paizo.com Recent Blog Posts in Alien Archivepaizo.com Recent Blog Posts in Alien Archive2021-04-09T18:15:31Z2021-04-09T18:15:31ZNo-Prep Character: Pet Revitalization Projecthttps://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shmn?NoPrep-Character-Pet-Revitalization-Project2021-04-09T19:30:00Z<article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">No-Prep Character: Pet Revitalization Project</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Friday, April 9, 2021</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/040921_SFNPCPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/040921_SFNPCPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p><b>By Vanessa Hoskins</b></p>
<p itemprop="description">Have you ever had a beloved family pet expire due to old age, illness, or getting hit by an errant enercycle? The Pet Revitalization Project (PRP) would like to help return your best friend back to your side. This Eoxian company will use special silicon-based technology to revitalize your pet, keeping their personality, friendliness, and loyalty intact•. Many will find their pets stronger, more resilient, and hardier than before revitalization; works great on guard animals!</p>
<p>Though this technology was previously only available to the richest and most well connected individuals, new sources of resin and modern techniques have driven the cost of revitalization down. The PRP would like to extend these savings to you and your family. If you and your family are without the means to afford pet revitalization, the PRP has set aside a fund to aid in the swift return of your perished pet.</p>
<p>Pet revitalization is only viable for a short time after a pet’s expiration without proper body preservation techniques, leading some owners to preemptively revitalize their pets, ensuring their pets will remain with them always. Don’t you want your best friend to be your best friend forever? Contact the PRP today!</p>
<p>This message has been paid for by the Pact Worlds Commission for Unliving Rights, the Eoxian General Council, and the Eoxian Office of Pact Worlds Ambassadorship.</p>
<p>•Less than 10% of revitalized animals experience side effects such as insatiable rage, unshakable ennui, or empty compliance.</p>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/840a6ee1-5a09-48c2-8f08-72fb8eb88dfe/040921_RevitilizedPetSuox.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/840a6ee1-5a09-48c2-8f08-72fb8eb88dfe/040921_RevitilizedPetSuox.jpg" align="left" width="40%" style="padding: 10px;" alt="An undead combination of a fox and a squirrel, with torn fur revealing sinewy silicon underneath in place of muscles and organs.”]"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Mummified squox from <Em>Alien Archive 4</em>, illustration by Olli Slyusareva</p>
<h4>REVITILIZED PET SQUOX — CR 5</h4>
<p><b>XP 1,600</b><br />
Silicon mummy squox (<em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em> 75, <em>Alien Archive 2</em> 118)<br />
N Tiny undead<br />
<b>Init</b> +5; <b>Senses</b> blindsense (scent) 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +11</p>
<p><b>DEFENSE — HP 70</b><br />
<b>EAC</b> 17; <b>KAC</b> 19<br />
<b>Fort</b> +7; <b>Ref</b> +7; <b>Will</b> +6<br />
<b>Defensive Abilities</b> constructed shell, silicon casing (25%); DR 5/adamantine; <b>Immunities</b> undead immunities</p>
<p><b>OFFENSE</b><br />
<b>Speed</b> 40 ft., climb 20 ft.<br />
<b>Melee</b> bite +13 (1d6+7 P)<br />
<b>Space</b> 2-1/2 ft.; <b>Reach</b> 0 ft.<br />
<b>Offensive Abilities</b> squox tricks</p>
<p><b>STATISTICS</b><br />
<b>Str</b> +2; <b>Dex</b> +5; <b>Con</b> —; <b>Int</b> –4; <b>Wis</b> +0; <b>Cha</b> +3<br />
<b>Skills</b> Acrobatics +16 (+20 to balance, escape, or tumble), Athletics +11 (+19 to climb), Stealth +16<br />
<b>Other Abilities</b> solar battery (1 point), unliving</p>
<p><b>SPECIAL ABILITIES</b></p>
<p><b>Constructed Shell (Ex)</b> For effects targeting creatures by type, a silicon mummy counts as both a construct and as undead (whichever type allows an ability to affect them for abilities that affect only one type, and whichever is worse for abilities that affect both types)</p>
<p><b>Silicon Casing (Ex)</b> A silicon mummy’s protective exterior and nonfunctional organs limit critical damage; the mummy has a 25% chance to ignore the extra damage dealt by a critical hit and gains a +4 bonus to saves against critical hit effects.</p>
<p><b>Solar Battery (Ex)</b> A silicon mummy can absorb solar energy in the form of Solar Reserve Points (SRP), which they can spend in place of Resolve Points. For every 8 hours a silicon mummy spends exposed to the light of a star, the mummy gains 1 SRP, to a maximum number of SRPs equal to one-third their CR (1 for a mummified prophet). For every week a silicon mummy absorbs no stellar energy, they lose 1 SRP. However, the mummy can intentionally enter a state of hibernation to lose only 1 point per 20 years, and although the mummy is aware of their surroundings and can fully animate as a move action, they are staggered for 1d4 hours afterward. As a swift action, a silicon mummy can expend 1 SRP to enhance either their next melee attack, ranged attack, or spell before the end of their turn. An enhanced attack gains a +2 circumstance bonus to its attack roll and deals an additional 3d6 damage if it hits. An enhanced spell increases the spell’s saving throw DC by 2.</p>
<p><b>Squox Tricks (Ex)</b> A squox can use Acrobatics to jump instead of Athletics. In addition, a squox can use its Acrobatics bonus as its attack bonus when it attempts a dirty trick, disarm, or trip combat maneuver. If the squox succeeds at a dirty trick maneuver, it can choose only between the entangled and off-target conditions. A squox’s tail, two front paws, and mouth count as hands free for a disarm attempt.</p>
<h4>PLOT HOOKS</h4>
<p>Game Masters might consider the following plot hooks as a means of integrating a revitalized pet into any Starfinder game.</p>
<ul>
<li>The PCs attempt to break into the home of a corporate executive, only to find an augmented squox guarding the interior.</li>
<li>A PC takes the Squox Companion feat, but later wants to ensure their little friend can survive the rigors of higher-level combat.</li>
<li>Murders in an Aballonian archology trace back to a group of silicon mummy animals, kept as house pets and guard animals that have somehow formed a telepathic network and started to attack those who would abuse them.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder NPCs, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Accessories, Starfinder Encounter, Alien Archive, —>
<!—<div class="blurbCenter"> —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderAccessories">Starfinder Accessories</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderEncounter">Starfinder Encounter</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderNPCs">Starfinder NPCs</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p><article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">No-Prep Character: Pet Revitalization Project</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Friday, April 9, 2021</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/040921_SFNPCPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/040921_SFNPCPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p><b>By Vanessa Hoskins</b></p>
<p itemprop="description">Have you ever had a beloved family pet expire due to old age, illness, or getting hit by an errant enercycle? The Pet Revitalization Project (PRP) would like to help return your best friend back to your side. This Eoxian company will use special silicon-based technology to revitalize your pet, keeping their personality, friendliness, and loyalty intact•. Many will find their pets stronger, more resilient, and hardier than before revitalization; works great on guard animals!</p>
<p>Though this technology was previously only available to the richest and most well connected individuals, new sources of resin and modern techniques have driven the cost of revitalization down. The PRP would like to extend these savings to you and your family. If you and your family are without the means to afford pet revitalization, the PRP has set aside a fund to aid in the swift return of your perished pet.</p>
<p>Pet revitalization is only viable for a short time after a pet’s expiration without proper body preservation techniques, leading some owners to preemptively revitalize their pets, ensuring their pets will remain with them always. Don’t you want your best friend to be your best friend forever? Contact the PRP today!</p>
<p>This message has been paid for by the Pact Worlds Commission for Unliving Rights, the Eoxian General Council, and the Eoxian Office of Pact Worlds Ambassadorship.</p>
<p>•Less than 10% of revitalized animals experience side effects such as insatiable rage, unshakable ennui, or empty compliance.</p>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/840a6ee1-5a09-48c2-8f08-72fb8eb88dfe/040921_RevitilizedPetSuox.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/840a6ee1-5a09-48c2-8f08-72fb8eb88dfe/040921_RevitilizedPetSuox.jpg" align="left" width="40%" style="padding: 10px;" alt="An undead combination of a fox and a squirrel, with torn fur revealing sinewy silicon underneath in place of muscles and organs.”]"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Mummified squox from <Em>Alien Archive 4</em>, illustration by Olli Slyusareva</p>
<h4>REVITILIZED PET SQUOX — CR 5</h4>
<p><b>XP 1,600</b><br />
Silicon mummy squox (<em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em> 75, <em>Alien Archive 2</em> 118)<br />
N Tiny undead<br />
<b>Init</b> +5; <b>Senses</b> blindsense (scent) 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +11</p>
<p><b>DEFENSE — HP 70</b><br />
<b>EAC</b> 17; <b>KAC</b> 19<br />
<b>Fort</b> +7; <b>Ref</b> +7; <b>Will</b> +6<br />
<b>Defensive Abilities</b> constructed shell, silicon casing (25%); DR 5/adamantine; <b>Immunities</b> undead immunities</p>
<p><b>OFFENSE</b><br />
<b>Speed</b> 40 ft., climb 20 ft.<br />
<b>Melee</b> bite +13 (1d6+7 P)<br />
<b>Space</b> 2-1/2 ft.; <b>Reach</b> 0 ft.<br />
<b>Offensive Abilities</b> squox tricks</p>
<p><b>STATISTICS</b><br />
<b>Str</b> +2; <b>Dex</b> +5; <b>Con</b> —; <b>Int</b> –4; <b>Wis</b> +0; <b>Cha</b> +3<br />
<b>Skills</b> Acrobatics +16 (+20 to balance, escape, or tumble), Athletics +11 (+19 to climb), Stealth +16<br />
<b>Other Abilities</b> solar battery (1 point), unliving</p>
<p><b>SPECIAL ABILITIES</b></p>
<p><b>Constructed Shell (Ex)</b> For effects targeting creatures by type, a silicon mummy counts as both a construct and as undead (whichever type allows an ability to affect them for abilities that affect only one type, and whichever is worse for abilities that affect both types)</p>
<p><b>Silicon Casing (Ex)</b> A silicon mummy’s protective exterior and nonfunctional organs limit critical damage; the mummy has a 25% chance to ignore the extra damage dealt by a critical hit and gains a +4 bonus to saves against critical hit effects.</p>
<p><b>Solar Battery (Ex)</b> A silicon mummy can absorb solar energy in the form of Solar Reserve Points (SRP), which they can spend in place of Resolve Points. For every 8 hours a silicon mummy spends exposed to the light of a star, the mummy gains 1 SRP, to a maximum number of SRPs equal to one-third their CR (1 for a mummified prophet). For every week a silicon mummy absorbs no stellar energy, they lose 1 SRP. However, the mummy can intentionally enter a state of hibernation to lose only 1 point per 20 years, and although the mummy is aware of their surroundings and can fully animate as a move action, they are staggered for 1d4 hours afterward. As a swift action, a silicon mummy can expend 1 SRP to enhance either their next melee attack, ranged attack, or spell before the end of their turn. An enhanced attack gains a +2 circumstance bonus to its attack roll and deals an additional 3d6 damage if it hits. An enhanced spell increases the spell’s saving throw DC by 2.</p>
<p><b>Squox Tricks (Ex)</b> A squox can use Acrobatics to jump instead of Athletics. In addition, a squox can use its Acrobatics bonus as its attack bonus when it attempts a dirty trick, disarm, or trip combat maneuver. If the squox succeeds at a dirty trick maneuver, it can choose only between the entangled and off-target conditions. A squox’s tail, two front paws, and mouth count as hands free for a disarm attempt.</p>
<h4>PLOT HOOKS</h4>
<p>Game Masters might consider the following plot hooks as a means of integrating a revitalized pet into any Starfinder game.</p>
<ul>
<li>The PCs attempt to break into the home of a corporate executive, only to find an augmented squox guarding the interior.</li>
<li>A PC takes the Squox Companion feat, but later wants to ensure their little friend can survive the rigors of higher-level combat.</li>
<li>Murders in an Aballonian archology trace back to a group of silicon mummy animals, kept as house pets and guard animals that have somehow formed a telepathic network and started to attack those who would abuse them.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder NPCs, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Accessories, Starfinder Encounter, Alien Archive, —>
<!—<div class="blurbCenter"> —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderAccessories">Starfinder Accessories</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderEncounter">Starfinder Encounter</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderNPCs">Starfinder NPCs</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p>2021-04-09T19:30:00ZCreature Subtype Grafts For Alien Character Cardshttps://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shl1?Creature-Subtype-Grafts-For-Alien-Character2021-02-19T22:00:00Z<article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Creature Subtype Grafts For Alien Character Cards</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Friday, February 19, 2021</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/021921_CharacterCardsPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/021921_CharacterCardsPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">This month, we’re proud to release <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>, which serves as an easy reference when players want to know what racial traits a given alien species offers. While the Alien Archives provided the bulk of these species, we also took the opportunity to present five new-to-Starfinder species for eager players as well—gnolls, gripplis, kitsunes, kobolds, and samsarans.</p>
