Really delayed, but I’m finally getting around to writing up my initial thoughts for the playtest stuff upon a read-through.
Mechanic:
Initial Proficiencies: Huh, martial weapons and medium armor is interesting.
Modify: It seems the wording on how long a mod lasts needs to be adjusted, because if you can Modify your exocortex, then it basically ends immediately since it’s “no longer in your possession.” And it’s the same problem for Modifying a grenade. EDIT: Or is it modifying the thing in your brain, rather than, say, the mine/turret/drone?
Bunker Buster: Razing…doesn’t have a value, so that mod doesn’t really make sense.
Exocortex: Gonna be that guy, but…wouldn’t the plural of exocortex be “exocortices”?
Deploy Mine: Why does it specify that the two-action Deploy Mine can only be deployed in an occupied square?
Detonate Mine: If a mine is deployed in a specific square, how does it explode in a burst (which is centered on an intersection)?
Synchronized Step: There doesn’t seem to be an explanation for the traversal trait.
Modify: It seems the wording on how long a mod lasts needs to be adjusted, because if you can Modify your exocortex, then it basically ends immediately since it’s “no longer in your possession.” And it’s the same problem for Modifying a grenade. EDIT: Or is it modifying the thing in your brain, rather than, say, the mine/turret/drone?
Bunker Buster: Razing…doesn’t have a value, so that mod doesn’t really make sense.
Exocortex: Gonna be that guy, but…wouldn’t the plural of exocortex be “exocortices”?
Deploy Mine: Why does it specify that the two-action Deploy Mine can only be deployed in an occupied square?
Detonate Mine: If a mine is deployed in a specific square, how does it explode in a burst (which is centered on an intersection)?
Synchronized Step: There doesn’t seem to be an explanation for the traversal trait.
Mechanic Feats:
Multidisciplinary Mechanic: There just doesn’t seem to be enough of a benefit here to justify taking this as a class feat. Also, it should say “Your exocortex’s Strikes gain the magical trait.”
Area Denial Turret: When you say “its range is halved,” does that mean that its range is halved AGAIN when it does a cone Area Fire? How big is the cone Area Fire for the turret?
Hunker Down: The wording on this feat is a bit too restrictive for futureproofing; what if there’s a new exocortex that doesn’t allow any of those third actions?
Double Deployment: Is this a one-action or two-action Deploy Mine?
Refined Chassis: Um…do you mean “nimble or savage companion”?
Cloaking Field: It feels like a turret should also be able to see through the cloaking field unhindered.
Expansive Array: Shouldn’t these be listed as a single d8 of damage, since advancing the turret increases the number of dice it can deal.
Advanced Drone: It has itself as a prerequisite.
Sychronized Advance: “Reposition Exocortex” isn’t an action given anywhere.
Superior Customization: Its prerequisite doesn’t exist.
Terraforming Mines: Big Bang is repeated from its prerequisite of Gravitic Mines
Elite Drone: Its prerequisite doesn’t exist.
Enduring Exocortex: Is there a limit on what these actions can be?
Area Denial Turret: When you say “its range is halved,” does that mean that its range is halved AGAIN when it does a cone Area Fire? How big is the cone Area Fire for the turret?
Hunker Down: The wording on this feat is a bit too restrictive for futureproofing; what if there’s a new exocortex that doesn’t allow any of those third actions?
Double Deployment: Is this a one-action or two-action Deploy Mine?
Refined Chassis: Um…do you mean “nimble or savage companion”?
Cloaking Field: It feels like a turret should also be able to see through the cloaking field unhindered.
Expansive Array: Shouldn’t these be listed as a single d8 of damage, since advancing the turret increases the number of dice it can deal.
Advanced Drone: It has itself as a prerequisite.
Sychronized Advance: “Reposition Exocortex” isn’t an action given anywhere.
Superior Customization: Its prerequisite doesn’t exist.
Terraforming Mines: Big Bang is repeated from its prerequisite of Gravitic Mines
Elite Drone: Its prerequisite doesn’t exist.
Enduring Exocortex: Is there a limit on what these actions can be?
Customizations:
Olfactory Receptors: “Imprecise,” not “improvised”
Biotech Healing Circuit: Shouldn’t it also be no longer immune to vitality and/or void?
Echolocation: That seems…really powerful for how early it can be taken. It feels like this kind of ability should be an advanced or superior customization.
Biotech Healing Circuit: Shouldn’t it also be no longer immune to vitality and/or void?
Echolocation: That seems…really powerful for how early it can be taken. It feels like this kind of ability should be an advanced or superior customization.
Traversal was explained in the final Starfinder playtest blog and will be in Player/GM Core. It means that it unversally applies to all forms of movement (swim, climb, fly) other than stride without having to say so in the text.
Multidisciplinary Mechanic is great on mines who take the arcana/force option. Ignore all resistances and blow up ghosts/hardlight creatures.