Starfinder—What We've Revealed So Far

Friday, September 30, 2016

The other day Chris Lambertz pointed out to me that, while we've done a number of interviews and convention panels revealing bits and pieces about the Starfinder RPG, we haven't actually collected them all together (though some of you have been doing a great job of it over at this thread). It sounded like a great idea, so I said what I always say when a great idea comes along:

"That sounds like a great idea. Let's make Josh do it."

And so, with his usual pluck and aplomb, editor Josh Vogt read through a bunch of interviews and listened to podcasts in which Erik, Rob, Owen, and I shot off our mouths about the new game, and collated the most important points here. So now, in no particular order—what we know so far about Starfinder!


Illustration by Kiki Moch Rizky

The Products

  • The Core Rulebook and first Adventure Path volume will release in August 2017, at Gen Con.
  • It's a science-fantasy RPG based on the Pathfinder universe and rules, but complete and standalone.
  • It's "conceptually compatible" with Pathfinder, with the specific idea that you should be able to use Pathfinder monsters in Starfinder with a minimum of conversion fuss at the table.
  • While there will be occasional rules supplements like bestiaries, the Starfinder Adventure Path will be a primary vector for new rules and setting information. Overall, we expect to release products for Starfinder at a much slower rate than we do for Pathfinder, making it easier and more affordable to stay up to date on both games.
  • Starfinder Adventure Path and the Starfinder RPG rulebook line will not be replacing Pathfinder—it's a whole separate game, and thus not expected to impact the production of our normal Pathfinder material after the initial release.

The Setting

  • It's set in Golarion's solar system, far in a possible future in which Golarion is missing—the gods say it's safe, but won't say what happened to it. In its former orbit is a massive space platform called Absalom Station.
  • History is obscured in the Starfinder setting, as an unknown amount of time has been mysteriously and completely wiped from everyone's memories and all known records—even those on the Outer Planes. This blank period between ancient and modern history is called the Gap, and while it effects the entire multiverse, the edges aren't all in the same place. For instance, one planet might remember back 300 years, while another remembers back 305—these inconsistencies are the primary references some Starfinders use to piece together the secret history of the universe.
  • There's faster than light travel in Starfinder, via a hyperspace dimension gifted by an ascended AI deity.
  • All the core Pathfinder races will still exist and be playable with the Core Rulebook, yet Starfinder's core races are different, and include humans, lashunta, ysoki (ratfolk), androids, kasatha, and two races not yet revealed.
  • In addition, there's going to be a heavy emphasis on introducing more alien player races. Where possible, you should be able to play the creatures you encounter.
  • There's still plenty of magic in the setting, but technology has become a dominant force. For instance, if you're playing an Iomedaean crusader, you might wear holy powered armor and carry a plasma cannon carved with magical runes.
  • Will continue Pathfinder's legacy of being as diverse and inclusive as possible.

Gameplay

  • There will be seven core classes on release: the technomancer (magical hacker blending technology and magic), mechanic (engineer with a robot buddy), solarian (mystical melee combatant harnessing the cycles of the stars), soldier (heavy weapons specialist), envoy (diplomat and ally-booster), mystic (caster channeling strange energies to manipulate biological systems), and operative (stealthy skill specialist).
  • Star Wars is a decent comparison, tone-wise, but Starfinder will have more magic and moral ambiguity. Other inspirations include Firefly, Shadowrun, the Expanse series, and more—if we could do for space opera what Shadowrun did for 1980s cyberpunk, we'd be ecstatic.
  • Starfinder puts an even greater focus on exploration than Pathfinder, as the setting pushes many adventurers out toward a galaxy full of uncontacted worlds. While you can play whole adventures or campaigns on a single world if you want, the assumption is that the PCs are probably the crew of a starship.
  • Starship battles will be a significant element in the game, with their own combat system utilizing miniatures, but not as common as ordinary character-scale combat.
  • There will not be an open playtest—instead, there will be a closed playtest will feature other RPG designers and third-party publishers, Pathfinder Society members, and various key members of the industry and community. While we wish we could open the playtest up to everyone, the timeframe involved and scope of the playtest simply make it impractical. (Unlike Pathfinder's class playtests, in order to make this one work, we have to give people the entire game.
  • The plan is to produce a Starfinder Reference Document (like the PRD) and make it available for free online.
  • Starfinder will have an OGL-like compatibility license allowing for third-party products.
  • Starfinder organized play is something we're actively investigating, but not ready to announce anything about just yet.

