Playable mechs are about to hit Paizo’s Starfinder RPG, according to a recent blog post found on their community site.

Debuting back in 2017, the past year has been a rollercoaster ride for Paizo. Winner of the 2018 Origins Award: Fan Favorite Role-Playing Game, the rules for Starfinder builds upon their previous runaway success, Pathfinder. They have continued to support the game with new content this year and – in what feels like a “one more thing!” moment – they dropped not just one, but two more bombshells alongside the playtest aftermath!

Starting in July, the playtest gives fans of the franchise the opportunity to play a new class: the Nanocyte. These are nanite-filled cyborgs which turn the player character more machine-like by the day. The respective nanites are set to play a huge role, as much of the class’s abilities will center around them. From what little we know so far, the nanites can enhance a character’s abilities (such as strength), alter their appearance, and will help overwhelm their foes in combat. We’re thinking T-1000 style abilities. We’ll have to wait till next year to be sure, as playtesters will be under NDA.

The announcement we are most excited about, however, is the chance to pilot gigantic mechs around the myriad of planets within the Starfinder universe. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, a mech is a giant mechanical machine that is controlled by one or more players, greatly enhancing a character’s abilities. They have appeared in pop culture for decades and are perhaps best known from Gundam, the Pacific Rim movies, Voltron, or the Power Rangers’ cough Megazord… Who doesn’t want to see giant metal robots fight against other giant metal robots?

Building upon the existing tactical rules and 5-foot squares used in combat, players will feel right at home in these customizable machines. It’s not just weapons that can augment, you will also be able to customize the frame, limb, power core, and more. How involved they will be in a game is up to campaign creators, but there is no reason why we shouldn’t see entire campaigns exclusively dedicated to mech use. It will be interesting to see Paizo’s take on mechs and how they compare to those found within the Battletech universe. If they get it right, then Starfinder will become our one-stop-shop for space opera-themed games.

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Source: Paizo Community Blog