[Starfinder] Technomancer Optimization assistance.

[metalith]

I am playing in a new Starfinder game. We are coming in at Lv 7. I have reviewed recommendations, for Starfinder unfortunately, there isn't as much as other games. We have 6 players and another player is going Technomancer but is focusing on the being a blaster. I have reviewed material and love the idea of being a Summoner, bring out a bunch of meat shields or ranger attackers and then firing a gun and doing damage at a distance. I have seen material about building a Longarms Technomancer build, but besides getting Longarm Proficiency and Versatile Specialization, I haven't seen much else. What should I look for besides these 2 feats. Also I haven't seen much to increase my to help boost my hit since, I'm seeing it as being a little low compared to 7th level PC's I've created in Pathfinder and 3.5.

[Leo_0210]

My technomancer never made it to seven before she was called home to Castovel; but i loved playing the class. I focused more on affecting Technology and went down the mind control robots rout. While our mechanic was better with the computers than i, i could always assist or perhaps bypass a system if they got stuck. Being the only person who can apply status effects to robots, androids, and the like was very alluring considering we had a star shaman who would literally F' up anything with a brain.

Going long range is good and if you are really wanting to keep your sidearm/rifle relevant you are going to need to do a bit of work, nothing that will be disadvantageous in the long run, it just makes you incredibly specialized.

For feats, if you have them to spare you need mobility and agile casting. i would also suggest mystic strike as it makes all of your attacks count as magic. and if you have the luxury go with shot on the run as well.

Magic Hacks:
2nd level:As a move action, you can expend an unused spell slot to reconfigure and enhance a weapon you’re wielding. Until the start of your next turn, your attacks with the enhanced weapon gain a bonus to attack rolls equal to the level of the spell slot you expended. In addition, your attacks with that weapon deal 1d6 additional damage per level of the expended spell slot. This damage is of the same type the weapon normally deals.
5th level: As a full action, you can expend an unused spell slot to temporarily construct a technological weapon or suit of armor out of raw magic. You can create one suit of armor or weapon with a level equal to or less than the level of the expended spell slot × 3, to a maximum of your caster level. The item appears in your hands, on your person, or in an adjacent square. You can use fuse spells with this magic hack. A weapon can’t be larger than two-handed, and the size of the item can’t exceed 10 bulk. The quality of the item is average for its type. Treat this as a spell of the same level as the expended spell slot. For example, at 10th level, you could expend a 3rd-level spell slot to fabricate a weapon of 9th level or lower, or expend a 4th-level spell slot to fabricate a suit of armor of 10th level or lower. The armor or weapon persists for a number of rounds equal to your technomancer level. At the end of this duration, the item disappears. You are proficient with (but not specialized in) any weapons you create with this ability. You can’t create magic items, weapons made from a special material, or weapons that are expended with use (such as arrows, grenades, or missiles) with this magic hack. Or You can spend 1 Resolve Point to store a spell with a range of touch in a grenade, allowing you to affect a target within the grenade’s blast radius with the spell. Casting a spell with spell grenade uses the spell’s standard casting time, and throwing the spell grenade is a standard action. You must throw the grenade before the end of your next turn, or the spell is wasted. You are considered proficient with the grenade for this attack. Choose a single target within the grenade’s blast radius; that target is affected by the spell as if you had successfully touched it. The grenade goes off as normal, with all of its usual effects within its blast radius. If you miss the targeted intersection with the grenade, you must choose a target within the grenade’s new blast radius. If there are no suitable targets within the grenade’s blast radius, the spell is wasted. Spells whose ranges are not touch don’t benefit from this magic hack. I recommend the Fabricate arms as you will not have the strength score bonus to throw the grenade ( yes starfinder used strength to throw grenades, i blame space).

8th level: You can cast an area spell with a casting time of 1 standard action or less through a ranged weapon, allowing you to use the weapon’s range rather than the spell’s range. You must target a single creature with your attack, and the spell’s area is centered on that creature, or originates at the creature’s location for a cone or line effect (oriented in whichever direction you choose), even if the spell would normally be centered on or originate from a point. You can fire the weapon as part of the standard action to cast the spell. You must fire the weapon during the round that the casting is completed, or the spell is wasted. If the attack misses, the spell is wasted. Spells with an emanation effect that would be centered on you don’t benefit from this magic hack.


Throw almost everything you know about combat out the window. in Starfinder you do not get as many attacks, ever. but you also maintain a lower HP pool overall. you are harder to kill but easier to die if you aren't careful. Cover will become your new best friend, standing out in the open really hurts when someone is shooting 6d20 damage at you (not a misprint). Don't worry too much about the numbers because they are lower overall for PCs in starfinder. at early levels the bad guys almost always hit and pcs struggle a lot. as you advance it kinda balances out as you get your hands on higher level items that you can use.

Your spell cache is your best friend, like the wizard's arcane bond from Pathfinder it allows you to cast one spell you know without the slot. at 6th level you can have a continuous effect for 24 hours AND still have the additional spell slot.

Magic is limited, but more powerful; you will only ever make it to 6th level casting but magics that were once limited to 9th level casters are now available to castes at lower casting levels. while there is a lot more cross over between the two casting types they still have some pretty significant differences regarding what and how they cast.


