Starfinder Combat Pad

3.80/5 (based on 5 ratings)

Our Price: $24.99

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On Track for Adventure

Never miss a turn with the Starfinder Combat Pad initiative tracker! Usable with any roleplaying game, this wet and dry erase board includes magnets that stick right to it! List the names of heroes and foes on the magnets using a wet or dry erase marker, then place them in initiative order. When the order changes, simply slide the magnets to their places. Take the uncertainty out of battle with the Starfinder Combat Pad.

Includes:

  • 1 double-sided magnetic wet and dry erase board, with two different sides designed specifically for tactical combat and starship combat!
  • 2 sheets of magnets, each with:
    • 13 light blue player character magnets
    • 13 orange enemy magnets
    • 9 dark blue nonplayer character magnets
    • 2 round arrows
    • 2 turn arrows
    • 2 next round magnets

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-985-1

Note: This product is part of the Starfinder Accessories Subscription.

Additional Product Images


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Starfinder Combat Pad Starfinder Combat Pad

Product Availability

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Ships from our warehouse in 11 to 20 business days.

Are there errors or omissions in this product information? Got corrections? Let us know at store@paizo.com.

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Average product rating:

3.80/5 (based on 5 ratings)

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Ingenious combat tracker, not just for Starfinder.

5/5

I should first note that I still consider myself new to GMing and I'm not sure what I should be looking for/need yet, so.... For what it's worth, I am quite pleased by this product:

The board itself is a sheet, probably lined with metal or at least something that's magnetically conductive. It flexes a little but, having it on the table means that won't really matter too much, right? It takes dry erase markers easily enough, enough space (and size) to make scratch notes, have initiative stickers on it, etc. (And note, these "stickers" are all light magnets, themselves.) The flipside being for Starship combat with its own small hex grid but, I don't see this doubling as an actual starship combat map.

I was surprised to see that this game with TWO sheets of magnets, so instead of just getting 13 orange trackers, 13 blue, and 6 light (or something, I can't remember) I actually have double everything. (So... You know, lots of spare parts.) -- I VERY much doubt that I'll need to have 26 hostile NPCs, 26 PCs, and some 12 allied NPCs at the same time. (Not that they'll all fit anyways.)

The magnets are themselves dry erase and big enough to write with, surprisingly cleanly, yet it does not take up too much space at all. The only possible complaint I could have is the board itself may be a little flexible but, really if I were writing something down on it, I would be using a table beneath it first anyways.


Couldn't GM Without It!

5/5

Such a useful tool for GMs, love it! It beats my past scratch paper method of tracking initiative.


Solid Double-Sided Tracker

3/5

The Starfinder Combat Pad is a handy way to keep track of initiative, round-by-round effects, character conditions, and more. The basic concept is that the product is a double-sided pad that can be written on with a wet or dry erase marker. There are then two sheets of little magnets, each of which can also be written on, that can then be arranged and re-arranged to indicate what round it is, whose turn it is to go, etc. The package comes with the pad and then two sheets of magnets, divided by colour for PCs, enemies, and NPCs, with additional arrow magnets to indicate what round it is.

The main side of the pad, used for traditional tactical combat, will be very familiar to anyone who has used the Pathfinder Combat Pad. As the picture indicates, there’s a place to keep track of each character’s initiative and what round it is, but also a lot of room for miscellaneous notes—something that is quite handy. I’ve used this side of the pad in about a dozen Starfinder Society sessions and I’ve found it works well in organizing and keeping track of things. My only complaint would be that the magnets aren’t *quite* as magnetic as I would like, and they sometimes get shifted around or even fall off if the pad is bumped or held vertically.

The other side of the pad is designed for starship combat. This side is less useful because there’s not really character initiative in Starfinder starship combat, as everyone just acts (in any order) in the phase corresponding to the role their PC has taken on the ship. The pad could be used to track who is in what role, but even then it doesn’t detail whose on sensors vs. who's piloting in the Helm phase, for example. The space for notes is probably more useful as a GM could keep track of what systems on an NPC ship are damaged, etc., but a sheet with more information that is better laid out (perhaps with tick boxes or shield arcs, etc.) would be better. I don’t really use this side of the pad during encounters.

Overall, I’d rate the Starfinder Combat Pad as a decent buy that’s useful for GMs who haven’t already made custom means to keep track of the information they need during encounters. One side of the pad is definitely more useful than the other, but it’s always handy to have room for notes. Oddly, the product comes with way more magnets than is necessary, and I’m not really sure what the intent is there. It’s not a product that’s as great as it could be, but it’s okay for what it is.


Very good product

5/5

I am very happy with the combat pad. Now to be honest I am coming from using a notepad and pencil to keep initiative, but between the markers, the dry erase and the two sides for the two types of combat this has made my combat tracking in Starfinder much easier.

