05-13-2017, 07:51 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-13-2017, 07:55 AM by Edward McGee.)
Collected Information on Starfinder
Last Update: May 12, 2017
I have tried to interpret what has been said to the best of my abilities. I can not guarantee any of this information will be present in the final iterations of the game, other than the information has been mentioned in various Paizo sources, interviews, and playtests, and contains some rephrasing for readability as well as some speculation when noted as such. I will update whenever I am able to. If you see any errors or missing information, or just want to voice your opinions, feel free to post on the Paizo Forums.
-Variel
Core Races
The Starfinder Core Rulebook will contain rules conversions for the core pathfinder races (such races will likely have a smaller role in Starfinder’s story however, with elves described as having returned to Castrovel and dwarves living their lives in star citadels mining asteroids), as well as the following Core Starfinder Races:
Human
You can probably guess what humans are like. If you can’t, welcome to Earth. We apologize in advance.
Lashunta
“The telepathic lashuntas are the most prominent race on Castrovel, and actually comprise two different subspecies, with children deciding which one they'll grow into during adolescence. Damaya lashunta are tall, poised, and adaptable, making excellent leaders and diplomats, while korasha lashunta are short, muscular, and headstrong, often serving as warriors or explorers. Both subspecies revere scholarship and self-improvement, and their natural charisma makes them popular with other races. Lashuntas traditionally live in matriarchal city-states fortified against the predators of the wild, but while they fiercely value their independence, these city states rarely engage in open warfare against each other, and come to each other’s aid in times of need—such as to defend against their ancient insectile enemies, the formians.”
Ysoki
Also called ratfolk, ysoki are clever engineers and scavengers. Their home planet is Akiton, located within the Pact Worlds system.
Kasatha
Four-armed, grey skinned, humanoids with spade-shaped alien faces. Their society teaches that their species’ mouths should be covered when around outsiders. Their home planet is called Kasath, a world outside the Pact Worlds system.
Android
Biomechanical humanoids produced by corporations. They have only recently regained their freedom, and some disregard human concepts such as gender as a remnant of their subjugation. Androids can theoretically live forever with proper maintenance, although most prefer to live a full life (usually around)—usually around a hundred years—and then voluntarily instigate a process called renewal. When an android goes through renewal, their soul leaves their body, allowing a fresh android soul to inhabit it. Most people consider this a joyous occasion, metaphorically equivalent to the old android giving birth to a child, and understand that a post-renewal android is an entirely new person who just happens to inhabit the same body. It appears that at least some androids wake up from renewal with some pre downloaded knowledge and memories. There are illegal colonies in the Vast that still enslave androids.
Vesk
7-foot-tall humanoid lizards with bone spikes on their heads. Female vesk are more colorful than the males. They are militant, with strict codes of honor, and their culture is based upon success in battle. Their focus on conquest led them to conquer the other planets of their system (outside of the Pact Worlds system), founding the Veskarium Empire. Drift travel enabled them to make contact with the Pact Worlds system, starting a war between the two systems, which encouraged the worlds of the Pact Worlds system to form the Pact Worlds Alliance. The fight between the two systems ended when they found a common enemy in the Swarm.
Shirren
The shirren are a race that were formerly members of the Swarm, a “locust-like race that traveled from world to world, consuming al it encountered”. A mysterious mutation caused the sub colony that would become the shirred to break of from the Swarm’s hive mind, giving the shirren a sense of self. They treat individualism like a drug and reject the mindless consumption favored by the Swarm. Eventually, they come to settle in the Pact Worlds system. “Shirrens are arthropods with chitinous exoskeletons, large compound eyes, and sensitive antennae that aid in their telepathy” They walk upright and have three-clawed hands. In addition to their two main arms, they also have two sets of smaller limbs extending from their thoraxes. These “mating arms” are weak and used primarily for ceremonial and reproductive purposes, with other usages being seen as shameful. Shirren have three sexes: male, female, and host. The male and female provide the sperm and eggs respectively, and the hosts incubate the fertilized eggs, also adding their own genetic material to the mix. The first two years of the shirren life cycle is spent in a wormlike larval form, and such larvae are often carried around in protective containers (It appears one such filled container is carried by the shirren iconic). Shirren can become “option junkies”, becoming addicted on making far too many trivial decisions. While freedom of choice is one aspect of shirren identity, they also remain highly communal.
Core Classes
Soldier
"Fighter++", the best at weapons, pick a weapons specialty, melee or ranged combat. Soldiers specialize in heavy weapons and armor.
Operative
“You’re a shadow. You move swiftly, strike suddenly, and always have an escape plan. You're a consummate professional, and always get the job done, whether it's scouting enemy lines, hunting down criminals, stealing and smuggling items, or assassinating key figures. As an operative, you're skilled in a wide variety of disciplines and specialties, and use speed, mobility, and your quick wits rather than relying on heavy weapons. You excel at the art of surprise, whether it's sniping targets from cover or striking while their backs are turned. Your cause may be righteous, but you have no problem fighting dirty—achieving your objective is all that matters.” The operative gets 8 skill points per level, and 16 class skills. They also get the operative's edge class feature graining a bonus to all skill checks (as well as initiative checks). The class also receives special bonuses at 7th level with any skill in which the character has the Skill Focus feat. The operative gains a fair base attack bonus (¾ progression), poor Fortitude saves but good Reflex and Will saves, light armor, and proficiency (and eventually specialization) with basic melee weapons, small arms, and sniper weapons. The operative can augment the damage done with basic melee weapons and small arms with his trick attack. A trick attack can be attempted regardless of the combat situation (no restriction to flanked or flat-footed targets). The operative must make an opposed skill check (normally Bluff, Intimidate, or Stealth, though class features can alter that) for the trick attack to function. At higher levels, the operative can also apply penalties to foes hit with a trick attack, beginning with the flat-footed and off-target conditions and expanding from there (potentially even applying such effects to sniper weapon attacks). Each operative selects a specialization. The specializations present in the core rulebook are daredevil, detective, explorer, ghost, hacker, spy, and thief. The operative’s chosen specialization has an effect on that operative's trick attack (a detective can use Sense Motive to activate their trick attack, for example), and grants bonuses to specific skills and access to new abilities. Operatives also have exploits—special tricks they learn as they gain levels to help customize their abilities. Increasingly powerful exploits become available as the operative gains levels. One example exploit, Cloaking Field, is available at level 10 (except for operatives with the ghost specialization, who receive Cloaking Field at level 5).
Envoy
“You make your way in the universe with a charming smile, quick wit, and keen sense of self-preservation, and excel at getting others to do what you want. You might be a trickster, hustler, or con artist, or you might serve as an actor, ambassador, or businessperson, paving the way for negotiation through kind words or the occasional dirty trick. You are often the group's strategist, using your quick wit and tactical acumen to push your friends to greater heights. You may also be skilled in diplomacy, serving as the face for a starship crew, talking your way into restricted systems or gaining audiences with local politicians or warlords.” Envoys excel in social skills. They have 8 skill points per level and 16 class skills. The envoy has an average base attack bonus (¾ progression), poor Fortitude saves, good Reflex and Will saves, light armor, and proficiency (and eventually specialization) with basic melee weapons, grenades, and small arms. Envoys gain the expertise and skill expertise class features at 1st level. Expertise grants the envoy a 1d6 expertise die that they can add to Sense Motive skill checks as an insight bonus, and skill expertise extends that bonus to one other skill. As the envoy gains levels, they expand the number of skills the envoy can apply her expertise die to and gains expertise talents, which give her additional options for those skills. These can extend the effects of a skill check, allow the envoy to perform acts the skill doesn't normally grant, or alter how long it takes them to use a talent. Each envoy also gets to select a number of envoy improvisations over the course of their career, beginning at 1st level. These allow the envoy to more directly hinder their foes and aid their allies. Many improvisations are sense-dependent, and some are also language-dependent or mind-affecting. Clever use of envoy improvisations can turn the tide of battle, as the envoy can bolster allies actions and defenses, warn them of impending dangers, and—with higher-level options—even give them additional actions in a turn. The envoy seems to have the ability to spend resolve points (the points associated with regaining stamina) to use certain class abilities. This was seen in the shown envoy improvisation, Clever Feint. Clever Feint is only a first level improvisation. There will also be improvisations that require higher levels (4th, 6th, and 8th) to select.
Mechanic
Fix things, ai or robot companion, jack into other computers. The robot is more like a combat animal companion than a familiar. Mechanics build their own custom drones or rely on an implanted AI to aid them in combat.
Mystic
Similar to oracle, closest thing to a cleric in Starfinder, channel mystical energies of the universe, does not have to worship the gods, energies not limited to divine, psychic/force like. Mystics channel the universe's mysterious energies, often through faith in a god. The xenowarden is a specialization for the mystic that is a druid like caster that “injects nature” into its environment. The mystic which is very intuitive, channeling universal forces. Their magic is “messy” and “biological.”
Technomancer
Space Wizard, combines tech and magics, study magic as if it was code, figure out the laws of the universe and how to break them, hacker-wizard. The technomancer is all about synergizing technology and magic, and kind of acting like a computer programmer who’s hacking the laws of the universe. They're very logical and very regimented and scientific. They dealing with magic, and often magic that can affect technology and work within those systems.
