{
"post": {
"title": "Character Builds",
"selftext": "Hello everyone! I am a complete noob with Starfinder but have been interested in playing Starfinder for a long time and I finally have the opportunity to do so. And in preparation for that game I just wanted some more clarity. FYI I have some experience with playing Pathfinder, DnD 5e and WoD splats. \n\nWhat kind of roles are there and how versatile are they? Examples would be Face, Healer, Striker and such. \n\nWhat are some good builds you would recommend? Especially for a new player! \n\nThanks in advance y'all!",
"url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/starfinder_rpg/comments/xup6mx/character_builds/"
},
"comments": [
{
"body": "I think you are mostly going to get the standard 'play what you like' answers and with good reason. I will caution you a bit that, having come from 5e, it is a lot easier to end up with an ineffective character.\n\nIt would probably be much more helpful if you had a character concept and background. It would be easier to provide advice with a little bit of a starting point.\n\nRoles aren't all that clearly defined but I'll do my best to list out a few that I think will be necessary (or at least desired). Many can be filled by the same character. For example; I play an Operative and I consider my character to be a ranged damage dealer but I also bring a ton of skill utility.\n\nYou probably want to start with some or most of these roles.\n\nFront Line: Soldier and Solarian are the most common I've seen.\n\nRanged DD: Operative and Soldier work. Keep in mind that unless you have a pure strength build you will be prioritizing Dex so mostly every character wants to have a backup small or long arm.\n\nCaster: One of or both a Technomancer and a Mystic. Gotta have someone to counter, nuke, heal and/or control.\n\nSkill Monkey: Operative, Mechanic or Technomancer all work here. Figure out what kind of party you are teamed up with and eliminate as much overlap as possible. \n\nFace: Envoy, Solarian or any of the skill classes with a decent Cha can fill in in a pinch. My personal favorite is Envoy as they can pick up social skills and also a suite of great buffs and debunks.\n\nI'm sure there's something I'm missing but that's at least a starting point for ya.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I wish I could downvote google search results because I got 4 of the same garbage result but I only got this one once.\n\n \n\\+1 for what its worth, brother. Keep up the good work."
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"body": "Vanguard is a good Frontline class too imo.\nWitchwarpers and Precogs are also good casters.\n\nI believe Nanocyte could be a decent frontline class as well."
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"body": "For new player recommendations, it sounds like you're familiar with TTRPGs, and you could probably play any class.\n\nNote the more complex classes imo, are:\n* Solarian\n* Biohacker\n* Witchwarper\n* Vanguard\n* Nanocyte\n* Precog\n* Mechanic with Drone\n\nGood beginner to intermediate classes are:\n* Soldier\n* Operative\n* Mechanic with Exocortex\n* Envoy\n\nIntermediate classes:\n* Mystic\n* Technomancer"
},
{
"body": "There are a TON of options and different build configurations! The better approach would be to let us know what build you're specifically interested in and we could provide suggestions. \n\ne.g.: warrior that can rock a deadly bow, a bodyguard, sniper, skill monkey, ghost/Stealth build, spell caster that has a focus on tech and hacking, spell caster that focuses on Mystism and shies away from tech, an Engineer that designs and uses custom weapons or armor, someone who can harness the power of the stars and/or moons, a mad doctor, nanite master, time-traveller, a tank that weilds entropy powers, a cyberpunk that's addicted to augmentations, etc.\n\nThere are so many beyond the examples above, so please be specific!"
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{
"body": "[deleted]",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Also share Themes and Archetypes, they can have a big influence on classes."
}
]
},
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"body": "I agree with what others have said here. For your first time, I would pick Soldier or Operative.\n\nFor soldier I would go melee based Blitz Vesk soldier or Ranged based human sharpshooter. Nothing complex here, these builds just get better at what they start out doing great. For alternate stuff I go with Low-light human and prehensile tails Vesk (wielding a 2h weapon in both hands and a shield in your tail).\n\nFor operative I would go Android or human and then do Hacker or Ghost for specialization. Lots of people overlook ghost because it starts with only a +1 bonus for tricking, however, soon your Operative Edge surpasses this and you don't get to add these incite bonuses twice. For racial alternates; for android I swap out the armor upgrade for the nanite healing and for human, I again take the low-light vision.\n\nA Mystic with the Healer is also very easy to play, albeit a bit boring. Nothing heals better that this PC and having one in your party turns on easy mode for this game (IMO).",
"replies": [
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"body": "Is there a section on racial alternatives?",
"replies": [
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"body": "Absolutely. But it's not really a section so much as spread across rulebooks. The SF AoN SRD website really helps when it comes to checking this info.\n\nhttps://aonsrd.com/Races.aspx?ItemName=All\n\ni.e. select Vesk under Core Raves and then scroll down to view alt traits and abilities. There's usually some lore or reasoning behind why the difference exists for that race.",
"replies": [
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"body": "Dang I had no idea, all of the android ones seem better than the upgrade slot.",
"replies": [
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"body": "Yeppers, there are also some that provide better stat builds.\n\nEg. Warblood Vesk has +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, and -2 Charisma vs. the regular +2 STR, +2 CON, -2 INT\n\nHaving an 8 in INT (or anything below 10) is rough in Paizo games."
