Class Feature Friday: Augmentation Focus (Evolutionist Evolutionary Focus)
(Art by Abner Cheah Hao Jie on Artstation)
With another Starfinder entry on Friday, it’s time to introduce a new class that came out fairly recently, the Evolutionist!
Whether it be by physical mutation, cybernetic augmentation and full mechanical transformation, transforming oneself into an eldritch being, or even embracing undeath, the evolutionist class is all about transcending the limits of one’s own species and becoming something more. If this setting only had humans we would call this transhumanism, but I’m not sure what the alternative would be.
However, in addition to those four possible paths, which have their own multitude of branches to focus on and explore as sure as there are infinite forms out there that someone might want to become, there are also different specializations to the class, which are called Evolutionary Foci, representing how they choose to utilize the transformation they are cultivating in their bodies.
In particular, today we are focusing on the Augmentation focus, which specializes in having a lot of different augmentations (preferably of their niche (subtype of augmentation, such as biotech, cybernetics, magitech, and necrotech)) within their bodies.
I imagine such individuals have a burning need to get their body just right to fit their personal vision of themselves, not only gaining all the abilities they could ever ask for, but also matching their appearance to what they have in their head. Some may end up being living swiss army knives or have their augs be tailored to a specific job or fighting style. Either way, their bodies accept augmentations and changes in a way that leaves doctors and scientists in awe.
All evolutionists gain a free augmentation they can change as they grow, but those that specialize in augmentation gain a second, albeit slightly weaker one. Additionally, their bodies accept augmentations from their niche even more readily than other practitioners of this path, allowing them to purchase and install them for an increasingly reduced price.
Additionally, they eventually also gain the ability to install up to two extra augmentations into two different systems that already have an augmentation, adding to their arsenal of abilities.
If you really love augmentations, either for the utility that cannot be disarmed or the combat potential, this focus may be what you’re looking for with this class. I would personally recommend boosting your pool of resolve points with the Extra Resolve feat and other methods, since a lot of augmentations that grant activated abilities instead of just passive buffs let you use resolve to activate them additional times per day. Whether you want to build them with combat in mind or a variety of mobility and utility options, however, is up to you. Also keep in mind what sort of augmentations appear in each list.
Like I said earlier, this focus seems to be for those who are either becoming evolutionists for practical reasons, or more likely, are doing it to become their perfect self. Whether your transgender, genderqueer, or otherwise have body dysphoria, I think a lot of us can relate to that. Even if you haven’t experienced things like that, it’s worth considering what your character thinks their “perfect form” would be, even if you don’t take this specific focus. After all, whether they are trying to become a perfect fusion of flesh and machine (or replacing the flesh entirely), an undead paragon, a perfect organism, or an eldritch hybrid of mortal and some other cosmic being such as an outsider or even some magical beast like a dragon, there is a lot to consider in the path to perfection.
Ilgashi has always feared death, and no amount of religion or philosophy could assauage the korasha lashunta. So, they turned to the path to undeath, and have been meticulously hand-picking their every vital organ ever since then in preparation for eternity. If you’re going to exist functionally forever, you might as well like the vessel you’re in, right?
Eager to be able to live off sunlight, but not being able to accept plant DNA on account of allergic rejection, an evolutionist hires the party to make a trip to a jungle world populated by tashtari “laser wolves” for a genetic sample, incorporating their solar panel-like scales into their body.
The red snow of Karakosh, actually iron-laced volcanic ash, is an eerie and beautiful sight, but one all to common to the hermit living on the undeveloped world. Descriptions of the individual by prospectors suggest that he might be the person of interest the party is searching for, a scientist who became more machine than flesh while pursuing dubious research for a corporation that is now under investigation.