core rulebook

532 Pages·2017·42.71 MB·English

CORE RULEBOOK

CORE RULEBOOK
Starfinder Creative Director • James L. Sutter TABLE OF CONTENTS
Starfinder Creative Design Director • Sarah E. Robinson
Starfinder Design Leads • Robert G. McCreary and
Owen K.C. Stephens
Starfinder Design Team • Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn,
John Compton, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Jason Keeley,
Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and Mark Seifter CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW 4
Authors • Alexander Augunas, Judy Bauer, Logan Bonner,
Jason Bulmahn, John Compton, Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier,
Lissa Guillet, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Thurston Hillman, Jason Keeley,
CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER CREATION 12
Robert G. McCreary, Erik Mona, Mark Moreland, Jessica Price,
Stephen Radney-MacFarland, F. Wesley Schneider, Amber E. Scott,
Character Creation Steps 14
Mark Seifter, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, and Josh Vogt
Starfinder Society Developer • Thurston Hillman Ability Scores 18
Cover Artist • Remko Troost Health and Resolve 22
Interior Artists • Alexandur Alexandrov,
David Alvarez, Rogier van de Beek, Leonardo Borazio, Alignment 24
Tomasz Chistowski, Taylor Fischer, David Franco Campos,
Sebastien Hue, Guido Kuip, Robert Lazzaretti, Mikaël Léger, Leveling Up 26
Víctor Manuel Leza Moreno, Setiawan Lie, Damien Mammoliti,
David Melvin, Mark Molnar, Mirco Paganessi, Jose Parodi, Character Themes 28
Miroslav Petrov, Hugh Pindur, Roberto Pitturru, Pixoloid Studios
(Aleksandr Dochkin, Nothof Ferenc, Gaspar Gombos, David Metzger,
and Mark Molnar), Maichol Quinto, Pavel Rtishev, Connor Sheehan, CHAPTER 3: RACES 38
Firat Solhan, Remko Troost, Leon Tukker, Ben Wootten, and
Joshua Wright Androids 42
Editor-in-Chief • F. Wesley Schneider Humans 44
Pathfinder Creative Director • James Jacobs
Senior Developer • Robert G. McCreary Kasathas 46
Organized Play Lead Developer • John Compton
Developers • Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Lashuntas 48
Mark Moreland, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Linda Zayas-Palmer
Managing Editor • Judy Bauer Shirrens 50
Senior Editor • Christopher Carey
Vesk 52
Editors • Jason Keeley, Lyz Liddell, Elisa Mader, Brad Matteson,
Adrian Ng, Joe Pasini, Lacy Pellazar, and Josh Vogt Ysoki 54
Lead Designer • Jason Bulmahn
Senior Designer • Stephen Radney-MacFarland
Designers • Logan Bonner and Mark Seifter
Art Director • Sonja Morris CHAPTER 4: CLASSES 56
Senior Graphic Designers • Emily Crowell and Adam Vick
Project Manager • Jessica Price Envoy 60
Organized Play Coordinator • Tonya Woldridge
Mechanic 68
Publisher • Erik Mona
Paizo CEO • Lisa Stevens Mystic 82
Chief Operations Officer • Jeffrey Alvarez
Operative 92
Chief Financial Officer • John Parrish
Director of Sales • Pierce Watters Solarian 100
Sales Associate • Cosmo Eisele
Marketing Director • Jenny Bendel Soldier 110
Outreach Coordinator • Dan Tharp
Director of Licensing • Michael Kenway Technomancer 118
Staff Accountant • Ashley Kaprielian
Data Entry Clerk • B. Scott Keim Archetypes 126
Chief Technical Officer • Vic Wertz
Director of Technology • Dean Ludwig
Senior Software Developer • Gary Teter CHAPTER 5: SKILLS 130
Community & Digital Content Director • Chris Lambertz
Webstore Coordinator • Rick Kunz
Customer Service Team • Sharaya Copas, Katina Davis, CHAPTER 6: FEATS 150
Sara Marie Teter, and Diego Valdez
Warehouse Team • Laura Wilkes Carey, Will Chase,
Mika Hawkins, Heather Payne, Jeff Strand, and
Kevin Underwood CHAPTER 7: EQUIPMENT 164
Website Team • Christopher Anthony, William Ellis, Lissa Guillet,
Don Hayes, and Erik Keith Weapons 168
Paizo Inc. Armor 196
7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120 Augmentations 208
Redmond, WA 98052-0577
Computers 213
paizo.com
Technological Items 218
This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use
with Starfinder. Magic Items 222
Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as
defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Game Hybrid Items 226
Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper nouns (characters, deities,
locations, etc., as well as all adjectives, names, titles, and descriptive terms derived Vehicles 228
from proper nouns), artworks, characters, dialogue, locations, plots, storylines, trade
dress, the historical period called the Gap, the term skyfire, and the Drift (the official
Open Game Content term for which is “hyperspace”). (Elements that have previously Other Purchases 230
been designated as Open Game Content, or are exclusively derived from previous open
game content, or that are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.)
