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Awesome 80s: Transforming Feats for Starfinder
Today we’re wrapping up this week of Awesome 80s blog posts, which are about sharing some of the things I created partially due to the inspirations I got from movies, shows, games, and literature of that decade. It’s been all about transforming vehicle robotstuff this week, so I’m tacking on a couple feats in case you want your species, monster, or ThemeType to focus even more on transforming.
(Art by Jacob Blackmon. Want to pay him to make art of YOUR transforming robot character? Drop him a line!)
Dodging Transformation
You can change forms to duck enemy attacks.
Prerequisites: vehicle form special ability (from the deceptive transforming robot graft, mechamorph species, or mechaserve robot pilot themetype).
Benefit: Once per day, when you fail a Reflex saving throw or your armor class is hit by an attack, you can change modes as a reaction. This allows you to reroll the Reflex save with a +8 bonus, or force the attack to be rerolled against you with a -8 penalty. You can also take a guarded step as part of this action, if you wish.
Triple Transformations
There’s even more to you than one trick up your sleeve.
Prerequisites: vehicle form special ability (from the deceptive transforming robot graft, mechamorph species, or mechaserve robot pilot themetype).
Benefit: Select a second vehicle mode, following all the rules for your first vehicle mode. Any time you switch to your vehicle mode, or gain benefits from your vehicle mode, you can choose between your original vehicle mode or this new mode. Every time you gain a character level, you may select a new second vehicle mode.
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Awesome 80s: MechaServe Pilot ThemeType (Transforming Robot/Vehicle/ Armor Augmentation for Starfinder)
Today we’re continuing the Awesome 80s line of blog posts, which are about sharing some of the things I created partially due to the inspirations I got from movies, shows, games, and literature of that decade. In this case, it’s robots that act like drones but can also be vehicles but can also become augmentations for your armor.
Yep, it’s a pretty specific example. I’m going with the name “MechaServe Robot Pilot.”
To create this as a PC option, we’re using a ThemeType, a PC option that combines a character’s Theme with an Archetype to allow them to be significantly more varied than a typical character. I first introduced and explained ThemeTypes in a 2018 article, and they remain a useful tool for some kinds of character concepts. I’ve done several ThemeTypes already, including multiclass options for nearly all the official Starfinder classes (the new Evolutionist class has yet to get one, but it’s coming), and some special kinds of characters that might have been presented as prestige classes in other d20 games (such as the Psionic and Lawstar Justicar ThemeTypes). Since the MechaServe Robot Pilot has to integrate a robotic drone, transforming vehicle, and armor augmentation, a ThemeType is definitely the way to go with it.
An Aside: One of the things that some people criticize about ThemeTypes is that they prevents you from getting the +1 to 1 ability score that a typical theme grants. While that’s true, it’s also a minor issue. Losing that +1 never needs to result in having a lower ability bonus — all it does is make a single score that would have been odd instead be even, and thus potentially not qualify for feats with ability score minimums. That’s not nothing, but it’s also not a major character balance issue. Essentially you give up a slight edge in a narrow range of feat prerequisites in favor of the greater flexibility of accessing abilities n scale with accessing the features of another character class.
(Art by Jacob Blackmon)
MechaServe Robot Pilot ThemeType
You have access to a MechaServe – a robot that can also be a vehicle that can also become part of (and thus augment) your armor. Maybe you built it. Maybe you found it in a cache of lost technology. Maybe you’re from a world where MechaServes are common. Maybe it came with your role in the cyberband. Whatever its origin, it’s your now, and that gives you a lot of flexibility.
Theme Knowledge (Ex, Theme, 1st Level): At first level, you gain Piloting as a class skill. You may use your Intelligence bonus, rather than your Dexterity bonus, to determine your Piloting skill bonus total, if you wish. You also gain a free dragoon armor upgrade with an item level equal to your character level (minimum item level 2), that only you may use. It can be installed in your armor without using an upgrade slot, and the vehicle it can become can have a level no greater than your character level. You can change what vehicle this is each time you gain a level. This is your basic MechaServe, which starts with two modes (reinforced plates and vehicle, as outlined in the dragoon armor upgrade).