While everyone on the Starfinder team is currently so buried in work that they need snorkels to breathe, we are planning on doing more blog posts and reveals of new information in the coming months, as well as introducing some exciting new ways to preview parts of the game and get feedback from the community at large. So stay tuned!

James L. Sutter
Creative Director

More Paizo Blog.
Tags: Kiki Moch Rizky Starfinder
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Well that just posted a blank. In any case the more I hear of this the more interested I become. A shame about the playtest but that is very understandable, I can't imagine playtesting a whole game. Looking forward to this.


Sounds intriguing!


4 people marked this as a favorite.

Goblins. Goblins should be Core.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Catfolk should be core, but more then likely the last two will be new.


Oh this is intriguing - tonal emphasis - Star Wars makes me think more grand good vs evil, but digging into exploration makes me think more Age of Sail fiction, dashing daring, raiding towns, rescuing lovely hostages, etc.

(I'm a fan of certain settings brainsuckers running around in snail shells, so I may be biased in my interpretation)

I'm really excited for this!

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Kasatha are core! Shall my dreams of quad-wielding laser pistols come true?

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32

Why Solarian? Why not Stellarian?


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Dragon78 wrote:
Catfolk should be core, but more then likely the last two will be new.

I heard (or perhaps just started) a rumor that catfolk as a core race was vetoed by the ratfolk with the support of the as yet unrevealed dogfolk.

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Iomedae!

Dark Archive

Will the adventure path be monthly? And will they follow the six issue model? And since there is mention of starship battles with miniatures i assume you fine folks will be producing those? How about other figures for pcs and monsters?

Dark Archive

Starship battles will be a significant element in the game, with their own combat system utilizing MINIATURES!!!

Now that (and exploring strange planets) has me very excited!


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Sounds great! I'm especially glad that it will have fewer supplements and keep all the essential info in the core rulebooks. Are we to assume that the Starfinder Adventure Path will be once a month with 6 book stories arches? Please, keep the first Adventure Path basic, I don't want to try to run a 16th level character the first time Also, please pay special attention to the game balance with lasers and pistols. Guns have always been my least favorite thing about Pathfinder, it never made sense that only high level characters could have powerful guns, but if you didn't have that rule, a low level gunslinger would be totally off balance.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Yes PLZ take all of my money. So much awesome.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I wonder wich Triaxian this time period will have, winter born , summer born, or in between.

Grand Lodge

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Will there be optional rules for a more "gritty" theme instead of space opera?


I am very excited to see the final product!! I haven't been able to follow this as closely as I would like, so this was a great boon for those of us who are busy. Are there any plans for a Starfinder Society option as well?


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Faelyn wrote:
Are there any plans for a Starfinder Society option as well?

Check the last bullet point under Gameplay:

Quote:
  • Starfinder organized play is something we're actively investigating, but not ready to announce anything about just yet.

  • 1 person marked this as a favorite.
    Starfinder Superscriber

    I am really excited about this, mainly because I love games in this vein.


    6 people marked this as a favorite.
    Dragon78 wrote:
    Catfolk should be core, but more then likely the last two will be new.

    Really, there should only be three core races: human, catfolk, and hologram.

    Incidentally, for anyone who cares... Series XI just started up last week. 28 years and still smegging up the universe.


    4 people marked this as a favorite.
    David knott 242 wrote:
    Dragon78 wrote:
    Catfolk should be core, but more then likely the last two will be new.

