Introducing Starfinder’s Final Core Race: The Shirren!

Cool! Looking forward for more about starfinder. I would love seeing a preview about weapons and gears.

This bit:

While this ability is not always beneficial—some shirrens deliberately drug themselves this way, becoming “option junkies” blissed out on sequences of trivial decisions

Interesting. This sounds a lot like the concept of the ludic loop that I just read about in a New York Times article.

All 7 of the core Starfinder player races—humans, androids, kasathas, lashuntas, vesk, shirrens, and ysoki—are joined in the core rulebook by updated versions of Pathfinder's core races

So this sounds like 13 playable races with the Core Rulebook. Is that true?

I am totally in love with the idea of a fiercely individualistic insect race, which is so very much against the usual stereotype. I also dig the three genders a lot - not groundbreaking there, but still not something I've personally gotten to play with in an RPG before.

Quote:

All 7 of the core Starfinder player races—humans, androids, kasathas, lashuntas, vesk, shirrens, and ysoki—are joined in the core rulebook by updated versions of Pathfinder's core races

So this sounds like 13 playable races with the Core Rulebook. Is that true?

Yup! :D

Hmm, will Vercites be covered in the Alien Archive?

Shirrens are certainly interesting, though.

I like the race a lot. My only real nitpick is that I am kind of disappointed that they dont retain full use of their fifth and sixth appendages. Still, I guess we have the kasatha for that, so I'm cool with it.

In space, no one can hear me FREAK OUT about getting to play bug people.

Freak.

Out.

What pronouns do hosts use?I feel like that's important for both role play and not confusing players.

*chirp*

I, for one, welcome our new Shirren overlords.

EDIT: And this: "Shirren young spend their first 2 years in a tiny, wormlike larval form, and are often carried around in protective containers to let them safely observe the world."

Best bug parents ever.

Finally the option to write space romance encounters involving rat tails, lizard cloaca and forbidden chitonous mating arms can be made possible.
Forget Mass Effect, these are the space romances the people have been waiting for!

In all seriousness though, I'm glad to see a very alien alien race as playable.

And... I'm adding this race to my Star Wars Saga games.

Dear lord, a Shirren at a Chipotle or Subway...

*Shirren ordering food*

*Ysoki looks at the Android across from her*

"I'll have what... its... having."

*Android* "Check please!"

i was still holding out hope that the contemplatives would be a core race...no floating brain pc for me i guess...

*waggles antennae in complex pattern; emits pheromones*

i was still holding out hope that the contemplatives would be a core race...no floating brain pc for me i guess...

I can't officially say anything about this, but, um, don't get too discouraged yet.

<_<

>_>

Having partial control over how you feel pain seems like a pretty useful feature when you find yourself in a fight!

I like the race a lot. My only real nitpick is that I am kind of disappointed that they dont retain full use of their fifth and sixth appendages. Still, I guess we have the kasatha for that, so I'm cool with it.

Actually, if I'm counting right, I think they have 8 limbs total.

i was still holding out hope that the contemplatives would be a core race...no floating brain pc for me i guess...

From what I hear, there will be better rules for playing monsters as PCs in Starfinder, so you and I may have our contemplatives yet.

Almost 100% sure the contemplatives will be in the First Contact book, or atleast the Alien Archive.

Edit: Yeah, the second bullet on the First Contact book. "Player-race information to let you be the alien, from the atrophied psychic creatures called contemplatives to the bug-like haan who float across gas giants on balloons of spun webbing."

nohar wrote:

i was still holding out hope that the contemplatives would be a core race...no floating brain pc for me i guess...

I can't officially say anything about this, but, um, don't get too discouraged yet.

<_<

>_>

discouragement unofficially suspended : )

What pronouns do hosts use?I feel like that's important for both role play and not confusing players.

I would imagine that the hosts use pronouns unique to their cultural language.

The culture actually sounds pretty interesting.

And they don't look too creepy.

I'm totally gonna make a Shirren assassin. "I just love killing!"

Troodos wrote:

What pronouns do hosts use?I feel like that's important for both role play and not confusing players.

I would imagine that the hosts use pronouns unique to their cultural language.

Further, just because the Shirren have 3 sexes, does that mean they have 3 distinct genders (grammatical or otherwise)? Maybe the notion of "he", "she", and "they" etc. seems as silly to them as using different pronouns based on someones eye color or height.

Or maybe their language does exactly that, traditionally assigning different pronouns based on a different arbitrary set of physiological features?

What pronouns do hosts use?I feel like that's important for both role play and not confusing players.

Hse?

Yes, good, GOOOOOOOD! Now I can begin the process of getting my forum avatar applied. :3

RocMeAsmodeus wrote:

Troodos wrote:

What pronouns do hosts use?I feel like that's important for both role play and not confusing players.

I would imagine that the hosts use pronouns unique to their cultural language.

Further, just because the Shirren have 3 sexes, does that mean they have 3 distinct genders (grammatical or otherwise)? Maybe the notion of "he", "she", and "they" etc. seems as silly to them as using different pronouns based on someones eye color or height.

Or maybe their language does exactly that, traditionally assigning different pronouns based on a different arbitrary set of physiological features?

I like how you think!

Look at those beautiful legs <3

Ugh. This race is so cool. This game is quickly becoming one of my favorite RPGs - I shouldn't be surprised, Paizo has yet to disappoint me.