Solarian
Uses the magic of the balance of the universe, melee-caster hybrid, balance energy and entropy, using energy abilities weakens entropy and strengthens energy abilities and vice versa, energy is light and heat based powers and entropy is gravity based powers. Solarians shape the energy of stars and black holes into armor and weapons for themselves. Solarian powers don’t specifically have any morality attached to them. In every fight, the solarion starts out balanced and attunes themselves one way or the other during combat, with the side used powers becoming stronger, while the other sides abilities become weaker. They are mystical warriors who use stellar energy. Melee is very important to the solarian. Solarians “create either weapons or armor of this glowing energy.” "Half of them are using melee weapons made out of this stellar energy.”
Iconic Characters
Raia
Raia Danviri is a female damaya lashunta technomancer with the xenoseeker theme, which improves her ability to explore new worlds and interacting with new races and cultures. Her home planet is Castrovel.
Iseph
An android operative who has rejected human conceptions of gender. See Meet the Iconics: Iseph.
Obozaya
A vesk soldier. Because desk females are more colorful than males, I would guess that Obozaya is female, but I’m extremely colorblind so I could easily be mistaken.
Keskodai
A shirren mystic. Having three biological sexes and no currently known way to identify shirren sex or gender, I suppose you’ll have to ask them yourself. Keskodai appears to be carrying a larval shirren in a protective container.
Altronus
A kasatha solarian. I’m not any sort of xeno-neurologist or xeno-biologist. Based on the very limited references of kasatha names that I could find, I would guess that Altronus is male, however that is only speculation at best due to the scarcity of kasatha names for reference.
Navasi
A female human envoy who grew up in the wealthy districts of Absalom Station, known as the Nyori Palisades. She grew to resent her parents disillusionment with their station in life, and ran away to become a pirate in the Diaspora. The life of pirating was far different than the life of honor that she sought. Navasi was saved from her fate by the sacrifice of a woman she had become fallen in love with, and after her selfless death, Navasi took up the name of her savior, who is hinted as possibly being the god Weydan. Navasi has the outlaw theme. For a much more complete description of Navasi, see Meet the Iconics: Navasi.
Quig
A ysoki, or ratfolk, mechanic. Again, sex and gender are unknown. They’re a mouse. They have a flamethrower, and they might know how to use it. I would guess, and this is complete speculation, that based on their name Quig is male. This relies on the assumption that golarion ratfolk names take a similar format to the names of ysoki ratfolk, in which short and harsh sounding names sometimes containing Qs and Gs are used. This is purely speculation.
Skills and Stats
Known Skills
Acrobatics, Bluff, Computers, Engineering, Intimidate, Life Science, Mysticism, Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth. Gunnery and Piloting also appear to be skills present within Starfinder.
About Skill Design
Skills are to be condensed from their previous pathfinder incarnations. It is likely that there will not be as many skills. Skill choices will be modified to reflect science fantasy genre.
Health and Stamina
It appears that, at least under normal circumstances, a character’s stamina must be depleted before their health can begin to deplete. A character can “spend a resolve” to regain stamina, taking a 10 minute short rest to do so. You lose stamina first and you heal stamina back a lot faster. "You can get knocked down pretty hard on your stamina and then refill fairly quickly”. When you start losing hit points, it takes a longer time to recover.
Ability Scores
It appears that starting ability scores will be calculated in a different way that the current pathfinder point buy system that is used.
Miscellaneous Stats
Armor Class: Armor Class appears to be split into Energy Armor Class and Kinetic Armor Class. Targets can become flanked and flat-footed. Flat-footed is a condition, not a separate AC calculation. There is no separate touch AC. EAC and KAC are the only two calculated armor classes.
Saving Throws: There will still be reflex, fortitude, and will saves.
Alignment: Alignment still exists. It appears there will not be any alignment restrictions on mechanical abilities.
Damage Scaling: Damage scaling is rebalanced, with weapon damage scaling as well as spell damage.
Base Attack Bonus: Will be based on your chosen class. It seems that iterative attacks will be simplified.
Class Skills: Skills and number based on your chosen class.
Skill Points: Number based on your chosen class.
Armor/Weapon Proficiencies: Based on your chosen class. The weapon proficiencies are basic melee weapons, advanced melee weapons, small arms, long arms, heavy weapons, sniper weapons, grenades, and then there are special weapons. The only mentioned armor proficiency so far has been light armor.
Weapon Specialization: “every class gets weapons specialization…. with some weapons.”
Feats: Feats will be present, including Skill Focus and likely including Improved Feint and Greater Feint.
Initiative: Initiative checks will be present within Starfinder.
Combat Maneuvers: There is no CMB or CMD, though there are still combat maneuvers. There will likely be a change in the rules for grappling.
The Gods
Starfinder will have 20 core deities featured in their core rulebook. This does not necessarily imply that your favorite gods aren’t somewhere out there.
Starfinder’s Core 20
The core deities of the Starfinder Core Rulebook will be:
Abadar: The faithful of Abadar God of Commerce created a company called "Abadar Corp."
Iomedae: There possibly are cathedral ships of the Church of Iomedae.
Sarenrae
Desna
Urgathoa
Pharasma
Zon Kuthon
Weydan: God of discovery and equality.
Triune: A collective of artificial intelligences that became so advanced that it ascended to godhood. After its ascension, Triune gifted mortals with hyperspace travel.
And 11 other unannounced deities.
The Drift
What is the Drift?
The Drift is a hyperspace like dimension that can only be accessed through technological means, not magical ones.
Origin
The Drift was gifted to mortals by the god Triune after its ascension. Drift beacons, which appear to have been distributed by the followers of Triune, seem to ease drift travel to their locations.
The Effects of Drift Travel
Drift travel can have adverse effects on the multiverse. Depending on the distance traveled, pieces of the multiverse can be sucked into the hyperspace dimension, causing the dimension to grow and occasionally spitting out beings and pieces of other planes. A small jump can have little effect on the multiverse. However, a large jump can cause large chunks of the multiverse to break off into the Drift.
Traveling Through the Drift
The space in the material plane is broken into two types. Near locations are places with drift beacons nearby. Vast locations are places that do not contain a nearby drift beacon.
Golarion’s Disappearance and the Gap
Golarion is Gone (And the Moon Is Too)!
Golarion has vanished and the gods refuse to answer where it has gone. Golarion’s moon has disappeared with it. One of the objectives of the Starfinder Society is to solve this mystery. Golarion has not been destroyed.
So Where Is Everybody?!?
In place of Golarion, both literally and figuratively, is Absalom Station. It is a large space station built before the disappearance of golarion and the gap, which houses the governing body of the Pact Worlds Alliance.
What Was the Gap?
The gap was a multiverse wide loss of memory stretching back un unknown length of time on anything concerning Golarion and it's history. Memories and even physical/digital records concerning Golarion were lost. The time period that the gap encompasses is different for different locations. On one planet the gap may be 1000 years, while on another it may be 1005 years. Even the gods won’t tell what transpired.
Technology, Equipment, Crafting, and Currency
Technology and Gear Likely to Have Stats
The Starfinder Core Rulebook will likely include: spaceships, power armor, laser and plasma weapons, technological melee options, various types of grenades, cybernetics, power armor (but no mecha just yet), and magical enhancements. Batteries will need to be carried around like pathfinder’s ammunition.
Technology and Gear Mentioned In Lore
Technology that has been mentioned when talking about the Starfinder universe, but not necessarily an indicator of their inclusion in rulebooks, include: hovercycles and holo technology. The word infosphere has been mentioned, which in the context appears to be some form of planet dependent database.
Crafting
Starfinder’s crafting uses skill ranks to determine one’s ability to craft a given item, instead of using feats like in pathfinder. In order to craft something, your ranks in the skill used to craft that item must be equal to the level of said item. Crafting used UPBs (universal polymer bases) in order to craft items. The cost in UPBs is equal to the cost of the item, and also requires a certain period of time to construct.
Currency
Instead of using pathfinder’s coins, the currency of choice in Starfinder’s Universe are credits. Credits are compounded into “cred sticks”, an easily portable unit of exchange. The standard for the worth of a credit is the UPB, with one credit equalling 1 UPB.
Magic
Some things magic does cheaper and easier than tech, some things technology does better than magic. In the setting, the two mesh together. Why spend years learning to cast light when you can buy a flash light? There is both magic and “regular” healing.
Are The Various Types of Magic (Arcane, Divine, Occult) Still Around?
Yes and no. Magic as a mechanic has been simplified into a single magic system, without mechanical definitions for differences in arcane, divine, and occult magic. Despite there being no direct mechanical difference, a caster can still derive their power from a named source if they so choose for their backstory.
The Casters of Starfinder
All casters in Starfinder will be 6th level spontaneous casters. There are two casting classes, the mystic and the technomancer. Spells above 6th level are hinted to be available via other means (namely wish and miracle), but the means by which those spells may be accessed has not been elaborated upon.
Currently Named Spells
The spells that have currently been referenced in Starfinder interviews and podcasts are: Energy Ray, Fly, Supercharge Weapon, and Magic Missile.
