#pahtra

Ykaskes and Lyra

Got my Starfinder crew all assembled. >:D Since my one friend and I can't find anyone locally who's interested in playing "Fly Free or Die" with us, I'm playing the full party by myself atm. Controlling all four units that happen to be my own OCs in their Starfinder versions makes it almost feel like a mini war-game, but I'm honestly so down for it!!

Ah, quantum physics, arguably the final frontier of theoretical physics. A lot of people can’t wrap their heads around it, and the metaphors used to describe it can often paint an incomplete picture. However, the gist seems to be that even smaller than protons, neutrons and electrons are quantum particles that seem constantly to change, or at least don’t have a set form until observed, and that there may be an infinite state of maybe-particles just beyond/behind/below space as we know it.

The vanguard class deals with the manipulation of how chaotic randomness creates entropy in matter and energy, so it only makes sense that some would be able to tap into the erratic nature of these quarks and bring forth for a few moments their infinite possibility.

This aspect was introduced in the Drift Crisis book, which makes sense as the galaxy was altered by the sudden crash and breakdown of the setting’s hyperspace dimension, causing either new abilities to be developed by the chaos, or at least tapped into as alternatives while an entire dimension used by every interstellar civilization was on the fritz. Thematically, quantum mechanics works very well as something to explore in this case, since victims of the crash and subsequent crisis were randomly destroyed, sent wildly off course into hostile space, or even ended up on other planes or even alternate material planes!

I could go on about how I disliked the Drift Crisis on principle, but I’ll just leave it at that for today. Suffice to say that I’ve been burned by setting-spanning events that leave the assumptions about the setting changed even after things settle down.

In any case, as we’ll soon see, these vanguards prove exactly what they can do with the chaotic energies of the quantum, which in some ways reminds me a bit of how witchwarpers tap into alternate realities and possibilities.

What is and what is not are blurry for these vanguards, making them surprisingly gifted liars. Furthermore, their focus on ever-changing states makes it easy for them to forcibly reposition foes.

Whether it is their own reactions or being forced to move or act by foes, these vanguards are changed by the interaction with other actors and observers, letting them squeeze a little more entropic power out of such acts.

The effects of quantum particles changing state on the matter that they form is not fully understood, but with an expenditure of energy or as part of a release upon being heavily injured, these vanguards can suffuse their surroundings with energy that warps reality and twists the properties of the terrain, making it difficult to traverse as the matter might break off in sheets, liquify, lose friction, and other strange effects. What’s more, the snap-back when reality reasserts itself is strong enough to throw off aim. Meanwhile, the improved version of the ability causes floors and walls to bond to those standing on or touching them, temporarily impeding movement for a few moments.

Finally, powerful vanguards that have this aspect as their primary can disentangle hostile weapons that strike them from normal reality, damaging or even breaking such weapons as they are shunted into the quantum.

A vanguard with this aspect loves their forced movement, reactions, and hindering foes, so a maneuver and battlefield control build is preferable. Definitely pick up weapons and upgrades for entropic strike that make it easier to take control of the battle and debuff foes.

As I mentioned briefly before, it would not surprise me if there was a connection between this aspect and the power of witchwarpers. Perhaps some of these warriors might have latent witchwarping powers, or studied witchwarping to develop the aspect. Either way, much like the reality-warping mages they probably share a similar worldview, having a fluid idea of what is and what might be.

It was hundreds of years of slumber in a flawed demiplane that transform the shatori into nearly immortal, but  sterile and eerie beings, their flesh altered to be nearly transluscent and their bones limned with light. Many are content to share their knowledge with others to better the universe around them. However, a shatori vanguard named. Lixos believes that by better understanding how the properties of their bodies were altered, it may be possible to reverse the process and restore their people to a more mortal, but vibrant future.

Rumors of strange sights and sounds have been reported in the abandoned housing projects of Beos Waystation. Paranormal investigators are called, but the sources of these disturbances is a young child who ran away from home after her powers over entropy and quantum mechanics awakened. Now, they are terrified of hurting someone with their newfound power.

Playing some Starfinder 2e on Sunday.