Basic MechaServe (Ex, Archetype, 2nd Level): Your dragoon armor upgrade vehicle also acts as a mechanic’s drone, as if you had the drone version of the mechanic’s artificial intelligence class feature. Your effective mechanic level is equal to your class level –1, to a maximum mechanic level of 3rd. Select a chassis for your drone and build it normally. Your drone can switch between this drone form and the vehicle form for your dragoon armor upgrade. This functions as the vehicle form ability from the deceptive transforming robot graft.
Your MechaServe now has three modes: Reinforced plates, drone, or vehicle. It can change directly from vehicle to reinforced plates, but must be adjacent to you to do so.
You do not gain any other mechanic class features, but your MechaServe does gain drone special abilities, feats, and drone mods appropriate for your effective mechanic level. When it vehicle form it only has access to abilities from that vehicle, and it can still only take actions as allowed by your drone version of the mechanic’s artificial intelligence class feature.
MechaServe Improvement (Ex, Archetype, 4th Level): Though still calculated as your character level –1, your maximum effective mechanic level for your MechaServe’s drone mode increases by +1. You can use one MechaServe Upgrade Swap (see below).
MechaServe Repair (Ex, Theme, 6th Level): You gain the repair drone mechanic trick, treating your mechanic level as your character level -1. You can use one additional MechaServe Upgrade Swap (see below).
MechaServe Improvement (Ex, Archetype, 6th Level): Though now calculated as your character level –2, your maximum effective mechanic level for your MechaServe’s drone mode increases by +2. You can use one additional MechaServe Upgrade Swap (see below).
MechaServe Improvement (Ex, Archetype, 12th Level): Though still calculated as your character level –2, your maximum effective mechanic level for your MechaServe’s drone mode increases by +3. You can use one additional MechaServe Upgrade Swap (see below).
MechaServe Trick (Ex, Theme, 18th Level): You gain one mechanic trick, selected from the mechanic tricks of 8th level or less that grant an ability to your MechaServe’s drone mode (such as drone meld or overclocking). You can use one additional MechaServe Upgrade Swap (see below).
MechaServe Improvement (Ex, Archetype 18th): Though still calculated as your character level –2, your maximum effective mechanic level for your MechaServe’s drone mode increases by +2. You can use one additional MechaServe Upgrade Swap (see below).
MechaServe Upgrade Swaps
Your MechaServe can gain the following abilities in place of drone feats or mods. Essentially, your MechaServe has one less feat or mod in drone mode, but gains the upgrade swap of your choice from the list below. You can’t have more upgrade swaps than have been granted to your by the MechaServe Pilot ThemeType, and you can change what swaps you have at each character level.
MechaServe Enlargement: When your MechaServe is in reinforced plates mode, you can choose to be one size category larger. This increases your reach by 5 feet, and the amount of bulk you can carry without becoming encumbered or overburdened by +10.
MechaServe Reinforcement: When your MechaServe is in reinforced plates mode, you gain a +1 shield bonus to AC. This increases to +2 if your character level is 14th level or higher.
Robotic Flexibility: Your MechaServe retains all its vehicle movement types and equipment when it is in drone mode. If you select this a second time, your MechaServe can carry as many passengers in drone mode as it can in vehicle mode, without becoming encumbered or overburdened. If you select this a third time, when your MechaServe is in reinforced plates mode, you can use any movement form your MechaServe has in drone or vehicle mode.
Swift Switch: Once per round, your MechaServe can change mode as a free action.
Upgrade Flexibility: When your MechaServe is in reinforced plates mode, it can grant your armor any one armor upgrade with an item level no greater than your character level -2. This does not require an upgrade slot, has no cost, and can be an upgrade for any type of armor (light, heavy, or powered), regardless of your actual armor. You may change what this upgrade is each time you gain a new level. If you select this a second time, your MechaServe also has this upgrade when in drone mode. If you select it a third time, your MechaServe also has this upgrade in vehicle mode.
Vehicular Flexability: Your MechaServe retains use of its drone weapons and equipment while in vehicle mode. If you select this a second time, you also have access to its weapons when it is in reinforced plates mode. If you select this a third time, your MechaServe has access to all its drone feats and upgrades while in vehicle mode.