It also helps that everything is large enough that I can lay it out where the entire group can see it so everyone can see the initiative order so there is less fumbling around at each players turn.


Too flimsy for most uses

1/5

I purchased this on release of Starfinder and was excited to see several aspects of it. First, if comes with the tactical combat and starship combat tracking sides, very helpful since Starfinder includes the new starship combat system. It comes with a generous double set of initiative tracking tokens. The art is fine. The plastic bag if comes in is generously sized and will probably be sufficient to hold it for a while.

Unfortunately for me, the pad itself is significantly flimsier than my old Gamemastery initiative tracker. My old gamemastery tracker can be held like a clipboard and nearly used like one. This pad, on the other hand, flexes noticeably with use, is as holding it in one hand and writing on it with another like a notepad. Even keeping both sheets of magnetic tags attached to the back provided poor control. This might not be a problem if you keep to a table or attach it to a clipboard...but since previous products could do this unassisted it significantly limits its useful to me.

Confusingly it also comes with an unlabeled cardboard sheet the same size as the pad. Asking Paizo's customer service about it, this was not a defect; it's part of the packaging. It is significantly sturdy, and I wish the combat pad was stuck to/wrapped around that to stiffen if up.

Unless they fix the flimsiness of the pad, or you keep your pad always on a table, I suggest steering clear of this item, especially at this price point.


Scarab Sages Webstore Coordinator

Now available for preorder! Image and description are not final and may vary before release!


Starfinder Charter Superscriber

I think the continued announcement of ancillary products like this is a sign that pre-orders of the Starfinder Core Rulebook, adventure path, and Alien Archive have been high. Yay!

The Exchange

Cool!

I may mess up by using the black for PC and the blue for the enemy.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

There are fewer magnet strips in this Starfinder combat pad than in my most recent Pathfinder one. Maybe the pay-off will be getting a more sturdy board?


I'm curious to see if the two sides are different since one is focusing on starship combat! Also it seems like it would be difficult to write stuff on the black magnetic strips.

Sovereign Court

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

From the demo that was posted online, it seems that the order works a little bit differently. Each round is broken into three phases. Everyone does their engineering phase at the same time, then the piloting happens in reverse order of the piloting checks for that round, and then weapons fire again in reverse order (although all weapons are considered to be firing at the same time, so you can't stop someone from getting a shot off).

The board almost certainly accounts for each of these phases.


Iammars wrote:

From the demo that was posted online, it seems that the order works a little bit differently. Each round is broken into three phases. Everyone does their engineering phase at the same time, then the piloting happens in reverse order of the piloting checks for that round, and then weapons fire again in reverse order (although all weapons are considered to be firing at the same time, so you can't stop someone from getting a shot off).

The board almost certainly accounts for each of these phases.

Thanks for that! Seems like I have some catching up to do! :)

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Bellona wrote:
There are fewer magnet strips in this Starfinder combat pad than in my most recent Pathfinder one. Maybe the pay-off will be getting a more sturdy board?

It has the same number of magnets as the current Pathfinder Combat Pad. I've updated the description.


Bellona wrote:

There are fewer magnet strips in this Starfinder combat pad than in my most recent Pathfinder one. Maybe the pay-off will be getting a more sturdy board?

Vic Wertz wrote:

It has the same number of magnets as the current Pathfinder Combat Pad. I've updated the description.

Thank you for the updated information! :)

Will the real cover image's information also be likewise updated?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Bellona wrote:
Will the real cover image's information also be likewise updated?

Eventually! (I can confirm the one there right now is *not* final.)


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

Is there any reason that the standard combat side of this combat pad would be unusable in a Pathfinder game?

If it is usable, that might be an answer to the folks clamoring for a re-issue of the Pathfinder Combat Pad.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

1 person marked this as a favorite.

The standard combat side is functionally identical to the Pathfinder Combat Pad.

Community & Digital Content Director

Updated with description, product image, and samples!


Interesting! That poison tracking note looks like the Pathfinder Unchained option. I approve! :)


How big is this pad?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Approximately 8.5"x11".


Whats the best markers to use with this?

Wet erase, dry erase.... Who knew there were so many different markers out there? Lol

~Nitehood


Nitehood wrote:
Whats the best markers to use with this?

You can use either wet erase or dry erase.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Dry erase is easier to wipe clear quickly and re-up for the next fight ... but it's also easier to wipe clear quickly without meaning to while moving magnets or writing on the pad.

Wet erase is less likely to be accidentally erased by incidental adjustments of the combat pad, but it's more trouble to clear for the next fight.

Personally, I use wet erase and keep a damp paper towel handy, but both have their advantages. You might even use wet erase for your PC magnets that you'll be reusing combat after combat and dry erase for NPCs and board notations that will be new every fight.


It is a very decent product
Comes, as mentioned in a review, with as very sturdy piece of cardboard that I really should find a use for

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