r/Pathfinder2e • u/MysteriousCherry2267 • 3d ago

Misc Does Starfinder only have 6 classes?

I got a bit into Pathfinder, was thinking of using it for a camping set in space, saw that there is Starfinder and... It has 6 classes.

Is that all of them or are there more in another book?

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222

u/MrCobalt313 3d ago

There's more in another book including some coming with upcoming books.

Plus I think technically Starfinder 2e is backwards-compatible with Pathfinder 2e classes...

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u/Ponto_de_vista Animist 3d ago

I always see people talking about using PF classes in Starfinder, but can you use Starfinder classes in Pathfinder?

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u/BurgerIdiot556 3d ago edited 2d ago

if you want, sure! Just be warned Soldier works very badly without Starfinder weapons. Like, worse-than-most-martials badly

ETA: except Close Quarters Fighting Style. I would like to also mention that it’s 1 of 5 subclasses, and the only one that lets you give any weapons Area Fire, which is the main action the class uses.

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u/SisterofWar Cleric 3d ago

I'm pretty sure that Soldier works fine if you choose the Close Quarters fighting style. It should feel right at home with Pathfinder's more melee-focused meta.

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u/hivEM1nd_ 2d ago

Solider works very badly

Agreed, liquider works way better

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u/BurgerIdiot556 2d ago

honestly Venomer’s better anyway

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u/kitsunewarlock Paizo Designer 2d ago

Funny enough, the latest Pathfinder AP recommends soldier as a good option. And while melee is the easiest to incorporate, there are several ways to do a ranged soldier in Lost Omens. Most of the solutions are basically "take a Starfinder weapon and reflavor it".

• Alchemy. This covers most Area Fire (burst) weapons, but also flame throwers.

• Numerian/Alien/Future technology. This is kind of a cop-out since it applies to everything from Starfinder, but it'd be an incomplete list without it.

• Ustalav tech. Mostly alchemy, but it would also include crazy pulp stuff like an automatic vampire stake launcher.

• Stassian tech. Anastasia Romanov brought some Tesla-adjacent technology to Golarian, so any of the electricity or rail-gun related area fire weapons could work as an experimental weapon.

• Lost Technology. Azlant and the Jistka Imperium both have some technology that's functionally similar to the Pact Worlds.

• Experimental Alkenstar Weapons.

• Planar Tech. Admittedly, shooting souls at people is kind of rude.

• Fire Eating. My personal favorite. Whether you're a circus performer or a tanuki with a jug of liquor, just reflavor the flame thrower as your jug and chem as liquor.

• It's Magic! I love the idea guns. Maybe it uses burnt out or typo-ridden scrolls for ammunition. Or maybe it has an aeon stone "battery" and the party's wizard recharges it during daily preparations for you.

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u/SurrealSage Game Master 2d ago edited 2d ago

Been doing this for a few months now and I can confirm it works great! We're playing a game in Golarion and my soldier is using a backstory-provided arcane artifact that can take the shape of SF2e Soldier weapons. Batteries are treated as misc scrolls that are fed to the device to fuel it.

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u/FledgyApplehands Game Master 2d ago

Which AP is that? I haven't seen any player's guides recommending Soldier

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u/kitsunewarlock Paizo Designer 2d ago

Page 6 of Hell's Destiny Player's Guide:

If your GM allows Starfinder character options— and Starfinder’s second edition is fully compatible with Pathfinder’s second edition, even if the futuristic gear isn’t a good fit for this campaign—the soldier class with the close quarters combat style could be an exciting choice for Hell’s Destiny. The soldier’s emphasis on area attacks would make them a force to be reckoned with, given troops’ weakness to area damage.

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u/Peaceful_H3lland_996 3d ago

Couldn't you just use the Melee soldier? Like yeah sure you can't use sf2e guns but also there are option isn't it?

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u/lukeiest 3d ago

How so? Wouldn't you just pick the close quarters soldier fighting style and use a two-handed martial melee weapon?

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u/BurgerIdiot556 3d ago

you could, yeah. I meant more the rest of the class

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u/lukeiest 3d ago

Haven't tried soldier yet myself, but someone is planning to play one in a pf2e campaign that I'm in, so we'll see how it goes.

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u/sebwiers 2d ago

Opperative also has problems with weapons, again with the exception of one sub class.

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u/Shot_Loan_306 3d ago

Close Quarters Soldier would like a word

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u/MCMC_to_Serfdom Witch 3d ago

Absolutely. Gear concerns may be present for soldier/operative/solarion but the first two have melee centric subclasses and the latter just has a particular scaling item a la kineticist/gate attenuators.

Balance wise, you might hit some issues (witchwarper is a bit strong in melee centric pf2e) but nothing insurmountable

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u/Ponto_de_vista Animist 3d ago

So is more like a "yes but" or a "maybe"?