Source: personal testing and starjammersrd.com

[Rhedyn]

I made a build back in the day. Just plug in the summon monster spell

NG Human Mercenary Technomancer || 13str 12 dex 12con 16int 10wis 10cha ||
Skills: Computers, Engineering, Life Science, Mysticism, Physical Science, Piloting; Acrobatics, Athletics
1. Spell Cache, Longarm Proficiency, Heavy Armor Proficiency ||0th: Token Spell, Mending, Transfer Charge, Detect Magic|1st: Holographic Image, Grease
2. Fabricate Tech ||0th: Ghost Sound|1st: Disguise Self
3. Spell Focus, Techlore, Versatile Specialization || Skill: Medicine ||0th: Psychokinetic Hand|1st: Unseen Servant
4. ||2nd: Microbot Assault, Make Whole
5. Fabricate Arms, Heavy Weapon Proficiency || 15str 14 dex 14con 18int 10wis 10cha || Skill: Stealth ||2nd: Invisibility
6. Cache Capacitor ||2nd: Spider Climb
7. Weapon Focus (heavy) || Skill: Perception ||1st: Identify|3rd: Handy Junkbot, Healing Junkbot
8. Spell Shot ||3rd: Irradiate
9. Versatile Focus ||1st: Life Bubble|3rd: Holographic Image*
10. || 17str 16 dex 16con 19int 10wis 10cha || 2nd: Command Undead|4th: Animate Dead, Planar Binding
11. Eternal Spell(Holographic Image), Great Fortitude ||1st: Detect Tech|4th: Flight
12. ||3rd: Entropic Grasp|4th: Holographic Image*
13. Improved Great Fortitude ||3rd: Haste |4th: Resistant Armor, Resilient Sphere|5th: Holographic Image*, Planar Binding*
14. Spell Library || Skill: Culture ||0th: Detect Affliction|1st: Detect Radiation|2nd: Fog Cloud, See Invisibility|3rd: Slow|4th: Greater Invisibility, Dimension Door|5th: Flight*, Wall of Force
15. Iron Will || 18str 18 dex 18con 20int 10wis 10cha || Skill: Sleight of Hand ||5th: Telekinesis
16. ||4th: Remove Radioactivity|5th: Holographic Terrain, Greater Dispel Magic|6th: Planar Binding*, Holographic Image*, Battle Junkbot
17. Phase Shot, Improved Iron Will ||3rd: Arcane Sight|5th: Break Enchantment|6th: Flight*
18. ||6th: Planeshift
19. Resolve Attunement, Lightning Reflexes ||5th: Rapid Repair
20. Fuse Spells|| 19str 19 dex 19con 21int 10wis 10cha ||4th: Dismissal|6th: Interplanetary Teleport

Caveat, I've never tested this build, this is based off of extensive theory crafting, but I lost interest in the system.

[metalith]

NG Human Mercenary Technomancer || 13str 12 dex 12con 16int 10wis 10cha ||


I'm assuming the high str is because of the focus on heavy armor proficiency?

[Telok]

I'm assuming the high str is because of the focus on heavy armor proficiency?

Probably. Having played through 11th level as a technomancer I'll point out a few things.

1. You want the feat that gives you DR = BaB.
2. Spell wise the junkbots, irradiate, and low level resist elements are all trash. Check against the common threats at the levels you get them, saves are generally a 50/50 proposition. You can get the same effect as resist elements as always on armor enhancements.
3. Lifebubble, invisibility, fly, and resilient sphere are all very strong. They tend to break encounters and other situations in the published adventure paths. Magic missile is a good fall-back against things you need to roll 17+ to hit.
4. Choose Dex + Light armor & ranged or Str + Heavy armor & melee.

And that's it. Keep your AC, attack stat, and prime stat as high as you can. Max out the shields on your ship and pick up a med/heavy radiation weapon. Use smoke grenades against stuff without life support. Make sure the GM is using the errata skill & space combat DCs.

Edit: Oh, and animate dead isn't actually any good because of the cost and the CR limit, resilient sphere and wall of force can be brought down with attacks, the short range teleport magic hack is pretty good, never use full auto attacks.

[Rhedyn]

never use full auto attacks. Last time I crunched the numbers, you should always full attack if you can hit on a 14 or lower.

Unless you can net a +2 bonus from the move action, then you should always full attack if you hit on a 12 or lower.

[metalith]

1. You want the feat that gives you DR = BaB.


DR is that Damage Reduction?

So far my build is below: We are starting with 8000 credits.

Human Biotechnician Technomancer (Character Theme on focusing on personal evolution with biotechnology.)

STR 10
DEX 20 (Mk2 Personal Upgrade)
CON 13
INT 20 (Mk1 Personal Upgrade)
WIS 12
CHR 10

Spell Hack: Selective Targeting, Empower Weapon (The other PCs being discussed in the group are very melee heavy so want to be able to avoid killing my team mates)

Spells
Lv 0 - Detect Magic, Ghost Sounds, Psychokinetic Hand, Telepathic Message, Token Spell, Transfer Charge
Lv 1 - Comprehend Languages, Life Bubble, Supercharge Weapon, Unseen Servant
Lv 2 - Caustic Conversion, Flight, Invisibility, Mirror Image
Lv 3 - Explosive Blast, Summon Creature 3

Feat: Longarm Proficiency, Skill Synergy (Perception, Life Science), Weapon Focus (Longarms), Improved Initiative, Versatile Specialization

[Telok]

Last time I crunched the numbers, you should always full attack if you can hit on a 14 or lower.

Unless you can net a +2 bonus from the move action, then you should always full attack if you hit on a 12 or lower.

Oh, the full/double attack thing is fine. Boring as all heck to do it for 8 rounds, but it's often the best thing to do.

It's full auto that's horrid. Expend all ammo to make a half range cone attack at a penalty to hit. You need 5+ targets that you hit more than half the time to make it worth anything.