Chapter 1: Introduction
Source Player Core pg. 5
Starfinder is a science fantasy tabletop roleplaying game (RPG) where you and a group of friends gather to play out a story of daring adventurers exploring a galaxy filled with impossible magic, amazing technology, and fantastical alien cultures. More importantly, Starfinder is a game where your character's choices determine how the story unfolds.
Starfinder takes place following the Gap, an era of collective memory loss. Explore a galaxy full of magic and mystery, from the vibrant worlds and bustling satellites of the Pact Worlds to cosmic wonders and warring civilizations in Near Space or the distant regions of the perilous Vast. A Starfinder character's adventures might take them to sleepless megacities full of technological marvels, rugged alien planets prowled by dangerous monsters, or magical installations orbiting distant stars. Worlds of endless possibility await!
Starfinder takes place following the Gap, an era of collective memory loss. Explore a galaxy full of magic and mystery, from the vibrant worlds and bustling satellites of the Pact Worlds to cosmic wonders and warring civilizations in Near Space or the distant regions of the perilous Vast. A Starfinder character's adventures might take them to sleepless megacities full of technological marvels, rugged alien planets prowled by dangerous monsters, or magical installations orbiting distant stars. Worlds of endless possibility await!
What is a Roleplaying Game?
Source Player Core pg. 5
A roleplaying game is an interactive story where one player, the Game Master (GM), sets the scene and presents challenges, while other players take the roles of player characters (PCs) and attempt to overcome those challenges. Danger comes in the form of monsters, hostile tech, and alien environments, but Starfinder conflicts also involve political schemes, puzzles, interpersonal drama, and more.
The game is typically played in a group of four to seven players, with one of those players serving as the group's GM. The GM prepares, presents, and presides over the game's setting and story, posing challenges and playing adversaries, allies, and bystanders alike. As each scene flows, every player contributes to the story, responding to situations according to the personality and abilities of their character. Combined with preassigned statistics, dice rolls add an element of chance to the game and determine whether characters succeed or fail at actions.
The game is typically played in a group of four to seven players, with one of those players serving as the group's GM. The GM prepares, presents, and presides over the game's setting and story, posing challenges and playing adversaries, allies, and bystanders alike. As each scene flows, every player contributes to the story, responding to situations according to the personality and abilities of their character. Combined with preassigned statistics, dice rolls add an element of chance to the game and determine whether characters succeed or fail at actions.
The Flow of the Game
Source Player Core pg. 5
Starfinder is played in sessions during which players gather in person or online for a few hours to play the game. A complete story can be as short as a single session, often referred to as a “one-shot,” or it can stretch for multiple sessions, forming a campaign that might last for months or even years. If the GM enjoys telling the story and the players are entertained, the game can go on for as long as you like.
A session can be mostly action, featuring battles with ferocious monsters, hacking computer terminals and magitech traps, and the completion of heroic missions. Alternatively, it could include unionizing miners on an asteroid teeming with megafauna, infiltrating a galactic empire's military, or bargaining with enigmatic spectras for a starship's speedy passage through the Drift. Ultimately, it's up to you and your group to determine what kind of game you're playing, from exploration of uncharted space to an intergalactic political drama, or anything in between.
A session can be mostly action, featuring battles with ferocious monsters, hacking computer terminals and magitech traps, and the completion of heroic missions. Alternatively, it could include unionizing miners on an asteroid teeming with megafauna, infiltrating a galactic empire's military, or bargaining with enigmatic spectras for a starship's speedy passage through the Drift. Ultimately, it's up to you and your group to determine what kind of game you're playing, from exploration of uncharted space to an intergalactic political drama, or anything in between.
The Players
Source Player Core pg. 5
Everyone involved in a Starfinder game is a player, including the Game Master, but for the sake of simplicity, “player” usually refers to participants other than the GM. Before the game begins, players invent a history and personality for their characters, using the rules to determine their characters' statistics, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. The GM might limit the options available to the players during character creation, but these restrictions should be discussed ahead of time so everyone can create interesting heroes. In general, the only limits to character concepts are the players' imaginations and the GM's guidelines.
During the game, players describe the actions their characters take and roll dice, using their characters' abilities. The GM resolves the outcome of these actions. Some players enjoy acting out (or roleplaying) what they do as if they were their characters, while others describe their characters' actions as if they were telling a story. Do whatever feels best!
If this is your first experience with a roleplaying game, it's recommended that you take on the role of a player to familiarize yourself with the rules and the galaxy.
During the game, players describe the actions their characters take and roll dice, using their characters' abilities. The GM resolves the outcome of these actions. Some players enjoy acting out (or roleplaying) what they do as if they were their characters, while others describe their characters' actions as if they were telling a story. Do whatever feels best!
If this is your first experience with a roleplaying game, it's recommended that you take on the role of a player to familiarize yourself with the rules and the galaxy.
The Game Master
Source Player Core pg. 6
While the other players create and control their characters, the Game Master (or GM) is in charge of the story and setting.
The GM describes all the situations the player characters experience in an adventure, considers how the actions of player characters affect the story, and interprets the rules along the way. The Game Master uses the rules and advice found in Starfinder GM Core.
The GM can create a new adventure—crafting a narrative, selecting monsters, and assigning rewards on their own— or they can instead rely on a published adventure, using it as a basis for the session and modifying it as needed to accommodate their individual players and the group's style of play. Some GMs run games that combine original and published content, mixing both together to form a new story.
Being the GM is a challenge, requiring you to adjudicate the rules, narrate the story, and juggle other responsibilities. But it can also be very rewarding and worth all the work required to run a good game. If it's your first time running a game, remember that the only thing that matters is that everyone, including you, has a fun time. Everything else will come naturally with practice and patience.
The GM describes all the situations the player characters experience in an adventure, considers how the actions of player characters affect the story, and interprets the rules along the way. The Game Master uses the rules and advice found in Starfinder GM Core.
The GM can create a new adventure—crafting a narrative, selecting monsters, and assigning rewards on their own— or they can instead rely on a published adventure, using it as a basis for the session and modifying it as needed to accommodate their individual players and the group's style of play. Some GMs run games that combine original and published content, mixing both together to form a new story.
Being the GM is a challenge, requiring you to adjudicate the rules, narrate the story, and juggle other responsibilities. But it can also be very rewarding and worth all the work required to run a good game. If it's your first time running a game, remember that the only thing that matters is that everyone, including you, has a fun time. Everything else will come naturally with practice and patience.
Gaming is for All
Source Player Core pg. 6
Whether you're the GM or a player, participating in a tabletop roleplaying game includes a social contract: everyone's gathered together to have fun. For many, roleplaying is a way to escape the troubles of everyday life. Be mindful of everyone at the table and what they want out of the game; when a group gathers for the first time, they should talk about what they hope to experience at the table, as well as any topics they'd like to avoid. Everyone should understand that elements might come up that make some players feel uncomfortable or even unwelcome, and everyone should agree to respect those boundaries during play. That way, everyone can enjoy the game together.
Starfinder is a game for everyone, regardless of their age, gender, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other identities and life experiences. It's the responsibility of all of the players, not just the GM, to make sure the game is fun and welcoming for everyone.
Starfinder is a game for everyone, regardless of their age, gender, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other identities and life experiences. It's the responsibility of all of the players, not just the GM, to make sure the game is fun and welcoming for everyone.
Tools of Play
Source Player Core pg. 6
In addition to this book, there are a few things you will need to play Starfinder. These supplies can be found at your local hobby shop or online at paizo.com.
Character Sheet: Each player needs a character sheet to create their character and to record what happens to them during play. You can find a character sheet in the back of this book and online as a free PDF.
Dice: The players and GM need at least one set of polyhedral dice, although most participants bring their own. Six-sided dice are quite common, but all the dice in the set can be found at hobby game stores or online. See the Dice sidebar for an overview of the different kinds of dice and how they are discussed in the text.
Adventure: Every group needs an adventure to play, whether it's designed by the GM or found in a published resource. You can find a variety of exciting adventures and even entire Adventure Path campaigns at paizo.com. Starfinder Alien Core: From the vanguard components of the Swarm to immensely powerful starmetal dragons, monsters are a common threat that the PCs might face, and each type has its own statistics and abilities. These can be found in Starfinder Alien Core, an invaluable book for GMs. Monster statistics can also be found online for free at paizo.com/prd.
Maps and Miniatures: The chaos of combat can be difficult to imagine, so many groups use maps to represent the battlefield. These maps are marked with a 1-inch grid, and each square usually represents 5 feet in the game. Miniatures and illustrated tokens called pawns are used to represent the characters and the adversaries they face.
Character Sheet: Each player needs a character sheet to create their character and to record what happens to them during play. You can find a character sheet in the back of this book and online as a free PDF.
Dice: The players and GM need at least one set of polyhedral dice, although most participants bring their own. Six-sided dice are quite common, but all the dice in the set can be found at hobby game stores or online. See the Dice sidebar for an overview of the different kinds of dice and how they are discussed in the text.
Adventure: Every group needs an adventure to play, whether it's designed by the GM or found in a published resource. You can find a variety of exciting adventures and even entire Adventure Path campaigns at paizo.com. Starfinder Alien Core: From the vanguard components of the Swarm to immensely powerful starmetal dragons, monsters are a common threat that the PCs might face, and each type has its own statistics and abilities. These can be found in Starfinder Alien Core, an invaluable book for GMs. Monster statistics can also be found online for free at paizo.com/prd.
Maps and Miniatures: The chaos of combat can be difficult to imagine, so many groups use maps to represent the battlefield. These maps are marked with a 1-inch grid, and each square usually represents 5 feet in the game. Miniatures and illustrated tokens called pawns are used to represent the characters and the adversaries they face.
Basics of Play
Source Player Core pg. 6
Before creating your first character or adventure, you should understand a number of basic concepts used in the game. New concepts are presented in bold to make them easy to f ind, but this chapter is only an introduction to the basics of play. The complete game rules are defined in later chapters, and the Glossary and Index in the back of this book will help you find the specific rules you need.
Defining Characters
Source Player Core pg. 6
In Starfinder, the players take on the role of player characters (PCs), while the Game Master portrays nonplayer characters (NPCs) and monsters. While PCs and NPCs are both important to the story, they serve very different purposes in the game. PCs are the protagonists—the narrative is about them—while NPCs are allies, contacts, adversaries, and villains. That said, PCs, NPCs, and monsters share several characteristics.
Level is one of the most important statistics of the game, as it conveys the approximate power and capabilities of every individual creature. PCs range in level from 1st, at the start of the character's adventuring career, to 20th, the very height of power. As the characters overcome challenges, defeat foes, and complete adventures, they accumulate Experience Points (XP). Every time a character amasses 1,000 XP, they go up a level, gaining new abilities so they can take on even greater challenges. A 1st-level PC might face off against a rampant assembly ooze or a hardlight scamp, but at 20th level, that same character might be able to decimate an army with a supermassive black hole or trade blows with a god.
In addition to level, characters are defined by attributes, which measure raw potential and are used to calculate most of their other statistics. There are six attributes in the game. Strength represents a character's physical might, while Dexterity represents agility and their ability to avoid danger. Constitution indicates a character's overall health and well-being. Intelligence represents raw knowledge and problem-solving ability, while Wisdom measures a character's insight and their ability to evaluate a situation. Finally, Charisma indicates charm, persuasiveness, and force of personality. Attribute modifiers for ordinary creatures range from as low as –5 to as high as +5, with +0 representing average human capabilities. High-level characters can have attribute modifiers that range much higher than +5. An attribute modifier above the average increases your chance of success at related tasks, while those below the average decrease your chance.
Your player character is also defined by some key choices you make. The first choice is a PC's ancestry, representing the character's parents and heritage, such as barathu, human, or vesk. Next up is the PC's background, which describes their upbringing, from sly smuggler to famous icon. Finally, and most importantly, a PC's class defines the majority of their aptitudes and abilities, like a soldier's training to put down heavy fire or a witchwarper's knack for altering reality.
In addition to these key choices, PCs also have a number of feats—individual abilities selected during character creation and as the character increases in level. Every feat has a type to denote where its explanation can be found (for example, android feats can be found in the android ancestry) and its theme (mystic feats, for example, grant abilities that deal with spells). Finally, characters have skills that measure their ability to treat wounds, use computers, pilot vehicles, and perform other common tasks.
Level is one of the most important statistics of the game, as it conveys the approximate power and capabilities of every individual creature. PCs range in level from 1st, at the start of the character's adventuring career, to 20th, the very height of power. As the characters overcome challenges, defeat foes, and complete adventures, they accumulate Experience Points (XP). Every time a character amasses 1,000 XP, they go up a level, gaining new abilities so they can take on even greater challenges. A 1st-level PC might face off against a rampant assembly ooze or a hardlight scamp, but at 20th level, that same character might be able to decimate an army with a supermassive black hole or trade blows with a god.