    I heard (or perhaps just started) a rumor that catfolk as a core race was vetoed by the ratfolk with the support of the as yet unrevealed dogfolk.

    Not dogfolk, GNOLLFOLK! (may or may not be true, I have zero actual behind-the-scenes knowledge)

    Silver Crusade

    1 person marked this as a favorite.
    Hunt, the PugWumpus wrote:
    David knott 242 wrote:
    Dragon78 wrote:
    Catfolk should be core, but more then likely the last two will be new.

    I heard (or perhaps just started) a rumor that catfolk as a core race was vetoed by the ratfolk with the support of the as yet unrevealed dogfolk.

    Not dogfolk, GNOLLFOLK! (may or may not be true, I have zero actual behind-the-scenes knowledge)

    SPACE-FLUFFIES!


    2 people marked this as a favorite.

    I like what I have heard so far...except for one thing.

    I get the closed play test thing...but please do not use the PFS as a play test bed. Organize play has so many different needs and attracts a certain type of player that is very different from your standard home game (which makes up the majority of the player base) that the final game will be very different. I have seen it before.


    1 person marked this as a favorite.
    Anguish wrote:
    Dragon78 wrote:
    Catfolk should be core, but more then likely the last two will be new.

    Really, there should only be three core races: human, catfolk, and hologram.

    Incidentally, for anyone who cares... Series XI just started up last week. 28 years and still smegging up the universe.

    What? No Androids (all made by the Deva-droid corporation)?

    No Gelfs?

    And will there be a C.A.N.A.R.I.E.S. prestige class in your ideal version?


    11 people marked this as a favorite.

    Maybe flumphs will be playable in Starfinder;)


    Will the standard Pathfinder RPG classes be compatible with this new game, just in case I want to be from a planet full of primitive people or something like that?

    Liberty's Edge

    Starfinder Superscriber
    Dragon78 wrote:
    I wonder wich Triaxian this time period will have, winter born , summer born, or in between.

    Excellent question! I echo this one.

    Creative Director, Starfinder Team

    10 people marked this as a favorite.
    Tenebrous2099 wrote:
    Will the standard Pathfinder RPG classes be compatible with this new game, just in case I want to be from a planet full of primitive people or something like that?

    Somewhat! It's a different game engine, and some math is very different, so you can't just port your characters over directly with no revision. That said, we're trying to make it reasonably simple to kitbash and move things between the two games—this isn't just Pathfinder in Space, but it DOES share most of the same DNA.


    13 people marked this as a favorite.

    Everyone needs a towel.

    I can't stress this enough.

    Dark Archive

    4 people marked this as a favorite.
    Ford Prefect wrote:

    Everyone needs a towel.

    I can't stress this enough.

    You sir are one hoopy frood!


    5 people marked this as a favorite.

    (•_•)

    ( •_•)>⌐■-■

    (⌐■_■)

    (This is a paid product placement for Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses.)

    Dark Archive

    We need stats for a pan galactic gargle blaster.


    So, we'll have the Brotherhood of Steel facing off against the Jade Falcon Alpha Trinary on the back lot of the Starfinder Lodge.

    Seriously, though, this does sound interesting.


    Joana wrote:
    Faelyn wrote:
    Are there any plans for a Starfinder Society option as well?

    Check the last bullet point under Gameplay:

    Quote:
  • Starfinder organized play is something we're actively investigating, but not ready to announce anything about just yet.
  • ...sigh... Darn you Nat 1 on my Perception check!!! Thanks for pointing that out to me, Joana...

    Also, two pints? At lunch?

    Paizo Employee Contributor—Canadian Maplecakes

    PMSchulz wrote:
    ...Jade Falcon Alpha Trinary...

