I need Starfinder help (eek!)

[Albions_Angel]

Hi all,

I know most people here dont play starfinder, but I am scattershotting this post across here, reddit and the paizo forums.

While I have quite a lot of experience with 3.5e and Pathfinder 1e, some 5e experience, and experience with other TTRPGs, I have never played starfinder before. I am soon to be joining a group of friends who have been playing for a little bit. They are now level 5, and so I need to be as well.

Its a lot to take in, and the first session I will be in is in about a week. So, I need help, with feats, items, weapons, and character choices.

I am currently leaning towards Vesk Vanguard. I dont mind being sub-optimal damage. There is already a frontline melee for that (Dragonkin Soldier Melee build) and everyone else is ranged or spellcaster. I think I would like some sort of lockdown build though. While Vesk has a +2 to STR, probably going to go Con>Dex>Str>Wis=Int=Cha, grab a 2 handed reach weapon if one exists, or some other lockdown weapon, and focus entropic strikes. But while I dont mind doing sub optimal damage, I would like to be USEFUL, and I am not sure I can be if I get this wrong.

Beyond that, i am stuck. Anyone that can help out with anything mentioned or missed I would appreciate. Also, some clarification on whether Mitigate shuts down the Vesk +1 AC from wearing armour ability would be great.

I literally have no idea what I am doing, there is a lot to take in with starfinder.

Summary:

Need help for level 5 Vesk Vanguard Lockdown build, with specific attention paid to:

Choosing feats

Choosing class features (thinking Exergy or Momentum, but tips appreciated, and need the other options)

Choosing weapon (mostly for its abilities if I use entropic strike)

Choosing other items (level 5 WBL, no item above level 5)

Playing...

Thanks, and Merry Christmas

[Telok]

Lockdown is either a caster (depends on enemy saving throws and debuffing those saves, no real way to meaningfully increase save DCs), or skittermander soldier garrotte grapple build that pins elephants in one or two rolls. That's it.

In theory you can try a trip build if you find a race with a +trip bonus. But you can only affect two people a round at best, and (if I recall correctly) standing from prone does not provoke AoO. That counts as lockdown if trading your attack & damage for using up one guys movement (sometimes, free/swift stands are a thing) counts.

With the new book there are two feats that increase the DC of grenades. Go bombard soldier, get a reroll (one feat has blowback on rolling a 1), and try the status effect grenades. Still not lockdown except for the immobilize grenades, which only prevent movement if the save is failed, the target can be affected, and they don't have any other escape mechanisim like teleportation, gas form, phasing, etc., etc.

Condition operative is another option. You just pick up all the exploits that replace the flat footed/off target trick attack rider with conditions. They all get saves and you can only try each one on a target once. But they aren't amazing, you're still looking at prone, half speed, -2 to this or that, for a round or two if they fail the save. It's not really control or lockdown, just mild assorted short term penalties.

[Albions_Angel]

Got it. Fair enough.

What CAN I do with Vanguard. I really like the idea of it.

[Telok]

Not a clue. It's new enough that I don't think people have a really good feel for it.

Reading it is odd. It sounds like it wants to be a melee tank that moves/charges a lot, which means no full attack and often no flanking. But it also wants to be adjacent or near allies. It has damage mitigation but also sounds like it wants to get hit.

That line about using the lesser of your level or the weapon level for your entropy thing is interesting. You want an on-level weapon almost every level, which is bad given the WBL, or to just never buy a melee weapon and get better armor.