up to your speed. 6th level feat- Make portals around the battlefield. For fun feats- use teleporting to juggle items in hand, hide items in interdimensional pockets, or have a reaction against attacks)

I've also been thinking of a teleportation-based class, mostly to marry some of the concepts people are discussing here, like the Dune-esque navigator, or maybe a mentat.

I honestly think it'd work better as a full martial rather than a partial caster, then you're able to put more budget into letting their teleportation abilities work and fleshing out their central gimmick without risking complexity bloat from also laying spells atop the whole mess.
I think you could also get a lot of mileage out of stealing feats from the Chronoskimmer archetype. Give your character actions that allow them to do an action and then reset to their original position, or skip over intervening space to get somewhere else. I think you could also expand the class further by leaning into the angle of having additional points you can interact with on the battlefield. I'm invisioning something a bit like the Echo Knight from 5E, where you have a shadow self/selves and you can interact through them. Perhaps you start with one and eventually get up to three or so as you level up, and you can either have those selves/portals/whatever scatter around the battlefield to let you perform your feats through them more easily, or expend them in order to do something more splashy, needing to recover them during a ten minute rest or something.

[Zoken44]

I've thought about a teleporter class. they'd get a renewable resource (renewed on refocus) to spend to do teleportation abilities. One would specialize in precision damage, the other in relocating others at a distance, and the other would be able to think with portals.

[Mangaholic13]

Zoken44 wrote:

Okay, I have an idea, and this maybe weird, but it's inspired by Margaret Encino on Dimension 20's Star Struck Odyssey. Like someone who can manipulate the corporate side of things. This maybe more of an archetype or class archetype for the Envoy though.

Two words:

Forensic Accounting.

[kaid]

Xenobiologist wrote:

I also hope that SROs and Anacites become playable. Possibly as separate ancestries, possibly within a single versatile robot ancestry (not sure how versatile ancestries work). Likewise, I hope xenometric androids can become playable.

How about Elder Things, at least as alien antagonists? They've shown up on Golarion so they should be flying around somewhere.

I hope anacites or at least some version of them is playable. There are a ton of them and they are the primary people of one of the major pact worlds.

[Driftbourne]

My biggest hope is that all SF2e ancestries will be playable in organized play. They don't all have to be core ancestries but at least accessible somehow.

[Zoken44]

They've talked about this vaguely, Driftbourne. I think they plan to at least make them easier to access if not outright all playable.

[Driftbourne]

Zoken44 wrote:

They've talked about this vaguely, Driftbourne. I think they plan to at least make them easier to access if not outright all playable.

Looking at PF2e it looks like it's doable. I wonder if that's because PF2e considers that while designing an ancestry not after? PF2e also has a rarity system so that helps too.

I'm ok with SF2e getting fewer overall ancestries since ancestries take up a lot more page space and design time, but with fewer, it's even more important they are playable in organized play.