(Jacob carefully made sure a humanoid fit in his MechaServe in reinforced plates mode. And, he had his own thoughts about what it should be called. 🙂 )
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Awesome 80s: Robofauna (for Starfinder)
Today we’re continuing the Awesome 80s line of blog posts, which are about sharing some of the things I created in part from the inspirations I got from movies, shows, games, and literature of that decade. In this case, it’s robots serve the role of fauna on alien worlds and cultures where robotic life fills every ecological niche, and biological creatures are rare or nonexistent. Such worlds are often also populated by SROs, MechaMorphs and Deceptive Transforming Robots, and may be patrolled by allies or visitors with Transforming Cycle Armor in an effort to fit in and keep up.
Do you want robot bug swarms? Because this is how you get robot bug swarms.
ROBOFAUNA GRAFT Robofauna almost always matches the form, function, and niche of a type of animal or vermin found elsewhere in the galaxy. They are robots, but robots created by an endless (and arguably natural, by which we mean people almost always argue about it) cycle of previous machines.
Creature Type: Only stat blocks for creatures of the animal and vermin type can be used for robofauna. Type changes to Construct (technological).
Traits: Add: construct immunities; unliving; vulnerable to electricity.
Skills: Add Computers as master skill.
Additional Abilities: Robofauna generally have at least one ability the biological lifeforms that fill the same niche don’t. Roll 1d6 on the table below to determine the robofauna abilities:
1. Add a ranged energy attack (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). The attack has an attack bonus 2 lower that the creature’s melee attack, and does the same amount of damage.
2. Add DR/adamantine, with a value equal to half the creature’s CR.
3. Add energy resistance against one energy type (acid, cold, fire, or sonic; not electricity) with a value equal to the creature’s CR.
4. Add a new movement type (burrow, climb, land, fly, or swim). This movement is as fast as the creature’s fastest movement type (if climb, land, or swim), or half that (if burrow or fly).
5. Add blindsight (life, sound, or vibration) with a range of 30 feet (60 feet if creature is CR 10 or higher).
6. Roll three times and add all results. This may give you multiple different ranged attacks of forms of blindsight, or double the value of DR or Energy Resistance gained. If you roll a 6 again, rather than roll 3 more times, select one ability the robofauna does not yet have. Also increase Hit Points by +20%, and CR by 1.
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Awesome 80s: Deceptive Transforming Robots (for Starfinder)
Today we’re continuing our look at some of the weird, awesome scif-fi and science-fantasy stuff came out in the 1980s, that impacted my geek trajectory significantly. The Awesome 80s line of blog posts is about sharing some of the things I have been inspired to create by movies, shows, games, and literature of that decade. In this case, it’s robots that can disguise themselves as (and operate in the form of) vehicles.
If this kind of content interests you, you might enjoy my Polymechs entry in the CODEWORLD micro-campaign setting from my blog entries in April 2018. If you want quick, simple rules to allow robots that transform into vehicles as a player character species in Starfinder, check out my MechaMorphs blog entry from December 2019.
DECEPTIVE TRANSFORMING ROBOT GRAFT (CR 1+)
Sometimes, robots are built (or otherwise come into existence) with the ability to switch between robot and vehicle forms, and disguise themselves as typical vehicles when in that form. In some regions of space, transforming sentient robots are the predominant form of spacefaring intelligence and culture, and some fight vast civil wars among differing factions over centuries. The Deceptive Transforming Robot (DTR) graft can be used to turn any robot NPC into a DTR.
Required Creature Type: Construct.
Traits: Vehicle form (see below).
Skills: A DTR gains Disguise and Pilot as master skills if it did not already have them.
Vehicle Form
A DTR can change into a the form of a Small, Medium, Large, or Huge size vehicle (but not starship) as a swift action. Its vehicle form must be within one size category of the DTR’s base form, and have an item level no greater than the DTR’s CR -2 (minimum item level 1). and once selected cannot be changed. While in a vehicle form, the DTR gains a +20 bonus to Disguise checks to appear to be that vehicle (including appearing to have an appropriate driver or pilot, even if it actually doesn’t). Changing back from vehicle form to robot form is also a swift action.