Open Game Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above),
the game mechanics of this Paizo game product are Open Game Content, as defined CHAPTER 8: TACTICAL RULES 236
in the Open Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other
than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form
without written permission. Combat Basics 240
Starfinder Core Rulebook © 2017, Paizo Inc. All Rights Reserved. Paizo, Paizo Inc.,
the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, and Pathfinder Society Actions in Combat 244
are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; Dead Suns Adventure Path, Pathfinder
Accessories, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder
Adventures, Pathfinder Battles, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Cards,
Pathfinder Flip-Mat, Pathfinder Legends, Pathfinder Map Pack, Pathfinder Module,
Pathfinder Pawns, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game,
Pathfinder Tales, Starfinder, the Starfinder logo, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder
Flip-Mat, Starfinder Pawns, and Starfinder Society are trademarks of Paizo Inc.
Printed in China.
Injury and Death 250
Combat Modifiers 253
Movement and Position 255
Senses 260
Special Abilities 262
Bonuses and Penalties 266
Defining Effects 268
Conditions 273
Vehicle Tactical Rules 278
CHAPTER 9: STARSHIPS 288
Space Travel 290
Building Starships 292
Sample Starships 306
Starship Combat 316
CHAPTER 10: MAGIC AND SPELLS 328
Magic 330
Mystic Spell List 336
Technomancer Spell List 338
Spell Descriptions 340
CHAPTER 11: GAME MASTERING 386
Adventures and Campaigns 388
Environment 394
Traps 410
Afflictions 414
How to Read Stat Blocks 420
CHAPTER 12: SETTING 422
Pact Worlds Timeline 426
The Pact Worlds 428
Beyond the Pact Worlds 462
The Great Beyond 470
Factions and Organizations 472
Faith and Religion 482
Threats 494
CHAPTER 13: PATHFINDER LEGACY 498
Legacy Conversion 500
Legacy Races 506
GLOSSARY 512
INSPIRATIONAL MEDIA 516
INDEX 518
CHARACTER SHEET 522
STARSHIP SHEET 524
4 OVERVIEW
1
CORE RULEBOOK
OVERVIEW
CHARACTER
CREATION
RACES
CLASSES
SKILLS
FEATS
EQUIPMENT
TACTICAL
RULES
STARSHIPS
MAGIC AND
SPELLS
GAME
MASTERING
SETTING
PATHFINDER
LEGACY
WELCOME TO STARFINDER
Delving into alien ruins in search of lost magic. Matching wits
with corporate technomancers and their robot army in the
gritty streets of a space station. Strafing a dragon-crewed
attack cruiser with your starship, defending a new colony
from deadly alien predators, or making first contact with a
previously unknown alien empire.