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{
"body": "Great suggestions for the new player!!"
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]
},
{
"body": "I have never been a player in a SF game, but I have been running campaigns and oneshots off and on since it came out. What I can tell you about roles is...\n\n1) all of the traditional roles (tanks, bruiser, support, etc) exist, but it's possible to do an \"even spread\" party in a way you can't really do as easily in pf or 5e. For example, in the first campaign I ran from 1st-15th, the party had no dedicated support character, but everyone shouldered the load a little bit. The Solarian, soldier, and Operative took self-healing abilities, the Technomancer trained in medicine and took a lot of utility spells. Ultimately, while they lacked big heals, they also didn't rely on them. Conversely, my current campaign has all of those eggs in the biohackers basket, and so far it's also working fine.\n\n2) Almost every class has a road to almost every role, it's just a matter of finding the fringe spells and abilities that let you do so.\n\n3) regardless of your role, by default in SF your character is going to be shooting/wacking stuff about 60% of the time, and it's hard to make a character actually bad at it, as long as you start the game with at least 14 Dex or str."
},
{
"body": "A thing to consider about Starfinder that is a LOT different than with DnD is the Starship [Roles](https://www.starjammersrd.com/game-mastering/starship-combat/). Which are Pilot, Gunner, Engineer, Captain, Science Officer, Magic Officer, and Chief Mate. Starship roles are MOSTLY based on Skill checks. \n\nI say mostly because Gunner can use their Base Attack Bonus OR their Pilot Skill. \n\nPilot uses the Pilot Skill, Engineer uses the Engineering Skill, Science Officer uses Computers, Magic Officer uses Mysticism, the Captain uses Charisma Skills, while the Chief Mate uses Acrobatics & Athletics. Unlike the traditional 4 fantasy roles, you pretty much HAVE TO have a Pilot, at least one Gunner, and an Engineer. Captain and a Science Officer are also highly recommended, but if the group is small they are a lesser priority than the other three. Magic Officer is nice, so is a Chief Mate, but considering that these roles are not even in the core rule book you are fine without having them. In personal experience, the Magic Officer can be a stand in for the Science Officer, but uses Mysticism instead of Computers.\n\nAs for actual playing, having the traditional Fantasy Roles (Tank, Skill Monkey, Arcane Caster, Divine Caster) are not as necessary. Stamina Points reduce the need for a dedicated healer, Magic power has been reduced so that spell casters can't bend reality to their will and become minor Gods. Weapon Damage scales while with item levels while spell damage doesn't, so you won't be playing a \"blaster mage\".\n\nHaving a few characters with decent skills is of course needed, but instead of having a dedicated \"skill monkey\" the role will probably be split among the players. One person will probably be the Face, another the sneaky scout, while another will handle the INT based Engineering/Computer skills.\n\nThere can still be a \"tank\". But with Range Combat being the **norm**, it is less of a thing. Harder to hide in the back and avoid danger, or to run to the front and pull agro, when everyone is shooting at each other instead of stabbing each other. Still, making a heavy Armor User and charging into melee with a sword CAN be helpful."
},
{
"body": "You get an upvote as well, my friend, because you asked a good question and u/RoundishBag gave a good answer.\n\nCheers"
},
{
"body": "Face is important, but there's almost no reason not to be a face that's competent in combat. At the very least, pick up a long arm if you're not an operative.\n\nSkill guy is important. Slightly problematic in that the operative is better at other characters specilizations than they are.\n\nTank only really works if the rest of the party is melee. Or you grapple/push your opponent away from the party. One difference in this system is that even as a tank you WILL be hit. What you wan to try to do is stay in staminia instead of HP so you can take a 10 minute rest (short rest) and pop back to full health. AC is high investment with moderate pay off, damage reduction, miss chances, and enemy debuffs are your real armor. If you don't need to be in melee, your real armor is either the vesk standing in front of you, or the height you climb/fly out of the way. \n\nMost tanks can be very effective strikers. Even in heavy armor, a blitz soldier with a haste circuit and a jet pack can zip around the map whack fly whack\n\nHealers are ok to have, but 1) it can't be your only schtick or you're not pulling your weight. you need a plan for when things happen 2) non magical medic just saves you pocket change on healing serums\n\nEvery good build has some versatility to it. play what you like but play it well"
},
{
"body": "There are example builds on the Paizo website.\n\nThey have all of the Classes and Races from the main rulebook, if I remember right. I think it starts with level 1, then maybe level 7, and I'm not sure after that. But no multi-class.\n\nSomeone might have a link.\n\nI tried the Shirren Mystic in the one Organized Play game I was in."
}
]
}