Modify is EXACTLY what I wanted.

[Zoken44]

I love this ability. it is exactly what I wanted, kludging together alterations to all kinds of gear.

kind of surprised there isn't an option here to temporarily increase damage die size. but all the ways they can make changes are wonderful!

[Justnobodyfqwl]

I think modify is absolutely killer. It's very good at being a core, clearly communicated class feature action like the core playtest classes have. (Your Get 'Em, Aim, etc). I love the way that its versatile, can apply to a lot of different item types, and leaves itself open to a lot of new mods in future books

I think my only complaint right now is that it seems too combat focused! I know, I know, EVERY Paizo playtest focuses on combat, and that's because combat math is much more fiddly and an unknown factor compared to utility options.

However, I really do think that half the fun of being a Mechanic should be "I take out my giant wrench and mod my teammates gear to solve this problem ". The Mods for turning boots into hoverboots, or putting cloaking devices on armor? I think the class should double down HARD on abilities like that.

I want mods that temporarily power items without batteries. Mods that allow me to talk with machines and ask them secrets. Entirely stuff like that.

[Zoken44]

Oh, the power source mod makes a ton of sense. and I agree more utility mods would be awesome. Hopefully those are coming int he official release.

[Perpdepog]

I'm also really loving Modify. I like how modifications are temporary, and focus on constant tinkering and adjusting. It really makes the feature feel different from the inventor's innovation, which grants a permanent extra benefit.

Also, can you mod your friends' gear? I'd be real surprised if you couldn't, but on my admittedly quick breeze through I couldn't find a thing that lets you augment gear that isn't your own.

[Zoken44]

I didn't see that, but I think that should be something as well. feats to do so, but yeah.

[Justnobodyfqwl]

Perpdepog wrote:

I'm also really loving Modify. I like how modifications are temporary, and focus on constant tinkering and adjusting. It really makes the feature feel different from the inventor's innovation, which grants a permanent extra benefit.

Also, can you mod your friends' gear? I'd be real surprised if you couldn't, but on my admittedly quick breeze through I couldn't find a thing that lets you augment gear that isn't your own.

The Mod action states "the effect ends early..if the item.. leaves your possession.".

So I can tell that the intent is "it only works for a turn, and don't try to get cheeky with giving it to someone else".

But Adaptive Camouflage says "Using auto-populating holograms, you veil the target. The creature wearing the modded armor does not need cover or concealment to Hide
or Sneak".

And the language there is VERY clear that it's intended to be used on people just besides yourself.

I feel like the RAI is that the only work on yourself and your gear. However, I think it's SIGNIFICANTLY more fitting to the 2e design philosophy and gameplay style to be able to modify my teammates guns and equipment.

[Xenocrat]

There's a battery recharge option hidden inside the drone advanced customization options, "Recharge." Right now it's infinite recharging out of combat, costs actions and a self debuff in combat.

Maybe a generic recharge option for other exocortexes will come later. Not very exciting, though.

[Gayel Nord]

Zoken44 wrote:

I love this ability. it is exactly what I wanted, kludging together alterations to all kinds of gear.

kind of surprised there isn't an option here to temporarily increase damage die size. but all the ways they can make changes are wonderful!

Same! But I would have just love having a +1 circonstance to damage. I really liked overcharge in Starfinder.

[DeltaPangaea]

Gayel Nord wrote:

Zoken44 wrote:

I love this ability. it is exactly what I wanted, kludging together alterations to all kinds of gear.

kind of surprised there isn't an option here to temporarily increase damage die size. but all the ways they can make changes are wonderful!

Same! But I would have just love having a +1 circonstance to damage. I really liked overcharge in Starfinder.

There was also Miracle Worker. It was Enhancement, but the concept is still there. Jack up the effectiveness of a weapon temporarily.

[Perpdepog]

Justnobodyfqwl wrote:

Perpdepog wrote:

I'm also really loving Modify. I like how modifications are temporary, and focus on constant tinkering and adjusting. It really makes the feature feel different from the inventor's innovation, which grants a permanent extra benefit.