Whether your tools are laser rifles, powered armor, esoteric
magic, or simply your powers of persuasion, the Starfinder
Roleplaying Game is a game of heroes who change the face
of the galaxy, one adventure at a time.
OVERVIEW 5
GETTING STARTED
In Starfinder, you and your friends play the crew of a starship exploring the
mysteries of a weird universe. Within this framework, however, there are no
limits to the characters you can play and stories you can tell. Will you join the
Starfinder Society in unearthing alien technology, or seek fame and fortune
as a corporate mercenary? Perhaps you’re a Xenowarden fighting to protect
the ecology of new planets, a mind-reading mystic detective, or an android
assassin with a magic sword trying to atone for a dark past. Whatever your
mission, you and your team will need all your magic, weapons, and wits to
make it through. But most of all, you’ll need each other.
Before you can pick up your arc pistol and blast off rules in Chapter 8 explain how to attack, defend, move, and so
toward adventure, there are some key things you need on. All the rules players need to play Starfinder can be found
to know about running or playing in a Starfinder game. If in this book.
you’re already experienced with roleplaying games, feel free
The Game Master
to skip ahead to the next page.
While the rest of the players must create their characters for
WHAT’S A ROLEPLAYING GAME?
a Starfinder game, the Game Master (or GM) is in charge of
Starfinder is a tabletop adventure roleplaying game (RPG): an the story and world. The Game Master is a player, but for the
interactive story in which one player—the Game Master—sets sake of simplicity, she is referred to in this book and other
the scene and presents challenges, while the other players Starfinder products as the Game Master or GM, whereas the
each assume the role of a science fantasy hero and attempt other players are referred to simply as players. The Game
to overcome those challenges. By responding to situations Master needs to detail the situations she wants the players to
according to their characters’ personalities and abilities, the experience as part of an overarching story, consider how the
players help to create the story’s plot as the outcome of each actions of the player characters (or PCs) might affect her plans,
scene (called an “encounter”) leads into the next. Dice rolls and understand the rules and statistics for the challenges they
combined with preassigned statistics add an element of chance will face along the way.
and determine whether characters succeed or fail at the actions Many Game Masters find it fun and convenient to run
they attempt. You can think of an RPG as theater: the players premade adventures, in which the game’s story and mechanical
are the actors, while the Game Master is the director. But you preparation is largely complete. The Starfinder Adventure Path
don’t have to be a skilled actor or storyteller to play the game; line fills this role nicely. Other Game Masters enjoy preparing
just describe what you want your character to do, and let the original game material, and many use a blend of both methods.
Game Master and the rules do the rest! Either way, the rules in Chapter 11 help Game Masters figure
out which characters or creatures are appropriate opponents for
The Players
a given group of player characters, as well as how to adjudicate
Before the game begins, players typically invent their own everything from zero gravity and environmental hazards to what
player characters’ backgrounds and personalities. While it’s sort of loot PCs should get as rewards for their accomplishments.
possible to play multiple characters at once, it’s generally the During the game, the players roll dice and use their player
most fun to have one character per player, so players can really characters’ statistics to determine how in-game actions are
get into their roles. In addition to coming up with character resolved. Much like a referee, the Game Master is the final
concepts, players use the game’s rules to build their characters’ arbiter of any action’s success or failure, and she can always
numerical statistics, which determine the characters’ abilities, override the rules if she disagrees with an interpretation or feels
strengths, and weaknesses. Chapter 2 provides in-depth a given rules interaction is breaking the mood.
instructions for how to create a character, pointing you toward
Unlimited Adventure
relevant rules in other chapters. One of the reasons this book
is so big is that there are tons of optional rules to help you A roleplaying game such as Starfinder can be played for as long as
customize an infinite variety of characters! the Game Master has an ongoing story she enjoys exploring and
During the game, the players describe the actions their advancing with her players. This means the game might last for a
characters take. Some players particularly enjoy play-acting (or few hours, if the story is short and self-contained, or it might last
“roleplaying”) the game’s events as if they were their characters, several years. Each time the Game Master and players sit down to
while others describe their characters’ actions as if narrating a play, it’s called a game session—most sessions last several hours.