In addition to level, characters are defined by attributes, which measure raw potential and are used to calculate most of their other statistics. There are six attributes in the game. Strength represents a character's physical might, while Dexterity represents agility and their ability to avoid danger. Constitution indicates a character's overall health and well-being. Intelligence represents raw knowledge and problem-solving ability, while Wisdom measures a character's insight and their ability to evaluate a situation. Finally, Charisma indicates charm, persuasiveness, and force of personality. Attribute modifiers for ordinary creatures range from as low as –5 to as high as +5, with +0 representing average human capabilities. High-level characters can have attribute modifiers that range much higher than +5. An attribute modifier above the average increases your chance of success at related tasks, while those below the average decrease your chance.
Your player character is also defined by some key choices you make. The first choice is a PC's ancestry, representing the character's parents and heritage, such as barathu, human, or vesk. Next up is the PC's background, which describes their upbringing, from sly smuggler to famous icon. Finally, and most importantly, a PC's class defines the majority of their aptitudes and abilities, like a soldier's training to put down heavy fire or a witchwarper's knack for altering reality.
In addition to these key choices, PCs also have a number of feats—individual abilities selected during character creation and as the character increases in level. Every feat has a type to denote where its explanation can be found (for example, android feats can be found in the android ancestry) and its theme (mystic feats, for example, grant abilities that deal with spells). Finally, characters have skills that measure their ability to treat wounds, use computers, pilot vehicles, and perform other common tasks.
Creating a Narrative
Source Player Core pg. 7
Characters and their choices create the story of Starfinder, but how they interact with each other and the galaxy around them is governed by rules. So, while you might decide that your character steals a starship and takes off on a perilous interstellar journey, your character's chance of success is determined by their abilities, the choices you make, and the roll of the dice.
The GM determines the premise and background of most adventures, although character histories and personalities should also play a part. Once a game session begins, the players take turns describing what their characters attempt to do, while the GM determines the outcome, with everyone working together to create the story. The GM also describes the environment, other characters' actions, and events. For example, the GM might announce that the PCs' home world is under attack by the Swarm. The characters might fight off the first strike, then track the invaders back to a planetoid in the Vast—just as a jinsul raiding party arrives! The PCs have the choice of battling Swarm emganats, fending off jinsul invaders, or both. Whatever they decide, their success depends on their choices and their die rolls.
A single narrative—including the setup, plot, and conclusion—is called an adventure. A series of adventures creates an even larger narrative called a campaign. An adventure might take several sessions to complete, whereas a campaign might take months or even years!
The GM determines the premise and background of most adventures, although character histories and personalities should also play a part. Once a game session begins, the players take turns describing what their characters attempt to do, while the GM determines the outcome, with everyone working together to create the story. The GM also describes the environment, other characters' actions, and events. For example, the GM might announce that the PCs' home world is under attack by the Swarm. The characters might fight off the first strike, then track the invaders back to a planetoid in the Vast—just as a jinsul raiding party arrives! The PCs have the choice of battling Swarm emganats, fending off jinsul invaders, or both. Whatever they decide, their success depends on their choices and their die rolls.
A single narrative—including the setup, plot, and conclusion—is called an adventure. A series of adventures creates an even larger narrative called a campaign. An adventure might take several sessions to complete, whereas a campaign might take months or even years!
Playing the Game
Source Player Core pg. 8
In a Starfinder game, three modes of play determine the pacing of each scene in the story. Most of your character's time is spent in exploration, uncovering mysteries, solving problems, and interacting with other characters. The galaxy is filled with danger, however, and characters often find themselves in an encounter, fighting hostile parties when negotiations go south and battling fearsome alien monsters. Finally, time moves quickly when the characters enjoy downtime, a respite from the galaxy's troubles and a chance to rest and train for future activities. Throughout an adventure, gameplay moves between these three modes many times, as needed for the story. The more you play the game, the more you'll see that each mode has its own play style, but moving from mode to mode has a few hard boundaries.
During the game, your character will face situations where the outcome is uncertain. A character might need to navigate while inside the Drift, survive in an alien desert, or sneak past a corporate security robot, all of which are dangerous tasks with a price for failure. In such cases, the acting character (or characters) is asked to attempt a check to determine whether or not they succeed. A check is usually made by rolling a single 20-sided die (a d20) and adding a number based on the relevant attribute. In such cases, rolling high is always good.
Once a check is rolled, the GM compares the result to a target number called the difficulty class (DC) to determine the outcome. If the result ofthe check is equal to or greater than the DC, the check is successful. If it's lower, the check is a failure. Beating the DC by 10 or more is referred to as a critical success, which usually grants an especially positive outcome. Similarly, failing the check by 10 or more is a critical failure (sometimes called a fumble). This sometimes results in additional negative effects. You also often score a critical success by rolling a 20 on the die when attempting a check (before adding anything). Likewise, rolling a 1 on the die when attempting a check often results in a critical failure. Note that not all checks have a special effect on a critical success or critical failure, and such results should be treated just like an ordinary success or failure instead.
For example, while aboard a starship traveling to a faraway world, your character might find a faster route through an uncharted asteroid field. You decide to go for it, but the GM declares this a dangerous task and asks you to roll a Piloting skill check (since navigation is covered by the Piloting skill). On your character sheet, you see that your character has a +8 modifier for such checks. Rolling the d20, you get an 18, for a total of 26. The GM compares this to the DC (which was 16) and finds that you got a critical success (since the result exceeded the DC by 10). Your character charts a safe path around every asteroid without scratching the hull. Had you gotten a result less than 26 but equal to or greater than 16, your character's route would've taken your ship halfway through the debris field. Had your result been less than 16, your character might have gotten lost among the spinning chunks of rock and ice or, on a critical failure (6 or less), crashed the ship into one of them!
Checks like this are the heart of the game and are rolled all the time, in every mode of play, to determine the outcome of tasks. While the roll of the die is essential, the statistic you add to the roll (called a modifier) often makes the difference between success and failure. Every character is made up of many such statistics governing what the character is good at, each consisting of a relevant attribute modifier plus a proficiency bonus, and sometimes modified further by other factors, such as bonuses or penalties from gear, spells, feats, magic items, and other special circumstances.
Proficiency is a simple way of assessing your character's general level of training and aptitude for a given task. It's broken into five different ranks: untrained, trained, expert, master, and legendary. Each rank grants a different proficiency bonus. If you're untrained at a statistic, your proficiency bonus is +0; you must rely solely on the raw potential represented by your attribute modifier. If your proficiency rank for a statistic is trained, expert, master, and legendary, your bonus equals your character's level plus another number based on the rank (2, 4, 6, and 8, respectively). Proficiency ranks are part of almost every statistic in the game.
During the game, your character will face situations where the outcome is uncertain. A character might need to navigate while inside the Drift, survive in an alien desert, or sneak past a corporate security robot, all of which are dangerous tasks with a price for failure. In such cases, the acting character (or characters) is asked to attempt a check to determine whether or not they succeed. A check is usually made by rolling a single 20-sided die (a d20) and adding a number based on the relevant attribute. In such cases, rolling high is always good.
Once a check is rolled, the GM compares the result to a target number called the difficulty class (DC) to determine the outcome. If the result ofthe check is equal to or greater than the DC, the check is successful. If it's lower, the check is a failure. Beating the DC by 10 or more is referred to as a critical success, which usually grants an especially positive outcome. Similarly, failing the check by 10 or more is a critical failure (sometimes called a fumble). This sometimes results in additional negative effects. You also often score a critical success by rolling a 20 on the die when attempting a check (before adding anything). Likewise, rolling a 1 on the die when attempting a check often results in a critical failure. Note that not all checks have a special effect on a critical success or critical failure, and such results should be treated just like an ordinary success or failure instead.
For example, while aboard a starship traveling to a faraway world, your character might find a faster route through an uncharted asteroid field. You decide to go for it, but the GM declares this a dangerous task and asks you to roll a Piloting skill check (since navigation is covered by the Piloting skill). On your character sheet, you see that your character has a +8 modifier for such checks. Rolling the d20, you get an 18, for a total of 26. The GM compares this to the DC (which was 16) and finds that you got a critical success (since the result exceeded the DC by 10). Your character charts a safe path around every asteroid without scratching the hull. Had you gotten a result less than 26 but equal to or greater than 16, your character's route would've taken your ship halfway through the debris field. Had your result been less than 16, your character might have gotten lost among the spinning chunks of rock and ice or, on a critical failure (6 or less), crashed the ship into one of them!
Checks like this are the heart of the game and are rolled all the time, in every mode of play, to determine the outcome of tasks. While the roll of the die is essential, the statistic you add to the roll (called a modifier) often makes the difference between success and failure. Every character is made up of many such statistics governing what the character is good at, each consisting of a relevant attribute modifier plus a proficiency bonus, and sometimes modified further by other factors, such as bonuses or penalties from gear, spells, feats, magic items, and other special circumstances.
Proficiency is a simple way of assessing your character's general level of training and aptitude for a given task. It's broken into five different ranks: untrained, trained, expert, master, and legendary. Each rank grants a different proficiency bonus. If you're untrained at a statistic, your proficiency bonus is +0; you must rely solely on the raw potential represented by your attribute modifier. If your proficiency rank for a statistic is trained, expert, master, and legendary, your bonus equals your character's level plus another number based on the rank (2, 4, 6, and 8, respectively). Proficiency ranks are part of almost every statistic in the game.
Exploration
Source Player Core pg. 8
Most of the time, your character will explore an environment, interact with other characters, travel from place to place, and overcome challenges. This is called exploration. Gameplay is relatively free-form during exploration, with players responding to the narrative whenever they have an idea of what to do next. Ransacking an abandoned warehouse and riding a crowded gravtrain are both examples of exploration.
Leaving a city aboard an enercopter, spotting signs of a marauding kyokor, predicting the path the kyokor might take through the badlands, and convincing local wasteland scavengers to help lure the monster away from the city's outskirts are all examples of things that might occur during exploration.
Throughout this mode of play, the GM asks the players what their characters are doing as they explore. This is important in case a conflict arises. If combat breaks out, the tasks the PCs undertook while exploring might give them an edge or otherwise inform how the combat begins.
Leaving a city aboard an enercopter, spotting signs of a marauding kyokor, predicting the path the kyokor might take through the badlands, and convincing local wasteland scavengers to help lure the monster away from the city's outskirts are all examples of things that might occur during exploration.
Throughout this mode of play, the GM asks the players what their characters are doing as they explore. This is important in case a conflict arises. If combat breaks out, the tasks the PCs undertook while exploring might give them an edge or otherwise inform how the combat begins.
Encounters
Source Player Core pg. 9
During your adventures, there will be times when a simple skill check is not enough to resolve a challenge—when vicious monsters or ruthless enemies attack your character and the only choice is to fight back. In Starfinder, this is called an encounter. Encounters usually involve combat, but they can also be used in situations where timing is critical, such as during a chase or when avoiding hazards. Encounters might also involve socializing or negotiating in a tense situation.
While exploration is handled in a free-form manner, encounters are more structured. The players and GM roll initiative to determine who acts in what order. The encounter occurs over a number of rounds, each of which is equal to about 6 seconds of time in the world of the game. During a round, each participant takes a turn. When it's your turn to act, you can use up to three actions. Most simple things, such as drawing a weapon, moving a short distance, opening a door, or firing a laser pistol, use a single action to perform. There are also activities that use more than a single action to perform; these are often special abilities from your character's class and feats. One common activity in the game is casting a spell, which usually uses two actions.
Free actions, such as dropping an object, don't count toward the three actions you can take on your turn. Finally, each character can use up to one reaction during a round. This special type of action can be used even when it's not your turn, but only in response to certain events, and only if you have an ability that allows it. Envoys, for example, can select a feat that lets them use their reaction to warn an ally about incoming fire.
Attacking another creature is one of the most common actions in combat and is done by using the Strike action. This requires an attack roll—a kind of check made against the Armor Class (AC) of the creature you're attacking. Strikes can be made using weapons, spells, or even parts of a creature's body, like a claw, fist, or tail. You add a modifier to this roll based on your proficiency rank with the type of attack you're using, your attributes, and any other bonuses or penalties based on the situation. The target's AC is calculated using their proficiency rank in the armor they're wearing and their Dexterity modifier. An attack deals damage if it hits, and rolling a critical success results in the attack dealing double damage!
You can use more than one Strike action on your turn, but each additional attack after the first becomes less accurate. This is reflected by a multiple attack penalty that starts at –5 on the second attack, but increases to –10 on the third. There are many ways to reduce this penalty, and it resets at the end of your turn.
If your character finds themself the target of a magical mind skewer or caught in the path of area fire from a flamethrower, you'll be called on to attempt a saving throw, representing your character's ability to avoid danger or otherwise withstand an assault to their mind or body. A saving throw is a check attempted against the DC of the spell or special ability targeting your character. There are three types of saving throws, and a character's proficiency in each says a great deal about what they can endure. A Fortitude saving throw is used when your character's health or vitality is under attack, such as from poison or disease. A Reflex saving throw is called for when your character must dodge away from danger, usually something that affects a large area, such as the burst of vines from a verdant code spell or the fiery explosion from a grenade. Finally, a Will saving throw is often your defense against spells and effects that target your character's mind, such as a phantasmal fleet or vibe check spell. For all saving throws, a success lessens the harmful effect, and scoring a critical success usually means your character escapes unscathed.