Spell Scaling
Spells may be available at different spell levels than in pathfinder (i.e. in a setting with jet packs, should fly still require a caster to be fifth level to use?), and the damage that some spells do will scale differently to reflect the setting.
Archetypes and Themes
Instead of the archetypes of Pathfinder, Starfinder has archetypes and themes.
Archetypes
An archetype is a template that can be applied to any class for the most part (future archetypes could have stricter requirements geared towards specific classes, i.e. casters) to change its base abilities. There will be only one archetype in the Starfinder Core Rulebook. Unlike themes, archetypes replace certain class features. The archetype appears like it will replace similar class abilities for each class per archetype.
Themes
Themes, a sort of replacement for Pathfinder’s traits, are ways to use your character’s occupation or background for mechanical benefit. Themes do NOT affect class features. You get something from your theme at first level and continue to gain benefits at latter levels. The outlaw is a theme that knows about “clandestine things”, and black markets, and “sneaky things”. The xenoseeker is a theme which makes the character better at “exploring new worlds and interacting with new races and cultures.” Two other themes are the scholar and the ace pilot. The scholar theme seems like it will have have a "+1 ability bump” (I’m not quite sure what that means).
Starships
General Starship Combat
Starship combat has been described as battletech/spelljammer like as well as “Star Trek inspired with sprinkles of Firefly”. Ship combat is done “tactically” on a 2D hex grid, and direction the ship is facing matters. Overall it is very different from normal pathfinder combat. Starship combat is divided into three “phases”: the engineering phase, the piloting phase, and the gunnery phase. The actions of each ship in a phase happens simultaneously and is resolved among all ships before beginning another phase (i.e. if the player’s ship destroys an enemy ship during the gunnery phase, the destroyed ship can still act during that phase). Starship combat requires a lot of communication between players, you start combat understanding only what class ships you are fighting. Each player can take an action and a minor action each turn. Although ship combat is two dimensional, moving through opponent’s ships is possible. When your ships hp reaches 0 your ship is disabled, when it reaches another marker (I believe -100% of you ships hp) your ship explodes. Every time you do a total amount of damage to a ship’s hull that is a multiple of of its critical threshold, it takes a critical effect. For example a goblin ship with a critical threshold of 4 takes 18 damage to its haul. There are 4 multiples of 4 within the 18 damage done, so the goblin ship takes 4 critical effects.
Starship Roles
Every player has an important role in starship combat. Choice of class will not restrict one’s choice of starship role. Each ship role has a single skill that it uses to perform various functions. New actions for a role are unlocked with additional skill ranks in the relevant skill. The roles are as follows: captain, science officer, gunner, engineer, and pilot. Only one player each can be the captain and the pilot, however you can have multiples of other roles.
Captain: Acts during any of the phases, and encourages his crew members. Could give an order using an intimidate check one time per crew member per encounter instead of a diplomacy check that gives a very big bonus. Can give a crew member an extra action.
Science Officer: Manages knowledge checks to scan enemy ships (shields/weapons/tech).
Gunner: Manages the weapons, targets the enemies, and performs attack tricks. “Gunnery” appears to be the skill used by the gunner, based on the Starfinder space combat demo.
Engineer: Targets critical systems to aid the ship and direct the ship's power. Engineering appears to be the skill used by the engineer, based on the Starfinder space combat demo.
Pilot: Flies the ship, manages “stunts". Pilots can perform basic pilot stunts, and “especially talented pilots” can attempt an “audacious gambit”, which causes the ship to fly in unintended ways. The pilot makes the initiative check to determine turn order. Getting a higher roll means that the players can go later in the round, which is more beneficial than going earlier. “Piloting” appears to be the skill used by the pilot, based on the Starfinder space combat demo. The basic pilot stunts are:
Back Off: A basic pilot stunt. The pilot throws the ship into reverse, moving backward a few hexes.
Barrel Roll: A basic pilot stunt. By spinning the ship on its axis, the pilot allows the ship's port guns and shields to function on the starboard side and vice versa for 1 round. Hope your artificial gravity is turned on!
Evade: A basic pilot stunt. This stunt encompasses the standard dodging maneuvers, making the ship harder to hit for 1 round. But it doesn't shake those pesky target lock-ons!
Flip and Burn: A basic pilot stunt. The pilot moves the vessel forward a bit and turns it 180 degrees, surprising enemies who might have been in its wake.
Flyby: A basic pilot stunt. A dangerous stunt, this takes your ship very close to an enemy vessel (through its hex), which lets a gunner fire any of his ship's weapons at any shield arc of the foe, regardless of where the two ships end their movement. Executing this stunt poorly allows the enemy vessel to get a free shot on you!
Slide: A basic pilot stunt. The pilot moves the ship at an angle without changing the way it is facing, like a racecar drifting. This stunt is very useful for ships that aren't very maneuverable.
Turn in Place: A basic pilot stunt. Firing up maneuvering thrusters, the pilot alters the direction the ship is facing without moving it from its hex, possibly allowing a specific weapon to make an all-important shot.
The Ships
Players in starfinder will be able to have their very own starships. These upgradable ships to act like a separate character sheet that is shared by the party. The purchasing of starship upgrades is not tied to the Starfinder currency (credits) in any way, so starships can not be bought or sold for credits. Instead, there is a separate system for upgrading the parties ship(s). Ships have a maneuverability rating number, which is the number of hexes the ship must move before it can turn one tick on the hex axis. The ship has different arcs, or sides, with different stats (such as a shield stat) but has only one hp pool. When the ship hits a damage threshold or is the target of a critical hit, a roll is made to see if a critical system was damaged. Some ships have a.i. or computers that can help by attempting skills, however they are often not as proficient as players. The assumption for game masters is that players gain access to a ship by level 1. Some ships can be piloted by a single individual. Starship designs appear to very. Known ships include:
Drone Mk III: “a smaller ship fabricated by shirren manufacturer Starhive. As befits their name, Drones are extremely common and used as freighters, personnel transports, light colonial defense vessels, and more. Despite the ships' mass production, Starhive takes a natural shirren pride in making sure each ship's iridescent paint job is unique.”
Tyrant: “Built by the vesk munitions company Vindicas, the Tyrant is a dreadnought feared across multiple star systems. Huge weapon batteries tear through even the most formidable capital ships, while its hangars unleash squadrons of fighters to mop up foes too insignificant to be worth the Tyrant's direct attention.”
Atech Immortal: “Severe and pugnacious, the Immortal is the workhorse capital ship of Pact Worlds-based military fleets like those of the Stewards and the Knights of Golarion. Thickly armored and loaded with weapons, this cruiser rarely needs to fire a shot in most conflicts, as its mere appearance in-system can stop a conflict cold and send all but the most heavily armored militants running for the safety of the Drift.”
BMC Mauler: “Manufactured by the Blood Mountain Clans, the Mauler’s distinctive Y-shaped wing arms and central cockpit make it one of the most recognizable starships around. While Maulers can be flown in combat by a single person, making them popular with bounty hunters and other lone wolves, militaries usually staff them with two: a pilot seated upright in the bubble canopy, and a gunner behind the pilot operating via screens. A staple of the Veskarium, the Mauler once chewed through squadrons of Pact Worlds defenders before the cease-fire, and today remains the default fighter on most vesk carriers, as well as the weapon of choice for vesk pilots engaging in honor duels.”
Omenbringer: “Eoxian starship designs reflect their builders’ unique needs and aesthetics. Most Eoxian ships resemble elaborate bone structures or the corpses of vast creatures, though this is partially an illusion, as much of the bone is actually more advanced materials sculpted into their morbid shapes. Such ships are designed specifically for the undead, with large portions of the hull left open to space, no galleys or heads, and tight-packed workstations in which the crew might be expected to stand at their posts for weeks without moving. All of this makes Eoxian ships extremely difficult to take down in combat, and this is particularly of the massive Thaumtech Omenbringer...” “a carrier ship loaded with squadrons of nimble necrogliders.”
Necrogliders: These appear to be nimble ships capable of being carried within a Thaumtech Omenbringer.
Factions and Enemies
The factions and enemies listed here have been mentioned in various Starfinder related sources, however, some may not play as large a part as others in the overall story of Starfinder.
Factions and Companies
The Pact Worlds: Seems to be the governing body of the system in which Absalom Station is located. Their government is based on Absalom Station.
The Hellknights
Space Pirates: Including the Free Captains of the Diaspora
The Starfinder Society: Much like the Pathfinder Society, a group of spacefaring adventurers looking for secrets forgotten due to the gap. The Starfinder Society was formed from incomplete records about the Pathfinder Society.
The Sixth Finger: A starfaring thieves’ guild.
Starhive: A shirren starship manufacturer. One of their products is a small ship called the Drone Mk III.
Vindicas: A vesk munitions company. One of their products is a dreadnought ship called the Tyrant, a large and fearsome ship equipped with huge weapons and hangers for storing squadrons of smaller fighters.
The Corpse Fleet of Eox
Abadar Corp.
Stewards: They are “a police-like organization of warrior-diplomats sworn to maintain the Pact, who hunt down interplanetary criminals and preserve peace between the sometimes fractious worlds of the solar system.” The Stewards have their own spaceship fleet.