story. Do whatever feels best! Games generally consist of several linked sessions that together
Many in-game situations in Starfinder have rules that govern form a complete story, called an “adventure.” Short adventures
how they’re resolved. When a fight breaks out, for example, the that can be played in a single session are commonly referred to
6 OVERVIEW
1
CORE RULEBOOK
OVERVIEW
CHARACTER
CREATION
RACES
CLASSES
SKILLS
FEATS
EQUIPMENT
TACTICAL
RULES
STARSHIPS
as “one-shots,” while games that last many sessions or contain encounters and preparing and running games, and more.
several linked but distinct adventures are called “campaigns.” They’ll also want to be deeply familiar with the setting MAGIC AND
presented in Chapter 12, and Game Masters familiar with the SPELLS
WHAT'S IN THIS BOOK?
Pathfinder RPG and interested in bringing elements of that
This book contains all the information you need to play game into their Starfinder adventures will want to review GAME
MASTERING
Starfinder, whether you’re a player or a Game Master. While Chapter 13, which explains how to incorporate legacy material
some people may want to dive directly into the rules and into Starfinder.
character creation beginning with Chapter 2, others may want Besides this book, you need just a few things to play and run SETTING
to first learn about Starfinder’s setting by perusing Chapter 12. a Starfinder game. Most importantly, you need a prepared Game
For players making characters, Chapter 2 provides a step- Master and players with characters they’ve created ahead of PATHFINDER
LEGACY
by-step walk-through of the process that includes references time. (Blank character sheets can be found in the back of this
to relevant chapters. Chapter 3 follows with information about book and online at paizo.com.) You also need pencils and a set
the different core races from which you can choose, and Chapter of polyhedral dice. Each die is referred to using a “d” followed
4 presents classes that determine your character’s skills and by the number of sides it has (so a four-sided die is a d4). You
abilities. Chapters 5–7 include information for further customizing need at least one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20, as well as a set
your character’s abilities and equipment, while Chapter 10 covers of percentile dice (“d%”) that generates a number from 1 to 100
magic and spells for characters with a supernatural element. Feel (this can be simulated with two 10-sided dice). You also need
free to peruse some or all of these sections before embarking on a tactical battle map with 1-inch squares and a starship battle
the character creation process. See the first step in Character map with 1-inch hexagons, as well as tokens or miniatures to
Creation on page 14 for more details. represent your characters and ships.
Beyond information about character creation, this book Not sure where to start? Starfinder Flip-Mat: Basic Terrain
also contains the rules you’ll need to play the Starfinder RPG. and Starfinder Flip-Mat: Basic Starfield give you the maps
Tactical combat, movement, and related rules are an important you need to play, and you can find miniatures and cardstock
part of Starfinder, as is starship combat, and these can be found pawns like the Starfinder Core Rulebook Pawn Collection at
in Chapters 8 and 9. It’s a good idea for players to review these paizo.com, along with dice sets and other gaming accessories.
chapters when learning how to play Starfinder, and it’s key
SOME BASIC CONCEPTS
for Game Masters to understand them so that gameplay and
adjudication can flow smoothly. To make the best use of this book, you’ll want to be familiar with
Game Masters should also review Chapter 11, which collects several key terms and abbreviations. These are used throughout
key GM rules such as Starfinder’s common environments, the book, and many are common to tabletop roleplaying in
hazards like traps and poisons, instructions for building general. For a larger glossary, see page 512.