Attacks, spells, hazards, and special abilities frequently either deal damage to a character or impose one or more conditions—and sometimes both. Damage is subtracted from a creature's Hit Points (HP)—a measure of health—and when a creature is reduced to 0 HP, it falls unconscious and may die! A combat encounter typically lasts until one side has been defeated, and while this can mean retreat or surrender, it often happens because one side is dead or dying. Conditions can hinder a creature for a time, limiting the actions they can use and applying penalties to future checks. Some conditions are even permanent, requiring a character to seek out powerful magic or advanced technologies to undo their effects.
While exploration is handled in a free-form manner, encounters are more structured. The players and GM roll initiative to determine who acts in what order. The encounter occurs over a number of rounds, each of which is equal to about 6 seconds of time in the world of the game. During a round, each participant takes a turn. When it's your turn to act, you can use up to three actions. Most simple things, such as drawing a weapon, moving a short distance, opening a door, or firing a laser pistol, use a single action to perform. There are also activities that use more than a single action to perform; these are often special abilities from your character's class and feats. One common activity in the game is casting a spell, which usually uses two actions.
Free actions, such as dropping an object, don't count toward the three actions you can take on your turn. Finally, each character can use up to one reaction during a round. This special type of action can be used even when it's not your turn, but only in response to certain events, and only if you have an ability that allows it. Envoys, for example, can select a feat that lets them use their reaction to warn an ally about incoming fire.
Attacking another creature is one of the most common actions in combat and is done by using the Strike action. This requires an attack roll—a kind of check made against the Armor Class (AC) of the creature you're attacking. Strikes can be made using weapons, spells, or even parts of a creature's body, like a claw, fist, or tail. You add a modifier to this roll based on your proficiency rank with the type of attack you're using, your attributes, and any other bonuses or penalties based on the situation. The target's AC is calculated using their proficiency rank in the armor they're wearing and their Dexterity modifier. An attack deals damage if it hits, and rolling a critical success results in the attack dealing double damage!
You can use more than one Strike action on your turn, but each additional attack after the first becomes less accurate. This is reflected by a multiple attack penalty that starts at –5 on the second attack, but increases to –10 on the third. There are many ways to reduce this penalty, and it resets at the end of your turn.
If your character finds themself the target of a magical mind skewer or caught in the path of area fire from a flamethrower, you'll be called on to attempt a saving throw, representing your character's ability to avoid danger or otherwise withstand an assault to their mind or body. A saving throw is a check attempted against the DC of the spell or special ability targeting your character. There are three types of saving throws, and a character's proficiency in each says a great deal about what they can endure. A Fortitude saving throw is used when your character's health or vitality is under attack, such as from poison or disease. A Reflex saving throw is called for when your character must dodge away from danger, usually something that affects a large area, such as the burst of vines from a verdant code spell or the fiery explosion from a grenade. Finally, a Will saving throw is often your defense against spells and effects that target your character's mind, such as a phantasmal fleet or vibe check spell. For all saving throws, a success lessens the harmful effect, and scoring a critical success usually means your character escapes unscathed.
Attacks, spells, hazards, and special abilities frequently either deal damage to a character or impose one or more conditions—and sometimes both. Damage is subtracted from a creature's Hit Points (HP)—a measure of health—and when a creature is reduced to 0 HP, it falls unconscious and may die! A combat encounter typically lasts until one side has been defeated, and while this can mean retreat or surrender, it often happens because one side is dead or dying. Conditions can hinder a creature for a time, limiting the actions they can use and applying penalties to future checks. Some conditions are even permanent, requiring a character to seek out powerful magic or advanced technologies to undo their effects.
Downtime
Source Player Core pg. 9
PCs don’t have to spend every waking moment adventuring. They might also recover from wounds, craft specialty goods, explore a new location and recruit allies, surf the infosphere, or work a part-time job. In Starfinder, this is called downtime, and it allows time to pass quickly while characters work on long-term tasks or objectives. Most characters can work in downtime, earning a few credits, but those with the right skills can also spend time crafting or inventing new equipment. Characters can also use downtime to retrain, replacing one character choice with another to reflect their evolving priorities. They might also research a problem, learn new spells, enjoy a city’s nightlife, or even command a starship fleet or run a space station! Downtime might be split between roleplaying scenes, discussions of your character’s (or party’s) long-term plans, and skill checks meant to represent days or weeks of progress toward those goals.
Key Terms
Source Player Core pg. 10
There are a number of important terms that you’ll need to know as you create your first character or adventure. Some of the most important terms mentioned on previous pages are also included here for reference.
Action
Source Player Core pg. 10
During encounters, each creature gets three actions during their turn. These actions are spent to attack, interact with objects, move, and use special abilities. Actions available to all characters can be found in Chapter 8.
Ancestry
Source Player Core pg. 10
An ancestry is the broad family of people that a character belongs to. Ancestry determines a character’s starting Hit Points, languages, senses, and Speed, and it grants access to ancestry feats. Ancestries can be found here.
Armor Class (AC)
Source Player Core pg. 10
All creatures in the game have an Armor Class. This score represents how hard it is to hit and damage a creature. It serves as the Difficulty Class for hitting a creature with an attack.
Attack
Source Player Core pg. 10
When a creature tries to harm another creature, it makes a Strike or uses some other attack action. Most attacks are Strikes made with a weapon, but a character might Strike with their fist, grapple or shove with their appendages, or attack with a spell.
Attribute Modifier
Source Player Core pg. 10
Each creature has six attribute modifiers: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Each of these numbers represents a creature’s raw potential and general training. Attributes are described in full here.
Background
Source Player Core pg. 10
A background represents what a character experienced before they became an adventurer. Each background grants a feat and training in one or more skills. You can read more about backgrounds in Chapter 2.
Bonuses and Penalties
Source Player Core pg. 10
Bonuses and penalties apply to checks and certain statistics. There are several types of bonuses and penalties. If you have more than one bonus of the same type, you use only the highest bonus. Likewise, you use only the worst penalty of each type.
Check
Source Player Core pg. 10
When a character attempts an action where success is uncertain, they may roll a check. This is a roll of one 20-sided die plus the named proficiency bonus. For example, a Perception check would add your Perception proficiency.
Class
Source Player Core pg. 10
A class represents the adventuring profession chosen by a character. A character’s class determines most of their proficiencies, grants the character Hit Points each time they gain a new level, and gives access to a set of class feats. Classes appear here.
Condition
Source Player Core pg. 10
An ongoing effect that changes how a character can act, or that alters some of their statistics, is called a condition. The rules for the basic conditions used in the game can be found in the Conditions Appendix.
Currency
Source Player Core pg. 10
The most common currency in the game is credits. Characters begin play with 150 credits to spend on equipment.
Feat
Source Player Core pg. 10
A feat is an ability you can select for your character due to their ancestry, background, class, general training, or skill training. Some feats grant the ability to use special actions, while others make your existing actions more effective.
Game Master (GM)
Source Player Core pg. 10
The Game Master is the player who adjudicates the rules and narrates the various elements of the Starfinder story and world that the other players explore. The GM uses the rules found in Starfinder GM Core.
The Galaxy
Source Player Core pg. 10
Starfinder is set in the Pact Worlds, a system of allied planets that was once home to the lost world Golarion, though many adventures explore the wider galaxy. More information about the galaxy can be found on here and in Starfinder Galaxy Guide and Starfinder GM Core.
Hit Points (HP)
Source Player Core pg. 10
Hit Points represent the amount of punishment a creature can take before it falls unconscious and begins dying. Damage decreases Hit Points on a 1-to-1 basis, while healing restores Hit Points at the same rate.
Initiative
Source Player Core pg. 10
At the start of an encounter, all creatures involved roll for initiative to determine the order in which they act. The higher the result of its roll, the earlier a creature gets to act. Initiative and combat are described in Chapter 8.
Level
Source Player Core pg. 11
A level is a number that measures something’s overall power. Player characters have a level, ranging from 1st to 20th, representing their level of experience. Monsters, NPCs, hazards, diseases, and poisons have levels ranging from –1 to 30 that measure the danger they pose. An item’s level, usually within the range of 0 to 20 but sometimes higher, indicates its power and suitability as treasure.
Nonplayer Character (NPC)
Source Player Core pg. 11
A nonplayer character, controlled by the GM, interacts with players and helps advance the story.
Perception
Source Player Core pg. 11
Perception measures your character’s ability to notice hidden objects or unusual situations, and it usually determines how quickly the character springs into action in combat. It’s described in full here.
Player Character (PC)
Source Player Core pg. 11
This is a character created and controlled by a player.
Proficiency
Source Player Core pg. 11
Proficiency is a system that measures a character’s aptitude at a specific task or quality, and it has five ranks: untrained, trained, expert, master, and legendary. Proficiency gives you a bonus that’s added when determining the following modifiers and statistics: AC, attack rolls, Perception, saving throws, skills, and the effectiveness of spells. If you’re untrained, your proficiency bonus is +0. If you’re trained, expert, master, or legendary, your proficiency bonus equals your level plus 2, 4, 6, or 8, respectively.
Rarity
Source Player Core pg. 11
Some elements of the game have a rarity to denote how often they’re encountered in the game world. Rarity primarily applies to equipment and magic items, but spells, feats, and other rules elements also have a rarity. If no rarity appears in the traits of an item, spell, or other game element, it’s of common rarity. Uncommon options are available only to those who have special training, grew up in a certain culture, or come from a particular part of the galaxy. This can be explained with an “Access” entry, explaining criteria for characters to choose it as a common option. Rare options are difficult to find and are usually given out only by the GM, while unique ones are literally one-of-a-kind in the game. The GM might alter the way rarity works or change the rarity of individual items to suit the story they want to tell.
Roleplaying
Source Player Core pg. 11
Describing a character’s actions, often while acting from the perspective of the character, is called roleplaying. When a player speaks or describes action from the perspective of a character, they are “in character.”
Round
Source Player Core pg. 11
A round is a period of time during an encounter in which all participants get a chance to act. A round represents approximately 6 seconds in game time.
Saving Throw (Save)
Source Player Core pg. 11
When a creature is subject to a dangerous effect that must be avoided, it attempts a saving throw to mitigate the effect. You attempt a saving throw automatically—you don't have to use an action or a reaction. Unlike for most checks, the character who isn't acting rolls the d20 for a saving throw, and the creature who is acting provides the DC.
There are three types of saving throws: Fortitude (to resist diseases, poisons, and physical effects), Reflex (to evade effects a character could quickly dodge), and Will (to resist effects that target the mind and personality).
There are three types of saving throws: Fortitude (to resist diseases, poisons, and physical effects), Reflex (to evade effects a character could quickly dodge), and Will (to resist effects that target the mind and personality).
Skill
Source Player Core pg. 11
A skill represents a creature’s ability to perform certain tasks that require instruction or practice. All characters are trained in certain skills due to their background and class. Skills are fully described in Chapter 4. Each skill includes ways anyone can use that skill even if untrained, as well as uses that require a character to be trained in the skill.
Speed
Source Player Core pg. 11
Speed is the distance a character can move using a single action, measured in feet.
Spell
Source Player Core pg. 11
Spells are magical effects created by performing mystical incantations and gestures. Casting a spell is an activity that usually uses two actions. Each spell specifies what it targets, the actions needed to cast it, its effects, and how it can be resisted. If a class grants spells, the basics of that ability are provided in the class description in Chapter 3, while the spells themselves are detailed in Chapter 7.
Spells have ranks ranging from 1st to 10th, which measure their power; characters and monsters can usually cast only a certain number of spells of any given rank.
Spells have ranks ranging from 1st to 10th, which measure their power; characters and monsters can usually cast only a certain number of spells of any given rank.
Trait
Source Player Core pg. 11
A trait is a keyword that conveys additional information about a rules element, such as which ancestry a feat belongs to or the rarity of an item. Often, a trait indicates how other rules interact with an ability, creature, item, or another rules element that has that trait.
All the traits used in this book appear here.
All the traits used in this book appear here.
Turn
Source Player Core pg. 11
During the course of a round, each creature takes a single turn according to initiative. A creature can typically use up to three actions during its turn.
Example of Play
Source Player Core pg. 12
The following example is presented to give you a better idea of how Starfinder is played. In this adventure, Thurston is the GM. Jenny is playing Obozaya, an aggressive vesk soldier; Jessica is playing Dae, a flashy pahtra solarian; Mike is taking on the role of Zemir, a human witchwarper who's seen it all in every reality; and Dustin is playing Chk Chk, a moody shirren mystic who worships Zon-Shelyn. The party has chosen to fly their starship to investigate a disturbance near a Drift navigation beacon.