<p>It seems unfair to only let players take these classic fantasy species for a spin in the Pact Worlds, so here are some rules for GMs. Use these creature subtype grafts when crafting NPCs of the associated species. For more information on creature grafts, see page 133 of the <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a>.</p>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<h4>Gnoll</h4>
<p>This subtype is applied to gnolls and creatures related to gnolls.</br>
<b>Traits</b>: Blindsense (scent) 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; if the NPC is of the gnoll race (see <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>), it also gains the natural weapons and rugged travel racial traits and Survival as a master skill.</p>
<h4>Grippli</h4>
<p>This subtype is applied to gripplis and creatures related to gripplis.</br>
<b>Traits</b>: Darkvision 60 ft.; if the NPC is of the grippli race (see <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>), it also gains a climb speed of 20 ft.; the jumper, swamp stride, and weapon familiarity racial traits; and Stealth as a good skill.</p>
<h4>Kitsune</h4>
<p>This subtype is applied to kitsune and creatures related to kitsune.</br>
<b>Traits</b>: Low-light vision; if the NPC is of the kitsune race (see <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>), it also gains the shapechanger subtype graft, the natural weapons racial trait, Acrobatics and Athletics as master skills, and can use the following spell as a spell-like ability: 3/day—dancing lights.</p>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f5bc4d72-7429-4cc9-9eeb-f39018a8f2d6/021921_kobold.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f5bc4d72-7429-4cc9-9eeb-f39018a8f2d6/021921_kobold.jpg" align="left" width="400" style="padding: 10px;" alt="A small, red-scaled reptilian humanoid is dressed in a futuristic lab coat and wields two laser pistols."></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Illustration by Matthias Kenningkeit from <em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em>.</p>
<h4>Kobold</h4>
<p>This subtype is applied to kobolds and creatures related to kobolds.</br>
<b>Traits</b>: Darkvision 60 ft.; if the NPC is of the kobold race (see <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>), it also gains the armored scales and dragon-scaled racial traits and Engineering, Perception, and Physical Science as master skills.</p>
<h4>Samsaran</h4>
<p>This subtype is applied to samsarans and creatures related to samsarans.</br>
<b>Traits</b>: Low-light vision; if the NPC is of the samsaran race (see <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>), it also gains a +2 bonus to saving throws against death effects and can use the following spells as spell-like abilities: 1/day—<em>comprehend languages, share memory</em> (<a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq0206c?Starfinder-Character-Operations-Manual"><em>Starfinder Character Operations Manual</em></a> 141), <em>stabilize</em>.</p>
<br clear="all"/>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Accessories, Alien Archive, Starfinder Alien Character Cards, —>
<!—<div class="blurbCenter"> —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderAccessories">Starfinder Accessories</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p><article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Creature Subtype Grafts For Alien Character Cards</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Friday, February 19, 2021</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/021921_CharacterCardsPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/021921_CharacterCardsPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">This month, we’re proud to release <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>, which serves as an easy reference when players want to know what racial traits a given alien species offers. While the Alien Archives provided the bulk of these species, we also took the opportunity to present five new-to-Starfinder species for eager players as well—gnolls, gripplis, kitsunes, kobolds, and samsarans.</p>
<p>It seems unfair to only let players take these classic fantasy species for a spin in the Pact Worlds, so here are some rules for GMs. Use these creature subtype grafts when crafting NPCs of the associated species. For more information on creature grafts, see page 133 of the <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a>.</p>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<h4>Gnoll</h4>
<p>This subtype is applied to gnolls and creatures related to gnolls.</br>
<b>Traits</b>: Blindsense (scent) 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; if the NPC is of the gnoll race (see <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>), it also gains the natural weapons and rugged travel racial traits and Survival as a master skill.</p>
<h4>Grippli</h4>
<p>This subtype is applied to gripplis and creatures related to gripplis.</br>
<b>Traits</b>: Darkvision 60 ft.; if the NPC is of the grippli race (see <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>), it also gains a climb speed of 20 ft.; the jumper, swamp stride, and weapon familiarity racial traits; and Stealth as a good skill.</p>
<h4>Kitsune</h4>
<p>This subtype is applied to kitsune and creatures related to kitsune.</br>
<b>Traits</b>: Low-light vision; if the NPC is of the kitsune race (see <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>), it also gains the shapechanger subtype graft, the natural weapons racial trait, Acrobatics and Athletics as master skills, and can use the following spell as a spell-like ability: 3/day—dancing lights.</p>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f5bc4d72-7429-4cc9-9eeb-f39018a8f2d6/021921_kobold.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f5bc4d72-7429-4cc9-9eeb-f39018a8f2d6/021921_kobold.jpg" align="left" width="400" style="padding: 10px;" alt="A small, red-scaled reptilian humanoid is dressed in a futuristic lab coat and wields two laser pistols."></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Illustration by Matthias Kenningkeit from <em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em>.</p>
<h4>Kobold</h4>
<p>This subtype is applied to kobolds and creatures related to kobolds.</br>
<b>Traits</b>: Darkvision 60 ft.; if the NPC is of the kobold race (see <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>), it also gains the armored scales and dragon-scaled racial traits and Engineering, Perception, and Physical Science as master skills.</p>
<h4>Samsaran</h4>
<p>This subtype is applied to samsarans and creatures related to samsarans.</br>
<b>Traits</b>: Low-light vision; if the NPC is of the samsaran race (see <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023fw?Starfinder-Alien-Character-Deck"><em>Starfinder Alien Character Cards</em></a>), it also gains a +2 bonus to saving throws against death effects and can use the following spells as spell-like abilities: 1/day—<em>comprehend languages, share memory</em> (<a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq0206c?Starfinder-Character-Operations-Manual"><em>Starfinder Character Operations Manual</em></a> 141), <em>stabilize</em>.</p>
<br clear="all"/>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Accessories, Alien Archive, Starfinder Alien Character Cards, —>
<!—<div class="blurbCenter"> —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderAccessories">Starfinder Accessories</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p>2021-02-19T22:00:00ZAliens Among Us–Alien Archive 4 Unveiled, Part 4https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shj4?Aliens-Among-Us-Alien-Archive-4-Unveiled-Part-42020-12-31T19:30:00Z<article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Aliens Among Us–Alien Archive 4 Unveiled, Part 4</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Thursday, December 31, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/123020_HadrogaanPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/123020_HadrogaanPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">The new <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq026jv?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em></a> brings nearly 100 life-forms, a dozen playable races, and new alien technology. In the last part of this series let’s take a closer look at one of those species, the symbiotic hadrogaans, and some of that tech!</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f730de1c-ce55-42db-9a70-b15764a43d2a/123020_Hadrogaan.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f730de1c-ce55-42db-9a70-b15764a43d2a/123020_Hadrogaan.jpg" width=80% hspace="5" alt="Starfinder Hadrogaans: Two tall green aliens wearing armor with four eyes. One wears a helmet with a rifle over their shoulder and the other wears a cape over one shoulder"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<blockquote>
<p>Though now the symbiotic primary inhabitants of the three moons of Hadrogess—a desolate world in the Vast— Hadrogaans once lived on the planet itself, millennia ago. They possess knowledge of their life on Hadrogess’s surface, and their departure from it, that date back to before the Gap, but even so, much of that history has been lost. Obsessive historians have reconstructed pieces of their history, but uncertainties and inconsistencies still
plague the field.</p>
<p>All hadrogaans know for sure is that some catastrophe caused the planet’s atmosphere to begin slowly leaking into space. Faced with extinction, they scrambled for a possible solution. Following a series of frantic and unsanctioned experiments, a team of fringe scientists discovered a sapient crystal that grew deep beneath the planet’s crust, one that could merge with a hadrogaan body in a process that—in most cases— led to greater intellect and insight. These scientists claimed that the crystalline organisms, collectively called kallestrine, not only willingly participated in these experiments, but that they had sent psychic signals to the scientists—leading the latter to discover them—and had even proposed merging the entire hadrogaan species with kallestrine. Successful merging caused a rapid processing-power expansion that many felt could propel the two organisms into a new era of enlightenment, and in fact, many hadrogaans saw this way as their only hope for salvation.</p>
<p>Modern hadrogaans know that most of their people accepted the merging and somehow found a way—before the advent of starships—to settle their planet’s three moons. In their new symbiotic forms, hadrogaans formed a society dedicated to science, philosophy, progress, and utilitarianism in all matters. Their advancements positioned them to embrace Drift travel soon after receiving Triune’s signal, and whenever possible, hadrogaans seek positive relations with alien life—but should peace talks fail, they have no qualms with swift and efficient military solutions.</p>
<p>Most hadrogaans stand at about 8 feet tall with long limbs, thin bodies, and elongated fingers. Large hollows perforate their torsos, limbs, and sometimes their necks and faces, each filled with glimmering crystals—the organism that hadrogaans merged with during the Gap. The merging altered the species’ genetic makeup, and hadrogaan children are born with these crystalline hollows, which can grow and shift over time.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hadrogaan racial traits include Dual Nervous Systems and Hadrogaan Senses: The crystals in a hadrogaan’s body can sense subtle vibrations in the environment. A hadrogaan has blindsense.</p>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<p><em>Alien Archive 4 </em>is filled with alien related technology!</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A massive species of spaceborne plants inhabits the rocky rings of gas giants throughout the galaxy. Known to Pact Worlds scientists as greater ring roots, these creatures resemble immense, hirsute tubers bristling with gnarled tendrils and alien eyes. However, countless tragedies since the Gap have earned the infamous plant its more common name: the shipkiller bulb.</p>
<p>GRAVITY GRENADE: Level 2-12<br />
Derived from the gravitational organs of shipkiller bulbs, gravity grenades generate a micro-singularity that pulls affected targets towards the detonation point. Creatures in the area move the listed distance toward the blast’s center if they fail a Fortitude saving throw. Unsecured, unattended items of 1 bulk or less automatically fail this save. The force is not powerful enough to move bigger objects, such as Large vehicles.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/cef60080-b744-4d36-8e39-43904d6c4cda/123020_MagmaSledge.png"><img width=300 src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/cef60080-b744-4d36-8e39-43904d6c4cda/123020_MagmaSledge.png" style="padding-right: 10px; padding left: 10px;" alt="A large sledge hammer with a steel handle and a head of solid stone. Cracks appear on the surface, showing the magma within"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<!— <br clear="all"/> —>
<p>Despite being large, bipedal creatures, thermatrods use a knuckle-walking quadrupedal gait resembling a gorilla’s stride, though they occasionally stand on their back legs or use their arms to climb. </p>
<p><b>MAGMA SLEDGE</b><br />
