Just got My Starfinder book.

[Milo v3]

Also the spell Life Bubble got nerfed. In the past three levels it's negated something like 4 environmental hazards/gas traps, so the DM decided that it now only provides breathable air.

That makes it literally worthless, considering even the most basic armour (even something as minimal and fragile stationwear bikinis/labcoats) provides breathable air + many other forms of environmental protection.

[Florian]

@Telok:

As usual, the AP is very basic and should be doable for a group of any system mastery level. As usual with Paizo, the list on non-player-instigated feats is small and really any AP can be handled with low skill classes just fine.
I'm just wondering a bit, tho, we seem to be roughly at the same point of the overall storyline and besides some interesting loot, I just keep my players supplied with credits and upgrade opportunities. So far, this is practically a cake walk and not all too challenging. (Group´s very "classic". Solarian, Envoy, Mystic, Technomancer)

[Rhedyn]

Finished playing a session tonight. But before I go into that I'd like to say that since I'm actually playing an AP with a real character 20th level theorizing is pretty much meaningless to me. Actually I've come to realize that I usually don't care about the last couple of levels of a class because they never see play in my groups. So for a technomancer you get 5 magic hacks ever, resolve points are the only way to recover stamina between fights, and other than the 30' teleport or maybe one of the 14th level hacks all the ones that require resolve are extremely situational. There are something like four different hacks that result in more spellcasting power which is always useful and available, and they don't cost you what are essentially hit points and death save tokens.

Edit: Also 'metamagic' costs one of your 5 ever picks and takes resolve every time you use it. I'd prefer it as a feat since you get feats every odd level and the core book is kind of running short of feats that I'm interested in for my character.

So our party of four 5th level characters (techno, mystic, two mechanics, they guy playing the envoy couldn't make it today) faced two CR 6ish critters in combat and 20+ skill checks today. We're under WBL since we apparently haven't said the right things to the right NPCs to keep up with money. Verbal pixel clicking isn't our thing, go figure. So we're all in 5th-6th level armor and using 1st level weapons. Thus we all have 20-21 ACs and do a uniform 1d8 or 1d10 +5 damage. Everyone also has 18/19 dex scores and a +3 BaB, so we have +7 or +8 to hit. The critters had +17 and +18 to hit, got automatic surprise both times (one had +32 to stealth, the other just got auto-surprise) and did 1d8+9 damage. One critter had 18 AC while the other had 21 AC, both took 5 rounds of combat to down and did about 60 damage spread across a couple characters each time. This isn't really to bad since we have two drones from the mechanics so we have 6 characters making attacks and the drones are basically free meatshields, they have worse AC and to-hit but given an hour the mechanics can repair them from 0 to full hit points.

The skill checks were evenly split between engineering, computers, perception, and everything else. This seems to be a pattern in the APs, piloting is used in space only, culture and diplomacy make a few appearances with NPCs, and everything but the big three is rolled once a session at most. I suppose if we had an operative we'd see stealth checks sometimes. All DCs seemed to be in the 19 to 28 range, 17s and 18s failed checks while the DM rolled his eyes every time we got a 30+ result. Note that our best skills are at +14s (5 ranks, 3 class skill, 2 class bonus, 4 stat) and if something isn't a class skill with class bonuses and a high stat we tend to top out at about +9.

Also the spell Life Bubble got nerfed. In the past three levels it's negated something like 4 environmental hazards/gas traps, so the DM decided that it now only provides breathable air. Which means that it goes from being really good to getting traded out at next level-up. That will result in my character only having one spell (and one cantrip) that does not appear in my AD&D books. Invisibility has been giving the DM issues too, mostly because we fight a fair number of animals and robots that have no innate counter and can't really out-think it. I'm hoping that it's not next on the chopping block.

I personally think the optimal technomancer hacks are the ones that create technology.

[Telok]

That makes it literally worthless, considering even the most basic armour (even something as minimal and fragile stationwear bikinis/labcoats) provides breathable air + many other forms of environmental protection.