Xenowardens: Militant space environmental extremists. Xenowardens are into biotech, and use half-sentient living ships that are part tree and part ship. Their mission is to keep the sudden rush of expansion from overwhelming existing planets.
The Church of Iomedae
The Knights of Golarion: A Pact Worlds-based faction with their own spaceship fleet.
Blood Mountain Clans: Manufacturers of the BMC Mauler. They appear to be related to the Veskarium, likely a clan of vesk.
Thaumtech: Thaumtech appears to be a company which manufactures the Omenbringer.
Android Abolitionist Front (AAF)
Enemies
Outsiders: Outsiders have access to advanced tech. You may see angels with burning swords, but you may also see ones with plasma cannons.
The Swarm: Big race of interstellar, hive minded, insectoid bad guys.
Aucturn: Still there, uncomfortably close and the old gods minions are active there.
Goblins
Akatas
The Cult of the Devourer
Ksariks: “Large, dangerous quadrupeds who hunt their prey with acid spittle and spore-coated thorns, and can use stolen genetic material from their victims to temporarily emulate or defend against their abilities.”
Ellicoth: “Fifty feet tall and and weighing upward of 30 tons, ellicoths roam Eox’s radioactive deserts, feeding off the vital energy of other creatures. That includes the magical energies animating undead as well, making the giant beasts one of the few creatures capable of legitimately terrifying Eoxian settlements.”
Major Locations
Aballon
A Mercury-like planet inhabited by machine people. In pathfinder, this was home to two competing factions of aballonians. In Starfinder Aballon has a bustling android population and an orderly machine culture. It appears they Aballon also has a type of “tavern” called a “virus bar.”
Castrovel
“Castrovel is the second planet from the sun in the Pact Worlds, the solar system at the heart of Starfinder’s setting. Most famous for its steamy, continent-spanning jungles and dangerous megafauna, Castrovel actually hosts a wide variety of different environments, from rolling plains where ant-like formians build their massive hive-cities to frozen polar ice caps with their hordes of white-furred predators. It also plays home to not one but three major civilizations—yet even so, the planet’s native flora and fauna remain a constant threat, particularly the massive moldstorms capable of destroying all but the most robust technology.” The planet houses three main races: the lashunta, formians, and elves. The formians and lashunta are enemies. The memory loss caused by the Gap has made the elves of Starfinder even more Xenophobic than their Pathfinder predecessors. “Castrovel is home to an immense variety of predatory plants and animals—plus creatures like this ksarik, which fall somewhere in between. Ksariks are large, dangerous quadrupeds who hunt their prey with acid spittle and spore-coated thorns, and can use stolen genetic material from their victims to temporarily emulate or defend against their abilities.” One of Castrovel’s many locations is an ancient elven temple-city known as the Temple of the Twelve.
Absalom Station
A space station that has taken the place of the missing Golarion, Absalom Station is the base for the government of the Pact Worlds as well as a hub for Drift travel. The wealthy of Absalom Station appears to live in the sky-villas of the Nyori Palisades.
Akiton
"It’s much like Mars, but with a breathable atmosphere,”. In the past, Akiton had a prosperous mining industry, harvesting the minerals used to power starship engines. With the coming of faster-than-light travel, such minerals were no longer in demand, and Akiton's markets were hit by the sudden change. Akiton has become a planet of “rapidly degenerating civilization full of hardscrabble folks living in industrial trench cities” and “unregulated corporations fielding private armies in the planet’s red deserts.” Some of Akiton’s residents include: humans, ysoki ratfolk, shobhads, and the Contemplatives of Ashok (a personal favorite of mine).
Verces
“Verces is a tidally locked world, with one side always facing the sun, the other always facing away. Civilization exists primarily in the narrow band of habitable terrain along the terminator line, where day meets night, and the massive cities that have grown there ring the globe in a single massive urban sprawl. In addition to being at the forefront of Pact World technology and industry, Verces is also the birthplace of the Stewards, a police-like organization of warrior-diplomats sworn to maintain the Pact, who hunt down interplanetary criminals and preserve peace between the sometimes fractious worlds of the solar system.”
Eox
Eox, once a lush world, is a world of undeath. In the past, the rulers of Eox created a superweapon, which it used to destroy the worlds of their enemies. The destruction caused by this device created the asteroid belt known as the Diaspora, and set the atmosphere of Eox ablaze. The few survivors of the disaster turned to necromancy, turning Eox into a world of the dead. Many of the other Pact Worlds fear and resent Eox, but also see them as a valuable ally. Eox is home to a variety of undead, including zombies (which make useful automated servants), Necrovites (lich-like undead that store their souls in a technological relic known as an electroencephalon, which also rebuilds their body if it is destroyed), and bone sages (the powerful undead rulers of Eox). Another creature of Eox, the Ellicoth, is a fifty foot tall creature that roams the radioactive deserts of Eox searching for vital energies to feed off of. Because Eox’s undead populace is incapable of reproducing on their own, Eox imports corpses from other worlds to create new mindless slaves and undead citizens. The planet welcomes living visitors, including those wishing to do business or attend Eox’s magical academies, although there are few proper habitats for breathing creatures.
The Diaspora
A belt of asteroids formed from the destruction of two planets, the Diaspora also serves as the home of the Free Captains of the Diaspora and the Sixth Finger. One of the many rocks within the Diaspora is known as Broken Rock. The Diaspora also contains a command post for the Cult of the Devourer.
Liavara
“Liavara is a gas giant, with no solid surface at all, and those terrestrial races who come to mine its gasses or trade with the native creatures are forced to live on massive floating arcology platforms like this one. Much of the planet is held as a nature preserve by the Brethedans—gelatinous dirigible-like creatures who can alter their own DNA to produce whatever tools they need, from simple chemical compounds to tailored viruses. What's more, the Brethedans can actively merge together to create linked consciousnesses more intelligent and powerful than the sum of their parts, and some Brethedan biotech corporations are actually single massive entities consisting of millions of merged Brethedans.”
Bretheda
The gas giant home planet of the jellyfish-like Brethedans.
Aucturn
“Planet” inhabited by the minions of the old gods.
The Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild (SFSRPG)
SFSRPG Numbers
Your Pathfinder Society number will be your number for all three organized play programs: Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild, Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild, and Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. Starfinder character numbers will have a unique starting number, most likely 700, making your first Starfinder character XXX-701.
Similarities to the PFSRPG
The SFSRPG will still have quests and scenarios with Chronicle sheets. Adventures will be broken into tiers, grant XP, and provide other rewards. Three experience points (XP) grant a level. There are fairly cooperative factions within the Starfinder Society, based on their worldview and goals.
Differences to the PFSRPG
The SFSRPG will have a different campaign, rules, documentation, and characters than the Pathfinder Society. Along with starship combat, Starfinder scenarios will include the following tiers: Tier 1-2, Tier 1-4, Tier 3-6, Tier 5-8, Tier 7-10, and Tier 9-12. More tiers may be added as higher-level play grows in popularity. Characters have a means of belonging to more than one faction at a time. Starfinder Society characters will be able to gain favor with multiple groups, choosing which they want to champion on a scenario-by-scenario basis. But just like multiclassing, focusing on several groups won't see the same benefits as focusing on a primary faction. Boons come with a “bonus” and a “type”. After hearing the mission briefing, the player can assign a single boon for every type (i.e. a starship boon type allows only one starship boon to be used for that session). Boon types include starship, faction, and ally “boon slots.” At least one boon “levels up” with use. One of the factions of the Starfinder Society, known as the dataphiles, have an obsession with the acquisition and distribution of data. The dataphiles operate out of the archive section of the lorespire complex on Absalom Station.
Release Schedule
The Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild will launch with 3 scenarios, 1 pre-generated character special, and 1 quest pack at Gen Con on August 17th. After that, anyone may schedule Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild events, and one scenario will be published each month.
Release Schedule for Starfinder Rulebooks and Other Products
June 2017
Starfinder First Contact
August 2017
Starfinder Roleplaying Game: Starfinder Core Rulebook
Starfinder Adventure Path: Incident at Absalom Station (Dead Suns 1 of 6)
Starfinder Roleplaying Game: Starfinder GM Screen
Starfinder Roleplaying Game: Starfinder Player Character Folio
Starfinder Roleplaying Game: Starfinder Combat Pad
Starfinder Flip-Mat: Basic Terrain
Starfinder Flip-Mat: Basic Starfield
Starfinder Pawns: Base Assortment
Starfinder Pawns: Starfinder Core Pawn Collection
September 2017
Starfinder Cards: Starfinder Condition Cards
October 2017
Starfinder Roleplaying Game: Alien Archive
Starfinder Adventure Path: Temple of the Twelve (Dead Suns 2 of 6)
Starfinder Flip-Mat: Cantina
November 2017
Starfinder Pawns: Alien Archive Pawn Box
December 2017
Starfinder Adventure Path: Splintered Worlds (Dead Suns 3 of 6)
Starfinder Flip-Mat: Starship
Unknown
Starfinder Ninja Division Miniatures, including ship miniatures
all information was pulled from this document https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xIdR...JRYUI/edit# created by Piazo user Archmage Variel .