Inspired by the red-hot stony body of a thermatrod, magma sledges are the larger cousins of the more agile magma blades (Starfinder Armory 38). At first glance, a magma sledge seems like an analog weapon with a steel shaft and a head of solid stone. However, when the weapon powers on, cracks form along the surface show the magma hidden within, held in place with powerful magnetic fields. When slammed into a target, the intense heat and force can send even the most powerful opponents reeling. Factory floors that mass produce magma sledges are often swelteringly hot.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/8c0901d2-ab31-44cf-9fb6-e61bf8f35d7a/123020_Ursikka-Hide-Armor.png"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/8c0901d2-ab31-44cf-9fb6-e61bf8f35d7a/123020_Ursikka-Hide-Armor.png" width=300 hspace="5" alt="Ursikka hides armor: a light, flexible, body armor edged in white fur with a dark breastplate and knee and shoulder armor"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<p>Populating Triaxian children’s horror tales, ursikkas roam the Triaxian wilderness during the wandering planet’s winter years. </p>
<p><b>URSIKKA HIDE ARMOR</b><br />
Some of the most intrepid hunters seek out ursikkas—and wily scavengers often search the tundra for fallen ursikka bodies—to harvest their hides. Ursikka hides are light, supple, and have an insulating quality that traps body heat, making them an ideal material for cold weather gear and clothes. Talented armorsmiths can create flexible light armor from this leather, which grants cold resistance in addition to the benefits listed on the table below. Basic ursikka hide armor provides cold resistance 10, and the resistance increases to 15 and 20 for advanced and elite suits respectively.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The <em>Alien Archive 4</em> Cover Artist was Remko Troost with Interior Artists: Trevor Brown, Dominik Derow, Tuan Duong Chu, Nicolas Espinoza, Michele Giorgi, Alexandre Honore, Geun Cheol Jang, Víctor Manuel Leza Moreno, Artur Nakhodkin, Vladislav Orlowski, Mirco Paganessi, Rashad Pozdnyakov, Henrik Rosenborg, Victor Rossi, Gin Sakalauskas, Ruslan Skifonich, Olli Slyusareva, Luca Sotgiu, Matias Tapia, and Remko Troost.</p>
<p>Don’t miss the previous parts of the series that focus on the <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shi0?Alien-Archive-4-Aliens-Among-Us-Part-1">astriapi</a>, the <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shid?Aliens-Among-Us-Alien-Archive-4-Unveiled-Part-2">copaxi</a>, and <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shit">entu</a> three of the twelve new playable species. Find your path to friendship and science-fantasy adventure with <a href="https://paizo.com/starfinder">Starfinder</a>!</p>
<p>Adventures Ahead!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Aaron Shanks<br />
<em>Marketing and Media Manager</em></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Alien Archive, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p><article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Aliens Among Us–Alien Archive 4 Unveiled, Part 4</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Thursday, December 31, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/123020_HadrogaanPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/123020_HadrogaanPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">The new <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq026jv?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em></a> brings nearly 100 life-forms, a dozen playable races, and new alien technology. In the last part of this series let’s take a closer look at one of those species, the symbiotic hadrogaans, and some of that tech!</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f730de1c-ce55-42db-9a70-b15764a43d2a/123020_Hadrogaan.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f730de1c-ce55-42db-9a70-b15764a43d2a/123020_Hadrogaan.jpg" width=80% hspace="5" alt="Starfinder Hadrogaans: Two tall green aliens wearing armor with four eyes. One wears a helmet with a rifle over their shoulder and the other wears a cape over one shoulder"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<blockquote>
<p>Though now the symbiotic primary inhabitants of the three moons of Hadrogess—a desolate world in the Vast— Hadrogaans once lived on the planet itself, millennia ago. They possess knowledge of their life on Hadrogess’s surface, and their departure from it, that date back to before the Gap, but even so, much of that history has been lost. Obsessive historians have reconstructed pieces of their history, but uncertainties and inconsistencies still
plague the field.</p>
<p>All hadrogaans know for sure is that some catastrophe caused the planet’s atmosphere to begin slowly leaking into space. Faced with extinction, they scrambled for a possible solution. Following a series of frantic and unsanctioned experiments, a team of fringe scientists discovered a sapient crystal that grew deep beneath the planet’s crust, one that could merge with a hadrogaan body in a process that—in most cases— led to greater intellect and insight. These scientists claimed that the crystalline organisms, collectively called kallestrine, not only willingly participated in these experiments, but that they had sent psychic signals to the scientists—leading the latter to discover them—and had even proposed merging the entire hadrogaan species with kallestrine. Successful merging caused a rapid processing-power expansion that many felt could propel the two organisms into a new era of enlightenment, and in fact, many hadrogaans saw this way as their only hope for salvation.</p>
<p>Modern hadrogaans know that most of their people accepted the merging and somehow found a way—before the advent of starships—to settle their planet’s three moons. In their new symbiotic forms, hadrogaans formed a society dedicated to science, philosophy, progress, and utilitarianism in all matters. Their advancements positioned them to embrace Drift travel soon after receiving Triune’s signal, and whenever possible, hadrogaans seek positive relations with alien life—but should peace talks fail, they have no qualms with swift and efficient military solutions.</p>
<p>Most hadrogaans stand at about 8 feet tall with long limbs, thin bodies, and elongated fingers. Large hollows perforate their torsos, limbs, and sometimes their necks and faces, each filled with glimmering crystals—the organism that hadrogaans merged with during the Gap. The merging altered the species’ genetic makeup, and hadrogaan children are born with these crystalline hollows, which can grow and shift over time.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hadrogaan racial traits include Dual Nervous Systems and Hadrogaan Senses: The crystals in a hadrogaan’s body can sense subtle vibrations in the environment. A hadrogaan has blindsense.</p>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<p><em>Alien Archive 4 </em>is filled with alien related technology!</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A massive species of spaceborne plants inhabits the rocky rings of gas giants throughout the galaxy. Known to Pact Worlds scientists as greater ring roots, these creatures resemble immense, hirsute tubers bristling with gnarled tendrils and alien eyes. However, countless tragedies since the Gap have earned the infamous plant its more common name: the shipkiller bulb.</p>
<p>GRAVITY GRENADE: Level 2-12<br />
Derived from the gravitational organs of shipkiller bulbs, gravity grenades generate a micro-singularity that pulls affected targets towards the detonation point. Creatures in the area move the listed distance toward the blast’s center if they fail a Fortitude saving throw. Unsecured, unattended items of 1 bulk or less automatically fail this save. The force is not powerful enough to move bigger objects, such as Large vehicles.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/cef60080-b744-4d36-8e39-43904d6c4cda/123020_MagmaSledge.png"><img width=300 src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/cef60080-b744-4d36-8e39-43904d6c4cda/123020_MagmaSledge.png" style="padding-right: 10px; padding left: 10px;" alt="A large sledge hammer with a steel handle and a head of solid stone. Cracks appear on the surface, showing the magma within"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<!— <br clear="all"/> —>
<p>Despite being large, bipedal creatures, thermatrods use a knuckle-walking quadrupedal gait resembling a gorilla’s stride, though they occasionally stand on their back legs or use their arms to climb. </p>
<p><b>MAGMA SLEDGE</b><br />
Inspired by the red-hot stony body of a thermatrod, magma sledges are the larger cousins of the more agile magma blades (Starfinder Armory 38). At first glance, a magma sledge seems like an analog weapon with a steel shaft and a head of solid stone. However, when the weapon powers on, cracks form along the surface show the magma hidden within, held in place with powerful magnetic fields. When slammed into a target, the intense heat and force can send even the most powerful opponents reeling. Factory floors that mass produce magma sledges are often swelteringly hot.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/8c0901d2-ab31-44cf-9fb6-e61bf8f35d7a/123020_Ursikka-Hide-Armor.png"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/8c0901d2-ab31-44cf-9fb6-e61bf8f35d7a/123020_Ursikka-Hide-Armor.png" width=300 hspace="5" alt="Ursikka hides armor: a light, flexible, body armor edged in white fur with a dark breastplate and knee and shoulder armor"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<p>Populating Triaxian children’s horror tales, ursikkas roam the Triaxian wilderness during the wandering planet’s winter years. </p>
<p><b>URSIKKA HIDE ARMOR</b><br />
Some of the most intrepid hunters seek out ursikkas—and wily scavengers often search the tundra for fallen ursikka bodies—to harvest their hides. Ursikka hides are light, supple, and have an insulating quality that traps body heat, making them an ideal material for cold weather gear and clothes. Talented armorsmiths can create flexible light armor from this leather, which grants cold resistance in addition to the benefits listed on the table below. Basic ursikka hide armor provides cold resistance 10, and the resistance increases to 15 and 20 for advanced and elite suits respectively.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The <em>Alien Archive 4</em> Cover Artist was Remko Troost with Interior Artists: Trevor Brown, Dominik Derow, Tuan Duong Chu, Nicolas Espinoza, Michele Giorgi, Alexandre Honore, Geun Cheol Jang, Víctor Manuel Leza Moreno, Artur Nakhodkin, Vladislav Orlowski, Mirco Paganessi, Rashad Pozdnyakov, Henrik Rosenborg, Victor Rossi, Gin Sakalauskas, Ruslan Skifonich, Olli Slyusareva, Luca Sotgiu, Matias Tapia, and Remko Troost.</p>
<p>Don’t miss the previous parts of the series that focus on the <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shi0?Alien-Archive-4-Aliens-Among-Us-Part-1">astriapi</a>, the <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shid?Aliens-Among-Us-Alien-Archive-4-Unveiled-Part-2">copaxi</a>, and <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shit">entu</a> three of the twelve new playable species. Find your path to friendship and science-fantasy adventure with <a href="https://paizo.com/starfinder">Starfinder</a>!</p>
<p>Adventures Ahead!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Aaron Shanks<br />
<em>Marketing and Media Manager</em></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Alien Archive, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p>2020-12-31T19:30:00ZAliens Among Us–Alien Archive 4 Unveiled, Part 3https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shit?Aliens-Among-Us-Alien-Archive-4-Unveiled-Part-32020-12-23T20:00:00Z<article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Aliens Among Us–Alien Archive 4 Unveiled, Part 3</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Wednesday, December 23, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/122320_EntuPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/122320_EntuPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">The <a href="https://paizo.com/starfinder">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a> is both weird and wonderful. So, even though the Holiday season is upon us—or perhaps because of it—we present to you the full fungus entry from the new <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq026jv?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em></a> to battle, befriend or become. Introducing the entu colony!</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/1f53422c-d8ef-4afe-90af-e242c777cf7a/122320_Entu.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/1f53422c-d8ef-4afe-90af-e242c777cf7a/122320_Entu.jpg" width=80% hspace="5" alt="Two versions of the Entu playable race. The Amorphous colony ooze-like creature and the Entu symbiote which lives with a host alien"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<h3>Entu Colony</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Entu colonies begin their life cycle as a collection of minuscule spores. Over time, the spores fuse together through intricate networks of mycelia that function similarly to neurons, creating sapient and mobile fungal colonies. These structures generate conscious thought and obtain sensory information about the colony’s environment.</p>
<p>In their first weeks of life, entu spores gradually coalesce into amorphous pools of opalescent slime with malleable pseudopod-like organs. At this stage, colonies can communicate telepathically with other creatures using a lexicon of sensory and emotional concepts. Entu colonies can reproduce asexually once they reach maturity, typically six months after they first sprout mycelia. Most of the resulting spores integrate into the parent colony, but some may split off to form a separate colony.</p>