    Ummmmmm, flappy bird is BEST bird. :)

    Silver Crusade

    James Sutter wrote:
    Tenebrous2099 wrote:
    Will the standard Pathfinder RPG classes be compatible with this new game, just in case I want to be from a planet full of primitive people or something like that?
    Somewhat! It's a different game engine, and some math is very different, so you can't just port your characters over directly with no revision. That said, we're trying to make it reasonably simple to kitbash and move things between the two games—this isn't just Pathfinder in Space, but it DOES share most of the same DNA.

    Related question; will there be things like new classes trickle in occasionally? Not that we need the massive amounts that PF has, but some new variety every once in a while would be cool. Prestige, new options, archetypes and the like.


    So stoked for this.

    Shadow Lodge

    Interested but thoughts still remain the same. Want to see and play with some of it before I get hyped. The closed playtest and OGL-like markers don't bode well to me and with the lack of support on the post tech guide end my thoughts float more around how there going to follow and incorporate all of this and make it a blast to play everything.

    Hopefully I'm wrong, but right now I just really want to play with it before I get hyped.


    1 person marked this as a favorite.

    Hmm I'm going to go ahead and say shouldn't the mechanic have an alternate options where they don't get the robot companion? (like how druid and ranger can choose something besides their animal companion)


    9 people marked this as a favorite.
    Sutter wrote:
    Star Wars is a decent comparison, tone-wise, but Starfinder will have more magic and moral ambiguity. Other inspirations include Firefly, Shadowrun, the Expanse series, and more—if we could do for space opera what Shadowrun did for 1980s cyberpunk, we'd be ecstatic.

    I love Shadowrun, and I'm quite fond of Firefly, but to me... my goal is Farscape. If I can run or play in something that captures the wonder, the alien-ness, the epic stories, the chaotic fun of Farscape, that'll be my measure of success.


    1 person marked this as a favorite.

    Hopefully there will be some Farscape influence as well.

    Jon Brazer Enterprises

    5 people marked this as a favorite.
    Dragon78 wrote:
    Maybe flumphs will be playable in Starfinder;)

    Even if it is not a core race, I doubt it will be long before some compatible publisher makes them playable.

    *looks around innocently*

    What?


    I want to know if there are going to be mecha. Power armor is great but I want a voltron/fundamental type thing.


    Vidmaster7 wrote:
    Hmm I'm going to go ahead and say shouldn't the mechanic have an alternate options where they don't get the robot companion? (like how druid and ranger can choose something besides their animal companion)

    IIRC...it was mentioned that the mechanic had the option of getting a robot buddy, or an AI that "lived" in his head (or probably the implants in his head).

    I imagine though there will be archetypes that swap out the companion for other options.

    Liberty's Edge

    Can't friggin wait

    Sovereign Court Senior Developer, Starfinder Team

    9 people marked this as a favorite.
    Vidmaster7 wrote:
    Hmm I'm going to go ahead and say shouldn't the mechanic have an alternate options where they don't get the robot companion? (like how druid and ranger can choose something besides their animal companion)

    Yup! There is an alternative for a mechanic who doesn't want a robot.

    (But c'mon, a robot!)

    Scarab Sages

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

    Sounds awesome!! Very excited!!

    On another note, have you given any thought to how the starfinder ap will interact with the pathfinder advantage? For some who can afford both but want starfinder, it would he nice if it maintains advantage


    Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

    I'm excited. I also think a closed playtest could be more valuable than open.


    It's kind of funny how when Call of Duty unveils a game taking place in outer space, the reveal trailer gets disliked into oblivion, but when Pathfinder announces a space game most of the fanbase is onboard. Apples and oranges, but it's still amusing.

    Who knows, maybe I'll run a campaign where the PCs are a special forces squad hunting down fanatical separatists led by a guy who looks like Kit Harrington.


    It may sound weird but I would love the artwork shown above "as is" as an actual poster. No words, nothing but the art.

    Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16

    Electric Bacon wrote:
    It may sound weird but I would love the artwork shown above "as is" as an actual poster. No words, nothing but the art.

    Not sure I'd pay for it as a poster, but I'd love it for my desktop wallpaper.

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