#conversion corner
Junk Shield (Mega Man 7)
One of the most fun things about the technomancer spell list is the array of “junk” spells, those that take nearby scraps of technology and transmute them into useful things, ranging from single-purpose junkbots to weapons and armor to barricades and more. Of course, when the system initially launched, those spells were considered by many to be somewhat impractical since not every game takes place in the slums or junk piles of a far future’s technological excess, but then they added spells and items that either create said junk as their primary effect or as a side effect, allowing the caster to utilize those spells anywhere as long as they can be given a round of prep time.
In any case, today’s subject joins those spells with one that similarly uses such scraps. The Robot Master Junk Man is exactly what he sounds like, a robot composed of scrap robot parts that Dr. Wily threw together into a robot designed to find more useful scraps for him to recycle. Junk Man is held together by powerful electromagnets, which is why he is vulnerable to an electric weapon, but also why his signature attack involves gathering nearby scrap metal into a protective barrier around himself, which simultaneously damages Mega Man if he touches it and paralyzes him briefly, in addition to making Junk Man briefly invulnerable.
The version that Mega Man gets causes three balls of junk to appear, orbiting him and absorbing attacks, but unlike other shield weapons throughout the franchise, these clumps of magnetized scrap are ablative, and can individually be destroyed, creating gaps in the protection. What’s more, many such shield weapons can be thrown, but the junk shield instead launches each remaining scrap ball outward from Mega Man rather than forward as a group, making it less useful for direct confrontation and more for striking foes coming from multiple directions.
Junk Shield
Class Technomancer 5
School Transmutation
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range Touch
Target 1 bulk of inert electronic equipment
Duration 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Description
You animate the scrap into three floating masses that orbit your body, protecting you from attacks. Each mass of scrap grants you 20 temporary hp and has hardness equal to your level, and automatically swivels to block damage from melee and ranged attacks, absorbing the damage themselves, though only one junk mass can be destroyed at a time, preventing any damage to you. The exception to this is area effects, which the masses still protect you from, but excess damage needed to destroy one mass bleeds over to the next, including to your own stamina and hp when the last one is destroyed. Additionally, effects that require a Fortitude or Will save that require a line of effect automatically fail, but those that do not, such as mind thrust, bypass the masses entirely.
Creatures adjacent to you at the beginning of your turn must also make a Reflex save or take bludgeoning and piercing damage equal to 2d6 per remaining mass. Success negates this damage
You may choose to violently dismiss this spell as a standard action, causing the remaining scrap masses to explode violently from your body in a 30 ft. radius. Creatures and objects other than you within this radius take 4d6 bludgeoning and piercing damage per remaining mass, with a Reflex save for half damage.
I’m still not fully sure of how damage scales for spells in Starfinder, but I thought this would be a fun way to play up an ablative barrier.
Pharaoh Shot (Mega Man 4)
The Mega Man franchise has been a staple of the video game world for a very long time, coming from humble origins of cutesy characters and a somewhat generic sounding name to a class gameplay loop of platforming, shooting, and puzzling out the uses for the unique weapons in the stages and against the bosses, so I thought I’d try my hand at making some fun weapons from the franchise into Starfinder spells, because let’s face it, a lot of Megaman’s arsenal are not suitable for standard weaponry, and those that are probably can already be emulated by weapons.
Anywho, let’s start off with one from Mega Man 4, the titular weapon of Pharaoh Man!
The Pharaoh Shot is a weapon that gathers solar energy into a compressed ball of plasma and fires it at foes. Pharaoh Man using both the uncharged version, hurling these balls at our hero, or charging it up to unleash a directed wave of solar plasma at him.
The version that Mega Man himself uses can either fire a small ball, or be charged up, appearing as a sun-like globe over his head, and then fired. The globe over his head can also damage foes, disappearing once it does so. That being said, either by design or due to programming limitation, the charged projectile can still be fired even if the globe disappears.
Solar Globe Blast
Class Mystic 3, Technomancer 3, Witchwarper 3
Schoolevocation (electricity, fire)
Casting Time Varies, see text
Range Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./ levels), see text
Target 1 creature
Durationinstantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance Yes
Description
You gather power into a globe of plasma resembling a miniature star, preparing to hurl it at a foe. Depending on how long you charge it, the globe grows larger and deals more damage. When you unleash the spell, make a ranged attack roll that target EAC. The globe deals damage based on the actions used to cast it.
If you cast the spell as a swift action, it deals 4d8 electricity and fire damage.
If cast as a standard action, it deals 7d8 electricity and fire damage.
If cast as a full-round action, it deals 10d8 electricity and fire damage.
Additionally, the caster may choose to strike an adjacent target with the globe as a melee attack that targets EAC. If they do so, they do not provoke an attack of opportunity from casting the spell.
This is my first attempt at creating a Starfinder spell, a tall order given that there are no published guidelines, but I think I did a decent job with it. Throughout the week I’ll definitely be getting more practice in.