In vehicle form, a DTR can pilot itself (gaining a +8 bonus to all Pilot checks to do so), or allow someone else to pilot it. Anything it carried in its robot form is stowed within it in its vehicle form, and the DTR may opt to allow it to be accessed by riders/passengers. When assuming its vehicle form, the DTR can select equipment or weapons it has in robot form that could be wielded in 2 hands or less, and have them become integrated equipment in its vehicle form. Its vehicle form has the same number of Hit Points as its robot form, and damage taken in one form carries over to the other. It’s EAC, KAC, and speed in vehicle form is determined by the type of vehicle it is.
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Awesome 80s: Transforming Cycle Armor (for Starfinder)
Some weird, awesome stuff came out in the 1980s, that impacted my geek trajectory significantly. The Awesome 80s line of blog posts is about sharing some of the things I have been inspired to create by movies, shows, games, and literature of that decade. In this case, it’s armor that can transform to have a motorcycle or additional protective plates (depending on the need of the wearer).
(Art by Raven)
Dragoon Frame [Armor Upgrade]
Model Level Cost Crit Effect Negation Cycle Speed
Brass ___ 2 _____ 450 _ 10% ________________ 30 ft.
Bronze _ 4 ____ 2,850 _ 20% ________________ 40 ft.
Copper _ 9 ___ _7,000 _ 30% ________________ 50 ft.
Silver __14 ___ 30,000 _ 40% ________________ 60 ft.
Gold ___ 19 _ 200,000 _ 50% ________________ 70 ft.
A dragoon frame is designed to enhance the mobility of armored infantry units, allowing them to choose between greater mobility or greater resilience. When installed, a dragoon frame appears to be a series of angular armored plates and curved matte black highlights that fit around the armor. While in this reinforcing plates mode, the dragoon frame grants the armor’s wearer the listed percent chance to negate the critical hit effect of a critical hit (though it does not negate the double damage of the critical or any ability triggered by a critical hit). This chance is rolled separately from any chance to completely negate a critical hit (such as might be gained from high-level force fields).
As part of any action that allows the armor’s wearer to move (including guarded steps and the movement element of a trick attack), a dragoon frame can unfold from the armor it is in, and reassemble as a motorcycle ridden by that armored character. In this mode it does not offer any protection against critical hit effects, but does give the rider the listed land speed, and the ability to carry one additional creature of the same size as the armor wearer or smaller without worrying about bulk or using any arms to do so. As long as the armored character is not overburdened, the cycle’s speed is not reduced by armor modifiers or encumbrance. If the armored character is overburdened, the cycle’s movement is reduced to 0.
However, a dragoon frame in cycle mode isn’t as maneuverable as being on foot. When moving in cycle mode, the armored character’s land movement acts a great deal as if they were flying (though limited to movement on the ground) and had average maneuverability (see Chapter 8 of the Core Rulebook). This includes it costing you an additional 5 feet of movement to turn 45 degrees, needing to make Acrobatics checks (see the skill description) when driving in high winds (though you gain a +8 bonus to such checks and may choose to use Piloting rather than Acrobatics). When moving in motorcycle mode, the armor wearer can also use Piloting in place of Acrobatics for the balance and tumble tasks.
It does not take any hands to pilot the cycle – everything is managed by the onboard system of the linked armor. No one but the wearer of the armor with the dragoon frame upgrade can normally pilot the frame in motorcycle mode. The armor wearer can leave the cycle, but it cannot be piloted (or change from cycle mode to reinforcing plates mode) when not ridden by someone wearing the armor is an upgrade for.
When in cycle mode, the dragoon frame can fold back onto its armor as part of any move or full action taken by its pilot, setting any passenger that was riding it on the passenger’s feet in an adjacent square of the armor wearer’s choice when it does so.
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Hill Person — Cinematically Inspired Class for Pathfinder
Hill Person
The hill people are as much a culture as an occupation. They have traditions and customs different from civilization, but those off-the-norm backgrounds come with powers that are just as different from the standards of society. Hill people often suffer from significant wonderlust, and it is not unusual for them to spend many years adventuring. However, they dislike committing violence, and generally look for places they can safely travel, or companions they can safely travel with. However on the rare occasion they are pushed to defend those they love, their powers to do so are significant.