Thurston: Your ship speeds through the swirling colors and half-formed shapes of the Drift. You're getting close to the coordinates, but chunks of rock, ice, and metal scrap float ahead of you, blocking your path.
Zemir (Mike): “Time to chart a course through this mess.” I take a deep breath, grip the controls, and pilot the ship into the debris field.
Thurston: Roll your Piloting check.
Zemir (Mike): I rolled a 5, so with my +7 modifier I got a 12. “I'm gonna need more coffee for this.”
Thurston: Zemir turns just in time to avoid crashing into a massive asteroid, but he loses the path he was following.
Chk Chk (Dustin): I perform a dramatic reading of a poem I wrote about finding inspiration in failure through our Group Chat.
Group Chat is a mystic ability that lets Chk Chk and anyone in his bond communicate telepathically with each other. Most party banter happens in Group Chat.
Zemir (Mike): “Thanks, Chk Chk.” I chug some coffee and try again. 13! I've got a +7 to Piloting so that's a 20!
Thurston: The ship zooms safely through the debris until the beacon you were sent to investigate looms in the viewport. It's a cylindrical silver satellite twice the size of your ship lit by blinking red lights, anchored in the churn of hyperspace by the prayers of Triune's tech priests.
Zemir (Mike): I fly the ship closer so we can investigate. Thurston: Up close, you notice an armored ysoki clinging to the side of the satellite.
Chk Chk (Dustin): “Zemir, can you get us closer?” I'm going to send the ysoki a telepathic message to calm them down while we figure out a way to help. “Don't let fear erase you; let the void embrace you.” Is there any response?
Thurston: None. Only silence.
Dae (Jessica): I don't like that. “Hey Obo, can I borrow your jetpack?”
Obozaya (Jenny): “Only if you don't break it.”
Thurston: Dae, are you installing Obozaya's jetpack into your armor?
Obozaya (Jenny): Paws off! I'll do it with Quick Install.
Quick Install is a skill feat that lets Obozaya Install an Upgrade in 1 minute, instead of the 10 minutes this activity would normally take.
Dae (Jessica): I head for the airlock, then strike a pose as I step into space. “Hey Chk Chk, make sure you're recording this!”
Thurston: Now you're untethered. Are you free floating?
Dae (Jessica): Nope! I activate the jetpack and fly toward the ysoki.
Obozaya (Jenny): “Careful, Dae. I don't want to have to clean you off the side of that Drift beacon.”
Chk Chk (Dustin): “A splash of red would look great on that silver metal. But not if it's Dae's blood! Don't look at me like that, Zemir.”
Dae (Jessica): “No worries, bestie. After we rescue the ysoki, we can give the beacon a glow up.”
Thurston: Dae, up close, you notice that the ysoki's spacesuit is covered in blood, and that there's a crack in their helmet. Underneath, their face is frozen in a mask of terror.
Zemir (Mike): “Dae, it's time to get back to the ship.”
Dae (Jessica): “You don't have tell me twice, Z!” I grab the ysoki and drag them back to the ship.
Thurston: Dae, when you get back to the airlock, you notice blood smears on the floor that weren't there when you left.
Dae (Jessica): “Heads up. I think something got onto the ship.” I leave the ysoki in the airlock and sprint toward the bridge.
Thurston: Dae stops 60 feet down the hall from the bridge door. The rest of you hear dull scraping outside. It sounds like something's shuffling toward you.
Obozaya (Jenny): I pull out my machine gun and move in front of my allies, facing the door. Bring it.
Zemir (Mike): I stand up from the pilot's console and draw my laser pistol.
Chk Chk (Dustin): I draw my painglaive and check my bond to make sure Dae's safe.
Dae is part of Chk Chk's mystic bond, so he knows Dae is alive and not far away.
Thurston: The autodoor stutters open. A vesk and a human wearing tattered spacesuits loom in the doorway. Milky eyes bulge out of their rotting faces. Roll for initiative!
Everyone rolls Perception for their initiative. Mike gets a total of 20. Jessica rolls 12, Dustin rolls 16, and Jenny rolls 10. Thurston rolls for the driftdead, getting a 19 and 14. He secretly rolls for the ysoki in the airlock and gets a 13. Thurston records all these totals, putting everyone in order from highest to lowest. Two of the player characters have abilities that activate when they roll initiative. Zemir's Quantum Pulse lets him activate his quantum field, an area of warped reality he controls. He chooses to center it between the enemy and himself. Solarians can Attune as a free action when they roll initiative, so Dae chooses to become graviton attuned and manifests their solar weapon, a battle ribbon of crackling void energy.
Thurston: Zemir, you're up first.
Zemir (Mike): Excellent. For my first action, I spend 1 Focus Point to cast warp terrain.
Thurston: Which effect do you choose?
Zemir (Mike): I choose difficult terrain. My quantum field fills with twisted metal and chunks of rock from a reality where we didn't make it past that asteroid safely. For my next action, I shoot the vesk with my new laser pistol!
Mike rolls a 12 and adds +8, due to Zemir's training with simple weapons, for a total of 20. Thurston consults his notes to confirm the driftdead has an AC of 16.
Thurston: You hit! Roll for damage.
Mike rolls 2d6 for his tactical laser pistol and deals 7 fire damage, then marks 1 charge as expended from his gun's magazine.
Zemir (Mike): For my third action, I Take Cover behind a rock in my quantum field.
Thurston: The rotting vesk recoils as laser fire hits it, then it shoots a bolt of void energy at you.
Thurston rolls a 22. Zemir's AC is 21, but he gains a +2 circumstance bonus from standard cover. The attack misses. The driftdead fires another bolt at him. Thurston rolls a 23, which hits Zemir's AC of 21, and he takes 6 void damage. Then, the driftdead lumbers toward Obozaya. Each square of difficult terrain counts twice, so the driftdead's Speed of 25 feet isn't enough to get to her this round.
Chk Chk (Dustin): I cast vibe check. I'm broadcasting an angry poem about my childhood into the human's mind: “Despite all my bile, I am still just a bug in a vial!” That's two actions. Then, I'll Transfer Vitality to Zemir and heal him for 7 Hit Points.
Thurston rolls a 17 for the human driftdead's Will save against Chk Chk's spell DC of 21. The driftdead fails and must use its next action to attack the nearest creature. The angry driftdead goes next and attacks its vesk ally, dealing 4 damage.
Thurston: The walking corpse turns its anger on you, Chk Chk. It lurches toward you and lashes out with clawed hands. Does a 23 hit you?
Chk Chk (Dustin): “I welcome the pain!” Yes, that hits me.
Thurston rolls for slashing damage from the driftdead's claws and gets a total of 10.
Dae (Jessica): My turn! I Stellar Rush down the hall and into the bridge. Black lightning crackles around me and drags both enemies toward me when I dash past them.
Stellar Rush is a solarian feat that lets Dae Stride twice with a +10 circumstance bonus to their movement speed. When Dae finishes both Strides, enemies within 15 feet attempt a Fortitude save to determine if they're pulled toward Dae. Dae's Class DC is 21. Thurston rolls for both driftdead and gets a 6 and 12. Both fail and are pulled toward Dae, ending in adjacent squares. Stellar Rush has the cycle trait, meaning Dae's attunement changes to photon after they complete the action.
Dae (Jessica): My black battle ribbon bursts into solar flame. I pirouette and attack the vesk, making sure the camera drone can see all my moves. I rolled a 26.
The driftdead's AC is 16, so Dae's Strike is a critical hit and Jessica doubles her damage roll, for a total of 20 out of its 40 Hit Points.
Thurston: The creature snarls as the ribbon of starlight lashes across its torso, singeing its ruined spacesuit. Obozaya, it's your turn.
Obozaya (Jenny): “Thanks for the setup, Dae!” I Auto-Fire at both enemies. The human is closest to me, so she's my primary target.
Obozaya's Auto-Fire hits all creatures in a 20-foot cone, which includes Dae, but because of training from her bombard fighting style she avoids hurting her ally. Instead of Obozaya rolling to Strike, creatures in the area roll a Reflex save to find out how much damage they take. The vesk driftdead succeeds at its save and takes 9 damage— exactly enough to knock it out! The other fails and takes 18 damage from the barrage.
Obozaya (Jenny): “Hahahahaha!” That's Menacing Laughter for my third action. Oh, and don't forget, the enemy is suppressed.
Obozaya rolls an Intimidation check, adding her +11 modifier. She rolls a 1, so the driftdead isn't shaken. The driftdead is suppressed by Obozaya's attack, taking a –1 circumstance penalty on attack rolls and a –10-foot status penalty to Speed until the start of her next turn.
Thurston: One foe falls to Obozaya's barrage. There's a sudden lurch that feels like being pulled into the Drift as the dead ysoki from the airlock phases through the floor and lunges at Dae claws first!
That is the end of the first round of combat. The second round begins immediately after this, using the same initiative order as before and including the new foe. The fight is just beginning…
Thurston: Your ship speeds through the swirling colors and half-formed shapes of the Drift. You're getting close to the coordinates, but chunks of rock, ice, and metal scrap float ahead of you, blocking your path.
Zemir (Mike): “Time to chart a course through this mess.” I take a deep breath, grip the controls, and pilot the ship into the debris field.
Thurston: Roll your Piloting check.
Zemir (Mike): I rolled a 5, so with my +7 modifier I got a 12. “I'm gonna need more coffee for this.”
Thurston: Zemir turns just in time to avoid crashing into a massive asteroid, but he loses the path he was following.
Chk Chk (Dustin): I perform a dramatic reading of a poem I wrote about finding inspiration in failure through our Group Chat.
Group Chat is a mystic ability that lets Chk Chk and anyone in his bond communicate telepathically with each other. Most party banter happens in Group Chat.
Zemir (Mike): “Thanks, Chk Chk.” I chug some coffee and try again. 13! I've got a +7 to Piloting so that's a 20!
Thurston: The ship zooms safely through the debris until the beacon you were sent to investigate looms in the viewport. It's a cylindrical silver satellite twice the size of your ship lit by blinking red lights, anchored in the churn of hyperspace by the prayers of Triune's tech priests.
Zemir (Mike): I fly the ship closer so we can investigate. Thurston: Up close, you notice an armored ysoki clinging to the side of the satellite.
Chk Chk (Dustin): “Zemir, can you get us closer?” I'm going to send the ysoki a telepathic message to calm them down while we figure out a way to help. “Don't let fear erase you; let the void embrace you.” Is there any response?
Thurston: None. Only silence.
Dae (Jessica): I don't like that. “Hey Obo, can I borrow your jetpack?”
Obozaya (Jenny): “Only if you don't break it.”
Thurston: Dae, are you installing Obozaya's jetpack into your armor?
Obozaya (Jenny): Paws off! I'll do it with Quick Install.
Quick Install is a skill feat that lets Obozaya Install an Upgrade in 1 minute, instead of the 10 minutes this activity would normally take.
Dae (Jessica): I head for the airlock, then strike a pose as I step into space. “Hey Chk Chk, make sure you're recording this!”
Thurston: Now you're untethered. Are you free floating?
Dae (Jessica): Nope! I activate the jetpack and fly toward the ysoki.
Obozaya (Jenny): “Careful, Dae. I don't want to have to clean you off the side of that Drift beacon.”
Chk Chk (Dustin): “A splash of red would look great on that silver metal. But not if it's Dae's blood! Don't look at me like that, Zemir.”
Dae (Jessica): “No worries, bestie. After we rescue the ysoki, we can give the beacon a glow up.”
Thurston: Dae, up close, you notice that the ysoki's spacesuit is covered in blood, and that there's a crack in their helmet. Underneath, their face is frozen in a mask of terror.
Zemir (Mike): “Dae, it's time to get back to the ship.”
Dae (Jessica): “You don't have tell me twice, Z!” I grab the ysoki and drag them back to the ship.
Thurston: Dae, when you get back to the airlock, you notice blood smears on the floor that weren't there when you left.
Dae (Jessica): “Heads up. I think something got onto the ship.” I leave the ysoki in the airlock and sprint toward the bridge.
Thurston: Dae stops 60 feet down the hall from the bridge door. The rest of you hear dull scraping outside. It sounds like something's shuffling toward you.
Obozaya (Jenny): I pull out my machine gun and move in front of my allies, facing the door. Bring it.
Zemir (Mike): I stand up from the pilot's console and draw my laser pistol.
Chk Chk (Dustin): I draw my painglaive and check my bond to make sure Dae's safe.
Dae is part of Chk Chk's mystic bond, so he knows Dae is alive and not far away.
Thurston: The autodoor stutters open. A vesk and a human wearing tattered spacesuits loom in the doorway. Milky eyes bulge out of their rotting faces. Roll for initiative!