Last Update: May 12, 2017
I have tried to interpret what has been said to the best of my abilities. I can not guarantee any of this information will be present in the final iterations of the game, other than the information has been mentioned in various Paizo sources, interviews, and playtests, and contains some rephrasing for readability as well as some speculation when noted as such. I will update whenever I am able to. If you see any errors or missing information, or just want to voice your opinions, feel free to post on the Paizo Forums.
-Variel
Core Races
The Starfinder Core Rulebook will contain rules conversions for the core pathfinder races (such races will likely have a smaller role in Starfinder’s story however, with elves described as having returned to Castrovel and dwarves living their lives in star citadels mining asteroids), as well as the following Core Starfinder Races:
Human
You can probably guess what humans are like. If you can’t, welcome to Earth. We apologize in advance.
Lashunta
“The telepathic lashuntas are the most prominent race on Castrovel, and actually comprise two different subspecies, with children deciding which one they'll grow into during adolescence. Damaya lashunta are tall, poised, and adaptable, making excellent leaders and diplomats, while korasha lashunta are short, muscular, and headstrong, often serving as warriors or explorers. Both subspecies revere scholarship and self-improvement, and their natural charisma makes them popular with other races. Lashuntas traditionally live in matriarchal city-states fortified against the predators of the wild, but while they fiercely value their independence, these city states rarely engage in open warfare against each other, and come to each other’s aid in times of need—such as to defend against their ancient insectile enemies, the formians.”
Ysoki
Also called ratfolk, ysoki are clever engineers and scavengers. Their home planet is Akiton, located within the Pact Worlds system.
Kasatha
Four-armed, grey skinned, humanoids with spade-shaped alien faces. Their society teaches that their species’ mouths should be covered when around outsiders. Their home planet is called Kasath, a world outside the Pact Worlds system.
Android
Biomechanical humanoids produced by corporations. They have only recently regained their freedom, and some disregard human concepts such as gender as a remnant of their subjugation. Androids can theoretically live forever with proper maintenance, although most prefer to live a full life (usually around)—usually around a hundred years—and then voluntarily instigate a process called renewal. When an android goes through renewal, their soul leaves their body, allowing a fresh android soul to inhabit it. Most people consider this a joyous occasion, metaphorically equivalent to the old android giving birth to a child, and understand that a post-renewal android is an entirely new person who just happens to inhabit the same body. It appears that at least some androids wake up from renewal with some pre downloaded knowledge and memories. There are illegal colonies in the Vast that still enslave androids.
Vesk
7-foot-tall humanoid lizards with bone spikes on their heads. Female vesk are more colorful than the males. They are militant, with strict codes of honor, and their culture is based upon success in battle. Their focus on conquest led them to conquer the other planets of their system (outside of the Pact Worlds system), founding the Veskarium Empire. Drift travel enabled them to make contact with the Pact Worlds system, starting a war between the two systems, which encouraged the worlds of the Pact Worlds system to form the Pact Worlds Alliance. The fight between the two systems ended when they found a common enemy in the Swarm.
Shirren
The shirren are a race that were formerly members of the Swarm, a “locust-like race that traveled from world to world, consuming al it encountered”. A mysterious mutation caused the sub colony that would become the shirred to break of from the Swarm’s hive mind, giving the shirren a sense of self. They treat individualism like a drug and reject the mindless consumption favored by the Swarm. Eventually, they come to settle in the Pact Worlds system. “Shirrens are arthropods with chitinous exoskeletons, large compound eyes, and sensitive antennae that aid in their telepathy” They walk upright and have three-clawed hands. In addition to their two main arms, they also have two sets of smaller limbs extending from their thoraxes. These “mating arms” are weak and used primarily for ceremonial and reproductive purposes, with other usages being seen as shameful. Shirren have three sexes: male, female, and host. The male and female provide the sperm and eggs respectively, and the hosts incubate the fertilized eggs, also adding their own genetic material to the mix. The first two years of the shirren life cycle is spent in a wormlike larval form, and such larvae are often carried around in protective containers (It appears one such filled container is carried by the shirren iconic). Shirren can become “option junkies”, becoming addicted on making far too many trivial decisions. While freedom of choice is one aspect of shirren identity, they also remain highly communal.
Core Classes
Soldier
"Fighter++", the best at weapons, pick a weapons specialty, melee or ranged combat. Soldiers specialize in heavy weapons and armor.
Operative
“You’re a shadow. You move swiftly, strike suddenly, and always have an escape plan. You're a consummate professional, and always get the job done, whether it's scouting enemy lines, hunting down criminals, stealing and smuggling items, or assassinating key figures. As an operative, you're skilled in a wide variety of disciplines and specialties, and use speed, mobility, and your quick wits rather than relying on heavy weapons. You excel at the art of surprise, whether it's sniping targets from cover or striking while their backs are turned. Your cause may be righteous, but you have no problem fighting dirty—achieving your objective is all that matters.” The operative gets 8 skill points per level, and 16 class skills. They also get the operative's edge class feature graining a bonus to all skill checks (as well as initiative checks). The class also receives special bonuses at 7th level with any skill in which the character has the Skill Focus feat. The operative gains a fair base attack bonus (¾ progression), poor Fortitude saves but good Reflex and Will saves, light armor, and proficiency (and eventually specialization) with basic melee weapons, small arms, and sniper weapons. The operative can augment the damage done with basic melee weapons and small arms with his trick attack. A trick attack can be attempted regardless of the combat situation (no restriction to flanked or flat-footed targets). The operative must make an opposed skill check (normally Bluff, Intimidate, or Stealth, though class features can alter that) for the trick attack to function. At higher levels, the operative can also apply penalties to foes hit with a trick attack, beginning with the flat-footed and off-target conditions and expanding from there (potentially even applying such effects to sniper weapon attacks). Each operative selects a specialization. The specializations present in the core rulebook are daredevil, detective, explorer, ghost, hacker, spy, and thief. The operative’s chosen specialization has an effect on that operative's trick attack (a detective can use Sense Motive to activate their trick attack, for example), and grants bonuses to specific skills and access to new abilities. Operatives also have exploits—special tricks they learn as they gain levels to help customize their abilities. Increasingly powerful exploits become available as the operative gains levels. One example exploit, Cloaking Field, is available at level 10 (except for operatives with the ghost specialization, who receive Cloaking Field at level 5).
Envoy
“You make your way in the universe with a charming smile, quick wit, and keen sense of self-preservation, and excel at getting others to do what you want. You might be a trickster, hustler, or con artist, or you might serve as an actor, ambassador, or businessperson, paving the way for negotiation through kind words or the occasional dirty trick. You are often the group's strategist, using your quick wit and tactical acumen to push your friends to greater heights. You may also be skilled in diplomacy, serving as the face for a starship crew, talking your way into restricted systems or gaining audiences with local politicians or warlords.” Envoys excel in social skills. They have 8 skill points per level and 16 class skills. The envoy has an average base attack bonus (¾ progression), poor Fortitude saves, good Reflex and Will saves, light armor, and proficiency (and eventually specialization) with basic melee weapons, grenades, and small arms. Envoys gain the expertise and skill expertise class features at 1st level. Expertise grants the envoy a 1d6 expertise die that they can add to Sense Motive skill checks as an insight bonus, and skill expertise extends that bonus to one other skill. As the envoy gains levels, they expand the number of skills the envoy can apply her expertise die to and gains expertise talents, which give her additional options for those skills. These can extend the effects of a skill check, allow the envoy to perform acts the skill doesn't normally grant, or alter how long it takes them to use a talent. Each envoy also gets to select a number of envoy improvisations over the course of their career, beginning at 1st level. These allow the envoy to more directly hinder their foes and aid their allies. Many improvisations are sense-dependent, and some are also language-dependent or mind-affecting. Clever use of envoy improvisations can turn the tide of battle, as the envoy can bolster allies actions and defenses, warn them of impending dangers, and—with higher-level options—even give them additional actions in a turn. The envoy seems to have the ability to spend resolve points (the points associated with regaining stamina) to use certain class abilities. This was seen in the shown envoy improvisation, Clever Feint. Clever Feint is only a first level improvisation. There will also be improvisations that require higher levels (4th, 6th, and 8th) to select.
Mechanic
Fix things, ai or robot companion, jack into other computers. The robot is more like a combat animal companion than a familiar. Mechanics build their own custom drones or rely on an implanted AI to aid them in combat.
Mystic
Similar to oracle, closest thing to a cleric in Starfinder, channel mystical energies of the universe, does not have to worship the gods, energies not limited to divine, psychic/force like. Mystics channel the universe's mysterious energies, often through faith in a god. The xenowarden is a specialization for the mystic that is a druid like caster that “injects nature” into its environment. The mystic which is very intuitive, channeling universal forces. Their magic is “messy” and “biological.”
Technomancer
Space Wizard, combines tech and magics, study magic as if it was code, figure out the laws of the universe and how to break them, hacker-wizard. The technomancer is all about synergizing technology and magic, and kind of acting like a computer programmer who’s hacking the laws of the universe. They're very logical and very regimented and scientific. They dealing with magic, and often magic that can affect technology and work within those systems.