Also, can you mod your friends' gear? I'd be real surprised if you couldn't, but on my admittedly quick breeze through I couldn't find a thing that lets you augment gear that isn't your own.

The Mod action states "the effect ends early..if the item.. leaves your possession.".

So I can tell that the intent is "it only works for a turn, and don't try to get cheeky with giving it to someone else".

But Adaptive Camouflage says "Using auto-populating holograms, you veil the target. The creature wearing the modded armor does not need cover or concealment to Hide
or Sneak".

And the language there is VERY clear that it's intended to be used on people just besides yourself.

I feel like the RAI is that the only work on yourself and your gear. However, I think it's SIGNIFICANTLY more fitting to the 2e design philosophy and gameplay style to be able to modify my teammates guns and equipment.

The mechanic would be losing out on something if they couldn't augment their friends' gear, at least to me. Perhaps it's not part of their kit because otherwise the mechanic would get stuck in a purely support role, spending all their actions augmenting the operative's and soldier's toys while not getting to play with their own? That's not an unsolvable problem if that was the concern.

[Candlejake]

It feels like ranged mods come online a little bit late. You can modify mines at range from the start at least (otherwise would be useless), and for turrets i guess the range doesnt matter that much but for drones melee range mods kinda hurt. Take the healbot mod you can get through a feat at level one for example. Your drone can now give someone a healing consumable. awesome. But to do that you need to be right next to the drone until level 9

[DeltaPangaea]

Candlejake wrote:

It feels like ranged mods come online a little bit late. You can modify mines at range from the start at least (otherwise would be useless), and for turrets i guess the range doesnt matter that much but for drones melee range mods kinda hurt. Take the healbot mod you can get through a feat at level one for example. Your drone can now give someone a healing consumable. awesome. But to do that you need to be right next to the drone until level 9

The drone being able to deliver meds doesn't feel like it should be a thing YOU have to do. Like it should just be a permanent ability you can get for it.

[Zoken44]

I think there are missing feats which allow you to Mod other's gear. I would want this to be base, but I could be satisfied if it was a feat chain. And even a lock out so that you can't do it infinitely for others, like 10 minutes or something.

I love modify, but I really agree we should be able to use it on ally gear.

[Gayel Nord]

Justnobodyfqwl wrote:

Perpdepog wrote:

I'm also really loving Modify. I like how modifications are temporary, and focus on constant tinkering and adjusting. It really makes the feature feel different from the inventor's innovation, which grants a permanent extra benefit.

Also, can you mod your friends' gear? I'd be real surprised if you couldn't, but on my admittedly quick breeze through I couldn't find a thing that lets you augment gear that isn't your own.

The Mod action states "the effect ends early..if the item.. leaves your possession.".

So I can tell that the intent is "it only works for a turn, and don't try to get cheeky with giving it to someone else".

But Adaptive Camouflage says "Using auto-populating holograms, you veil the target. The creature wearing the modded armor does not need cover or concealment to Hide
or Sneak".

And the language there is VERY clear that it's intended to be used on people just besides yourself.

I feel like the RAI is that the only work on yourself and your gear. However, I think it's SIGNIFICANTLY more fitting to the 2e design philosophy and gameplay style to be able to modify my teammates guns and equipment.

Having a way to modify the Other character weapons or armor would be fun.

[Perpdepog]

Zoken44 wrote:

I think there are missing feats which allow you to Mod other's gear. I would want this to be base, but I could be satisfied if it was a feat chain. And even a lock out so that you can't do it infinitely for others, like 10 minutes or something.

I love modify, but I really agree we should be able to use it on ally gear.

I'd personally go with a limit of once per round, myself. Mods don't last long enough, or are impactful enough, to limit the ability to a ten minute cooldown in my opinion. The main worry would be heading off a mechanic being forced into purely a buffing role. Once per turn means they can still party buff if they want to, and spend the rest of their turn shooting, moving, or using their exocortex.