GETTING STARTED 7
1d6, d20, etc. Experience Points (XP)
These figures are abbreviations for die rolls and indicate which Often just called “experience,” this is a way of tracking your
dice you roll to determine a variable number, such as the amount character’s increasing expertise gained as a result of overcoming
of damage a weapon deals. The first number tells you how many challenges. When characters earn enough experience points,
dice to roll, while the second number tells you the number of they advance in level, or “level up” (see Leveling Up on page 26).
sides the die or dice must have; if there’s no first number, just
Game Master (GM)
roll one die. For example, “roll 2d8” means that you must roll
two eight-sided dice, and “roll a d20” means you must roll one The Game Master is the player who adjudicates the rules and
20-sided die. Occasionally, you may need to roll a d3; if you don’t controls the various elements of the Starfinder story and world
have a three-sided die, you can roll a d6 instead—treat a roll of 1 or that the players explore. A GM’s duty is to provide a fair and
2 as a 1, a roll of 3 or 4 as a 2, and a roll of 5 or 6 as a 3. fun game—she wants the other players to ultimately succeed
in their goals, but only after much heroic striving and danger.
Abbreviations
Hit Points (HP) and Stamina Points (SP)
Starfinder has many game terms that are typically expressed as
abbreviations, including HP (Hit Points), SP (Stamina Points), and Stamina Points represent how much damage you can take before
RP (Resolve Points). If you miss or forget what an abbreviation you’re actually hurt, while Hit Points represent how badly hurt
means, they’re explained in the glossary starting on page 512. you can be before you fall unconscious or die. Stamina Points
are lost before Hit Points and are much easier to regain. For a
Armor Class (AC)
more detailed explanation, see page 22.
This is a number representing how hard it is for an enemy to
Level
strike your character in combat. A character has two Armor
Classes: Energy Armor Class (EAC) and Kinetic Armor Class (KAC). A level is an indication of relative power within the game. There
are several types of levels. Class level is the number of levels of
Attack Roll
a specific class that a character has. Character level is the sum
An attack roll is a d20 roll that represents your character’s of all of the levels a character has in all of her classes. Level can
attempt to strike another creature in combat. also refer to a spell’s level, an item’s level, or another scaling
mechanic that falls within the framework of the game’s rules.
Check
Modifier
A check is a d20 roll that may or may not be modified by your
character’s statistics or another value. The most common types A modifier is a number that is added to a roll such as an attack
are skill checks and ability checks (which determine whether roll, saving throw, or skill check. It can be positive or negative.
you successfully perform a task), and initiative checks (which
Monster
determine when you act in combat).
A monster is a nonplayer character. In general, monsters are too
Combat
strange or unintelligent to be player characters, or are prevented
Typically, references to combat refer to tactical combat between from being them for other reasons. A monster might be a player
individual characters, which takes place on a square-gridded character’s opponent or ally, or serve any other role.
battle map and is covered in depth in Chapter 8. Combat can
Nonplayer Character (NPC)
instead refer to starship combat, which uses a hex map; you can
find the details of that system in Chapter 9. A nonplayer character is controlled by the GM for the purpose of
interacting with players and helping advance the story.
Creature
Player Character (PC)
A creature is an active participant in the story or world. This
includes player characters (PCs), nonplayer characters (NPCs), This is a character controlled by a player.
and monsters.
Roleplaying
Difficulty Class (DC)
Describing a character’s actions, often while play-acting from the
This is the target number a creature must meet or exceed when perspective of the character, is referred to as roleplaying. When
attempting a check in order to accomplish a given task. a player speaks or describes action from the perspective of a
character, it is referred to as being “in character.”
Encounter
Round
An encounter is a situation that presents characters with a
challenge. This could be a roleplaying challenge where they In tactical combat, a round is a unit of time equal to 6 seconds
need to get information, a physical battle, a trap or puzzle, or in the game world; every character who is able to act gets a
anything else that requires players to use their wits or their turn once per round. In starship combat, rounds consist of
characters’ statistics. Characters typically earn experience three phases of actions and don’t correlate to a specific amount
points for completing encounters. of time.
8 OVERVIEW