Everyone rolls Perception for their initiative. Mike gets a total of 20. Jessica rolls 12, Dustin rolls 16, and Jenny rolls 10. Thurston rolls for the driftdead, getting a 19 and 14. He secretly rolls for the ysoki in the airlock and gets a 13. Thurston records all these totals, putting everyone in order from highest to lowest. Two of the player characters have abilities that activate when they roll initiative. Zemir's Quantum Pulse lets him activate his quantum field, an area of warped reality he controls. He chooses to center it between the enemy and himself. Solarians can Attune as a free action when they roll initiative, so Dae chooses to become graviton attuned and manifests their solar weapon, a battle ribbon of crackling void energy.
Thurston: Zemir, you're up first.
Zemir (Mike): Excellent. For my first action, I spend 1 Focus Point to cast warp terrain.
Thurston: Which effect do you choose?
Zemir (Mike): I choose difficult terrain. My quantum field fills with twisted metal and chunks of rock from a reality where we didn't make it past that asteroid safely. For my next action, I shoot the vesk with my new laser pistol!
Mike rolls a 12 and adds +8, due to Zemir's training with simple weapons, for a total of 20. Thurston consults his notes to confirm the driftdead has an AC of 16.
Thurston: You hit! Roll for damage.
Mike rolls 2d6 for his tactical laser pistol and deals 7 fire damage, then marks 1 charge as expended from his gun's magazine.
Zemir (Mike): For my third action, I Take Cover behind a rock in my quantum field.
Thurston: The rotting vesk recoils as laser fire hits it, then it shoots a bolt of void energy at you.
Thurston rolls a 22. Zemir's AC is 21, but he gains a +2 circumstance bonus from standard cover. The attack misses. The driftdead fires another bolt at him. Thurston rolls a 23, which hits Zemir's AC of 21, and he takes 6 void damage. Then, the driftdead lumbers toward Obozaya. Each square of difficult terrain counts twice, so the driftdead's Speed of 25 feet isn't enough to get to her this round.
Chk Chk (Dustin): I cast vibe check. I'm broadcasting an angry poem about my childhood into the human's mind: “Despite all my bile, I am still just a bug in a vial!” That's two actions. Then, I'll Transfer Vitality to Zemir and heal him for 7 Hit Points.
Thurston rolls a 17 for the human driftdead's Will save against Chk Chk's spell DC of 21. The driftdead fails and must use its next action to attack the nearest creature. The angry driftdead goes next and attacks its vesk ally, dealing 4 damage.
Thurston: The walking corpse turns its anger on you, Chk Chk. It lurches toward you and lashes out with clawed hands. Does a 23 hit you?
Chk Chk (Dustin): “I welcome the pain!” Yes, that hits me.
Thurston rolls for slashing damage from the driftdead's claws and gets a total of 10.
Dae (Jessica): My turn! I Stellar Rush down the hall and into the bridge. Black lightning crackles around me and drags both enemies toward me when I dash past them.
Stellar Rush is a solarian feat that lets Dae Stride twice with a +10 circumstance bonus to their movement speed. When Dae finishes both Strides, enemies within 15 feet attempt a Fortitude save to determine if they're pulled toward Dae. Dae's Class DC is 21. Thurston rolls for both driftdead and gets a 6 and 12. Both fail and are pulled toward Dae, ending in adjacent squares. Stellar Rush has the cycle trait, meaning Dae's attunement changes to photon after they complete the action.
Dae (Jessica): My black battle ribbon bursts into solar flame. I pirouette and attack the vesk, making sure the camera drone can see all my moves. I rolled a 26.
The driftdead's AC is 16, so Dae's Strike is a critical hit and Jessica doubles her damage roll, for a total of 20 out of its 40 Hit Points.
Thurston: The creature snarls as the ribbon of starlight lashes across its torso, singeing its ruined spacesuit. Obozaya, it's your turn.
Obozaya (Jenny): “Thanks for the setup, Dae!” I Auto-Fire at both enemies. The human is closest to me, so she's my primary target.
Obozaya's Auto-Fire hits all creatures in a 20-foot cone, which includes Dae, but because of training from her bombard fighting style she avoids hurting her ally. Instead of Obozaya rolling to Strike, creatures in the area roll a Reflex save to find out how much damage they take. The vesk driftdead succeeds at its save and takes 9 damage— exactly enough to knock it out! The other fails and takes 18 damage from the barrage.
Obozaya (Jenny): “Hahahahaha!” That's Menacing Laughter for my third action. Oh, and don't forget, the enemy is suppressed.
Obozaya rolls an Intimidation check, adding her +11 modifier. She rolls a 1, so the driftdead isn't shaken. The driftdead is suppressed by Obozaya's attack, taking a –1 circumstance penalty on attack rolls and a –10-foot status penalty to Speed until the start of her next turn.
Thurston: One foe falls to Obozaya's barrage. There's a sudden lurch that feels like being pulled into the Drift as the dead ysoki from the airlock phases through the floor and lunges at Dae claws first!
That is the end of the first round of combat. The second round begins immediately after this, using the same initiative order as before and including the new foe. The fight is just beginning…
Using This Book
Source Player Core pg. 14
While this chapter is here to teach you the basics of Starfinder, the rest of this rulebook serves as a reference manual during play, and it is organized to make finding the rule you need as easy as possible. Rules are grouped together in chapters, with the early chapters focusing on character creation. The following is a summary of what you can expect to find in each chapter.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Source Player Core pg. 14
This introduction is designed to help you understand the basics of Starfinder. This chapter also includes the rules for building and leveling up a character, as well as an example of the character creation process. The chapter ends with an introduction to the galaxy and its gods.
Chapter 2: Ancestries & Backgrounds
Source Player Core pg. 14
The rules for ancestries and heritages representing the Pact Worlds are in this chapter, including their ancestry feat options. Backgrounds are at the end of this chapter, along with a section about languages, as these are often influenced by your choice of ancestry
Chapter 3: Classes
Source Player Core pg. 14
This chapter contains the rules for 8 classes. Each class entry includes guidelines on playing the class, rules for building and advancing a character of that class, sample builds, and all of the class feats available to members of that class. At the end of this chapter are the rules for archetypes—special options available to characters as they increase in level. These rules allow a character to dabble in the abilities of another class or concept.
Chapter 4: Skills
Source Player Core pg. 14
The rules for using skills are presented in this chapter, and they detail what a character can do with a given skill, based on that character’s proficiency rank. Ancestry, background, and class can define some of a character’s skill proficiencies, and each character can also select a few additional skills to reflect their personality and training.
Chapter 5: Feats
Source Player Core pg. 14
As a character advances in level, they gain additional feats to represent their growing abilities. General feats and skill feats (which are a subset of general feats) are presented in this chapter.
Chapter 6: Equipment
Source Player Core pg. 14
Armor, weapons, and other gear can all be found in this chapter, along with the price for services, cost of living, and transportation (such as hovercabs and gravtrains).
Chapter 7: Spells
Source Player Core pg. 14
This chapter starts with rules for casting spells, determining their effects, and negating foes’ spells (called counteracting). After that, the spell lists for each spellcasting tradition are included, making it easy to quickly find spells by their rank. Next are rules for every spell, presented in alphabetical order. Following the spell descriptions are all of the focus spells—special spells granted by specific class abilities and feats. While most spells appear on multiple spell lists, focus spells are granted only to members of a specific class and are grouped together by class for ease of reference. Finally, at the end of the chapter are rules for rituals, complicated and risky spells that any character can attempt.
Chapter 8: Playing the Game
Source Player Core pg. 14
This important chapter contains the universal rules needed to play Starfinder, including rules for the various modes of play, the basic actions that every character can perform, the rules for combat, and the rules for death and dying. Every player should be familiar with this chapter, especially the GM.
Appendices
Source Player Core pg. 14
The back of this book has an appendix with the rules for all of the conditions that you will find in the game. This section also includes a blank character sheet, and an index with a comprehensive glossary of common terms and traits that you’ll encounter in the game.
Format of Rules
Source Player Core pg. 15
Throughout this rulebook, you will see formatting standards that might look a bit unusual at first. These standards are in place to make the rules elements in this book easier to recognize.
The names of specific statistics, skills, feats, actions, and some other mechanical elements in Starfinder are capitalized. This way, when you see the statement “a Strike targets Armor Class,” you know that both Strike and Armor Class are referring to rules.
If a word or a phrase is italicized, it's describing a spell or a magic item. This way, when you see the statement “the radiation from an atomic blast lingers in the room”, you know that the words denote the atomic blast spell, rather than a non-magical atomic blast.
The names of specific statistics, skills, feats, actions, and some other mechanical elements in Starfinder are capitalized. This way, when you see the statement “a Strike targets Armor Class,” you know that both Strike and Armor Class are referring to rules.
If a word or a phrase is italicized, it's describing a spell or a magic item. This way, when you see the statement “the radiation from an atomic blast lingers in the room”, you know that the words denote the atomic blast spell, rather than a non-magical atomic blast.
Understanding Actions
Source Player Core pg. 15
Characters and their adversaries affect the galaxy of Starfinder by using actions and producing effects. This is especially the case during encounters, when every action counts. When you use an action, you generate an effect. This effect might be automatic, but sometimes actions necessitate that you roll a die, and the effect is based on what you rolled.
Throughout this book, you will see special icons to denote actions.
Throughout this book, you will see special icons to denote actions.
[one-action] Single Actions
Source Player Core pg. 15
Single actions use this symbol: [one-action]. They're the simplest, most common type of action. You can use three single actions on your turn in an encounter, in any order you see fit.
[reaction] Reactions
Source Player Core pg. 15
Reactions use this symbol: [reaction]. These actions can be used even when it's not your turn. You only get one reaction per encounter round, and you can use it only when its specific trigger is fulfilled. Often, the trigger is another creature's action.
[free-action] Free Actions
Source Player Core pg. 15
Free actions use this symbol: [free-action]. Free actions don't require you to spend any of your three single actions or your reaction. A free action might have a trigger like a reaction does. If so, you can use it just like a reaction—even if it's not your turn. However, you can use only one free action per trigger, so if you have multiple free actions with the same trigger, you have to decide which to use. If a free action doesn't have a trigger, you use it like a single action, just without spending any of your actions for the turn.
Activities
Source Player Core pg. 15
Activities are special tasks that you complete by spending one or more of your actions together. Usually, an activity uses two or more actions and lets you do more than a single action would allow. You have to spend all the actions an activity requires for its effects to happen. Spellcasting is one of the most common activities, as most spells take more than a single action to cast.
Activities that use two actions use this symbol: [two-actions]. Meanwhile, activities that use three actions use this symbol: [three-actions]. There are also special activities, such as spells you can cast in an instant, which use a free action or a reaction.
All tasks that take longer than a turn are activities. If an activity is meant to be done during exploration, it has the exploration trait. An activity that takes a day or more of commitment and that can be done only during downtime has the downtime trait.
Activities that use two actions use this symbol: [two-actions]. Meanwhile, activities that use three actions use this symbol: [three-actions]. There are also special activities, such as spells you can cast in an instant, which use a free action or a reaction.
All tasks that take longer than a turn are activities. If an activity is meant to be done during exploration, it has the exploration trait. An activity that takes a day or more of commitment and that can be done only during downtime has the downtime trait.
Reading Rules
Source Player Core pg. 16
This book contains many rules elements that give characters new and interesting ways to respond to situations in the game. All characters can use the basic actions found in Chapter 8, but an individual character often has special rules that empower them to do things most other characters can't. Most of these options are granted by feats, which are gained by making certain choices at character creation or when a character advances in level.
Regardless of the game mechanic they convey, rules elements are always presented in the form of a stat block, a summary of the rules necessary to bring the monster, character, item, or other rules element to life during play. Where appropriate, rules presentations are introduced with an explanation of their format. For example, the Ancestry section of Chapter 2 contains rules for the ten ancestries in this book, and an explanation of the ancestry sections appears at the beginning of that chapter.
The general format for stat blocks is shown below. Entries are omitted from a stat block when they don't apply, so not all rule elements will have ever each of the entries given below. Actions, reactions, and free actions each have the corresponding icon next to their name to indicate their type. An activity that can be completed in a single turn has a symbol indicating how many actions are needed to complete it; activities that take longer to perform omit these icons. If a character must attain a certain level before accessing an ability, that level is indicated to the right of the stat block's name. Rules also often have traits associated with them.
Spells, tech items, and magic items use a similar format, but their stat blocks contain a number of unique elements, such as the possible magical traditions for a spell (see Chapter 7 for more on reading spells).
Trait
Prerequisites Any minimum attributes, feats, proficiency ranks, and so forth you must have to select this rules element are here. Feats also have a level prerequisite, listed above.
Frequency The limit on how often you can use the ability.
Trigger Reactions and some free actions have triggers that must be met before they can be used.
Requirements Sometimes you must have a certain item or be in a certain circumstance to use an ability.
This section describes the effects or benefits of a rules element. If the rule is an action, it explains what the effect is or what you must roll. If it's a feat that modifies an existing action or grants a constant effect, the benefit is explained here.