Solarian
Uses the magic of the balance of the universe, melee-caster hybrid, balance energy and entropy, using energy abilities weakens entropy and strengthens energy abilities and vice versa, energy is light and heat based powers and entropy is gravity based powers. Solarians shape the energy of stars and black holes into armor and weapons for themselves. Solarian powers don’t specifically have any morality attached to them. In every fight, the solarion starts out balanced and attunes themselves one way or the other during combat, with the side used powers becoming stronger, while the other sides abilities become weaker. They are mystical warriors who use stellar energy. Melee is very important to the solarian. Solarians “create either weapons or armor of this glowing energy.” "Half of them are using melee weapons made out of this stellar energy.”
Iconic Characters
Raia
Raia Danviri is a female damaya lashunta technomancer with the xenoseeker theme, which improves her ability to explore new worlds and interacting with new races and cultures. Her home planet is Castrovel.
Iseph
An android operative who has rejected human conceptions of gender. See Meet the Iconics: Iseph.
Obozaya
A vesk soldier. Because desk females are more colorful than males, I would guess that Obozaya is female, but I’m extremely colorblind so I could easily be mistaken.
Keskodai
A shirren mystic. Having three biological sexes and no currently known way to identify shirren sex or gender, I suppose you’ll have to ask them yourself. Keskodai appears to be carrying a larval shirren in a protective container.
Altronus
A kasatha solarian. I’m not any sort of xeno-neurologist or xeno-biologist. Based on the very limited references of kasatha names that I could find, I would guess that Altronus is male, however that is only speculation at best due to the scarcity of kasatha names for reference.
Navasi
A female human envoy who grew up in the wealthy districts of Absalom Station, known as the Nyori Palisades. She grew to resent her parents disillusionment with their station in life, and ran away to become a pirate in the Diaspora. The life of pirating was far different than the life of honor that she sought. Navasi was saved from her fate by the sacrifice of a woman she had become fallen in love with, and after her selfless death, Navasi took up the name of her savior, who is hinted as possibly being the god Weydan. Navasi has the outlaw theme. For a much more complete description of Navasi, see Meet the Iconics: Navasi.
Quig
A ysoki, or ratfolk, mechanic. Again, sex and gender are unknown. They’re a mouse. They have a flamethrower, and they might know how to use it. I would guess, and this is complete speculation, that based on their name Quig is male. This relies on the assumption that golarion ratfolk names take a similar format to the names of ysoki ratfolk, in which short and harsh sounding names sometimes containing Qs and Gs are used. This is purely speculation.
Skills and Stats
Known Skills
Acrobatics, Bluff, Computers, Engineering, Intimidate, Life Science, Mysticism, Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth. Gunnery and Piloting also appear to be skills present within Starfinder.
About Skill Design
Skills are to be condensed from their previous pathfinder incarnations. It is likely that there will not be as many skills. Skill choices will be modified to reflect science fantasy genre.
Health and Stamina
It appears that, at least under normal circumstances, a character’s stamina must be depleted before their health can begin to deplete. A character can “spend a resolve” to regain stamina, taking a 10 minute short rest to do so. You lose stamina first and you heal stamina back a lot faster. "You can get knocked down pretty hard on your stamina and then refill fairly quickly”. When you start losing hit points, it takes a longer time to recover.
Ability Scores
It appears that starting ability scores will be calculated in a different way that the current pathfinder point buy system that is used.
Miscellaneous Stats
Armor Class: Armor Class appears to be split into Energy Armor Class and Kinetic Armor Class. Targets can become flanked and flat-footed. Flat-footed is a condition, not a separate AC calculation. There is no separate touch AC. EAC and KAC are the only two calculated armor classes.
Saving Throws: There will still be reflex, fortitude, and will saves.
Alignment: Alignment still exists. It appears there will not be any alignment restrictions on mechanical abilities.
Damage Scaling: Damage scaling is rebalanced, with weapon damage scaling as well as spell damage.
Base Attack Bonus: Will be based on your chosen class. It seems that iterative attacks will be simplified.
Class Skills: Skills and number based on your chosen class.
Skill Points: Number based on your chosen class.
Armor/Weapon Proficiencies: Based on your chosen class. The weapon proficiencies are basic melee weapons, advanced melee weapons, small arms, long arms, heavy weapons, sniper weapons, grenades, and then there are special weapons. The only mentioned armor proficiency so far has been light armor.
Weapon Specialization: “every class gets weapons specialization…. with some weapons.”
Feats: Feats will be present, including Skill Focus and likely including Improved Feint and Greater Feint.
Initiative: Initiative checks will be present within Starfinder.
Combat Maneuvers: There is no CMB or CMD, though there are still combat maneuvers. There will likely be a change in the rules for grappling.
The Gods
Starfinder will have 20 core deities featured in their core rulebook. This does not necessarily imply that your favorite gods aren’t somewhere out there.
Starfinder’s Core 20
The core deities of the Starfinder Core Rulebook will be:
Abadar: The faithful of Abadar God of Commerce created a company called "Abadar Corp."
Iomedae: There possibly are cathedral ships of the Church of Iomedae.
Sarenrae
Desna
Urgathoa
Pharasma
Zon Kuthon
Weydan: God of discovery and equality.
Triune: A collective of artificial intelligences that became so advanced that it ascended to godhood. After its ascension, Triune gifted mortals with hyperspace travel.
And 11 other unannounced deities.
The Drift
What is the Drift?
The Drift is a hyperspace like dimension that can only be accessed through technological means, not magical ones.
Origin
The Drift was gifted to mortals by the god Triune after its ascension. Drift beacons, which appear to have been distributed by the followers of Triune, seem to ease drift travel to their locations.
The Effects of Drift Travel
Drift travel can have adverse effects on the multiverse. Depending on the distance traveled, pieces of the multiverse can be sucked into the hyperspace dimension, causing the dimension to grow and occasionally spitting out beings and pieces of other planes. A small jump can have little effect on the multiverse. However, a large jump can cause large chunks of the multiverse to break off into the Drift.
Traveling Through the Drift
The space in the material plane is broken into two types. Near locations are places with drift beacons nearby. Vast locations are places that do not contain a nearby drift beacon.
Golarion’s Disappearance and the Gap
Golarion is Gone (And the Moon Is Too)!
Golarion has vanished and the gods refuse to answer where it has gone. Golarion’s moon has disappeared with it. One of the objectives of the Starfinder Society is to solve this mystery. Golarion has not been destroyed.
So Where Is Everybody?!?
In place of Golarion, both literally and figuratively, is Absalom Station. It is a large space station built before the disappearance of golarion and the gap, which houses the governing body of the Pact Worlds Alliance.
What Was the Gap?
The gap was a multiverse wide loss of memory stretching back un unknown length of time on anything concerning Golarion and it's history. Memories and even physical/digital records concerning Golarion were lost. The time period that the gap encompasses is different for different locations. On one planet the gap may be 1000 years, while on another it may be 1005 years. Even the gods won’t tell what transpired.
Technology, Equipment, Crafting, and Currency
Technology and Gear Likely to Have Stats
The Starfinder Core Rulebook will likely include: spaceships, power armor, laser and plasma weapons, technological melee options, various types of grenades, cybernetics, power armor (but no mecha just yet), and magical enhancements. Batteries will need to be carried around like pathfinder’s ammunition.
Technology and Gear Mentioned In Lore
Technology that has been mentioned when talking about the Starfinder universe, but not necessarily an indicator of their inclusion in rulebooks, include: hovercycles and holo technology. The word infosphere has been mentioned, which in the context appears to be some form of planet dependent database.
Crafting
Starfinder’s crafting uses skill ranks to determine one’s ability to craft a given item, instead of using feats like in pathfinder. In order to craft something, your ranks in the skill used to craft that item must be equal to the level of said item. Crafting used UPBs (universal polymer bases) in order to craft items. The cost in UPBs is equal to the cost of the item, and also requires a certain period of time to construct.
Currency
Instead of using pathfinder’s coins, the currency of choice in Starfinder’s Universe are credits. Credits are compounded into “cred sticks”, an easily portable unit of exchange. The standard for the worth of a credit is the UPB, with one credit equalling 1 UPB.
Magic
Some things magic does cheaper and easier than tech, some things technology does better than magic. In the setting, the two mesh together. Why spend years learning to cast light when you can buy a flash light? There is both magic and “regular” healing.
Are The Various Types of Magic (Arcane, Divine, Occult) Still Around?
Yes and no. Magic as a mechanic has been simplified into a single magic system, without mechanical definitions for differences in arcane, divine, and occult magic. Despite there being no direct mechanical difference, a caster can still derive their power from a named source if they so choose for their backstory.
The Casters of Starfinder
All casters in Starfinder will be 6th level spontaneous casters. There are two casting classes, the mystic and the technomancer. Spells above 6th level are hinted to be available via other means (namely wish and miracle), but the means by which those spells may be accessed has not been elaborated upon.
Currently Named Spells
The spells that have currently been referenced in Starfinder interviews and podcasts are: Energy Ray, Fly, Supercharge Weapon, and Magic Missile.