<p>Thought not parasitic, entu colonies feed on emotion and thought. In fact, some seek to consensually merge with other sentient creatures rather than form into full-fledged and independent colonies. Instead of harming their host, an entu fungus’s adaptable cells mimic the host’s brain and nerve tissue. Their mycelia intertwine with their host’s central nervous system, creating new synapses and enhancing sections of the host’s brain. Despite inhabiting the host’s body, the entu fungus retains a separate consciousness which intertwines with its host through shared functional memories and sensory input. The resultant symbiotic life-form, called an entu symbiote, eventually attains self-awareness, complex thought, and even linguistic ability. Entu integration can sometimes result in entu symbiotes’ offspring already being seeded with the fungal life integrated into their bodies and brains; this development has led to the “uplifting” of entire species of previously non-sapient animals.</p>
<p>The nelentu, one of the founding species of the Kreiholm Freehold, is a prominent example of a successful symbiosis that spans generations. Originally a species of bat-like animals called neleks that evolved on Agillae-2, these once unintelligent, fruit-eating creatures encountered entu spores early in their evolution and willingly became their hosts. The two species formed
a society based on this symbiosis. Today, nelentus inhabit tiered jungle-cities built around green spaces, known as Gardens of Thought, where they cultivate entu spores for future generations. Nelentus consider themselves to be one species, referring to themselves and other nelentus using plural pronouns in deference to their dual nature.</p>
<p>Entu fungi of all kinds seek constant exposure to emotion and thought to thrive, and those involved with symbiotes prioritize their hosts’ physical needs. They prefer to enter symbiotic relationships with creatures who can benefit from their cellular mimicry, living as long as the host creature does—and dying along with it. Entu colonies, on the other hand, can survive for up to 300 years.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The entu are two-playable-races-in-one!</p>
<blockquote>
<h3>Entu Colonies</h3>
<p><b>Ability Adjustments</b>: +2 Int, +2 Cha, –2 Str<br />
<b>Hit Points</b>: 2<br />
<b>Size and Type</b>: Entu colonies are Small oozes. Amorphous: An entu colony has the amorphous universal creature rule (page 152).<br />
Entu Colony Senses: An entu colony has blindsight (emotion) with a range of 60 feet.<br />
Limited Ooze Benefits: See page 34.<br />
Limited Telepathy: Entu colonies have limited
telepathy with a range of 30 feet. Tactical Symbiosis: See page 34.<br /></p>
<h3>Entu Symbiotes</h3>
<p><b>Ability Adjustments</b>: +2 Int<br />
<b>Hit Points</b>: 4<br />
<b>Size and Type</b>: Entu symbiotes are Small, Medium, or Large animals with the entu symbiote subtype. Entu Symbiote Senses: An entu symbiote has blindsense (emotion) with a range of 30 feet and low-light vision.<br />
<b>Extrasensory Perception</b>: The mycelia integrated into an entu symbiote’s nervous system allow them to perceive ambient thoughts and emotion. They gain a +2 racial bonus to Perception and Sense Motive checks.<br />
<b>Limited Augmentations</b>: The only augmentations that can be installed in an entu symbiote’s brain are datajacks and the mechanic’s custom rig.<br />
<b>Limited Telepathy</b>: Entu symbiotes have limited telepathy with a range of 30 feet.<br />
<b>Natural Weapons</b>: Entu symbiotes have the natural weapons universal creature rule with a kinetic damage type chosen at character creation.<br />
<b>Symbiotic Enhancement</b>: At character creation, an entu symbiote chooses a fly speed (Ex, average), burrow speed, climb speed, or swim speed, matching thematically the type of animal on which the entu symbiote is based. The entu symbiote has that speed with a value of 20 feet.<br /></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The <em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em> Editing Lead was Avi Kool with Editors: Judy Bauer, Gideon F., Leo Glass, Patrick Hurley, Avi Kool, Ianara Natividad, Kieran Newton, and Lu Pellazar.</p>
<p>Don’t miss <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shi0?Alien-Archive-4-Aliens-Among-Us-Part-1">Part 1</a> and <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shid?Aliens-Among-Us-Alien-Archive-4-Unveiled-Part-2">Part 2</a> of Aliens Among Us which explore the astriapi, the copaxi, and species grafts. Next week we examine the hadrogaan and more!</p>
<p>Adventures Ahead!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Aaron Shanks<br />
<em>Marketing and Media Manager</em></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Alien Archive, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p><article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Aliens Among Us–Alien Archive 4 Unveiled, Part 3</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Wednesday, December 23, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/122320_EntuPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/122320_EntuPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">The <a href="https://paizo.com/starfinder">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a> is both weird and wonderful. So, even though the Holiday season is upon us—or perhaps because of it—we present to you the full fungus entry from the new <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq026jv?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em></a> to battle, befriend or become. Introducing the entu colony!</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/1f53422c-d8ef-4afe-90af-e242c777cf7a/122320_Entu.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/1f53422c-d8ef-4afe-90af-e242c777cf7a/122320_Entu.jpg" width=80% hspace="5" alt="Two versions of the Entu playable race. The Amorphous colony ooze-like creature and the Entu symbiote which lives with a host alien"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<h3>Entu Colony</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Entu colonies begin their life cycle as a collection of minuscule spores. Over time, the spores fuse together through intricate networks of mycelia that function similarly to neurons, creating sapient and mobile fungal colonies. These structures generate conscious thought and obtain sensory information about the colony’s environment.</p>
<p>In their first weeks of life, entu spores gradually coalesce into amorphous pools of opalescent slime with malleable pseudopod-like organs. At this stage, colonies can communicate telepathically with other creatures using a lexicon of sensory and emotional concepts. Entu colonies can reproduce asexually once they reach maturity, typically six months after they first sprout mycelia. Most of the resulting spores integrate into the parent colony, but some may split off to form a separate colony.</p>
<p>Thought not parasitic, entu colonies feed on emotion and thought. In fact, some seek to consensually merge with other sentient creatures rather than form into full-fledged and independent colonies. Instead of harming their host, an entu fungus’s adaptable cells mimic the host’s brain and nerve tissue. Their mycelia intertwine with their host’s central nervous system, creating new synapses and enhancing sections of the host’s brain. Despite inhabiting the host’s body, the entu fungus retains a separate consciousness which intertwines with its host through shared functional memories and sensory input. The resultant symbiotic life-form, called an entu symbiote, eventually attains self-awareness, complex thought, and even linguistic ability. Entu integration can sometimes result in entu symbiotes’ offspring already being seeded with the fungal life integrated into their bodies and brains; this development has led to the “uplifting” of entire species of previously non-sapient animals.</p>
<p>The nelentu, one of the founding species of the Kreiholm Freehold, is a prominent example of a successful symbiosis that spans generations. Originally a species of bat-like animals called neleks that evolved on Agillae-2, these once unintelligent, fruit-eating creatures encountered entu spores early in their evolution and willingly became their hosts. The two species formed
a society based on this symbiosis. Today, nelentus inhabit tiered jungle-cities built around green spaces, known as Gardens of Thought, where they cultivate entu spores for future generations. Nelentus consider themselves to be one species, referring to themselves and other nelentus using plural pronouns in deference to their dual nature.</p>
<p>Entu fungi of all kinds seek constant exposure to emotion and thought to thrive, and those involved with symbiotes prioritize their hosts’ physical needs. They prefer to enter symbiotic relationships with creatures who can benefit from their cellular mimicry, living as long as the host creature does—and dying along with it. Entu colonies, on the other hand, can survive for up to 300 years.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The entu are two-playable-races-in-one!</p>
<blockquote>
<h3>Entu Colonies</h3>
<p><b>Ability Adjustments</b>: +2 Int, +2 Cha, –2 Str<br />
<b>Hit Points</b>: 2<br />
<b>Size and Type</b>: Entu colonies are Small oozes. Amorphous: An entu colony has the amorphous universal creature rule (page 152).<br />
Entu Colony Senses: An entu colony has blindsight (emotion) with a range of 60 feet.<br />
Limited Ooze Benefits: See page 34.<br />
Limited Telepathy: Entu colonies have limited
telepathy with a range of 30 feet. Tactical Symbiosis: See page 34.<br /></p>
<h3>Entu Symbiotes</h3>
<p><b>Ability Adjustments</b>: +2 Int<br />
<b>Hit Points</b>: 4<br />
<b>Size and Type</b>: Entu symbiotes are Small, Medium, or Large animals with the entu symbiote subtype. Entu Symbiote Senses: An entu symbiote has blindsense (emotion) with a range of 30 feet and low-light vision.<br />
<b>Extrasensory Perception</b>: The mycelia integrated into an entu symbiote’s nervous system allow them to perceive ambient thoughts and emotion. They gain a +2 racial bonus to Perception and Sense Motive checks.<br />
<b>Limited Augmentations</b>: The only augmentations that can be installed in an entu symbiote’s brain are datajacks and the mechanic’s custom rig.<br />
<b>Limited Telepathy</b>: Entu symbiotes have limited telepathy with a range of 30 feet.<br />
<b>Natural Weapons</b>: Entu symbiotes have the natural weapons universal creature rule with a kinetic damage type chosen at character creation.<br />
<b>Symbiotic Enhancement</b>: At character creation, an entu symbiote chooses a fly speed (Ex, average), burrow speed, climb speed, or swim speed, matching thematically the type of animal on which the entu symbiote is based. The entu symbiote has that speed with a value of 20 feet.<br /></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The <em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em> Editing Lead was Avi Kool with Editors: Judy Bauer, Gideon F., Leo Glass, Patrick Hurley, Avi Kool, Ianara Natividad, Kieran Newton, and Lu Pellazar.</p>
<p>Don’t miss <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shi0?Alien-Archive-4-Aliens-Among-Us-Part-1">Part 1</a> and <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shid?Aliens-Among-Us-Alien-Archive-4-Unveiled-Part-2">Part 2</a> of Aliens Among Us which explore the astriapi, the copaxi, and species grafts. Next week we examine the hadrogaan and more!</p>
<p>Adventures Ahead!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Aaron Shanks<br />
<em>Marketing and Media Manager</em></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Alien Archive, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p>2020-12-23T20:00:00ZAliens Among Us–Alien Archive 4 Unveiled, Part 2https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shid?Aliens-Among-Us-Alien-Archive-4-Unveiled-Part-22020-12-18T19:30:00Z<article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Aliens Among Us–Alien Archive 4 Unveiled, Part 2</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Friday, December 18, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/AlienArchive4_Preview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/AlienArchive4_Preview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">Today we continue a series sampling the <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq026jv?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em></a>!</p>
<p>If you are new to Starfinder, the Alien Archives hold a trove of tools for players and GMs alike. </p>
<p>For players “AA4” holds a dozen races with full rules, letting you play everything from a fungus-uplifted animal to a humanoid made of magical coral. Last week we looked at the astriapi. We showcase at the copaxi below.</p>
<p>For GMs there are nearly 100 uncanny life-forms both classic and new, from the batlike grioth and horrifying brain collector to the vengeful endling and dreaded plasmalisk. Grafts were established in the Appendix 1: CREATING MONSTERS AND OTHER NPCS in the first <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a>. They were further developed or expanded upon the subsequent <a href="https://paizo.com/store/starfinder/rulebooks">Alien Archive</a> volumes. </p>
<p>Now, <A href="https://paizo.com/products/btq026jv?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4"><em>Alien Archive 4</em></a> adds species grafts—new rules for grafting the strange physical traits of other species onto your own character, creating a staggering array of customization options!</p>
<blockquote>
<p>SPECIES GRAFTS</p>
<p>This section introduces a new type of augmentation known as a species graft, giving you the ability to partially transcend your species by taking on the racial traits of other species. Species grafts follow the rules for augmentations (<a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ssr?Starfinder-Core-Rulebook"><em>Starfinder Core Rulebook</em></a> 208), in that they are installed in specific systems on your body. Once installed, they become a part of your body and generally can’t be affected by abilities that destroy or disable objects. Most of these augmentations are installed into the more common systems.</p>