Special Any special qualities of the rule are explained in this section. Usually this section appears in feats you can select more than once, explaining what happens when you do.
Sometimes an ability will grant multiple actions or an action in addition to other benefits. These are condensed into a shorter format using the same categories, as seen below.
Name [one-action] (traits) Frequency how often it can be used; Trigger when a reaction or free action can be used; Requirements some actions require specific circumstances, listed here; Effect this section explains how the ability changes the world.
Regardless of the game mechanic they convey, rules elements are always presented in the form of a stat block, a summary of the rules necessary to bring the monster, character, item, or other rules element to life during play. Where appropriate, rules presentations are introduced with an explanation of their format. For example, the Ancestry section of Chapter 2 contains rules for the ten ancestries in this book, and an explanation of the ancestry sections appears at the beginning of that chapter.
The general format for stat blocks is shown below. Entries are omitted from a stat block when they don't apply, so not all rule elements will have ever each of the entries given below. Actions, reactions, and free actions each have the corresponding icon next to their name to indicate their type. An activity that can be completed in a single turn has a symbol indicating how many actions are needed to complete it; activities that take longer to perform omit these icons. If a character must attain a certain level before accessing an ability, that level is indicated to the right of the stat block's name. Rules also often have traits associated with them.
Spells, tech items, and magic items use a similar format, but their stat blocks contain a number of unique elements, such as the possible magical traditions for a spell (see Chapter 7 for more on reading spells).
Action or Feat Name [one-action] Level
Trait
Prerequisites Any minimum attributes, feats, proficiency ranks, and so forth you must have to select this rules element are here. Feats also have a level prerequisite, listed above.
Frequency The limit on how often you can use the ability.
Trigger Reactions and some free actions have triggers that must be met before they can be used.
Requirements Sometimes you must have a certain item or be in a certain circumstance to use an ability.
This section describes the effects or benefits of a rules element. If the rule is an action, it explains what the effect is or what you must roll. If it's a feat that modifies an existing action or grants a constant effect, the benefit is explained here.
Special Any special qualities of the rule are explained in this section. Usually this section appears in feats you can select more than once, explaining what happens when you do.
Sometimes an ability will grant multiple actions or an action in addition to other benefits. These are condensed into a shorter format using the same categories, as seen below.
Name [one-action] (traits) Frequency how often it can be used; Trigger when a reaction or free action can be used; Requirements some actions require specific circumstances, listed here; Effect this section explains how the ability changes the world.
Character Creation
Source Player Core pg. 17
Unless you're the GM, the first thing you need to do when playing Starfinder is create your character. It's up to you to imagine your character's past experiences, personality, and view of the galaxy, and this will set the stage for your roleplaying during the game. You'll use the game's mechanics to determine your character's ability to perform various tasks and use special abilities.
This section provides a step-by-step guide for creating a character using the Starfinder rules, preceded by a guide to help you understand attribute modifiers. These modifiers are a critical part of your character, and you will be asked to make choices about them during many of the following steps. The steps of character creation are presented in a suggested order, but you can complete them in whatever order you prefer.
Many of the steps on pages 18–25 instruct you to fill out fields on your character sheet. The character sheet is shown on pages 20–21; you can find a copy in the back of this book or on paizo.com as a free PDF. The character sheet is designed to be easy to use when you're actually playing the game, but creating a character happens in a different order, so you'll move back and forth through the character sheet as you go through the character creation process. Additionally, the character sheet includes every field you might need, even though not all characters will have something to put in each field. If a field on your character sheet is not applicable to your character, you can just leave that field blank.
All the steps of character creation are detailed on the following pages; each is marked with a number that corresponds to the sample character sheet on pages 20–21, showing you where the information goes. If the field you need to fill out is on the third or fourth page of the character sheet, which aren't shown, the text will tell you.
If you're creating a higher-level character, it's a good idea to begin with the instructions here, then turn to the instructions on leveling up characters.
This section provides a step-by-step guide for creating a character using the Starfinder rules, preceded by a guide to help you understand attribute modifiers. These modifiers are a critical part of your character, and you will be asked to make choices about them during many of the following steps. The steps of character creation are presented in a suggested order, but you can complete them in whatever order you prefer.
Many of the steps on pages 18–25 instruct you to fill out fields on your character sheet. The character sheet is shown on pages 20–21; you can find a copy in the back of this book or on paizo.com as a free PDF. The character sheet is designed to be easy to use when you're actually playing the game, but creating a character happens in a different order, so you'll move back and forth through the character sheet as you go through the character creation process. Additionally, the character sheet includes every field you might need, even though not all characters will have something to put in each field. If a field on your character sheet is not applicable to your character, you can just leave that field blank.
All the steps of character creation are detailed on the following pages; each is marked with a number that corresponds to the sample character sheet on pages 20–21, showing you where the information goes. If the field you need to fill out is on the third or fourth page of the character sheet, which aren't shown, the text will tell you.
If you're creating a higher-level character, it's a good idea to begin with the instructions here, then turn to the instructions on leveling up characters.
Step 1: Create A Concept
Source Player Core pg. 17
What sort of character do you want to play? The answer to this question might be as simple as “a starship pilot,” or as complicated as “a kasatha seer raised on a generation ship far from their ancestral home world, devoted to Talavet, goddess of community and tradition.” Consider your character's personality, sketch out a few details about their past, and think about how and why they adventure. You'll want to peruse Starfinder's available ancestries, backgrounds, and classes. The summaries on Step 3 and Step 5 might help you match your concept with some of these basic rule elements. Before a game begins, it's also a good idea for the players to discuss how their characters might know each other and how they'll work together throughout the course of their adventures.
Each player takes a different approach to creating a character. Some want a character who will fit well into the story, while others look for a combination of abilities that complement each other mechanically. You might combine these two approaches. There is no wrong way!
Once you have a good idea of the character you'd like to play, move on to Step 2 to start building your character.
Each player takes a different approach to creating a character. Some want a character who will fit well into the story, while others look for a combination of abilities that complement each other mechanically. You might combine these two approaches. There is no wrong way!
Once you have a good idea of the character you'd like to play, move on to Step 2 to start building your character.
Ancestry, Background, Class, or Details
Source Player Core pg. 18
If one of Starfinder's character ancestries, backgrounds, or classes particularly intrigues you, it's easy to build a character concept around these options. The summaries of ancestries and classes give a brief overview of these options (full details appear in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, respectively). Each ancestry also has several heritages that might refine your concept further, such as a venom thought vesk with psychic talents or one with armored scales. Some heritages, known as versatile heritages, can even be applied to any ancestry; for instance, any mortal touched by the essence of the Drift can be a prismeni, regardless of their ancestry. Additionally, the game has many backgrounds to choose from, representing your character's upbringing, hobby, or profession. Backgrounds are detailed later in Chapter 2.
Building a character around a specific ancestry, background, or class can be a fun way to interact with the galaxy's lore. For example, you could play a pacifist vesk who prefers negotiation over conflict, or a pahtra imperial spy.
Building a character around a specific ancestry, background, or class can be a fun way to interact with the galaxy's lore. For example, you could play a pacifist vesk who prefers negotiation over conflict, or a pahtra imperial spy.
Faith
Source Player Core pg. 18
Perhaps you'd like to play a character who is a devout follower of a specific deity. The peoples of the galaxy follow myriad faiths and philosophies spanning a wide pantheon, from Damoritosh, the Conqueror, god of duty, war, and ancestral patron of the Veskarium; to Eloritu, the Hidden Truth and god of history, magic, and secrets; to Oras, Agent of Change, god of evolution and transformation through science. Starfinder's major deities appear here. Your character might be so drawn to a particular faith that you decide they should be a disciple or mystic of that deity; they might instead be a lay worshipper who applies their faith's teachings to daily life, or a skeptic cursed with the church's blessing.
Your Allies
Source Player Core pg. 18
You might want to coordinate with other players when forming your character concept. Your characters could have something in common already; perhaps they are travelers from the same home world, or maybe they work together as part of the same faction. You might discuss mechanical aspects with the other players, creating characters whose combat abilities complement each other. It can be helpful for a party to include characters who deal damage, characters who can absorb damage, and characters who can heal and support their allies. However, Starfinder’s classes include a lot of choices, and there are many options for building each type of character, so don’t let these broad categories restrict your decisions.
Step 2: Start Building Attribute Modifiers
Source Player Core pg. 18
At this point, you need to start building your character's attribute modifiers. See the overview of attribute modifiers for more information about these important aspects of your character and an overview of the process.
Your character's attribute modifiers each start at +0, and as you select your ancestry, background, and class, you'll apply attribute boosts, which increase a modifier by 1, and attribute flaws, which decrease a modifier by 1. At this point, just note a +0 in each attribute modifier and familiarize yourself with the rules for attribute boosts and flaws on page 23. This is also a good time to identify which attribute modifiers will be most important to your character; for instance, if you want to play a dashing space pirate captain, you might want to focus on a character with a high Dexterity attribute (to ensure they're good with Piloting and Stealth) who also has a bit of Charisma (to fast-talk the authorities if they get caught). See the Six Attribute Modifiers sidebar above and the class summaries for more information.
Your character's attribute modifiers each start at +0, and as you select your ancestry, background, and class, you'll apply attribute boosts, which increase a modifier by 1, and attribute flaws, which decrease a modifier by 1. At this point, just note a +0 in each attribute modifier and familiarize yourself with the rules for attribute boosts and flaws on page 23. This is also a good time to identify which attribute modifiers will be most important to your character; for instance, if you want to play a dashing space pirate captain, you might want to focus on a character with a high Dexterity attribute (to ensure they're good with Piloting and Stealth) who also has a bit of Charisma (to fast-talk the authorities if they get caught). See the Six Attribute Modifiers sidebar above and the class summaries for more information.
Step 3: Select an Ancestry
Source Player Core pg. 19
Select an ancestry for your character. The ancestry summaries on page 27 provide an overview of Starfinder's core ancestry options, and each is fully detailed in Chapter 2. Ancestry determines your character's size, Speed, and languages, and contributes to their Hit Points. Each also grants attribute boosts and attribute flaws to represent the ancestry's basic capabilities.
You'll have four decisions to make when you choosing your character's ancestry.
You'll have four decisions to make when you choosing your character's ancestry.
- Pick the ancestry itself.
- Select a heritage from those available within that ancestry, further defining the traits your character was born with.
- Assign any free attribute boosts and decide if you are taking any voluntary flaws.
- Choose an ancestry feat, representing an ability your hero learned at an early age.
Step 4: Pick a Background
Source Player Core pg. 20
Your character’s background might represent their upbringing, an aptitude they’ve been honing since their youth, or another aspect of their life before they became an adventurer. Character backgrounds appear in Chapter 2. They typically provide two attribute boosts (one that can be applied to either of two specific attribute modifiers, and one that is free), training in a specific skill, training in a Lore skill, and a specific skill feat.
Step 5: Choose a Class
Source Player Core pg. 20
At this point, you need to decide your character's class. A class gives your character access to a suite of heroic abilities, determines how effectively they fight, and governs how easily they can shake off or avoid certain harmful effects. Each class is fully detailed in Chapter 3, but the summaries image on the right provides an overview of each.
You don't need to write down all of your character's class features yet. You simply need to know which class you want to play, which determines the attribute modifiers that will be most important for your character.
You don't need to write down all of your character's class features yet. You simply need to know which class you want to play, which determines the attribute modifiers that will be most important for your character.
Step 6: Finish Attribute Modifiers
Source Player Core pg. 21
Now that you've made the main mechanical choices about your character, it's time to finalize their attribute modifiers.
Do these two things:
Remember that each attribute boost adds 1 to the base modifier of +0, and each attribute flaw subtracts 1. You should have no attribute modifier lower than –1 or higher than +4.
Do these two things:
- First, make sure you've applied all the attribute boosts and attribute flaws you've noted in previous steps (from your ancestry, background, and class).
- Then, apply four free attribute boosts to your character's attribute modifiers. Choose a different attribute modifier for each and increase that attribute modifier by 1.
Remember that each attribute boost adds 1 to the base modifier of +0, and each attribute flaw subtracts 1. You should have no attribute modifier lower than –1 or higher than +4.
Step 7: Record Class Details
Source Player Core pg. 21
Your next step is to record all the benefits and class features that your character receives from the class you've chosen. You'll want to be sure to record the following class features.
- To determine your total starting Hit Points, add together the number of Hit Points your character gains from their ancestry (chosen in Step 3) and the number of Hit Points they gain from their class.
- The Initial Proficiencies section of your class entry indicates your character's starting proficiency ranks in a number of areas. Choose which skills your character is trained in and record those, along with the ones set by your class. If your class would make you trained in a skill you're already trained in (typically due to your background), you can select another skill to become trained in.
- See the class advancement table in your class entry to learn the class features your character gains at 1st level. You have already chosen an ancestry, background, and free attribute boosts, but these are listed in the table as a reminder. Some class features require you to make additional choices, such as selecting spells.