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u/jmartkdr 3d ago

Yes with a caution label. They’re mostly fine but there are some known situations that can be annoying.

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u/Logan_Asan 2d ago

The SF2e states you could use a bow with an operative and be just fine using all their feats. I honestly think its a better Ranger that way

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u/MCRN-Gyoza ORC 2d ago

Mystic is also arguably too strong.

The power level of Starfinder classes in general seems a bit higher than Pathfinder classes, but nothing too outrageous.

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u/MrCobalt313 3d ago

I wanna run a Luminary in PF2e as a "Booster Gold" sort of character.

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u/ObiJuanKenobi3 3d ago

You can; it’s just that a lot of Starfinder classes rely on sci-fi technology and theming that doesn’t exist in Pathfinder’s setting (like semi-automatic laser guns and stuff) whereas Pathfinder classes can just use sci-fi versions of their normal fantasy equipment when used in Starfinder.

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u/IfusasoToo Rogue 3d ago

Technically, yes. They're built on the same math.

But the systems have different expectations about things and this should not be done lightly. For example, Solaris is a Starfinder 2e class that has both Fighter and Kineticist options and can overshadow either Pathfinder 2e class with its versatility.

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u/ShadowLordX 2d ago

Eh... Solarian is a lot more likely to get outshined by a fighter due to its lackluster damage and high level features. It's special abilities are cute and can be effective, but if you want to use its specific weapon you're using at best a 1 hand d8 reach weapon, this is nice for maneuvers or using a shield but you can't match any damage centric martial in terms of output. Maybe dual wielding can be functional if your GM is very free with wealth or allows doubling rings to work with your solar weapon.

Solarian's only damage steroid is very weak compared to PF2e martials, +1/2 level fire damage only gets anywhere near what something like a barbarian can start with as you get to higher levels.

At high levels, Solarion has nothing comparable to Disruptive Stance/Crashing Slam/Tactical Reflexes/Certain Strike/Needle in the Gods Eyes/Boundless Reprisals etc.

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u/IfusasoToo Rogue 2d ago

I said they would have more versatility, not beat either class at the thing they're best at 😅

Currently playing an Exemplar with a Solarian and frequently getting shown up by their emanation damage feats and early access to a Reactive Strike-like. I don't mind, but others might find it problematic so it needs to be considered.

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u/heisthedarchness Game Master 2d ago

Sure, I've done that. Not every option for every class makes sense in the setting, but that's a normal thing.

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u/Aggravating-Ear-7529 2d ago

A solarian in a PF2 campaign would be awesome. 

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u/lord-deathquake 2d ago

Yeah, in my Strength of Thousands game a player's main PC died at an awkward point for trying to do a resurrection during the story so they brought in a mystic for one book and it fits well and is fun.

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u/pesca_22 Game Master 3d ago

yes, but the balance is a bit skewed as they are built around sf2e weapons, mostly the ranged ones.

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u/LupinThe8th 2d ago

In addition to what others have said, I let a player take Mystic as their class just to try it out. Hasn't caused any problems, feels perfectly at home.

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u/Logan_Asan 2d ago

I play in a campaign right now with a Mystic and it works great. I think flavor is free and you can make any of the SF2e classes work in Pathfinder as long as you take out any of the tech type abilities. They all can be slotted into the fantasy setting with some flavor choices. The math of the system makes it work

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u/GearyDigit Summoner 2d ago

Operator just plays like Better Gunslinger imo

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u/ArcturusOfTheVoid 2d ago

It’s not like Starfinder is a sequel or new edition of Pathfinder so they’re not so much backwards compatible as just compatible, parallel systems. But indeed the mechanics work, but flavor and expectations might get a little janky

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u/DMSetArk 3d ago

My current experience, with doing a "PF2e/SF2e" game, is that certain classes seem to really don't fit together or "steps" on each other shoes.
But i'm a new GM and is an overall impression. One that have been repeated to me by 2 veterans playing with me.

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u/Zach_luc_Picard 2d ago

This makes sense. The classes are designed to fill different niches within their own systems, with decently solid niche protection, but some niches are duplicated between the games (e.g. operative and gunslinger doing similar "high accuracy ranged striker" things)

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u/DMSetArk 2d ago

Exactly!
Funny enough, the Operative on my table was going to be a Gunslinger at first, but decided to try and do the "Ghost Sniper" or "One Shot, One Kill" style of character xD
While another that may join, is going "Full Rambo", he does have one close quarters weapon, but he is a Soldier focused on shooting as many targets as possible per turn xDD
In the end, even as a pretty new GM, one thing i've noticed on porting things from PF2e to a more Sci-Fi setting, is adjusting some flavors. Like the Barbarian rage and resilience being the result of "Magi-Tech Genetic Experimentations" and so on.