<p>Species grafts can be cybernetics, biotech, magitech, nanite enhancements, or any other form of augmentation. A specific species graft might describe its form, but that is merely an example. Your GM might decide what a species graft looks like when you purchase one or you might determine its specifics when you craft it. This doesn’t affect how a species graft functions—only its appearance.</p>
<p>The benefits of a species graft don’t stack with the benefits granted by a racial trait of the same name. For example, a vesk character can’t benefit from the armor savant graft.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Read more about the new rules, how they are different from other augmentations, and see the list of over 20 species grafts in your copy of Alien Archive 4. Here are a couple of samples to entire you! </p>
<blockquote>
<p>CHEEK POUCHES GRAFT — SYSTEM Throat<br />
PRICE 3,900 — LEVEL 6</p>
<p>Ysoki’s cheeks are remarkably stretchy, and they use this to their advantage. Durable skin implanted in your own cheeks affords you the same benefit. You can store up to 1 cubic foot of items weighing up to 1 bulk in total in your new cheek pouches, and you can transfer a single object between hand and cheek as a swift action. You can disgorge the entire contents of your pouches onto the ground in your square as a move action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.</p>
<p>LASHUNTA MAGIC GRAFT — SYSTEM All Hands<br />
PRICE 3,200 — Level 5</p>
<p>Most lashuntas have the ability to cast minor spells, even if they haven’t formally studied spellcasting. With tiny attuned crystals or magically aligned plates in your palms, you can cast daze and psychokinetic hand at will and detect thoughts once per day as spell-like abilities. The caster level for these effects is equal to your level.</p>
</blockquote>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<h3>Copaxi</h3>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/4f9c0fae-e996-4c11-a111-ae56c154bd61/121720_Copaxi.png"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/4f9c0fae-e996-4c11-a111-ae56c154bd61/121720_Copaxi.png" width=80% hspace="5" alt=" coral-like organism that once covered their home world—the now heavily industrialized planet Tabrid Minor"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<blockquote>
<p>Copaxis evolved from copi, an unintelligent, coral-like organism that once covered their home world—the now heavily industrialized planet Tabrid Minor. Copi exhibit a supernatural attunement to the universe’s gravitational forces, and for ages, copaxis harnessed this organism’s power to create floating cities where they lived for centuries in a near-utopia.</p>
<p>The Signal changed copaxi society forever in 3 AG when copaxi inventors discovered how to refine copi into a semi-organic alloy suitable for constructing starships. Conflicting ideologies arose between traditionalists who clung to their people’s ancient mysticism and technological innovators who wished to explore the stars. These differences led to violence and, eventually, all-out war. The ensuing struggles toppled the established order, nearly destroyed copaxi mystical traditions, and led copaxis to abandon their flying cities in pursuit of industrialization. The newly united copaxis decimated the planet’s copi, simultaneously fueling a technological revolution while also severing their connection to the copi’s supernatural power.</p>
<p>Thanks to their world-spanning government’s fearful suppression of its past for decades, modern copaxis have only recently begun uncovering their planet’s history. Most admit that Tabrid Minor has suffered as a result of rapid industrialization, but few know the extent of the damage or comprehend their ancestors’ sacrificed connection to copi. Fewer still know the history of robotic life on the planet, for the government strictly monitors such technology and has instilled a superstitious fear of anything resembling a sentient machine in the populace. After Tabrid Minor began petitioning the Pact Worlds for protectorate status several years ago, the planet’s government increased its crackdown on historical introspection, fearing the world’s fraught past might undermine its chances of being accepted.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Read more about the cotopaxi in Alien Archive 4, including these racial traits:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Natural Communicator</b>: A copaxi quickly adopts new forms of communication. Each time a copaxi gains a rank in Culture, they learn two languages rather than one language.</p>
<p><b>Regenerative Evolution</b>: A copaxi gradually reshapes their body and neural networks to overcome new challenges. Each time a copaxi gains a level, they can retrain all the choices of one previous character level, as though they had used a mnemonic editor (<a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ssr?Starfinder-Core-Rulebook"><em>Core Rulebook</em></a> 226). They must have qualified for any new selections at the retrained level.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The <em>Alien Archive 4</em> Authors are: Kate Baker, Tineke Bolleman, James Case, Jessica Catalan, JN Childs, Ed Chuck, John Compton, John Curtin, Adam Daigle, Katina Davis, Crystal Frasier, Leo Glass, Basheer Ghouse, Amanda Hamon, Sasha Laranoa Harving, Thurston Hillman, Joan Hong, Jenny Jarzabski, Jason Keeley, Mike Kimmel, Avi Kool, Chris Lambertz, Luis Loza, Ron Lundeen, Carmen Marin, Hilary Moon Murphy, Adrian Ng, Emily Parks, Joe Pasini, Lu Pellazar, Samantha Phelan, Jessica Redekop, James Rodehaver, Simone D. Sallé, Chris S. Sims, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Viditya Voleti.</p>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<p>
Next week is a two-for-one alien encounter as we look at the entu colony and entu symbiote—both are playable!
</p>
<p>Adventures Ahead!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Aaron Shanks<br />
<em>Marketing and Media Manager</em></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Alien Archive, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p><article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Aliens Among Us–Alien Archive 4 Unveiled, Part 2</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Friday, December 18, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/AlienArchive4_Preview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/AlienArchive4_Preview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">Today we continue a series sampling the <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq026jv?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em></a>!</p>
<p>If you are new to Starfinder, the Alien Archives hold a trove of tools for players and GMs alike. </p>
<p>For players “AA4” holds a dozen races with full rules, letting you play everything from a fungus-uplifted animal to a humanoid made of magical coral. Last week we looked at the astriapi. We showcase at the copaxi below.</p>
<p>For GMs there are nearly 100 uncanny life-forms both classic and new, from the batlike grioth and horrifying brain collector to the vengeful endling and dreaded plasmalisk. Grafts were established in the Appendix 1: CREATING MONSTERS AND OTHER NPCS in the first <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a>. They were further developed or expanded upon the subsequent <a href="https://paizo.com/store/starfinder/rulebooks">Alien Archive</a> volumes. </p>
<p>Now, <A href="https://paizo.com/products/btq026jv?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4"><em>Alien Archive 4</em></a> adds species grafts—new rules for grafting the strange physical traits of other species onto your own character, creating a staggering array of customization options!</p>
<blockquote>
<p>SPECIES GRAFTS</p>
<p>This section introduces a new type of augmentation known as a species graft, giving you the ability to partially transcend your species by taking on the racial traits of other species. Species grafts follow the rules for augmentations (<a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ssr?Starfinder-Core-Rulebook"><em>Starfinder Core Rulebook</em></a> 208), in that they are installed in specific systems on your body. Once installed, they become a part of your body and generally can’t be affected by abilities that destroy or disable objects. Most of these augmentations are installed into the more common systems.</p>
<p>Species grafts can be cybernetics, biotech, magitech, nanite enhancements, or any other form of augmentation. A specific species graft might describe its form, but that is merely an example. Your GM might decide what a species graft looks like when you purchase one or you might determine its specifics when you craft it. This doesn’t affect how a species graft functions—only its appearance.</p>
<p>The benefits of a species graft don’t stack with the benefits granted by a racial trait of the same name. For example, a vesk character can’t benefit from the armor savant graft.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Read more about the new rules, how they are different from other augmentations, and see the list of over 20 species grafts in your copy of Alien Archive 4. Here are a couple of samples to entire you! </p>
<blockquote>
<p>CHEEK POUCHES GRAFT — SYSTEM Throat<br />
PRICE 3,900 — LEVEL 6</p>
<p>Ysoki’s cheeks are remarkably stretchy, and they use this to their advantage. Durable skin implanted in your own cheeks affords you the same benefit. You can store up to 1 cubic foot of items weighing up to 1 bulk in total in your new cheek pouches, and you can transfer a single object between hand and cheek as a swift action. You can disgorge the entire contents of your pouches onto the ground in your square as a move action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.</p>
<p>LASHUNTA MAGIC GRAFT — SYSTEM All Hands<br />
PRICE 3,200 — Level 5</p>
<p>Most lashuntas have the ability to cast minor spells, even if they haven’t formally studied spellcasting. With tiny attuned crystals or magically aligned plates in your palms, you can cast daze and psychokinetic hand at will and detect thoughts once per day as spell-like abilities. The caster level for these effects is equal to your level.</p>
</blockquote>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<h3>Copaxi</h3>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/4f9c0fae-e996-4c11-a111-ae56c154bd61/121720_Copaxi.png"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/4f9c0fae-e996-4c11-a111-ae56c154bd61/121720_Copaxi.png" width=80% hspace="5" alt=" coral-like organism that once covered their home world—the now heavily industrialized planet Tabrid Minor"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<blockquote>
<p>Copaxis evolved from copi, an unintelligent, coral-like organism that once covered their home world—the now heavily industrialized planet Tabrid Minor. Copi exhibit a supernatural attunement to the universe’s gravitational forces, and for ages, copaxis harnessed this organism’s power to create floating cities where they lived for centuries in a near-utopia.</p>
<p>The Signal changed copaxi society forever in 3 AG when copaxi inventors discovered how to refine copi into a semi-organic alloy suitable for constructing starships. Conflicting ideologies arose between traditionalists who clung to their people’s ancient mysticism and technological innovators who wished to explore the stars. These differences led to violence and, eventually, all-out war. The ensuing struggles toppled the established order, nearly destroyed copaxi mystical traditions, and led copaxis to abandon their flying cities in pursuit of industrialization. The newly united copaxis decimated the planet’s copi, simultaneously fueling a technological revolution while also severing their connection to the copi’s supernatural power.</p>
<p>Thanks to their world-spanning government’s fearful suppression of its past for decades, modern copaxis have only recently begun uncovering their planet’s history. Most admit that Tabrid Minor has suffered as a result of rapid industrialization, but few know the extent of the damage or comprehend their ancestors’ sacrificed connection to copi. Fewer still know the history of robotic life on the planet, for the government strictly monitors such technology and has instilled a superstitious fear of anything resembling a sentient machine in the populace. After Tabrid Minor began petitioning the Pact Worlds for protectorate status several years ago, the planet’s government increased its crackdown on historical introspection, fearing the world’s fraught past might undermine its chances of being accepted.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Read more about the cotopaxi in Alien Archive 4, including these racial traits:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Natural Communicator</b>: A copaxi quickly adopts new forms of communication. Each time a copaxi gains a rank in Culture, they learn two languages rather than one language.</p>
<p><b>Regenerative Evolution</b>: A copaxi gradually reshapes their body and neural networks to overcome new challenges. Each time a copaxi gains a level, they can retrain all the choices of one previous character level, as though they had used a mnemonic editor (<a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ssr?Starfinder-Core-Rulebook"><em>Core Rulebook</em></a> 226). They must have qualified for any new selections at the retrained level.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The <em>Alien Archive 4</em> Authors are: Kate Baker, Tineke Bolleman, James Case, Jessica Catalan, JN Childs, Ed Chuck, John Compton, John Curtin, Adam Daigle, Katina Davis, Crystal Frasier, Leo Glass, Basheer Ghouse, Amanda Hamon, Sasha Laranoa Harving, Thurston Hillman, Joan Hong, Jenny Jarzabski, Jason Keeley, Mike Kimmel, Avi Kool, Chris Lambertz, Luis Loza, Ron Lundeen, Carmen Marin, Hilary Moon Murphy, Adrian Ng, Emily Parks, Joe Pasini, Lu Pellazar, Samantha Phelan, Jessica Redekop, James Rodehaver, Simone D. Sallé, Chris S. Sims, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Viditya Voleti.</p>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<p>
Next week is a two-for-one alien encounter as we look at the entu colony and entu symbiote—both are playable!