Step 8: Buy Equipment
Source Player Core pg. 23
At 1st level, your character has 150 credits to spend on armor, weapons, and other basic equipment. Your character's class lists the types of weapons and armor with which they are trained (or better!). Their weapons determine how much damage they deal in combat, and their armor influences their Armor Class; these calculations are covered in more detail in Step 10.
You'll also want equipment like cable line, flashlights, toolkits, and other traveling gear, and maybe even a serum or sprayflesh for emergency medical needs. Augmentations that change your body, upgrades for your armor and weapons, and magic items are pricier options that you probably won't be able to afford yet, but window shopping is free!
You'll also want equipment like cable line, flashlights, toolkits, and other traveling gear, and maybe even a serum or sprayflesh for emergency medical needs. Augmentations that change your body, upgrades for your armor and weapons, and magic items are pricier options that you probably won't be able to afford yet, but window shopping is free!
Step 9: Calculate Modifiers
Source Player Core pg. 24
With most of the big decisions for your character made, it’s time to calculate the modifiers for each of the following statistics. If your proficiency rank for a statistic is trained, expert, master, or legendary, your bonus equals your character’s level plus another number based on the rank (2, 4, 6, and 8, respectively). If your character is untrained, your proficiency bonus is +0.
Perception
Source Player Core pg. 24
Your character’s Perception modifier measures how alert they are, and is equal to their proficiency bonus in Perception plus their Wisdom modifier. See Perception for more.
Saving Throws
Source Player Core pg. 24
For each kind of saving throw, add your character’s Fortitude, Reflex, or Will proficiency bonus (as appropriate) plus the attribute modifier associated with that kind of saving throw. For Fortitude saving throws, use your character’s Constitution modifier. For Reflex saving throws, use your character’s Dexterity modifier. For Will saving throws, use your character’s Wisdom modifier. Then add in any bonuses or penalties from abilities, feats, or items that always apply (but not modifiers, bonuses, or penalties that apply only in certain situations). Record this number on the line for that saving throw.
Melee Strikes and Ranged Strikes
Source Player Core pg. 24
Next to where you’ve written your character’s melee and ranged weapons, calculate the modifier to Strike with each weapon and how much damage that Strike deals. The modifier for a Strike is equal to your character’s proficiency bonus with the weapon plus an attribute modifier (usually Strength for melee Strikes and Dexterity for ranged Strikes). You also add any item bonus from the weapon and any other permanent bonuses or penalties. You also need to calculate how much damage each weapon’s Strike deals. Melee weapons usually add your character’s Strength modifier to damage rolls, while ranged weapons might add some or all of your character’s Strength modifier, depending on the weapon’s traits. See the weapon entries in Chapter 6 for more information.
Skills
Source Player Core pg. 24
In the second box to the right of each skill on your character sheet, there’s an abbreviation to remind you of the attribute modifier for that skill. For each skill in which your character is trained, add your proficiency bonus for that skill (typically +3 for a 1st-level character) to the indicated attribute’s modifier, as well as any other applicable bonuses and penalties, to determine the total modifier for that skill. For skills your character is untrained in, use the same method, but your proficiency bonus is +0.
Step 10: Finishing Details
Source Player Core pg. 24
Now add the following details to your character sheet by filling out the boxes on page 3 of the character sheet.
Edicts and Anathema
Source Player Core pg. 24
You can choose to take on edicts and anathema to reinforce your character's beliefs and guide how they'd react in certain situations. Edicts are behaviors your personal philosophy or code encourages. Anathema are the opposite: actions contrary to your point of view and violations of your personal code. For example, you might follow an edict to keep records of any planet you visit, or you might consider it anathema to erase data or conceal information from the public.
For most characters, these are entirely optional, though it's best to consider taking some on as you create your character to hone in on how they think. If you follow a deity, you might take inspiration from the edicts and anathema listed for them on the Deities page. Ancestry entries list edicts and anathema prevalent among their communities.
For most characters, these are entirely optional, though it's best to consider taking some on as you create your character to hone in on how they think. If you follow a deity, you might take inspiration from the edicts and anathema listed for them on the Deities page. Ancestry entries list edicts and anathema prevalent among their communities.
Changing Edicts and Anathema
Source Player Core pg. 25
Edicts and anathema can change during play as a character’s beliefs evolve, or as you realize that your character’s actions reflect a different set of values than you once thought. In most cases, you can just change a relevant edict or anathema and continue playing.
Port of Call
Source Player Core pg. 25
Your character’s port of call is a place where they spend downtime between adventures or have adopted as a temporary home. This might be a world or space station they spend a lot of time on, or even a generation ship like the Idari where they currently live or often visit.
Home World
Source Player Core pg. 25
Your character’s home world is the planet, satellite, or starship where they were born or grew up. See the Planets page for more information about major locations in the galaxy where your character might be from, or make up your own!
Deity
Source Player Core pg. 25
Write down the deity your character worships, if any. Your character might worship several deities as part of a personal pantheon. You might instead choose a philosophy or decide your character is an atheist. See the Deities page for more about Starfinder’s deities.
Age
Source Player Core pg. 25
Decide your character’s age and note it on the third page of the character sheet. You can play a character of whatever age you like. There aren’t any mechanical adjustments to your character for being older, but you might want to take it into account when considering your starting attribute modifiers and future advancement. Particularly young characters can change the tone of some of the game’s threats, so it’s recommended that characters are at least young adults.
Gender and Pronouns
Source Player Core pg. 25
Characters of all genders are equally likely to become adventurers. Record your character’s gender, if applicable, and their pronouns on the third page of the character sheet.
Class DC
Source Player Core pg. 25
A class DC sets the difficulty for certain abilities granted by your character’s class. This DC equals 10 plus their proficiency bonus for their class DC (+3 for most 1st-level characters) plus the modifier for the class’s key attribute modifier.
Hero Points
Source Player Core pg. 25
Your character usually begins each game session with 1 Hero Point, and you can gain additional Hero Points during sessions by performing heroic deeds or enthusiastic gameplay. Your character can use Hero Points to gain certain benefits, such as staving off death or rerolling a d20.
Armor Class (AC)
Source Player Core pg. 25
Your character’s Armor Class represents how difficult they are to hit in combat. To calculate your AC, add 10 plus your character’s Dexterity modifier (up to their armor’s Dexterity modifier cap), plus their proficiency bonus with their armor, plus their armor’s item bonus to AC and any other permanent bonuses and penalties.
Bulk
Source Player Core pg. 25
Your character’s maximum Bulk determines how much weight they can comfortably carry. If they’re carrying a total amount of Bulk that exceeds 5 plus their Strength modifier, they are encumbered. A character can’t carry a total amount of Bulk that exceeds 10 plus their Strength modifier. The Bulk your character is carrying equals the sum of all of their items; keep in mind that 10 light items make up 1 Bulk. You can find out more about Bulk in Chapter 6.
Sample Character
Source Player Core pg. 26
This step-by-step example illustrates the process of creating a Starfinder character.
Steps 1 and 2
Source Player Core pg. 26
Jessica is making her first Starfinder character. After talking about it with the rest of the group, she’s decided to make a shirren solarian. After jotting down a few ideas, she begins by writing down a +0 for each attribute modifier.
Step 3
Source Player Core pg. 26
Jessica looks up the shirren entry in Chapter 2. She records the attribute boosts to her Constitution and Wisdom modifiers (bringing both up to +1). She also applies the attribute flaw to her Charisma, dropping it to –1. For her free attribute boost, she chooses Strength to boost because it's a Solarian key attribute score and helps with her melee attacks, raising it to +1 as well. She also records the 10 Hit Points the ancestry gives her. Next, she returns to her character sheet to record the size, Speed, language, and limited telepathy ability she gets from being a shirren. Finally, she decides on a heritage, writing “defiant” next to shirren, and she picks an ancestry feat, deciding on Psychic Talent, so she can cast the an occult cantrip.
Step 4
Source Player Core pg. 26
Looking through the backgrounds, Jessica likes the idea of a grizzled ex-Starfinder agent reluctantly coming out of retirement to help train a brand new team, and the recluse background makes for a good choice. For the first attribute boost granted by the background, Jessica chooses Constitution (which will give her character more Hit Points), and for the free attribute boost, she chooses Strength (her key attribute for solarian), taking both up to +2. On the second page, she writes Dubious Knowledge in the Skill Feats area, on the Background line. Finally, returning to the first page, she writes “Starfinder” next to the first Lore skill entry and checks the box under the “T” for that skill and Survival.
Step 5
Source Player Core pg. 26
Jessica writes solarian on the class line of her character sheet and fills in the number 1 in the level box. The solarian class grants an attribute boost to its key attribute, which is Strength, so Jessica’s character has her Strength raised to +3.
Step 6
Source Player Core pg. 26
Jessica applies four more attribute boosts to determine her starting attribute modifiers. After giving it some thought, she applies them to Strength (raising it to +4), since that’s the most important attribute modifier for her class, and to Dexterity, Constitution, and Intelligence (raising them to +1, +3, and +1, respectively) to make her better in combat with a handful of skills that represent her past work experience. She then writes her final attribute modifiers down on her character sheet.
Step 7
Source Player Core pg. 26
As Jessica applies her class, she has a number of things to figure out. First, she starts by recording all of her initial proficiencies, marking the appropriate boxes in the Armor Class, Saving Throws, Weapon Proficiencies, Spell Attack Modifier, and Class DC areas of her sheet.
Turning to skills, Jessica marks Athletics as trained because all solarians are trained in Athletics. She then gets to choose four more skills (if her character had a higher Intelligence, she would have gotten more). She double checks to make sure she correctly marked all her skills from steps 3 and 4 as Trained. She decides on Computers, Acrobatics, Occultism, Survival, and Thievery, marking all of them as trained. Next, she adds the 10 Hit Points from the solarian class and her Constitution modifier of +3 to the 10 Hit Points from her shirren ancestry for an impressive 23 total Hit Points.
Moving on to class features, Jessica makes note of her solar manifestations. She chooses a halberd as her solar weapon and writes its graviton and solar forms in the Melee Strikes area, noting its reach trait. She then records her Solar Shot's graviton and solar forms in the Ranged Strikes area. Next, she records her Nimbus Surge reaction in the Free Actions and Reactions section of her character sheet. Jessica chooses the Stellar Rush feat and marks that in the feats area.
Turning to skills, Jessica marks Athletics as trained because all solarians are trained in Athletics. She then gets to choose four more skills (if her character had a higher Intelligence, she would have gotten more). She double checks to make sure she correctly marked all her skills from steps 3 and 4 as Trained. She decides on Computers, Acrobatics, Occultism, Survival, and Thievery, marking all of them as trained. Next, she adds the 10 Hit Points from the solarian class and her Constitution modifier of +3 to the 10 Hit Points from her shirren ancestry for an impressive 23 total Hit Points.
Moving on to class features, Jessica makes note of her solar manifestations. She chooses a halberd as her solar weapon and writes its graviton and solar forms in the Melee Strikes area, noting its reach trait. She then records her Solar Shot's graviton and solar forms in the Ranged Strikes area. Next, she records her Nimbus Surge reaction in the Free Actions and Reactions section of her character sheet. Jessica chooses the Stellar Rush feat and marks that in the feats area.
Step 8
Source Player Core pg. 26
Next up, Jessica turns to Chapter 6: Equipment. She's trained in medium armor and chooses commercial freebooter armor (which comes with a built-in comm unit, like most armor). When it comes to weapons, she knows she can rely on her solar manifestations, but chooses a commercial semi-auto pistol as a sidearm since it has greater range, plus 5 extra projectile ammo to keep it loaded. She also buys a hacking toolkit and an infiltrator's toolkit. She writes all of these items on her character sheet. Jessica then lists the semi-auto pistol under her ranged Strikes. She records the rest of her gear in the Inventory section on the second page, along with any credits left over after buying her starting gear. (She hopes coffee doesn't cost too much in space!)
Step 9
Source Player Core pg. 26
Jessica records all of the attribute modifiers for Perception, saving throws, Strikes, and skills. She then puts a “+3” in the box marked Prof to indicate her proficiency bonus for each statistic she's trained in (1 for her level, plus 2 for being trained) and “+5” in any that she is an expert. Then, she adds up her modifiers for each statistic.
Step 10
Source Player Core pg. 26
Jessica fills out the final details of her character, calculating her AC and Bulk limits. Finally, she fills in some last-minute information about her character's history and decides to name her character Zazi. Now the shirren solarian is ready for her first adventure!
Leveling Up
Source Player Core pg. 29
With each terrifying beast and deadly trap bested, a character earns Experience Points (XP) that allow them to increase in level. Each level grants greater skill, increased resiliency, and new capabilities, allowing your character to face even greater challenges and go on to earn even more impressive rewards.
Each time your character reaches 1,000 Experience Points, their level increases by 1. On your character sheet, indicate your character's new level beside the name of their class, and deduct 1,000 XP from their XP total. If you have any Experience Points left after this, record them—they count toward your next level, so your character is already on their way to advancing yet again!