Spell Scaling
Spells may be available at different spell levels than in pathfinder (i.e. in a setting with jet packs, should fly still require a caster to be fifth level to use?), and the damage that some spells do will scale differently to reflect the setting.
Archetypes and Themes
Instead of the archetypes of Pathfinder, Starfinder has archetypes and themes.
Archetypes
An archetype is a template that can be applied to any class for the most part (future archetypes could have stricter requirements geared towards specific classes, i.e. casters) to change its base abilities. There will be only one archetype in the Starfinder Core Rulebook. Unlike themes, archetypes replace certain class features. The archetype appears like it will replace similar class abilities for each class per archetype.
Themes
Themes, a sort of replacement for Pathfinder’s traits, are ways to use your character’s occupation or background for mechanical benefit. Themes do NOT affect class features. You get something from your theme at first level and continue to gain benefits at latter levels. The outlaw is a theme that knows about “clandestine things”, and black markets, and “sneaky things”. The xenoseeker is a theme which makes the character better at “exploring new worlds and interacting with new races and cultures.” Two other themes are the scholar and the ace pilot. The scholar theme seems like it will have have a "+1 ability bump” (I’m not quite sure what that means).
Starships
General Starship Combat
Starship combat has been described as battletech/spelljammer like as well as “Star Trek inspired with sprinkles of Firefly”. Ship combat is done “tactically” on a 2D hex grid, and direction the ship is facing matters. Overall it is very different from normal pathfinder combat. Starship combat is divided into three “phases”: the engineering phase, the piloting phase, and the gunnery phase. The actions of each ship in a phase happens simultaneously and is resolved among all ships before beginning another phase (i.e. if the player’s ship destroys an enemy ship during the gunnery phase, the destroyed ship can still act during that phase). Starship combat requires a lot of communication between players, you start combat understanding only what class ships you are fighting. Each player can take an action and a minor action each turn. Although ship combat is two dimensional, moving through opponent’s ships is possible. When your ships hp reaches 0 your ship is disabled, when it reaches another marker (I believe -100% of you ships hp) your ship explodes. Every time you do a total amount of damage to a ship’s hull that is a multiple of of its critical threshold, it takes a critical effect. For example a goblin ship with a critical threshold of 4 takes 18 damage to its haul. There are 4 multiples of 4 within the 18 damage done, so the goblin ship takes 4 critical effects.
Starship Roles
Every player has an important role in starship combat. Choice of class will not restrict one’s choice of starship role. Each ship role has a single skill that it uses to perform various functions. New actions for a role are unlocked with additional skill ranks in the relevant skill. The roles are as follows: captain, science officer, gunner, engineer, and pilot. Only one player each can be the captain and the pilot, however you can have multiples of other roles.
Captain: Acts during any of the phases, and encourages his crew members. Could give an order using an intimidate check one time per crew member per encounter instead of a diplomacy check that gives a very big bonus. Can give a crew member an extra action.
Science Officer: Manages knowledge checks to scan enemy ships (shields/weapons/tech).
Gunner: Manages the weapons, targets the enemies, and performs attack tricks. “Gunnery” appears to be the skill used by the gunner, based on the Starfinder space combat demo.
Engineer: Targets critical systems to aid the ship and direct the ship's power. Engineering appears to be the skill used by the engineer, based on the Starfinder space combat demo.
Pilot: Flies the ship, manages “stunts". Pilots can perform basic pilot stunts, and “especially talented pilots” can attempt an “audacious gambit”, which causes the ship to fly in unintended ways. The pilot makes the initiative check to determine turn order. Getting a higher roll means that the players can go later in the round, which is more beneficial than going earlier. “Piloting” appears to be the skill used by the pilot, based on the Starfinder space combat demo. The basic pilot stunts are:
Back Off: A basic pilot stunt. The pilot throws the ship into reverse, moving backward a few hexes.
Barrel Roll: A basic pilot stunt. By spinning the ship on its axis, the pilot allows the ship's port guns and shields to function on the starboard side and vice versa for 1 round. Hope your artificial gravity is turned on!
Evade: A basic pilot stunt. This stunt encompasses the standard dodging maneuvers, making the ship harder to hit for 1 round. But it doesn't shake those pesky target lock-ons!
Flip and Burn: A basic pilot stunt. The pilot moves the vessel forward a bit and turns it 180 degrees, surprising enemies who might have been in its wake.
Flyby: A basic pilot stunt. A dangerous stunt, this takes your ship very close to an enemy vessel (through its hex), which lets a gunner fire any of his ship's weapons at any shield arc of the foe, regardless of where the two ships end their movement. Executing this stunt poorly allows the enemy vessel to get a free shot on you!
Slide: A basic pilot stunt. The pilot moves the ship at an angle without changing the way it is facing, like a racecar drifting. This stunt is very useful for ships that aren't very maneuverable.
Turn in Place: A basic pilot stunt. Firing up maneuvering thrusters, the pilot alters the direction the ship is facing without moving it from its hex, possibly allowing a specific weapon to make an all-important shot.
The Ships
Players in starfinder will be able to have their very own starships. These upgradable ships to act like a separate character sheet that is shared by the party. The purchasing of starship upgrades is not tied to the Starfinder currency (credits) in any way, so starships can not be bought or sold for credits. Instead, there is a separate system for upgrading the parties ship(s). Ships have a maneuverability rating number, which is the number of hexes the ship must move before it can turn one tick on the hex axis. The ship has different arcs, or sides, with different stats (such as a shield stat) but has only one hp pool. When the ship hits a damage threshold or is the target of a critical hit, a roll is made to see if a critical system was damaged. Some ships have a.i. or computers that can help by attempting skills, however they are often not as proficient as players. The assumption for game masters is that players gain access to a ship by level 1. Some ships can be piloted by a single individual. Starship designs appear to very. Known ships include:
Drone Mk III: “a smaller ship fabricated by shirren manufacturer Starhive. As befits their name, Drones are extremely common and used as freighters, personnel transports, light colonial defense vessels, and more. Despite the ships' mass production, Starhive takes a natural shirren pride in making sure each ship's iridescent paint job is unique.”
Tyrant: “Built by the vesk munitions company Vindicas, the Tyrant is a dreadnought feared across multiple star systems. Huge weapon batteries tear through even the most formidable capital ships, while its hangars unleash squadrons of fighters to mop up foes too insignificant to be worth the Tyrant's direct attention.”
Atech Immortal: “Severe and pugnacious, the Immortal is the workhorse capital ship of Pact Worlds-based military fleets like those of the Stewards and the Knights of Golarion. Thickly armored and loaded with weapons, this cruiser rarely needs to fire a shot in most conflicts, as its mere appearance in-system can stop a conflict cold and send all but the most heavily armored militants running for the safety of the Drift.”
BMC Mauler: “Manufactured by the Blood Mountain Clans, the Mauler’s distinctive Y-shaped wing arms and central cockpit make it one of the most recognizable starships around. While Maulers can be flown in combat by a single person, making them popular with bounty hunters and other lone wolves, militaries usually staff them with two: a pilot seated upright in the bubble canopy, and a gunner behind the pilot operating via screens. A staple of the Veskarium, the Mauler once chewed through squadrons of Pact Worlds defenders before the cease-fire, and today remains the default fighter on most vesk carriers, as well as the weapon of choice for vesk pilots engaging in honor duels.”
Omenbringer: “Eoxian starship designs reflect their builders’ unique needs and aesthetics. Most Eoxian ships resemble elaborate bone structures or the corpses of vast creatures, though this is partially an illusion, as much of the bone is actually more advanced materials sculpted into their morbid shapes. Such ships are designed specifically for the undead, with large portions of the hull left open to space, no galleys or heads, and tight-packed workstations in which the crew might be expected to stand at their posts for weeks without moving. All of this makes Eoxian ships extremely difficult to take down in combat, and this is particularly of the massive Thaumtech Omenbringer...” “a carrier ship loaded with squadrons of nimble necrogliders.”
Necrogliders: These appear to be nimble ships capable of being carried within a Thaumtech Omenbringer.
Factions and Enemies
The factions and enemies listed here have been mentioned in various Starfinder related sources, however, some may not play as large a part as others in the overall story of Starfinder.
Factions and Companies
The Pact Worlds: Seems to be the governing body of the system in which Absalom Station is located. Their government is based on Absalom Station.
The Hellknights
Space Pirates: Including the Free Captains of the Diaspora
The Starfinder Society: Much like the Pathfinder Society, a group of spacefaring adventurers looking for secrets forgotten due to the gap. The Starfinder Society was formed from incomplete records about the Pathfinder Society.
The Sixth Finger: A starfaring thieves’ guild.
Starhive: A shirren starship manufacturer. One of their products is a small ship called the Drone Mk III.
Vindicas: A vesk munitions company. One of their products is a dreadnought ship called the Tyrant, a large and fearsome ship equipped with huge weapons and hangers for storing squadrons of smaller fighters.
The Corpse Fleet of Eox
Abadar Corp.
Stewards: They are “a police-like organization of warrior-diplomats sworn to maintain the Pact, who hunt down interplanetary criminals and preserve peace between the sometimes fractious worlds of the solar system.” The Stewards have their own spaceship fleet.
