Space Corps Alienist

[Zhentarim]

I want to make a character for a pathfinder homebrew who is an alienist in the US Space Corps. Seeing how Alienist is not a profession usually associated with combat, and the US Space Corps was not officially founded till 1 January 2018, I believe I can take a few liberties in designing a new class. The closest existing class to an alienist pathfinder has is the mesmerist. Is it better to make a new class or create an archetype? What other things could I do to better flavor this alienist as a space corps officer?

[Arbane]

What do you want an alienist to be able to do?

[Zhentarim]

What do you want an alienist to be able to do?

Mind Control, Manipulation, really good Knowledge Checks, and really good at reading minds and assessing people. An Alienist is basically a psychiatrist, if that helps.

[Psyren]

Is that from something? "Alienist" is usually associated with the 3.5 Prestige Class from Complete Arcane.

[Akal Saris]

Pathfinder has a few different psionic classes, doesn't it? You might use one of those as a baseline for your class.

Otherwise the Bard or Wizard (Enchanter specialist) is probably the closest core class to fit the concept you have in mind.

[Zhentarim]

Is that from something? "Alienist" is usually associated with the 3.5 Prestige Class from Complete Arcane.

No. I am actually in alienist school right now to become an alienist and I am thinking of joining the space corps as an officer if I can get a medical waiver, and if my medical waiver is denied, I'd like to be a federal contractor so I can see the world. If the Space Corps reject me as either a uniformed of non-uniformed alienist, there is also Air Force and Navy as my either/or second choice. If I fail there, there is Army. Since trained alienists can perform psychotherapy, if I fail at Army, and can't get a civilian federal job elsewhere, I will be a private hospital psychotherapist. That said, I notice some of the things I am learning could make for a passable pathfinder class, so I thought I'd take a crack at it...though my real life training would make the class more hard-science than say, a bard (negotiator), and enchanter wizard, or a mesmerist.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

What is the space corps, at the moment this whole story plays out? Are they a bit like the air force, using small, semi-modern day-realistic spacecraft, or are they closer to the navy often usually at least either marines or fighter craft configuration you see int a lot of further away science fiction?

After that: what is the function of the alienist? Where does he work? In a tac room, psychoanalyzing his alien opponents? Is he part of an away team, doing behind enemy lines stuff like mindripping enemy officers for intel? Or is he mostly a doctor/medic and psychiatrist for the aliens on our side?

Alienist is not a very descriptive military job title. it's like saying you're a lab technician in the army. Maybe you're doing blood work in a military hospital, maybe you're in the defense against chemical warfare division. The image in your head is probably clear, but we haven't really followed the thought process, so give us some more info.

[TheTeaMustFlow]

I think he's referring to the actual job of an Alienist (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alienist), an archaic term for a psychiatrist still sometimes used for those who evaluate a defendant's mental competency to stand trial. In context, it might also be for those who evaluate someone's mental suitability for certain roles.

the United States Space Corps (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Space_Corps) is a proposed sixth branch of the US military that is likely to become reality (http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/14/politics/house-passes-defense-bill-space-corps/index.html) with the passage of the National Defence Authorisation Act (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Authorization_Act).

OP, the use of the term alienist is causing confusion, probably due to the 3.5 prestige class of the same name (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/classes/alienist/index.html) (which is basically an insane cthulhu-obsessed spellcaster). Could you clarify exactly what you mean, and whether my understanding is correct?

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Okay. Wouldn't have guessed that. Thanks.

In that case, good luck fitting that character in a Pathfinder game. I'm not sure how well a serious psychiatrist for astronauts functions on rules made for high magic medieval fantasy. Is the rest of the group making similar characters?

[Zhentarim]

Okay. Wouldn't have guessed that. Thanks.

In that case, good luck fitting that character in a Pathfinder game. I'm not sure how well a serious psychiatrist for astronauts functions on rules made for high magic medieval fantasy. Is the rest of the group making similar characters?

Starfinder.

think tac room

[Psyren]

Starfinder.

think tac room

Your OP said "Pathfinder homebrew" rather than Starfinder.

Don't have Starfinder (yet) so can't really help.