</p>
<p>Adventures Ahead!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Aaron Shanks<br />
<em>Marketing and Media Manager</em></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Alien Archive, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p>2020-12-18T19:30:00ZAlien Archive 4: Aliens Among Us, Part 1https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6shi0?Alien-Archive-4-Aliens-Among-Us-Part-12020-12-11T19:00:00Z<article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Alien Archive 4: Aliens Among Us, Part 1</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Friday, December 11, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/AlienArchive4_Preview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/AlienArchive4_Preview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">Today we start a series sampling the <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq026jv?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4">Starfinder Alien Archive 4</a>!</p>
<p>If you are new to Starfinder, one of the wonderful things about the Alien Archives line is that they not only provide a host of new friends and foes for GMs, they also include playable races, new spells, weapons, companions, and rules for players. They are books in which your whole group can find value.</p>
<p>I love to let our author’s work speak for itself to give you that browsing-through-the-gamestore feeling. So I’ve simply pulled a few excerpts directly from the hardcover to showcase how the twelve new playable races, new alien technology, and nearly 100 uncanny life-forms offer innovative options for players and GMs alike.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/204cca2d-87ff-4750-871b-f757f1570c81/121120_AA4TOC2.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/204cca2d-87ff-4750-871b-f757f1570c81/121120_AA4TOC2.jpg" width=40% hspace="5" alt="TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW 4 Agathion 6 Animated Quartz Swarm 8 Arabuk 10 Astriapi 12 Atlapak 14 Brain Collector 16 Carrion Wheel 18 Cloud Ray 20 Copaxi 22 Daemon 24 Dawn Beetle 26 Deadfall Stalker 28 Elemental 30 Endling 32 Entu Colony 34 Epokasite 36 Gray Goo 38 Grioth 40 Hadrogaan 42 Harpy Jasmine 44 Huitz'plina 46 Hulsa 48 Ignurso 50 Itmi Vruh 52 Ixtangi 54 Jububnan 56 Kaion 58 Khulan 60 Kiirinta 62 Klikharp 64 Lacunal Collector 66 Lumocantha 68 Many-Miened One 70 Mordagast 72 Mummy, Silicon 74 Murzzilat 76 Osifern 78 Planashar 80 Plasmalisk 82 Polyphonic Gel 84 Protean 86 Psacynoid 88 Psychopomp 90 Quyu 92 Radiation Drake 94 Rageshkor 96 Ravenous Drake 98 Robot Dragon 100 Robot, Infiltration 102 Sapient Purple Orb 104 The Seen 106 Shipkiller Bulb 108 Skarak 110 Sombrian 112 Spectra 114 Starmetal Eater 116 Stormghost 118 Supenga 120 Swamp Strider 122 Thermatrod 124 Tryziarka 126 Ursikka 128 Utesra 130 Vasporan 132 Voraija 134 Warpstitcher 136 Worlanisi 138 SPECIES GRAFTS 140 APPENDIXES 148 Appendix 1: Creature Subtype Grafts 148 Appendix 2: Class Grafts 149 Appendix 3: Template Grafts 151 Appendix 4: Universal Creature Rules 152 Appendix 5: Creatures by CR 157 Appendix 6: Creatures by Type 157 Appendix 7: Rules Options 158 Appendix 8: Playable Races 15"></a>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f6048202-ed0e-45ff-87ee-09f53cf8a12e/121120_AA4TOC1.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f6048202-ed0e-45ff-87ee-09f53cf8a12e/121120_AA4TOC1.jpg" width=40% hspace="5" alt="TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW 4 Agathion 6 Animated Quartz Swarm 8 Arabuk 10 Astriapi 12 Atlapak 14 Brain Collector 16 Carrion Wheel 18 Cloud Ray 20 Copaxi 22 Daemon 24 Dawn Beetle 26 Deadfall Stalker 28 Elemental 30 Endling 32 Entu Colony 34 Epokasite 36 Gray Goo 38 Grioth 40 Hadrogaan 42 Harpy Jasmine 44 Huitz'plina 46 Hulsa 48 Ignurso 50 Itmi Vruh 52 Ixtangi 54 Jububnan 56 Kaion 58 Khulan 60 Kiirinta 62 Klikharp 64 Lacunal Collector 66 Lumocantha 68 Many-Miened One 70 Mordagast 72 Mummy, Silicon 74 Murzzilat 76 Osifern 78 Planashar 80 Plasmalisk 82 Polyphonic Gel 84 Protean 86 Psacynoid 88 Psychopomp 90 Quyu 92 Radiation Drake 94 Rageshkor 96 Ravenous Drake 98 Robot Dragon 100 Robot, Infiltration 102 Sapient Purple Orb 104 The Seen 106 Shipkiller Bulb 108 Skarak 110 Sombrian 112 Spectra 114 Starmetal Eater 116 Stormghost 118 Supenga 120 Swamp Strider 122 Thermatrod 124 Tryziarka 126 Ursikka 128 Utesra 130 Vasporan 132 Voraija 134 Warpstitcher 136 Worlanisi 138 SPECIES GRAFTS 140 APPENDIXES 148 Appendix 1: Creature Subtype Grafts 148 Appendix 2: Class Grafts 149 Appendix 3: Template Grafts 151 Appendix 4: Universal Creature Rules 152 Appendix 5: Creatures by CR 157 Appendix 6: Creatures by Type 157 Appendix 7: Rules Options 158 Appendix 8: Playable Races 15"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<h3>Overview</h3>
<p>You are not alone in the universe. In the Starfinder Roleplaying Game, strange new creatures and cultures await your party of adventurers on every new planet and space station. Whether you’re on a routine trading mission in the most familiar sectors of the Pact Worlds or exploring never-before-contacted planets in the mysterious reaches of the Vast, Starfinder is a game about aliens—playing them, fighting them, and everything in between.</p>
<p><em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em> presents a sampling of such aliens, designed both for Game Masters to use in crafting challenging encounters and adventures and for players to use in creating and customizing their characters. It’s also a font of setting information and cultural details on the melting pot of different worlds that comprise Starfinder’s home galaxy. To fully use the creatures in this codex, you’ll need a copy of the <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ssr?Starfinder-Core-Rulebook"><em>Starfinder Core Rulebook</em></a>, and the <A href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a> contains the details for how to create your own alien foes and other NPCs. In this book, Appendix 1: Creature Subtype Grafts, Appendix 2: Class Grafts, and Appendix 3: Template Grafts give creature creators tools for constructing some of the aliens newly presented here. You can also find Starfinder rules online for free at <a href="http://paizo.com/sfrd"><b>paizo.com/sfrd</b></a>.</p>
<p>This book is only a small sampling of the myriad creatures found in the Starfinder campaign setting. For more, see <a href="https://paizo.com/store/starfinder/adventures/adventurePath">Starfinder Adventure Path</a> volumes, <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9zkn?Starfinder-Pact-Worlds"><em>Starfinder Pact Worlds</em></a>, and previous <a href="https://paizo.com/store/starfinder/rulebooks">Alien Archive</a> volumes.</p>
<p><em>Alien Archive 4</em> also includes species grafts: a new type of augmentation that lets members of any species diversify their forms as they wish, gaining new abilities as they do!</p>
<p>But <em>Alien Archive 4</em> doesn’t stop at creatures—this book also presents a ton of alien gear sprinkled throughout the creature entries, such as armor, magic and technological items, weapons, and more, that’s perfect for rewarding or customizing player characters.</p>
<p>There’s a whole galaxy out there, full of creatures to fight or befriend. Are you ready?</p>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<h3>Playable race: Astriapi</h3>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/a543f5ae-a67c-44b2-9f09-b697c932b6f5/121120_AA4Astrapi.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/a543f5ae-a67c-44b2-9f09-b697c932b6f5/121120_AA4Astrapi.jpg" width=80% hspace="5" alt="Starfinder playable race, Strapi. Bipedal arthropods with chitinous exoskeletons, membranous insectile wings, and large powerful mandibles. Their pigmentation runs the gamut from dark blues through bold yellows, and some astriapis selectively carve their exoskeletons to create individualistic patterns"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<blockquote><p>Astriapis are bipedal arthropods with chitinous exoskeletons, membranous insectile wings, and large powerful mandibles. Their pigmentation runs the gamut from dark blues through bold yellows, and some astriapis selectively carve their exoskeletons to create individualistic patterns. They can also naturally produce a restorative honey. On average, astriapis stand around 6 feet tall and weigh between 120 and 150 pounds.</p>
<p>When astriapis awoke from the Gap, they found themselves as the sole sapient inhabitants of an immense megalopolis that covered the entire landmass of the Near Space planet Colveare. Through impressive feats of magical and engineering prowess, the planet’s natural resources and native species had been preserved, with every part of the planet’s ecosystem carefully integrated into the urban sprawl. Astriapi society as a whole immediately dedicated itself to studying the city-planet’s workings to maintain the integrity of the system they found themselves a part of, surviving the struggles of post-Gap adjustments through a natural inclination to regimentation and cooperative obedience.</p></blockquote>
<p>There is still a lot more to learn about the astriapis in the <em>Alien Archive 4</em>, including a unique racial trait, Honey Production! Ok, I’ll give you taste now.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Honey Production</b>: Once per day, an astriapi can spend 10 minutes to produce a vial of magical honey. This honey functions as a mk 1 serum of healing. At 5th level (or CR 5), the honey functions as a mk 2 serum of healing, and at 9th level (or CR 9), it functions as a mk 3 serum of healing. Regardless of its level, the honey can’t be sold, and its magical properties expire after 24 hours, when it turns into mundane foodstuff.</p></blockquote>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<p>The <em>Alien Archive 4</em> Development Lead was Joe Pasini. Development was by John Compton with Additional Development by Thurston Hillman, Jason Keeley, and Jason Tondro.</p>
<p>Next week we will explore species grafts and another playable race!</p>
<p>Adventures Ahead!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Aaron Shanks<br />
<em>Marketing and Media Manager</em></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Alien Archive, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p><article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Alien Archive 4: Aliens Among Us, Part 1</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Friday, December 11, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurb180" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/AlienArchive4_Preview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/AlienArchive4_Preview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">Today we start a series sampling the <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq026jv?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4">Starfinder Alien Archive 4</a>!</p>
<p>If you are new to Starfinder, one of the wonderful things about the Alien Archives line is that they not only provide a host of new friends and foes for GMs, they also include playable races, new spells, weapons, companions, and rules for players. They are books in which your whole group can find value.</p>
<p>I love to let our author’s work speak for itself to give you that browsing-through-the-gamestore feeling. So I’ve simply pulled a few excerpts directly from the hardcover to showcase how the twelve new playable races, new alien technology, and nearly 100 uncanny life-forms offer innovative options for players and GMs alike.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/204cca2d-87ff-4750-871b-f757f1570c81/121120_AA4TOC2.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/204cca2d-87ff-4750-871b-f757f1570c81/121120_AA4TOC2.jpg" width=40% hspace="5" alt="TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW 4 Agathion 6 Animated Quartz Swarm 8 Arabuk 10 Astriapi 12 Atlapak 14 Brain Collector 16 Carrion Wheel 18 Cloud Ray 20 Copaxi 22 Daemon 24 Dawn Beetle 26 Deadfall Stalker 28 Elemental 30 Endling 32 Entu Colony 34 Epokasite 36 Gray Goo 38 Grioth 40 Hadrogaan 42 Harpy Jasmine 44 Huitz'plina 46 Hulsa 48 Ignurso 50 Itmi Vruh 52 Ixtangi 54 Jububnan 56 Kaion 58 Khulan 60 Kiirinta 62 Klikharp 64 Lacunal Collector 66 Lumocantha 68 Many-Miened One 70 Mordagast 72 Mummy, Silicon 74 Murzzilat 76 Osifern 78 Planashar 80 Plasmalisk 82 Polyphonic Gel 84 Protean 86 Psacynoid 88 Psychopomp 90 Quyu 92 Radiation Drake 94 Rageshkor 96 Ravenous Drake 98 Robot Dragon 100 Robot, Infiltration 102 Sapient Purple Orb 104 The Seen 106 Shipkiller Bulb 108 Skarak 110 Sombrian 112 Spectra 114 Starmetal Eater 116 Stormghost 118 Supenga 120 Swamp Strider 122 Thermatrod 124 Tryziarka 126 Ursikka 128 Utesra 130 Vasporan 132 Voraija 134 Warpstitcher 136 Worlanisi 138 SPECIES GRAFTS 140 APPENDIXES 148 Appendix 1: Creature Subtype Grafts 148 Appendix 2: Class Grafts 149 Appendix 3: Template Grafts 151 Appendix 4: Universal Creature Rules 152 Appendix 5: Creatures by CR 157 Appendix 6: Creatures by Type 157 Appendix 7: Rules Options 158 Appendix 8: Playable Races 15"></a>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f6048202-ed0e-45ff-87ee-09f53cf8a12e/121120_AA4TOC1.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/f6048202-ed0e-45ff-87ee-09f53cf8a12e/121120_AA4TOC1.jpg" width=40% hspace="5" alt="TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW 4 Agathion 6 Animated Quartz Swarm 8 Arabuk 10 Astriapi 12 Atlapak 14 Brain Collector 16 Carrion Wheel 18 Cloud Ray 20 Copaxi 22 Daemon 24 Dawn Beetle 26 Deadfall Stalker 28 Elemental 30 Endling 32 Entu Colony 34 Epokasite 36 Gray Goo 38 Grioth 40 Hadrogaan 42 Harpy Jasmine 44 Huitz'plina 46 Hulsa 48 Ignurso 50 Itmi Vruh 52 Ixtangi 54 Jububnan 56 Kaion 58 Khulan 60 Kiirinta 62 Klikharp 64 Lacunal Collector 66 Lumocantha 68 Many-Miened One 70 Mordagast 72 Mummy, Silicon 74 Murzzilat 76 Osifern 78 Planashar 80 Plasmalisk 82 Polyphonic Gel 84 Protean 86 Psacynoid 88 Psychopomp 90 Quyu 92 Radiation Drake 94 Rageshkor 96 Ravenous Drake 98 Robot Dragon 100 Robot, Infiltration 102 Sapient Purple Orb 104 The Seen 106 Shipkiller Bulb 108 Skarak 110 Sombrian 112 Spectra 114 Starmetal Eater 116 Stormghost 118 Supenga 120 Swamp Strider 122 Thermatrod 124 Tryziarka 126 Ursikka 128 Utesra 130 Vasporan 132 Voraija 134 Warpstitcher 136 Worlanisi 138 SPECIES GRAFTS 140 APPENDIXES 148 Appendix 1: Creature Subtype Grafts 148 Appendix 2: Class Grafts 149 Appendix 3: Template Grafts 151 Appendix 4: Universal Creature Rules 152 Appendix 5: Creatures by CR 157 Appendix 6: Creatures by Type 157 Appendix 7: Rules Options 158 Appendix 8: Playable Races 15"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<h3>Overview</h3>
<p>You are not alone in the universe. In the Starfinder Roleplaying Game, strange new creatures and cultures await your party of adventurers on every new planet and space station. Whether you’re on a routine trading mission in the most familiar sectors of the Pact Worlds or exploring never-before-contacted planets in the mysterious reaches of the Vast, Starfinder is a game about aliens—playing them, fighting them, and everything in between.</p>