Xenowardens: Militant space environmental extremists. Xenowardens are into biotech, and use half-sentient living ships that are part tree and part ship. Their mission is to keep the sudden rush of expansion from overwhelming existing planets.
The Church of Iomedae
The Knights of Golarion: A Pact Worlds-based faction with their own spaceship fleet.
Blood Mountain Clans: Manufacturers of the BMC Mauler. They appear to be related to the Veskarium, likely a clan of vesk.
Thaumtech: Thaumtech appears to be a company which manufactures the Omenbringer.
Android Abolitionist Front (AAF)
Enemies
Outsiders: Outsiders have access to advanced tech. You may see angels with burning swords, but you may also see ones with plasma cannons.
The Swarm: Big race of interstellar, hive minded, insectoid bad guys.
Aucturn: Still there, uncomfortably close and the old gods minions are active there.
Goblins
Akatas
The Cult of the Devourer
Ksariks: “Large, dangerous quadrupeds who hunt their prey with acid spittle and spore-coated thorns, and can use stolen genetic material from their victims to temporarily emulate or defend against their abilities.”
Ellicoth: “Fifty feet tall and and weighing upward of 30 tons, ellicoths roam Eox’s radioactive deserts, feeding off the vital energy of other creatures. That includes the magical energies animating undead as well, making the giant beasts one of the few creatures capable of legitimately terrifying Eoxian settlements.”
Major Locations
Aballon
A Mercury-like planet inhabited by machine people. In pathfinder, this was home to two competing factions of aballonians. In Starfinder Aballon has a bustling android population and an orderly machine culture. It appears they Aballon also has a type of “tavern” called a “virus bar.”
Castrovel
“Castrovel is the second planet from the sun in the Pact Worlds, the solar system at the heart of Starfinder’s setting. Most famous for its steamy, continent-spanning jungles and dangerous megafauna, Castrovel actually hosts a wide variety of different environments, from rolling plains where ant-like formians build their massive hive-cities to frozen polar ice caps with their hordes of white-furred predators. It also plays home to not one but three major civilizations—yet even so, the planet’s native flora and fauna remain a constant threat, particularly the massive moldstorms capable of destroying all but the most robust technology.” The planet houses three main races: the lashunta, formians, and elves. The formians and lashunta are enemies. The memory loss caused by the Gap has made the elves of Starfinder even more Xenophobic than their Pathfinder predecessors. “Castrovel is home to an immense variety of predatory plants and animals—plus creatures like this ksarik, which fall somewhere in between. Ksariks are large, dangerous quadrupeds who hunt their prey with acid spittle and spore-coated thorns, and can use stolen genetic material from their victims to temporarily emulate or defend against their abilities.” One of Castrovel’s many locations is an ancient elven temple-city known as the Temple of the Twelve.
Absalom Station
A space station that has taken the place of the missing Golarion, Absalom Station is the base for the government of the Pact Worlds as well as a hub for Drift travel. The wealthy of Absalom Station appears to live in the sky-villas of the Nyori Palisades.
Akiton
"It’s much like Mars, but with a breathable atmosphere,”. In the past, Akiton had a prosperous mining industry, harvesting the minerals used to power starship engines. With the coming of faster-than-light travel, such minerals were no longer in demand, and Akiton's markets were hit by the sudden change. Akiton has become a planet of “rapidly degenerating civilization full of hardscrabble folks living in industrial trench cities” and “unregulated corporations fielding private armies in the planet’s red deserts.” Some of Akiton’s residents include: humans, ysoki ratfolk, shobhads, and the Contemplatives of Ashok (a personal favorite of mine).
Verces
“Verces is a tidally locked world, with one side always facing the sun, the other always facing away. Civilization exists primarily in the narrow band of habitable terrain along the terminator line, where day meets night, and the massive cities that have grown there ring the globe in a single massive urban sprawl. In addition to being at the forefront of Pact World technology and industry, Verces is also the birthplace of the Stewards, a police-like organization of warrior-diplomats sworn to maintain the Pact, who hunt down interplanetary criminals and preserve peace between the sometimes fractious worlds of the solar system.”
Eox
Eox, once a lush world, is a world of undeath. In the past, the rulers of Eox created a superweapon, which it used to destroy the worlds of their enemies. The destruction caused by this device created the asteroid belt known as the Diaspora, and set the atmosphere of Eox ablaze. The few survivors of the disaster turned to necromancy, turning Eox into a world of the dead. Many of the other Pact Worlds fear and resent Eox, but also see them as a valuable ally. Eox is home to a variety of undead, including zombies (which make useful automated servants), Necrovites (lich-like undead that store their souls in a technological relic known as an electroencephalon, which also rebuilds their body if it is destroyed), and bone sages (the powerful undead rulers of Eox). Another creature of Eox, the Ellicoth, is a fifty foot tall creature that roams the radioactive deserts of Eox searching for vital energies to feed off of. Because Eox’s undead populace is incapable of reproducing on their own, Eox imports corpses from other worlds to create new mindless slaves and undead citizens. The planet welcomes living visitors, including those wishing to do business or attend Eox’s magical academies, although there are few proper habitats for breathing creatures.
The Diaspora
A belt of asteroids formed from the destruction of two planets, the Diaspora also serves as the home of the Free Captains of the Diaspora and the Sixth Finger. One of the many rocks within the Diaspora is known as Broken Rock. The Diaspora also contains a command post for the Cult of the Devourer.
Liavara
“Liavara is a gas giant, with no solid surface at all, and those terrestrial races who come to mine its gasses or trade with the native creatures are forced to live on massive floating arcology platforms like this one. Much of the planet is held as a nature preserve by the Brethedans—gelatinous dirigible-like creatures who can alter their own DNA to produce whatever tools they need, from simple chemical compounds to tailored viruses. What's more, the Brethedans can actively merge together to create linked consciousnesses more intelligent and powerful than the sum of their parts, and some Brethedan biotech corporations are actually single massive entities consisting of millions of merged Brethedans.”
Bretheda
The gas giant home planet of the jellyfish-like Brethedans.
Aucturn
“Planet” inhabited by the minions of the old gods.
The Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild (SFSRPG)
SFSRPG Numbers
Your Pathfinder Society number will be your number for all three organized play programs: Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild, Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild, and Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. Starfinder character numbers will have a unique starting number, most likely 700, making your first Starfinder character XXX-701.
Similarities to the PFSRPG
The SFSRPG will still have quests and scenarios with Chronicle sheets. Adventures will be broken into tiers, grant XP, and provide other rewards. Three experience points (XP) grant a level. There are fairly cooperative factions within the Starfinder Society, based on their worldview and goals.
Differences to the PFSRPG
The SFSRPG will have a different campaign, rules, documentation, and characters than the Pathfinder Society. Along with starship combat, Starfinder scenarios will include the following tiers: Tier 1-2, Tier 1-4, Tier 3-6, Tier 5-8, Tier 7-10, and Tier 9-12. More tiers may be added as higher-level play grows in popularity. Characters have a means of belonging to more than one faction at a time. Starfinder Society characters will be able to gain favor with multiple groups, choosing which they want to champion on a scenario-by-scenario basis. But just like multiclassing, focusing on several groups won't see the same benefits as focusing on a primary faction. Boons come with a “bonus” and a “type”. After hearing the mission briefing, the player can assign a single boon for every type (i.e. a starship boon type allows only one starship boon to be used for that session). Boon types include starship, faction, and ally “boon slots.” At least one boon “levels up” with use. One of the factions of the Starfinder Society, known as the dataphiles, have an obsession with the acquisition and distribution of data. The dataphiles operate out of the archive section of the lorespire complex on Absalom Station.
Release Schedule
The Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild will launch with 3 scenarios, 1 pre-generated character special, and 1 quest pack at Gen Con on August 17th. After that, anyone may schedule Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild events, and one scenario will be published each month.
Release Schedule for Starfinder Rulebooks and Other Products
June 2017
Starfinder First Contact
August 2017
Starfinder Roleplaying Game: Starfinder Core Rulebook
Starfinder Adventure Path: Incident at Absalom Station (Dead Suns 1 of 6)
Starfinder Roleplaying Game: Starfinder GM Screen
Starfinder Roleplaying Game: Starfinder Player Character Folio
Starfinder Roleplaying Game: Starfinder Combat Pad
Starfinder Flip-Mat: Basic Terrain
Starfinder Flip-Mat: Basic Starfield
Starfinder Pawns: Base Assortment
Starfinder Pawns: Starfinder Core Pawn Collection
September 2017
Starfinder Cards: Starfinder Condition Cards
October 2017
Starfinder Roleplaying Game: Alien Archive
Starfinder Adventure Path: Temple of the Twelve (Dead Suns 2 of 6)
Starfinder Flip-Mat: Cantina
November 2017
Starfinder Pawns: Alien Archive Pawn Box
December 2017
Starfinder Adventure Path: Splintered Worlds (Dead Suns 3 of 6)
Starfinder Flip-Mat: Starship
Unknown
Starfinder Ninja Division Miniatures, including ship miniatures
all information was pulled from this document https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xIdR...JRYUI/edit# created by Piazo user Archmage Variel .