All 7 of the core Starfinder player races—humans, androids, kasathas, lashuntas, vesk, shirrens, and ysoki—are joined in the core rulebook by updated versions of Pathfinder's core races, and even more playable races will be following shortly behind in the Alien Archive.

So we're getting updated states for elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, half-orcs, and ratfolk then? Will the Alien Archive feature any of the other Pathfinder races (aka Aasimar, Tieflings, Suli, Catfolk, etc etc)?

Quote:

All 7 of the core Starfinder player races—humans, androids, kasathas, lashuntas, vesk, shirrens, and ysoki—are joined in the core rulebook by updated versions of Pathfinder's core races, and even more playable races will be following shortly behind in the Alien Archive.

So we're getting updated states for elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, half-orcs, and ratfolk then? Will the Alien Archive feature any of the other Pathfinder races (aka Aasimar, Tieflings, Suli, Catfolk, etc etc)?

Oh I'd really like to see Space Tieflings.

Edit: Yeah, the second bullet on the First Contact book. "Player-race information to let you be the alien, from the atrophied psychic creatures called contemplatives to the bug-like haan who float across gas giants on balloons of spun webbing."

Oh, hey, I can officially say it after all! Score! :D

Shirren Bard: "Let me sing you the songs of my people!"
Rubs legs together rapidly

Oh, I love the shirren, especially Shirren parents! Awwww....

Hmm

1970Zombie wrote:

Quote:

All 7 of the core Starfinder player races—humans, androids, kasathas, lashuntas, vesk, shirrens, and ysoki—are joined in the core rulebook by updated versions of Pathfinder's core races

So this sounds like 13 playable races with the Core Rulebook. Is that true?

Yup! :D

Now I am wondering about the numerous other races in the Pathfinder setting as Starfinder characters. Will the racial info for Pathfinder core races set a pattern that can be followed readily for the other races, or will we be missing critical conversion information initially?

I really hope they'll include updated stats for the Pathfinder core races in the actual Starfinder manuals instead of as web enhancements (still not forgiving WotC for doing that a great deal of the time).

Shirren Bard: "Let me sing you the songs of my people!"

SSSSSKKKKKKKRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(enemies and allies alike run in terror as they bleed from their ears, eyes, and noses)

I really hope they'll include updated stats for the Pathfinder core races in the actual Starfinder manuals instead of as web enhancements (still not forgiving WotC for doing that a great deal of the time).

Yup! They're in the Core Rulebook.

Are there stats for the other major races of the solar system, like the Triaxians and the Vercites?

I like the race a lot. My only real nitpick is that I am kind of disappointed that they dont retain full use of their fifth and sixth appendages. Still, I guess we have the kasatha for that, so I'm cool with it.

According to the original post, they are eight-limbed.

There might be centaur-like Shirren with four walking appendages instead of two. We've only seen one or two of the three genders so far. Maybe the Shirren are sexually dimorphic (trimorphic?) also. If so, I'd bet that the host gender would be true octopods as befits their role as incubator.

I like the race a lot. My only real nitpick is that I am kind of disappointed that they dont retain full use of their fifth and sixth appendages.

Nah, they're for more important things, like communication. "Hey baby, how you doin'?"

I'm totally gonna make a Shirren assassin. "I just love killing!"

"Oh boy, here I go killing again!"

RocMeAsmodeus wrote:

Troodos wrote:

What pronouns do hosts use?I feel like that's important for both role play and not confusing players.

I would imagine that the hosts use pronouns unique to their cultural language.

Further, just because the Shirren have 3 sexes, does that mean they have 3 distinct genders (grammatical or otherwise)? Maybe the notion of "he", "she", and "they" etc. seems as silly to them as using different pronouns based on someones eye color or height.

Or maybe their language does exactly that, traditionally assigning different pronouns based on a different arbitrary set of physiological features?

Referencing someone in pronoun by gender is habitual in human culture in that different levels of deference and respectability were recognized based on gender. If there is a mixed group of males and females or if all members of a group are male, the French uses _ils_ as 3rd person plural. Only if all members of a group are female is _elles_ used.

Shirren pronouns may be based on something other than gender, for example their equivalent of _he_ (default 3rd person singular) might refer to any male, female, and nongestating hosts. But a gestating host (and perhaps a female in heat) would have a special 3rd-person pronoun to signify some kind of honorific status among their kind. Like using thee's and thou's and "royal we's", and capital-H He/His/Him.

All 7 of the core Starfinder player races—humans, androids, kasathas, lashuntas, vesk, shirrens, and ysoki—are joined in the core rulebook by updated versions of Pathfinder's core races

EBERRON IN SPACE!!!

Complete with Eldritch Machines to provide you with total life support and FTL. Just not through the Drift, but using teleportation. NEAT!

Picturing Shirren parents carrying around their kids in plastic boxes with green lids that have leaf and bug imprints on it, letting them out to play then using a net to pick them up again, occasionally putting fresh leaves and twigs in the terrarium for them.

Shirren Tinder must be the complete opposite of human dating.

*Swipe left, right, right, left, left, right*
Hey, you've got a match!
No, I'm good. *Lights a cigarette*

My first thought was "What? No sawtooth sabers?"

My second thought was "What? No electro-sawtooth sabers?"

I'm totally gonna make a Shirren assassin. "I just love killing!"

Hmm... not sure i'm too into the name for the zerg in Starfinder being the "Swarm". Could maybe one of their developers tell me what other defining traits the Swarm had before the Shirren were a thing? I might want to call them something different like maybe "The Grating Swarm" or "The Mindless Swarm".