Despite not fitting any of the classic roles of heroes, most groups who have a hill person as an ally are delighted to have their knowledge, good cheer, and not a small bit of luck along even in the darkest of times. And hill people are rugged and sturdy enough (though they mostly don’t look it) to survive even the most dangerous of adventures without being a significant drain on their allies.
Hill people are, obviously, inspired by one of my favorite fantasy movies. (And they aren’t the first thing the movie inspired.)
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d12
Starting Wealth: 2d6 × 10 gp (average 70 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less, and one pie.
Class Skills
The hill person’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all, each skill taken individually) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Table: Hill Person
Level BaB Fort Ref Will Special
1st +0 +2 +2 +2 Hill shape, knack, lack the power to do harm, organize notes
2nd +1 +3 +3 +3 Luck of the hill folks 1/day
3rd +2 +3 +3 +3 Knack
4th +3 +4 +4 +4 Luck of the hill folks 2/day
5th +3 +4 +4 +4 Knack
6th +4 +5 +5 +5 +1 hill shape luck of the hill folks, 3/day
7th +5 +5 +5 +5 Knack
8th +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Luck of the hill folks 4/day
9th +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Knack
10th +7/+2 +7 +7 +7 Luck of the hill folks 5/day
11th +8/+3 +7 +7 +7 Knack
12th +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 +1 hill shape, luck of the hill folks 6/day
13th +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Knack
14th +10/+5 +9 +9 +9 Luck of the hill folks 7/day
15th +11/+6/+1 +9 +9 +9 Knack
16th +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Luck of the hill folks 8/day
17th +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Knack
18th +13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +11 +1 hill shape, luck of the hill folks 9/day
19th +14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +11 Knack
20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +12 Hill lord, luck of the hill folks 10/day
Class Features
The following are class features of the hill person.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Hill people are proficient with all simple weapons and light armor, but not with shields.
Hill Shape (Su): At 1st level, a hill person gains the ability to turn himself into any Tiny or Small animal of no more than 1 HD (and back again) three times per day. This ability functions like the beast shape III spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per hill person level, or until he changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an animal the hill person is familiar with. The hill person retains the ability to speak in this form, though he can also make sounds appropriate to the form, and speak to creatures of the same general grouping (canine, feline, avian, etc.) as determined by the GM as though using speak with animals.
You can also attempt to use this power on another target, in which case it functions as baleful polymorph. However, you must roll a natural 20 on a d20 for this to work. Otherwise you transform yourself into the desired creature, as if you had used the reflexive form knack. (Though you can use luck of the hill folk to try this roll multiple times).
A hill person can use this ability an additional time per day at 6th level and every six levels thereafter, for a total of six times at 18th level.
As a hill person gains in levels, this ability allows him to take on the form of larger and smaller animals and elementals as an extreme measure. Each form expends one daily usage of this ability, regardless of the form taken. Any time the hill person uses this ability to become anything except a Tiny or Small animal of 1 HD or less, it counts as making an attack for purpose of his Lack the Ability to Do Harm class feature.
At 6th level, a hill person can use hill shape to change into a Medium or Large animal or a Small elemental. When taking the form of an elemental, the hill person’s hill shape functions as elemental body I.
At 8th level, a hill person can use hill shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal, or a Medium elemental. When taking the form of an elemental, the hill person’s hill shape now functions as elemental body II.
At 10th level, a hill person can use hill shape to change into a Large elemental. When taking the form of an elemental, the hill person’s hill shape now functions as elemental body III. At 12th level, a hill person can use hill shape to change into a Huge elemental. When taking the form of an elemental, the hill person’s hill shape now functions as elemental body IV.
Lack the Power to Do Harm (Su): The hill people dislike violence, and are blessed by powerful good fortune when they avoid it while maintaining strong hill people traditions. A hill person gains a luck bonus to AC and saving throws equal to his Charisma bonus. However, if the hill person makes an attack (as defined by the invisibility spell), they lose this power for 24 hours. Additionally, if a hill person multiclasses to the point they don’t have more “hill person” levels than all other combined class levels, they also lose access to this power.