<p><em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em> presents a sampling of such aliens, designed both for Game Masters to use in crafting challenging encounters and adventures and for players to use in creating and customizing their characters. It’s also a font of setting information and cultural details on the melting pot of different worlds that comprise Starfinder’s home galaxy. To fully use the creatures in this codex, you’ll need a copy of the <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ssr?Starfinder-Core-Rulebook"><em>Starfinder Core Rulebook</em></a>, and the <A href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a> contains the details for how to create your own alien foes and other NPCs. In this book, Appendix 1: Creature Subtype Grafts, Appendix 2: Class Grafts, and Appendix 3: Template Grafts give creature creators tools for constructing some of the aliens newly presented here. You can also find Starfinder rules online for free at <a href="http://paizo.com/sfrd"><b>paizo.com/sfrd</b></a>.</p>
<p>This book is only a small sampling of the myriad creatures found in the Starfinder campaign setting. For more, see <a href="https://paizo.com/store/starfinder/adventures/adventurePath">Starfinder Adventure Path</a> volumes, <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9zkn?Starfinder-Pact-Worlds"><em>Starfinder Pact Worlds</em></a>, and previous <a href="https://paizo.com/store/starfinder/rulebooks">Alien Archive</a> volumes.</p>
<p><em>Alien Archive 4</em> also includes species grafts: a new type of augmentation that lets members of any species diversify their forms as they wish, gaining new abilities as they do!</p>
<p>But <em>Alien Archive 4</em> doesn’t stop at creatures—this book also presents a ton of alien gear sprinkled throughout the creature entries, such as armor, magic and technological items, weapons, and more, that’s perfect for rewarding or customizing player characters.</p>
<p>There’s a whole galaxy out there, full of creatures to fight or befriend. Are you ready?</p>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<h3>Playable race: Astriapi</h3>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/a543f5ae-a67c-44b2-9f09-b697c932b6f5/121120_AA4Astrapi.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.paizo.com/a7d62ac8-7f03-00ef-f1f0-83fb8bf332e2/a543f5ae-a67c-44b2-9f09-b697c932b6f5/121120_AA4Astrapi.jpg" width=80% hspace="5" alt="Starfinder playable race, Strapi. Bipedal arthropods with chitinous exoskeletons, membranous insectile wings, and large powerful mandibles. Their pigmentation runs the gamut from dark blues through bold yellows, and some astriapis selectively carve their exoskeletons to create individualistic patterns"></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<blockquote><p>Astriapis are bipedal arthropods with chitinous exoskeletons, membranous insectile wings, and large powerful mandibles. Their pigmentation runs the gamut from dark blues through bold yellows, and some astriapis selectively carve their exoskeletons to create individualistic patterns. They can also naturally produce a restorative honey. On average, astriapis stand around 6 feet tall and weigh between 120 and 150 pounds.</p>
<p>When astriapis awoke from the Gap, they found themselves as the sole sapient inhabitants of an immense megalopolis that covered the entire landmass of the Near Space planet Colveare. Through impressive feats of magical and engineering prowess, the planet’s natural resources and native species had been preserved, with every part of the planet’s ecosystem carefully integrated into the urban sprawl. Astriapi society as a whole immediately dedicated itself to studying the city-planet’s workings to maintain the integrity of the system they found themselves a part of, surviving the struggles of post-Gap adjustments through a natural inclination to regimentation and cooperative obedience.</p></blockquote>
<p>There is still a lot more to learn about the astriapis in the <em>Alien Archive 4</em>, including a unique racial trait, Honey Production! Ok, I’ll give you taste now.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Honey Production</b>: Once per day, an astriapi can spend 10 minutes to produce a vial of magical honey. This honey functions as a mk 1 serum of healing. At 5th level (or CR 5), the honey functions as a mk 2 serum of healing, and at 9th level (or CR 9), it functions as a mk 3 serum of healing. Regardless of its level, the honey can’t be sold, and its magical properties expire after 24 hours, when it turns into mundane foodstuff.</p></blockquote>
<center><hr width="50%"></center>
<p>The <em>Alien Archive 4</em> Development Lead was Joe Pasini. Development was by John Compton with Additional Development by Thurston Hillman, Jason Keeley, and Jason Tondro.</p>
<p>Next week we will explore species grafts and another playable race!</p>
<p>Adventures Ahead!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Aaron Shanks<br />
<em>Marketing and Media Manager</em></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Alien Archive, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p>2020-12-11T19:00:00ZNew Starfinder Playtest For 2020https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sh9f?New-Starfinder-Playtest-For-20202020-06-17T07:30:00Z<article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">New Starfinder Playtest For 2020</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Wednesday, June 17, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurbCenter" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/061720_SFPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/061720_SFPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">At its core, Starfinder is a game about exploration and possibilities. Whether you’re excited to uncover new expressions of heroism through new character options in the <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq0206c?Starfinder-Character-Operations-Manual"><em>Character Operations Manual</em></a>, explore the Pact Worlds’ closest neighbors in <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq022c7?Starfinder-Near-Space"><em>Near Space</em></a>, dramatically expand what’s possible in spaceflight with the upcoming <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023hm?Starfinder-Starship-Operations-Manual"><em>Starship Operations Manual</em></a>, meet extraordinary lifeforms in <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023dt?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4"><em>Alien Archive 4</em></a>, or just blast into uncharted space with the <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sh8r?Starfinder-at-PaizoCon-Online"><em>Galaxy Exploration Manual</em></a>, the past year and upcoming 12 months’ hardcover books keep bringing new reasons for excitement!</p>
<p>So forgive my Zo!-like theatrics in saying: “But wait, there’s more!” </p>
<p>That’s right! Why pine longingly for amazing 2021 content when you could playtest it this summer? Beginning in <b>July 2020</b>, Paizo is launching not one—but two—different Starfinder playtests, opening up new possibilities for your gaming experience and inviting you to become part of the creative process! Final versions of both playtests’ contents will appear in an upcoming, yet-to-be-announced book.</p>
<h3>A New Class!</h3>
<p>As a guiding philosophy when designing new classes, the Starfinder team is always pushing to expand innovative ideas and territory: the biohacker brings a new spin to the scientist trope, the vanguard weaponizes the multiverse’s fundamental energies to redirect damaging forces, and witchwarper takes a fresh approach to magic, superimposing alternate realities to create supernatural effects. Naturally, an additional class we’d make would want to meet or exceed those standards for conceptual novelty, visual wow-factor, and fun at the game table. It’s a high bar!</p>
<p>Enter the nanocyte.</p>
<p>The nanocyte’s body houses nanites in untold numbers, granting them impossible strength, transforming into tools, and coursing between obstacles to overwhelm their foes. The same nanites can reshape the nanocyte’s body to avoid harm as easily as they reconfigure features to conceal their presence or mask a lie, making the nanocyte an adept combatant and infiltrator able to manifest weaponry at a moment’s notice. Whether their powers stem from excruciating experiments, accidental infection, or voluntary symbiosis, the nanocyte’s nanites grow stronger by the day as the character evolves into a being more machine than mortal.</p>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/061720_SFBlog.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="max-width:40%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/061720_SFBlog.jpg" align="right" alt="Ysoki, humanoid rat, leaning against mech"/></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p>
<h3>A New Way to Play!</h3>
<p>Starfinder allows for so many stories and ways to play: infiltrating an embassy ball, trading shots across a shell-cratered battlefield, racing after villains in futuristic vehicles, soaring through space in elegant starships, and more! But since Starfinder’s debut in August 2017, the fans have echoed the same question: Where are the mechs? Sure, Starfinder provides powered armor that enhances a user’s natural abilities, and there are even a few larger powered armor suits that give that tower-over-the-opposition feel. Yet the game so far lacks the ability to pilot that giant robot, that titanic vehicle whose power far exceeds that of its pilot.</p>
<p>Not anymore! In July Starfinder will publicly playtest new mech rules, allowing PCs to jump into single-seat mechs or team up with friends in even larger behemoths to stomp, fly, and jump-jet around the battlefield! Mech combat is designed to use most of the familiar tactical rules and 5-foot squares you already use in your games, making mechs a feature you can as easily drop into a single encounter as you can build entire campaigns around them. And as you would expect, mechs represent a significant power boost, allowing PCs to take on far greater challenges than they might on their own—just what you’d expect from a system that lets you customize your mechs’ frames, limbs, armaments, power cores, and more!</p>
<p>Get excited and follow along for more updates! The action begins this July!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px;">John Compton<br /><em style="font-size: 13px;">Starfinder Senior Developer</em></p>
<br clear="all"/>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Character Operations Manual, Near Space, Starship Operations Manual, Alien Archive, Galaxy Explorations Manual, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/characterOperationsManual">Character Operations Manual</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/nearSpace">Near Space</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p><article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">New Starfinder Playtest For 2020</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Wednesday, June 17, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurbCenter" style="display:none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/061720_SFPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/061720_SFPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p itemprop="description">At its core, Starfinder is a game about exploration and possibilities. Whether you’re excited to uncover new expressions of heroism through new character options in the <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq0206c?Starfinder-Character-Operations-Manual"><em>Character Operations Manual</em></a>, explore the Pact Worlds’ closest neighbors in <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq022c7?Starfinder-Near-Space"><em>Near Space</em></a>, dramatically expand what’s possible in spaceflight with the upcoming <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023hm?Starfinder-Starship-Operations-Manual"><em>Starship Operations Manual</em></a>, meet extraordinary lifeforms in <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btq023dt?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-4"><em>Alien Archive 4</em></a>, or just blast into uncharted space with the <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sh8r?Starfinder-at-PaizoCon-Online"><em>Galaxy Exploration Manual</em></a>, the past year and upcoming 12 months’ hardcover books keep bringing new reasons for excitement!</p>
<p>So forgive my Zo!-like theatrics in saying: “But wait, there’s more!” </p>
<p>That’s right! Why pine longingly for amazing 2021 content when you could playtest it this summer? Beginning in <b>July 2020</b>, Paizo is launching not one—but two—different Starfinder playtests, opening up new possibilities for your gaming experience and inviting you to become part of the creative process! Final versions of both playtests’ contents will appear in an upcoming, yet-to-be-announced book.</p>
<h3>A New Class!</h3>
<p>As a guiding philosophy when designing new classes, the Starfinder team is always pushing to expand innovative ideas and territory: the biohacker brings a new spin to the scientist trope, the vanguard weaponizes the multiverse’s fundamental energies to redirect damaging forces, and witchwarper takes a fresh approach to magic, superimposing alternate realities to create supernatural effects. Naturally, an additional class we’d make would want to meet or exceed those standards for conceptual novelty, visual wow-factor, and fun at the game table. It’s a high bar!</p>
<p>Enter the nanocyte.</p>
<p>The nanocyte’s body houses nanites in untold numbers, granting them impossible strength, transforming into tools, and coursing between obstacles to overwhelm their foes. The same nanites can reshape the nanocyte’s body to avoid harm as easily as they reconfigure features to conceal their presence or mask a lie, making the nanocyte an adept combatant and infiltrator able to manifest weaponry at a moment’s notice. Whether their powers stem from excruciating experiments, accidental infection, or voluntary symbiosis, the nanocyte’s nanites grow stronger by the day as the character evolves into a being more machine than mortal.</p>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/061720_SFBlog.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="max-width:40%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/061720_SFBlog.jpg" align="right" alt="Ysoki, humanoid rat, leaning against mech"/></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p>
<h3>A New Way to Play!</h3>
<p>Starfinder allows for so many stories and ways to play: infiltrating an embassy ball, trading shots across a shell-cratered battlefield, racing after villains in futuristic vehicles, soaring through space in elegant starships, and more! But since Starfinder’s debut in August 2017, the fans have echoed the same question: Where are the mechs? Sure, Starfinder provides powered armor that enhances a user’s natural abilities, and there are even a few larger powered armor suits that give that tower-over-the-opposition feel. Yet the game so far lacks the ability to pilot that giant robot, that titanic vehicle whose power far exceeds that of its pilot.</p>
