In addition to a vast amount of information about the Pact Worlds themselves, the Starfinder Pact Worlds book also contains numerous new player options tied to specific groups and places within the setting. Some of this material, such as the many new themes (biotechnician, corporate agent, cultist, cyberborn, death-touched, dragonblood, dream prophet, gladiator, roboticist, solar disciple, space pirate, tempered pilgrim, wild warden, and xenoarchaeologist) is presented alongside the specific planets or societies within the Pact Worlds each item is most strongly associated with. In most cases such material is also useable for characters from disparate backgrounds, but it makes the most sense to present them in the context of the worlds and groups they are most likely to be connected with.
Other player options, such as the new archetypes, feats, equipment, spells, and races are gathered into a player support chapter for ease of reference. Like the themes, the archetypes (Arcanamirium sage, divine champion, Skyfire centurion, star knight, Starfinder data jockey, and Steward officer) exist to show ways in which player characters can be part of specific groups and benefit from the training and techniques those groups provide. Feats are a mix of those which are popular with numerous groups within the Pact Worlds (such as Close Combat) and those that provide a strong link to specific elements of the Pact Worlds (such as Divine Blessing). Much of the equipment has explicit links to some group that manufactures or uses it extensively (sword canes are popular on Absalom Station, the interposing weapon fusion was developed by the Knights of Golarion, and so on).
The new playable races presented all have very strong ties to the Pact Worlds, though the exact nature of those ties vary considerable depending on the race. Astrazoans are shapeshifters that often pass as other races, and may trace their origin back to Apostae. Bantrids are a race of rolling creatures that have awoken from a long hibernation on a shepherd moon of Liavara. Borai are an unusual form of undead, most common on Eox, where an undead spirit possess a still-barely-living host body. Khizars are a plant race that evolved on Castrovel. SROs (sentient robotic organisms) are highly-evolved true machine intelligences most commonly found of Aballon, with a wide range of appearances 9and existing in both Small and medium frames). Strix are one of the many orphan races of lost Golarion, who have managed to adapt to life among the stars. Each of these races is designed to take its place alongside the core and legacy races presented in the Core Rulebook, and each tie themselves to one or more of the worlds outlined in Starfinder Pact Worlds.
Given the vastness of even a single world, it's impossible to outline every interesting option players and GMs might wish to bring into their backstories and campaigns from the Pact Worlds, but our hope is that offering a few specific new options related to the worlds we're presenting will help represent the great variety found within the core of the Starfinder setting.
Owen KC Stephens
Starfinder Design Lead