Organize Notes (Ex): All hill people have a pile of notes, generally in the form of a loose shuffle of papers and mementos, but they can take nearly any easily-recognizable form, which contain their thoughts on mystic incantations, cooking, and anything else they find important.
These are never organized.
Each day you try to organize your notes. You can only do this once per day, and only after getting 8 hours of rest. This takes one hour, and resets your daily class abilities. Also, if you have not attempted to organize your notes for more than 24 hours, you lose access to one randomly determined hill person knack, plus one additional knack for every additional 12 hours. These return once you properly attempt to organize your notes.
Hill Person Knacks: You gain one hill person knack at 1st level, and an additional knack at 2nd level and every level thereafter. You cannot take a knack more than once unless it says otherwise.
Actions Give You Weight (Su): Hill people often place themselves at risk to aid others. As a standard action you can give an ally within 30 feet the benefits of your Lack the Power to Do Harm class feature until the beginning of your next turn. If the ally makes an attack (as defined by the invisibility spell) during this time, they lose this benefit and cannot regain it for 24 hours.
General Knack: You gain one general feat (a feat that is not also any other kind of feat) for which you meet the prerequisites, as a bonus feat. You may take this knack more than once. Each time, you must select a different general feat.
Great Chooser of Roads (Ex): You and your allies increase your overland travel speed by 10%, and do not have it reduced for terrain.
Minstrel (Ex): You have learned some of the storytelling and singing art of the hill people. You know spells and have spells per day as a bard of 1/3 your class level. Your caster level is equal to your class level. You must be at least 3rd level to select this knack.
Narrow of Purpose (Ex): Hill people are capable to being very focused, directing all their attention to a single goal. You gain Skill Focus as a bonus feat. Each day when you try to organize your notes, you may select what skill this bonus feat applies to. This must be a skill you have ranks in.
Pack Mule (Ex): Hill people can be surprisingly hearty when carrying large piles of gear. Your carrying capacity is tripled.
Reflexive Form (Su): If the result of an attack against you is a critical hit, or causes you to be unconscious or dead, as an immediate action you can expend one daily use of your hill shape ability to turn yourself into a tiny 1 HD animal. This causes the attack to miss entirely, doing no damage to you, but you are stuck in that shape for 1d4 rounds.
Rushed Flight (Su): Once per day you can expend one daily use of your hill shape ability to turn into a fireball that flies through the air at a speed of 1,000 miles per hour. You can do nothing but fly during this time, and if you touch down, hit an object, or are stopped or slowed down at any point the effect ends. Navigation in this form is difficult, and requires a Survival check with a DC equal to 10 +1 per 100 miles travelled.
Short in Stature (Ex): You are particularly slight of build, even for one of the hill people. While your weapon and equipment use, space, reach, and movement are determined by your true size category, for all other purposes you calculate your modifiers as if you were one size smaller.
Sweet Tooth (Ex): Many hill people are strongly drawn to sweets, from gooseberry pies to nut bars. However, they do not carry such things themselves, and do not wish to pay for them. You are one such hill person. If you acquire a dessert through a skill check (Bluff, Diplomacy, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth are most common), once during the next 24 hours you can use that skill check result in place of any failed skill check for a skill you have at least as many ranks in. If you acquire a new dessert with a new skill check before you use the old one, you can keep the new check in reserve if it is better, but you may only have one in reserve at a time. Once you use this ability to replace a skill check, you can’t use it again until you organize your notes.
Wide of Vision (Ex): Hill people are often very alert to their surroundings. You gain a bonus to Perception checks equal to half your class level (minimum +3). Additionally, if you succeed at a Perception check to act on a surprise round, you may choose to limit yourself to a move action while warning your allies within 60 feet of the danger you spotted, allowing them to also act on the surprise round.
Wishful Banter (Ex): Hill people are excellent at cheering people up and imagining better circumstances. Over the course of one minute, you can daydream about better circumstances for yourself, and a number of willing allies equal to your Charisma bonus (who must be willing to discuss things they would prefer with you). You and those allies each gain a +1 morale bonus to one d20 check made in the next 24 hours. The decision to use this bonus must be made prior to the check. The bonus increases to +2 at 5th level, and by an additional +1 for every 5 levels thereafter.
