Notes From the Trenches - Pitfalls, Mistakes, and How To Avoid Them

[pgfrix]

Hey, all - I wanted to start a thread to record rules foibles in the interest of making sure table knowledge evolves into institutional knowledge.  From my professional experience, establishing good habits is a sufficiently difficult task that you don't need to compound it with undoing bad habits, so...let's make sure the bad habits don't get established to begin with.

To that end, let's start with -

- 'Monster' Ship Stat Blocks already have their full modifiers computed based on their stock crew; computing AC and TL is something *players* do (because, hypothetically at least, those pilots can actually vary in skill ranks).

- "Balance" Shields action is a misnomer; the shield points can be allocated to quadrants however the SciOf wishes, so long as the minimum values are maintained.

- Ships, by definition, face a hex edge; if correctly arranged, four of the six vertices of a ship's hex mark the quadrants of the ship, and the edges of the adjoining hexes allow you to project the quadrant boundaries outward.

- The engineer (or maybe the captain?) is the probably the most logical candidate to track shields and damage for PCs, IMO.

[Bartgroks]

Maneuverability

A ship with average maneuverability making two turns in a round must move at least 2 hexes before its first turn, and at least 2 more hexes before its second turn. If a starship has perfect maneuverability (the distance between turns is O). the ship can make two turns for each hex that it moves (allowing it to turn around a single point).

So maneuverability 1 and you can turn once a hex; maneuverability 0 and you can turn twice a hex.

Pregen Consumables

You do not have to replace ammo and other consumables used while playing a pregen. You don't get money back spent on ammo if you rebuild your character so really no change here.

[dhaller99]

I predict much handwaving in the future! 

[Andrew Roberts]

Handwaving has happened in the past already at my table.

Starship combat takes a while, and normal skirmishes (without starships) can take a while too in Starfinder, albeit Starship combat is definitely the longer of the two. I will say that is great news for the Solarian!

[pgfrix]

I will say that is great news for the Solarian!

Skill Focus: Force Use cannot save you now, Solarian! Now, take our sandwich order. ?

[liamfisher]

Also, carefully read the tactics for your NPCS at low levels.  Lots of things surrender and talk that didn't before.  

And remember, Undead are citizens and can be actual allies.   So just gunning down undead is frowned upon.


Also, actions that give infamy are detailed in each encounter, there's no real guessing with it.

Also, giant space rocks block ships from firing at each other, do not assume 3d on the map.

[pgfrix]

Also, carefully read the tactics for your NPCS at low levels.  Lots of things surrender and talk that didn't before.  

And remember, Undead are citizens and can be actual allies.   So just gunning down undead is frowned upon.

Is anyone deep enough in the lore yet to comment on whether or not sentient constructs (besides androids) exist?  They'd be in the same category, IMO.

Also, actions that give infamy are detailed in each encounter, there's no real guessing with it.

*Or* based on table GM fiat, but with explicit cautionary warning.  

Alignment infractions are a touchy subject. Killing an innocent, wanton destruction, and other acts that can be construed as evil might be considered alignment infractions. Ultimately, you are the final authority at the table, but you must warn any player whose character is deviating from his chosen alignment.  This warning must be clear, and you must make sure that the player understands the warning and the actions that initiated the warning. The PC should be given the opportunity to correct the behavior, justify it, or face the consequences.
...
Beyond GM intervention, some scenarios and written products may present evil solutions to situations.

Some examples, submitted for consideration from Gygax/Book of Vile Darkness:

- Wanton murder of innocents (yeah, I'm guilty - I'll pay a fame penalty for noncombatant slavers)
- Slave Trafficking
- Torture
- [Previously] Spells with Evil Descriptor (oh, look, magic is amoral now)

In the old regime, you're faced with expel the character or not.  In the new regime, you have a granularity to evil acts.  

Does John Q. GM argue for nuking a PFS character who casts Animate Dead? - No, that's just gauche and all the cool kids are doing it.  Does John Q. GM argue for an Infamy chit for a SFS character who leaves broken bones, missing appendages, and psychological trauma from an 'Intimidate Check'? - I gotta fall on the side of yes.

[dhaller99]

There is such an anti-evil bias in alignment infractions. Has anyone ever warned a neutrally-aligned character for doing good?

"I feed the orphan."

"Again? You fed an orphan in the last scenario too. I'm going to go ahead and mark an infraction."

"What?"

"You're Chaotic Neutral."

"Oh. True."

[pgfrix]

There is such an anti-evil bias in alignment infractions. Has anyone ever warned a neutrally-aligned character for doing good?

I guess that's just 'Famy' chits.  

Don't get me wrong - Fame should probably be your job performance, not whether people like you.  Unless making people like you is your job.

[liamfisher]

There is such an anti-evil bias in alignment infractions. Has anyone ever warned a neutrally-aligned character for doing good?

I guess that's just 'Famy' chits.  

Don't get me wrong - Fame should probably be your job performance, not whether people like you.  Unless making people like you is your job.

The things I have seen highlighted  so far would be outright questionable stuff, like gunning down unarmed bystanders, etc.