[Zoken44]

That sounds reasonable.

[Xenocrat]

Some of these mods definitely shouldn't be something you can permanently give (at level 13) to an ally for their personal use. Just imagine a Soldier with Shockwave Pulse on his area weapon and knocking people down constantly. At least with a mechanic you're either limiting yourself to an area weapon (and therefore only one action to spend on your exocortex options) or putting a secondary fort save effect on your strikes.

Flickering Shield on your BANZAI!!! melee buddy is also good.

[25speedforseaweedleshy]

modify are certainly far better than the overdrive nonsense inventor stuck with

would be nice if there are more subclass specific modify

the gap between 1 turn at level 1 or 24 hour at level 13 seem ridiculous

shouldn't there be a 1 minute option between them

and double triple feat option that allow modify multiple item with 1 action

[ElementalofCuteness]

I just think 1 turn is over kill for modify myself. Not many class features last just a single turn. Rage is 1 minute, Thauamturge is till you use it again, so forth.

["Dr." Cupi]

Yeah I've been batting around some ideas, but none have stuck as a clear solution. 1 action per round seems very action tax-y. Though, 1 action to boost your damage by 4+ does seem appropriate.

[ElementalofCuteness]

It should be 1 action, no repeat actions honestly.

["Dr." Cupi]

That's where I'm stuck. Adding 4+ damage on each hit is pretty strong. So strong that an action tax isn't unreasonable. However, you can only have 1 active at a time (until later levels). That seems like a reasonable cost. And, even if they expanded modify so that you can affect ally stuffs, the damage buff can still only affect exocortex stuff and grenades.

I'm thinking, if it can affect for more than one round, maybe one minute?

[Zoken44]

maybe adding a trait to some of them, like the kineticist's Overflow, where at the end of a turn you have roll a flat check (say the 17 of Unstable) and if you fail, the modify ends. Not all of them need this trait, but things like that huge damage buff would get it.

[burlybuns]

I think it'd be cool to have an exocortex option that is purely focused around support and modding allies with buffs inside and outside combat.

[OrochiFuror]

I really like that most modify and drone upgrades seem to focus more on effects instead of status bonuses to things. I hope we get a lot more similar things both for mechanic and in general.

[PathMaster]

Xenocrat wrote:

Some of these mods definitely shouldn't be something you can permanently give (at level 13) to an ally for their personal use.

Yeah, one of the mods is basically temporany Legendary Sneak, with Enduring Mods it essentially becomes a free Legendary Sneak.

[DeltaPangaea]

Zoken44 wrote:

maybe adding a trait to some of them, like the kineticist's Overflow, where at the end of a turn you have roll a flat check (say the 17 of Unstable) and if you fail, the modify ends. Not all of them need this trait, but things like that huge damage buff would get it.

This would be agony.

[DMurnett]

For real, and I say this as a fan of Inventor, stop trying to make this class more like Inventor

[ElementalofCuteness]

Sadly this is a system which is suppose to be played both with Pathfinder 2E and be able to stand on it's own, so expect some overlap in capabilities. I mean in the final release Envoy is being made more like Bard, Operative is Ranger + Gunslinger. Technomancer is for lack of better words better Wizard.

Unfortunately how I see it is some classes in Starfinder are just straight upgrades to existing classes rather or not Paizo intended for it to be.

Upgraded Classes
Mechanic - Inventor
Operative - Gunslinger
Technomancer - Wizard

Then you have the side-grade classes which feel like they are suppose to take roles of other classes and remixes them, like how Mystic can be seen as a remix on Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer or Witchwarper is just a different Sorcerer in the Playtest. However they feel rather samey with decent focus spells and 4/rank of magic. Honestly you can argue rather or not Mystic and Witchwarper needed the Oracle treatment.

We will just need to see the final, official release.