Luck of the Hill Folk (Su): Things just tend to go well for hill people, and their allies, and tend to go badly for those who wish them harm. Beginning at 2nd level, once per day as a swift or immediate action after a d20 roll of a creature within 60 feet has been determined to be a success or failure, you may immediately force the die to be rerolled. The new roll is used to determine if the original roll was successful or note. This second roll gains a bonus or penalty (your choice), equal to 1, +a value equal to 1/5 your level.
You gain an additional use of this ability at 4th level, and every 2 levels thereafter.
Hill Lord (Su): At 20th level if the hill person would lose the lack the power to do harm class feature due to making an attack or taking a hill form that isn’t a 1 HD or less animal, he can decide not to lose the benefits of the ability by expending a daily use of luck of the hill folk. This leaves the hill person clear to attack and take any desired form for 1 minute.
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Awesome 80s: The Kontos (Legendary Bladed Thrown Weapons, for Starfinder)
Some weird, awesome stuff came out in the 1980s, that impacted my geek trajectory significantly. The Awesome 80s line of blog posts is about sharing some of the things I have been inspired to create by movies, shows, games, and literature of that decade. In this case, it’s the Kontos, a legendary line of throwing weapons that remain relevant even with the prevalence of far-future technology.
The Kontos
The origins of the Kontos can be traced back to a small world of humanlike beings who possessed a feudal society with primarily analog technology. They had some rudimentary control of magic, but primarily used it for healing and magical metallurgy, with anyone attempting more advanced magic (such as shapeshifting) generally being at best half-trained and often seen as lacking the power to do harm. However, several lines of these people had innate psychic powers. Those lines often rose to positions of nobility and royalty. Inbreeding then caused their powers to weaken, requiring them to be channeled through devices such as the original Kontos, a bladed throwing weapon though could be controlled telekinetically by even the most latent of psychics. This weapon evolved from spears and lances and is still called by the same name, despite clearly not being a polearm.
This minor world likely would have gone almost entirely unnoticed if an invading aberration had not landed a teleporting magitech starship on the surface and, treating it as a nigh-impregnable keep, moved to conquer the world. This caused once-opposing factions to join, combining two royal lines in such a way that they could both maximize the effectiveness of the Kontos, and granting them (and their offspring) powerful pyrokinetic powers. This alliance defeated the alien invades, backwards-engineered its teleporting hybrid starship’s magitech, and within a generation became a powerful starfaring power, bringing duplicates and variants of the original Kontos with them to the stars.
Rapid Returning Fusion
At its base, the Kontos is a typical thrown weapon with a special weapon fusion. This functions as the returning fusion, but the weapon returns immediately after each attack, allowing it to be used to make multiple attacks in the same turn. It also gains the penetrating special weapon quality. However, a character must meet the prerequisites for the Psychic Power feat to gain these additional benefits—for anyone else it functions purely as a returning thrown weapon.
The rapid returning fusion costs 125% of a normal fusion, and all Kontos have it added automatically (it is included in their base price). As a result, all Kontos are magic items.
The blades on a Kontos retract automatically when they approach their thrower, making it safe to catch and throw again quickly. All Kontos have light bulk.
| Advanced Melee Weapons, 1-hand | |||||
| WEAPON | LVL | Price | Damage | Crit | Special |
| Kontos, guisarme | 1 | 490 | 1d4 S | Knockdown | Thrown (20 ft.) |
| Kontos, fauchard | 4 | 3,180 | 2d4 S | Knockdown | Thrown (30 ft.) |
| Kontos, volge | 8 | 12,710 | 4d4 S | Staggered | Thrown (50 ft.) |
| Kontos, corseque | 10 | 21,300 | 3d8 S | Staggered | Thrown (60 ft.) |
| Kontos, ranseur | 12 | 49,000 | 4d8 S | Staggered | Thrown (70 ft) |
| Kontos, sovnya | 14 | 95,100 | 6d8 S | Staggered | Thrown (80 ft) |
| Kontos, caber | 16 | 215,000 | 8d8 S | Staggered | Thrown (90 ft) |
| Kontos, glaive | 18 | 445,000 | 11d8 S | Staggered | Thrown (100 ft) |
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Owen K.C. Stephens 