Next, return to your character's class entry. Increase your character's total Hit Points by the number indicated for your class. Then, take a look at the class advancement table and find the row for your character's new level. Your character gains all the abilities listed for that level, including new abilities specific to your class and additional benefits all characters gain as they level up. For example, all characters gain four attribute boosts at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.
You can find all the new abilities specific to your class, including class feats, right in your class entry, though you can also use class feats to take an archetype (page 174). Your character's class entry also explains how to apply any attribute boosts and skill increases your character gains. If they gain an ancestry feat, head back to the entry for your character's ancestry in Chapter 2 and select another ancestry feat from the list of options. If they gain a skill increase, refer to Chapter 4 when deciding which skill to apply it to. If they gain a general feat or a skill feat, you can choose from the feats listed in Chapter 5. If they can cast spells, see the class entry for details on adding spell slots and spells. It's also a good idea to review your character's spells in Chapter 7 and see if there are heightened versions they can now cast.
Once you've made all your choices for your character's new level, be sure to go over your character sheet and adjust any values that have changed. At a bare minimum, your trained or higher proficiency bonuses all increase by 1 because you've gained a level, so your AC, attack rolls, Perception, saving throws, skill modifiers, spell DC, and class DC all increase by at least 1. You might need to change other values because of skill increases, attribute boosts, or class features that either increase your proficiency rank or increase other statistics at certain levels. If an attribute boost increases your character's Constitution modifier, recalculate their maximum Hit Points using their new Constitution modifier (typically, this adds 1 Hit Point per level). If an attribute boost increases your character's Intelligence modifier, they become trained in an additional skill and language. Some feats grant a benefit based on your level, such as Toughness, and these benefits are adjusted whenever you gain a level as well.
You can perform the steps in the leveling-up process in whichever order you want. For example, if you wanted to take the skill feat Intimidating Prowess as your skill feat at 10th level, but your character's Strength modifier was only +2, you could first increase their Strength modifier to +3 using the attribute boosts gained at 10th level, and then take Intimidating Prowess as a skill feat at the same level.
Each time your character reaches 1,000 Experience Points, their level increases by 1. On your character sheet, indicate your character's new level beside the name of their class, and deduct 1,000 XP from their XP total. If you have any Experience Points left after this, record them—they count toward your next level, so your character is already on their way to advancing yet again!
Next, return to your character's class entry. Increase your character's total Hit Points by the number indicated for your class. Then, take a look at the class advancement table and find the row for your character's new level. Your character gains all the abilities listed for that level, including new abilities specific to your class and additional benefits all characters gain as they level up. For example, all characters gain four attribute boosts at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.
You can find all the new abilities specific to your class, including class feats, right in your class entry, though you can also use class feats to take an archetype (page 174). Your character's class entry also explains how to apply any attribute boosts and skill increases your character gains. If they gain an ancestry feat, head back to the entry for your character's ancestry in Chapter 2 and select another ancestry feat from the list of options. If they gain a skill increase, refer to Chapter 4 when deciding which skill to apply it to. If they gain a general feat or a skill feat, you can choose from the feats listed in Chapter 5. If they can cast spells, see the class entry for details on adding spell slots and spells. It's also a good idea to review your character's spells in Chapter 7 and see if there are heightened versions they can now cast.
Once you've made all your choices for your character's new level, be sure to go over your character sheet and adjust any values that have changed. At a bare minimum, your trained or higher proficiency bonuses all increase by 1 because you've gained a level, so your AC, attack rolls, Perception, saving throws, skill modifiers, spell DC, and class DC all increase by at least 1. You might need to change other values because of skill increases, attribute boosts, or class features that either increase your proficiency rank or increase other statistics at certain levels. If an attribute boost increases your character's Constitution modifier, recalculate their maximum Hit Points using their new Constitution modifier (typically, this adds 1 Hit Point per level). If an attribute boost increases your character's Intelligence modifier, they become trained in an additional skill and language. Some feats grant a benefit based on your level, such as Toughness, and these benefits are adjusted whenever you gain a level as well.
You can perform the steps in the leveling-up process in whichever order you want. For example, if you wanted to take the skill feat Intimidating Prowess as your skill feat at 10th level, but your character's Strength modifier was only +2, you could first increase their Strength modifier to +3 using the attribute boosts gained at 10th level, and then take Intimidating Prowess as a skill feat at the same level.
Exploring the Galaxy
Source Player Core pg. 30
While some players prefer to create a character and define them solely through roleplay, other players might wish to tie their character into the world through backstory and motives. Knowing the setting of the world you intend to play in can help flesh out your character, or even give rise to new ideas for a character that you hadn't considered.
The Starfinder Roleplaying Game rules come with their own default setting: the galaxy known as Desna's Path. The galaxy is full of wonder and peril, advanced technology, magic, meddling deities, and countless new worlds to explore. Starfinder's setting combines elements of science fiction with classic fantasy elements while taking inspiration from the modern world. All kinds of characters can find a place in the galaxy, and there are many galactic events, people, and plot hooks that a player can base a character around.
The Starfinder Roleplaying Game rules come with their own default setting: the galaxy known as Desna's Path. The galaxy is full of wonder and peril, advanced technology, magic, meddling deities, and countless new worlds to explore. Starfinder's setting combines elements of science fiction with classic fantasy elements while taking inspiration from the modern world. All kinds of characters can find a place in the galaxy, and there are many galactic events, people, and plot hooks that a player can base a character around.
The Gap
Source Player Core pg. 30
Starfinder occurs in the far future after the Age of Lost Omens, but there's a Gap in the galaxy's history. About 300 years ago, something erased an entire era from memory. Records for this forgotten era simply don't exist. People who lived through the Gap experienced a collective amnesia about its events. Magic can't bridge the broken timeline, and even the gods won't reveal what occurred. During this nebulous time that might have spanned a few years or several centuries, societies changed, the planet Golarion disappeared, and Absalom Station was built with the Starstone at its core. A few years later, Drift travel came to the galaxy, and a new age of interstellar adventure began.
What Does My Character Know?
Source Player Core pg. 30
As someone who lives in a science fantasy universe, your character has a different set of assumptions than someone from modern Earth. The following are some of these setting assumptions to keep in mind as you create your character. For more information on the galaxy and its cultures, see Starfinder Galaxy Guide.
- The galaxy is magical. Proof of people who magically change reality and channel the primeval forces of the universe is everywhere, and people know that it's real. Magic and technology often blend into powerful equipment known as magitech, and the presence of gods and fiends manifests in undeniable ways.
- The galaxy has technology. Tech from computers to starship systems are part of everyday life. Most people learn the basics of how to use tech in school or on the job. People communicate with each other instantaneously using comm units and the infosphere, a virtual network connecting a world or settlement. Inventions like laser guns, cybernetic body augmentations, and medical serums have been commonplace for hundreds of years.
- The galaxy is connected. Adventurers have used magical engines and powerful spells to explore the galaxy since ancient times, but such travel was rare until the god Triune introduced hyperspace travel through the mysterious plane of existence known as the Drift. Triune's devoted followers build magical buoys called Drift beacons that allow ships to navigate hyperspace travel and transmit long distance messages. It takes only days or weeks to travel vast interstellar distances for a ship with a Drift engine. Drift lanes connect major ports, making trips even faster, and journeys to Absalom Station are always swift because of the Starstone.
- The galaxy is diverse. Countless worlds and cultures flourish all over the galaxy (and beyond). Travelers from Near Space often visit the Pact Worlds (and vice versa). Visitors from the Vast are rarer, but such travel is possible.
- The galaxy is dangerous. Among the planets occupied by the allied Pact Worlds to Near Space and the remote Vast, there's usually something causing trouble somewhere. Adventurers are always seeking knowledge, riches, and new homes in this limitless and perilous galaxy!
The Pact Worlds
Source Player Core pg. 30
The Pact Worlds form the core of the Starfinder setting. “The Pact Worlds” is the formal name for the united planets orbiting lost Golarion's sun and their more distant allied worlds, including Pulonis in Near Space. After a short-lived interplanetary war with the Veskarium threatened their home system, the Pact Worlds united by signing the Absalom Pact and creating the Stewards, a mutual defense force dedicated to defending the system from outside threats and enforcing their treaty.
The united worlds are Absalom Station, Aballon, Castrovel, Akiton, Verces, the Diaspora, Eox, Triaxus, Dykon, Kalo-Mahoi, Marata, Liavara, and Bretheda. The Idari—a starship—is counted among their number, as is Pulonis, a planet in the Ghavaniska system that was formerly occupied by the Veskarium.
What's left of Aucturn, a planet destroyed by the birth of a god, floats among the field of ice and haunted space junk ringing the system's outskirts, called the Gelid Edge.
The united worlds are Absalom Station, Aballon, Castrovel, Akiton, Verces, the Diaspora, Eox, Triaxus, Dykon, Kalo-Mahoi, Marata, Liavara, and Bretheda. The Idari—a starship—is counted among their number, as is Pulonis, a planet in the Ghavaniska system that was formerly occupied by the Veskarium.
What's left of Aucturn, a planet destroyed by the birth of a god, floats among the field of ice and haunted space junk ringing the system's outskirts, called the Gelid Edge.
Near Space
Source Player Core pg. 34
Near Space is a term used by people in the galaxy for all worlds whose nearness to Drift beacons make travel swift and relatively safe. Communication, trade, and travel between Near Space planets is common. When new pathways emerged after a recent event known as the Drift Crisis, more remote worlds joined the Near Space trade network.
Near Space regions include the Veskarium, an empire of seven conquered planets and a few dozen colonies ruled by vesk military leaders; the Marixah Republic, a group of allied planets emerging onto the galactic stage; the Gideron Authority, an aggressive regime created by isolated colonists grabbing for power; Kreiholm Freehold, a coalition of peoples from the distant Scoured Stars system who banded together for mutual aid generations ago; and the Szandite Collective, a federation of worlds linked by ancient magic.
Near Space regions include the Veskarium, an empire of seven conquered planets and a few dozen colonies ruled by vesk military leaders; the Marixah Republic, a group of allied planets emerging onto the galactic stage; the Gideron Authority, an aggressive regime created by isolated colonists grabbing for power; Kreiholm Freehold, a coalition of peoples from the distant Scoured Stars system who banded together for mutual aid generations ago; and the Szandite Collective, a federation of worlds linked by ancient magic.
The Vast
Source Player Core pg. 34
The dangerous, infrequently traveled outskirts of the galaxy and the endless sprawl of uncharted space beyond are called the Vast. Only a handful of scattered Drift beacons exist to guide ships through the Vast, and few landmarks are known beyond the galactic rim. Travel to the backwater colonies, remote mining outposts, and isolationist empires of the Vast is perilous and slow.
Regions of the Vast include the Azlanti Star Empire, a vast territory of unknown size controlled by a colonizing regime ruled by the descendants of a human nation from lost Golarion; Kazmurg's Absurdity, a recently opened sector of space fractured by old magic and filled with new possibilities; Lajok, the vlaka home world of mysterious ruins orbiting a reborn sun; and the Scoured Stars, a trinary star system lorded over by the jealous god Kadrical and his jinsul servitors.
Regions of the Vast include the Azlanti Star Empire, a vast territory of unknown size controlled by a colonizing regime ruled by the descendants of a human nation from lost Golarion; Kazmurg's Absurdity, a recently opened sector of space fractured by old magic and filled with new possibilities; Lajok, the vlaka home world of mysterious ruins orbiting a reborn sun; and the Scoured Stars, a trinary star system lorded over by the jealous god Kadrical and his jinsul servitors.
Religion
Source Player Core pg. 35
Technology and scientific knowledge flourish across the galaxy, but these advancements can't solve every problem or answer all existential questions. Many turn to religion to understand their place in the cosmos. Some people worship an ancestral deity, while others follow the teachings of a pantheon, find purpose in a nondeific belief like the Green Faith, or practice a philosophy like the Cycle. Faith is often important to mystics, who sometimes draw on their connection to the divine for their abilities, and solarians, who find power through understanding the cosmic cycle. Note that countless more deities, religions, and philosophies exist in the many worlds of the multiverse than those detailed below.
Deities
Source Player Core pg. 35
Anyone can worship a deity, but those who do so devoutly should take care to pursue the faith's edicts (behaviors the faith encourages) and avoid its anathemas (actions considered blasphemous). Each deity entry below lists their name, title, and a short description with cultural information. Following that are the benefits available to the deity's most ardent devotees. You get these benefits only if you have a rule that specifically gives you a devotee benefit. Divine spells are usable by mystics who choose a connection that grants divine spellcasting.
Faiths and Philosophies
Source Player Core pg. 39
Faith can express itself in more ways than venerating a single deity—or any deity at all. A few examples of popular nondeific religions and philosophies are presented below. These faiths and philosophies don't have an external godhead that offers benefits to devotees.