Hence why it's getting dropped fast. I've avoided taking things like the illusions because he's new to DMing and I've avoided things like Microbot Assault because it's so ill-defined in it's capabilities. Weirdly so many of the technological spells are weak or terribly limited and situational. Supercharge weapon is pretty much the only technology spell I've had any reason to cast more than once. Even that's iffy since we only have about a 35% hit rate, but the DM was getting cranky about us spamming Magic Missile.

...besides some interesting loot, I just keep my players supplied with credits and upgrade opportunities. So far, this is practically a cake walk and not all too challenging.

We aren't getting anything that isn't in the book. My character, who will be level 6 at the start of the next session, has $6992 in gear and $1400ish in money. I'm not expecting to have even $12k total when we get to 7th.

I personally think the optimal technomancer hacks are the ones that create technology.

I think they'll be dependent on the DM you play with. Our guy is new enough to be a bit inflexible and fuss when we have an ability or item that no-sells or auto-succeeds at anything. So the "can't make... items with limited uses or charges" in Fabricate Tech is likely to be interpreted in the most restrictive way possible. The weapon/armor one could be passable but I know that I wouldn't be allowed to create weapons with batteries, charges, or ammo, and anyway the +5/+6 damage from specialization with a 1d8 weapon outweighs the one extra die from a higher level weapon. Maybe if it were the jump from 3d weapons to 6d weapons, but that won't be until 12th+ level and does us no good at 5th when you take the hack. Plus the short durations don't help, it's like taking summon monster on a low level caster.. or not even, since you'd have to spend a round loading it or handing it off to someone else.

[Rhedyn]

I think they'll be dependent on the DM you play with. Our guy is new enough to be a bit inflexible and fuss when we have an ability or item that no-sells or auto-succeeds at anything. So the "can't make... items with limited uses or charges" in Fabricate Tech is likely to be interpreted in the most restrictive way possible. The weapon/armor one could be passable but I know that I wouldn't be allowed to create weapons with batteries, charges, or ammo, and anyway the +5/+6 damage from specialization with a 1d8 weapon outweighs the one extra die from a higher level weapon. Maybe if it were the jump from 3d weapons to 6d weapons, but that won't be until 12th+ level and does us no good at 5th when you take the hack. Plus the short durations don't help, it's like taking summon monster on a low level caster.. or not even, since you'd have to spend a round loading it or handing it off to someone else.

Part of my problem with Starfinder is that I feel like the classes don't do all that much. This particular problem here could be alleviated by an FAQ or made worse.

The game also needs way more gear than it currently has and I wouldn't want it hidden in campaign books.

Also magical item attunement is lame.

[Psyren]

Finished playing a session tonight. But before I go into that I'd like to say that since I'm actually playing an AP with a real character 20th level theorizing is pretty much meaningless to me. Actually I've come to realize that I usually don't care about the last couple of levels of a class because they never see play in my groups. So for a technomancer you get 5 magic hacks ever, resolve points are the only way to recover stamina between fights, and other than the 30' teleport or maybe one of the 14th level hacks all the ones that require resolve are extremely situational. There are something like four different hacks that result in more spellcasting power which is always useful and available, and they don't cost you what are essentially hit points and death save tokens.

If you don't see the value in spontaneous +0 metamagic then I don't know what else to tell you. By all means, hoard all your Resolve until you're bleeding out on the floor. Or houserule it, your GM seems okay with that.

The game also needs way more gear than it currently has and I wouldn't want it hidden in campaign books.

As a reminder, Magic Item Compendium came out 4 years after the DMG and Ultimate Equipment dropped 7 years after the CRB. You may be in for the long haul on that one.

[Rhedyn]

As a reminder, Magic Item Compendium came out 4 years after the DMG and Ultimate Equipment dropped 7 years after the CRB. You may be in for the long haul on that one.

Ah but I don't because other Sci-fi games exist that also have fantasy elements.

IMO Starfinder should release an advance rule book soon to flesh out the game. Hell, even the alien archive added all important summoning spells and race options.

[Psyren]

I'm not saying they won't add anything soon, but history has shown that "big item book" takes a while. So you may indeed have to rely on "campaign books" to contain new stuff (at least, first party new stuff) until then.

[Milo v3]

Uh guys.... The "Big Item Book" is already stated to be coming out this year.