Death-touched (Pact Worlds) it is. We don’t have access to Esper (Attack of the Swarm #5).
before I “complete” this soldier build idea.
What are the effects of being sized large or small or tiny. Trying to remember back to my 3.5 days for a basis, and the memory is fuzzy, I also dont know how much is baked into the race’s modifiers already.
For example, AC and to hit modifiers? Gear cost modifiers? (I saw getting gear in sized tiny is double the cost).
My Soldier may change from a Nuar into a Kasatha or a Shobhad. I decided to go with Hit and Run as a fighting style, and like the image of having a two handed weapon, as well as a pistol or two at the ready full time. But wanted something a lil more nimble looking than the Trox. I could still go skittermander…
Next will be conceptualizing the envoy the rest of the way to decide between the two, but I think soldier is likely where i will head. I think with our current group makeup it is better to have a soldier to help DPS/tank than it is to have an envoy for support/(dps?)
Like Pathfinder2, they’ve moved away from size really being a thing mechanically. I could be wrong, but as far as I know size does:
- characters who aren’t small or medium will need to get most armor (loot) resized
- non-small/medium characters might have to pay more to get gear made (bought new) for them
- size determines the amount of space you take up on the grid
“Most” “dungeons” are designed by and for medium or small characters. Typically corridors tend to be 5’ to 10’ wide. A large (or bigger) character will have trouble squeezing into spaces designed for smaller beings. A character can safely squeeze into a space half as wide as their normal space but will have the entangled condition (1/2 speed, cannot run or charge, -2 penalty to AC, attack rolls, Reflex, initiative, Dex-based checks).
A large character has a space of 10’. They’ll be squeezing into 5’ corridors and rooms that are typical in dungeons and spaceships. They’ll be taking up the entire width of 10’ corridors and will be providing soft cover to targets if their team mates try to shoot through them.
Large characters are cool, especially in melee, but there are down sides.
ok, so Kasatha (or skittermander) it is.
time to move on to the envoy 
Well now I have done it… The soldier doesnt really have a background yet, his theme was likely Mercenary, so is a blank wall with just a fun concept to hold it together.
Meanwhile; while exploring the envoy options I ended up with a full background’d character,
Drow (Noble, once she survives to 4th level and takes the psychic power feat), Envoy, Corporate Agent; She is furthering her name to reach greater status within House Zeizerer through expansion of the Zeizerer Munitions brand. She probably met up with another party member who is traveling the vastness of space, and has agreed to assist them in return for the opportunity to visit various planets etc to expand business. Maybe even made friends with one of them previously.
Keep in mind…
A long time ago I was entertaining the idea of my own precious drow character for Starfinder, it’s in the Starfinder character idea thread somewhere around here.
But…
Drow light-blindness means you’ll be blinded for 1-round and then dazzled afterwards when in bright light. And bright light is common in space; you know stars, and suns, and flood-lights, and stuff.
Blinded
Source Starfinder Core Rulebook pg. 273
You cannot see. You are flat-footed and take a –4 penalty to most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks and to opposed Perception skill checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Perception checks based on sight) automatically fail. You can’t observe other creatures, which means (among other things) that you treat all creatures as having total concealment (50% miss chance; see page 253). You must succeed at a DC 10 Acrobatics skill check to move faster than half speed. If you fail this check, you fall prone. Characters who remain blinded for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them. Creatures that become blinded but that have a precise sense (see page 260) other than vision still automatically fail all checks and activities relying on vision, but they suffer none of the other effects.
Dazzled
Source Starfinder Core Rulebook pg. 275
You are unable to see well because of overstimulation of your eyes. You take a –1 penalty to attack rolls and sight-based Perception checks.
sounds like its time for some Raybans.
Looks like they actually have some Lightvision Shades, which would have been nice, but it looks like its in a module we arent using. I would think that at this point in time there would be a low tech version that drow use commonly to be able to manage in space, or on the surface during the day.
When I read it I wasn’t thinking about ambient light causing the dazzled effect, but I can work with that. It would be nice to look forward to something that can remove that negative, but not necessary. Maybe I will get her an Autoshade Umbrella. Something that will reduce the environmental effects, but still leave her susceptible to direct action against her. I guess on the plus side, if she is always dazzled then she would never be blinded by a sudden burst of bright light. 
It’s odd. In this highly techonmagical setting, you’d think the Drow, or someone wanting to market to the Drow, would have invented some eyeglasses/goggles to negate such a thing. I mean, you can even get all new cybereyes. I know it’s a thematic/balancing issue, but still. , seems like a handicap that has a commonsense workaround.
yeah, a 200 credit serum for an hour of daylight, not buying it. If Drow were some form of vampire and the UV burned them, I could see that, maybe. But we are talking visual sensitivity, a welder’s mask should cover the issue, would probably remove the perception bonus at the same time obviously. And there are items in other modules that do provide bonuses to saving throws to not be blinded because of auto tinting etc, like I said just not in what we are using.
Ok so @Rando, does the shade from an AutoShade Umbrella Provide enough shade to make the area Normal Light? or is the light outside of the range of the umbrella still too overpowering?
Honestly I don’t mind playing a character with some negatives, gives me more to hook onto when playing them. And know what I am getting into before hand And I was slightly surprised to not find more options in the armor or equipment section. Which also begs the question, If a drow had their eyes replaced completely with cybernetics, would they lose the light blindness as well as their perception bonus?
Hey @Findywen, since envoy is back on the table for you, I just want to mention that I will be maxing out charisma on my solarian and investing in both diplomacy and intimidation. I‘m totally fine with sharing the face role, but just wanted to mention that in case it factors into your character choice!
@Rando, I looked at the ability score progression again and realized that it’s actually slightly more advantageous for me to pick a theme that adds +1 to either my charisma or dexterity so I will be going with Xenoseeker theme.
At this point is there anyone playing a Soldier tank type?
My soldier is still on the table Ryukan, I was just exploring the Envoy as well. And with our party make up that is what I will likely play currently. I just need to get my hooks into an interesting background for it, you know something more than, i’m a meat shield and can kill things with a butter knife.
No worries Ocelot, I wasnt necessarily making a face type character. honestly neither of my characters have skills per se, they are still character concepts. The envoy would have some diplomacy, but more bluff and sense motive, you know the real skills used when corporations are involved.
Just to be clear, I don’t mean to say you shouldn’t be a face. You seemed to really enjoy playing the envoy earlier and you were really good at it, so if you want to go with the envoy, I will absolutely support you.
One thing we could do is split up the face duties by character theme. So for example, with your drow envoy’s corporate executive background, maybe focus more on facing with corporate types, nobles, and other civilized types while I focus on facing with “aliens” and less civilized types.
I would like to claim the last spot. I will play any class or theme.
Thanks
Just out of curiosity, what is everyone’s prefered combat for their current character choice, ranged or melee?
looking over the group i am guessing mostly ranged, ocelot’s Solarion could be anything i think.
Stompey welcome to the show I dont think anyone is going to tell you what theme or class to play, so best start looking over materials and come up with a concept you like. I’m currently bouncing between two options myself.
Thanks, I’ll throw a few characters together for session zero on the 24th. I can’t wait to play.
Rod Sparkie will be longarms and/or pistols is all I am planning for him. he will not be a mechanic using a drone.
Mith
Syzygy (that is my character’s name) will be taking the Solar Flare manifestation which is a ranged small arm.
Fun fact: A syzygy is an alignment/conjunction of 3 celestial bodies which commonly produces eclipses when the Sun is one of the three. It is also the only word in the English language with 3 ‘y’s. Spooky!
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