<p>Not anymore! In July Starfinder will publicly playtest new mech rules, allowing PCs to jump into single-seat mechs or team up with friends in even larger behemoths to stomp, fly, and jump-jet around the battlefield! Mech combat is designed to use most of the familiar tactical rules and 5-foot squares you already use in your games, making mechs a feature you can as easily drop into a single encounter as you can build entire campaigns around them. And as you would expect, mechs represent a significant power boost, allowing PCs to take on far greater challenges than they might on their own—just what you’d expect from a system that lets you customize your mechs’ frames, limbs, armaments, power cores, and more!</p>
<p>Get excited and follow along for more updates! The action begins this July!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px;">John Compton<br /><em style="font-size: 13px;">Starfinder Senior Developer</em></p>
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</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Character Operations Manual, Near Space, Starship Operations Manual, Alien Archive, Galaxy Explorations Manual, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/characterOperationsManual">Character Operations Manual</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/nearSpace">Near Space</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p>2020-06-17T07:30:00ZStarfinder at PaizoCon Onlinehttps://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sh8r?Starfinder-at-PaizoCon-Online2020-05-27T21:00:00Z<article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Starfinder at PaizoCon Online</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Wednesday, May 27, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurbCenter" style="display: none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_ColossalStarshipPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_ColossalStarshipPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/d960ad1b-9967-00f9-1158-72274b18312d/73fe7d73-2a6d-476d-b4fe-afe3f8bcfbba/sflogo.png"><img style="max-width:400" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/d960ad1b-9967-00f9-1158-72274b18312d/73fe7d73-2a6d-476d-b4fe-afe3f8bcfbba/sflogo.png" alt="Starfinder logo" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<p itemprop="description">Each day during PaizoCon Online, we’re taking a look at upcoming products, revealing new art and details, and diving deep into the day’s focus with a livestreamed Marquee Event panel and Q&A session. Today’s Marquee Event panel focused on the upcoming <em>Starfinder Starship Operations Manual</em> and other future Starfinder releases. This blog is a recap of some of the reveals covered in that session. Don’t forget to check out the <A href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sh85"> PaizoCon Online Stream Schedule</a> to stay on top of the latest Paizo news in real time!</p>
<p>Though convention season looks very different in 2020 than in years past, we’re still ecstatic to have the opportunity to spend PaizoCon Online with all of our fans, geeking out together (from a safe distance) over what lies in store for our favorite game of space fantasy. </p>
<br>
<h3><em>Starship Operations Manual</em></h3>
<p>This summer’s big Starfinder release is the <em>Starship Operations Manual</em>, a 160-page sourcebook for all things starship related, from custom upgrades and expansion modules, to advice on running starship-based campaigns, new starship monsters to challenge parties of all levels, to details on the galaxy’s most prominent manufacturers!</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PZO7114Cover.jpg"><img style="max-width:75%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PZO7114Cover.jpg" alt="Starship Operations Manual cover illustration by Remko Troost" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Cover illustration by Remko Troost</p></div>
<br>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship1.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship1.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Bryce Homick" /></a>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship2.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship2.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Michael Soong" /></a>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship3.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship3.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Michael Soong" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Left to right: starship illustrations by Bryce Homick and Michael Soong.</p></div>
<p>We would be remiss to make a book this size called the Starship Operations Manual and not include dozens of new starships ready to add to your campaign such as the trio shown here.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Colossal%20starship.jpg"><img style="max-width:75%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Colossal%20starship.jpg" alt="" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Illustration by Daniele Sorrentino</p></div>
<p><em>Starship Operations Manual</em> contains rules on building supercolossal starships, such as in this illustration by Daniele Sorrentino.</p>
<br>
<br>
<h3><em>Alien Archive 4</em></h3>
<p>Following in <em>Starship Operation Manual’s</em> engine wake comes the <em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em>. As with previous alien archives, this book presents scores of new friends, foes, and potential player character races with tons of lore and new rules options tied to each.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_StarfinderAlienArchive4.jpg"><img style="max-width:35%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_StarfinderAlienArchive4.jpg" alt="Alien Archive 4 cover illustration by Remko Troost" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Alien Archive 4 cover by Remko Troost</p></div>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien1.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien1.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Bryce Homick" /></a>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien2.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien2.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Michael Soong" /></a>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien3.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien3.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Michael Soong" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Left to right: alien illustrations by Tuan Duong, Victor Rossi, and Alexandre Honore.</p></div>
<p>Check out these aliens inhabiting the book from Tuan Duong Chu, Victor Rossi, and Alexandre Honore. Can you guess what they are?</p>
<br>
<br>
<h3><em>Devastation Ark Adventure Path</em></h3>
<p>We don’t just publish rules supplements, though! Starfinder is all about galaxy-spanning adventure, which we provide in the pages of the monthly <em>Starfinder Adventure Path</em>. In August, we’ll launch the first sequel AP in the line with the 3-chapter high-level Devastation Arc Adventure Path. This campaign begins at 13th level, making it the perfect sequel to nearly all of our previous APs, and characters should reach 20th level by the story’s conclusion! </p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_NEW-Devastation-Ark-Logo.jpg"><img style="max-width:50%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_NEW-Devastation-Ark-Logo.jpg" alt="The Devistation Ark Adventure Path Title Treatment" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<br>
<br>
<h3><em>Fly Free or Die Adventure Path</em></h3>
<p>In November, we’ll mix things up and return to our normal 6-chapter campaign format with the Fly Free or Die Adventure Path. In this exciting story, the player characters aren’t necessarily heroes—at least not intentionally. A crew of scoundrels, rogues, and misfits, they find it hard to survive in a galaxy where everyone has a price. Targeted by a crime boss and his army of enforcers, preyed upon by faceless mega-corporations, and hounded by rivals, the crew of the Free Trader <em>Oliphaunt</em> line up the big score that will at last make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. But when their many enemies join forces and the crew loses it all, they find out there are two things in the galaxy that can't be bought: freedom... and revenge.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Fly-Free-or-Die-Mock-Logo.jpg"><img style="max-width:50%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Fly-Free-or-Die-Mock-Logo.jpg" alt="Fly Free or Die Adventure Path Title Treatment" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<br>
<br>
<h3><em>Galaxy Exploration Manual</em></h3>
<p>Fans wondering what our next hardcover rules supplement will be need look no further, because we’re happy to announce the <em>Starfinder Galaxy Exploration Manual</em> for release in April of next year. This book will provide players and GMs alike with rules for hailing from or exploring the myriad worlds found in the Starfinder galaxy, covering a variety of biomes and planetary concepts, allowing for nearly endless possibility every time a starship drops out of the Drift into uncharted space. It’s still nearly a year out, so we don’t have a lot to show you now, but we’ll have a lot more on this book as its release approaches.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_GEMMockUpCover.jpg"><img style="max-width:40%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_GEMMockUpCover.jpg" alt="Galaxy Exploration Manual mockup cover" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<br>
<br>
<h3><em>Beyond the Galaxy</em></h3>
<p>That wraps up this infosphere transmission, but we’re on halfway through Wednesday here at PaizoCon Online! Be sure to check out the live-play Starfinder X.T.R.E.M.! stream this evening from 4-7 PM (Pacific Daylight Time) at <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/officialpaizo" target="_blank"><b>twitch.tv/officialpaizo</b></a>. You can find the full schedule of streamed events <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sh85" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>. Enjoy the rest of your PaizoCon Online, stay safe, and roll high!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px;">Mark Moreland<br /><em style="font-size: 13px;">Director of Brand Strategy</em></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Paizo Twitch, PaizoCon, PaizoCon Online, Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Adventure Path, Alien Archive, Devastation Arc, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/paizoTwitch">Paizo Twitch</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/conventions/paizocon">PaizoCon</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderAdventurePath">Starfinder Adventure Path</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p><article>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Starfinder at PaizoCon Online</h1>
<p class="date" style="margin-bottom:1rem !important;">Wednesday, May 27, 2020</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurbCenter" style="display: none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_ColossalStarshipPreview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_ColossalStarshipPreview_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/d960ad1b-9967-00f9-1158-72274b18312d/73fe7d73-2a6d-476d-b4fe-afe3f8bcfbba/sflogo.png"><img style="max-width:400" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/d960ad1b-9967-00f9-1158-72274b18312d/73fe7d73-2a6d-476d-b4fe-afe3f8bcfbba/sflogo.png" alt="Starfinder logo" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<p itemprop="description">Each day during PaizoCon Online, we’re taking a look at upcoming products, revealing new art and details, and diving deep into the day’s focus with a livestreamed Marquee Event panel and Q&A session. Today’s Marquee Event panel focused on the upcoming <em>Starfinder Starship Operations Manual</em> and other future Starfinder releases. This blog is a recap of some of the reveals covered in that session. Don’t forget to check out the <A href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sh85"> PaizoCon Online Stream Schedule</a> to stay on top of the latest Paizo news in real time!</p>
<p>Though convention season looks very different in 2020 than in years past, we’re still ecstatic to have the opportunity to spend PaizoCon Online with all of our fans, geeking out together (from a safe distance) over what lies in store for our favorite game of space fantasy. </p>
<br>
<h3><em>Starship Operations Manual</em></h3>
<p>This summer’s big Starfinder release is the <em>Starship Operations Manual</em>, a 160-page sourcebook for all things starship related, from custom upgrades and expansion modules, to advice on running starship-based campaigns, new starship monsters to challenge parties of all levels, to details on the galaxy’s most prominent manufacturers!</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PZO7114Cover.jpg"><img style="max-width:75%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PZO7114Cover.jpg" alt="Starship Operations Manual cover illustration by Remko Troost" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Cover illustration by Remko Troost</p></div>
<br>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship1.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship1.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Bryce Homick" /></a>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship2.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship2.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Michael Soong" /></a>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship3.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Ship3.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Michael Soong" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Left to right: starship illustrations by Bryce Homick and Michael Soong.</p></div>
<p>We would be remiss to make a book this size called the Starship Operations Manual and not include dozens of new starships ready to add to your campaign such as the trio shown here.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Colossal%20starship.jpg"><img style="max-width:75%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Colossal%20starship.jpg" alt="" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Illustration by Daniele Sorrentino</p></div>
<p><em>Starship Operations Manual</em> contains rules on building supercolossal starships, such as in this illustration by Daniele Sorrentino.</p>
<br>
<br>
<h3><em>Alien Archive 4</em></h3>
<p>Following in <em>Starship Operation Manual’s</em> engine wake comes the <em>Starfinder Alien Archive 4</em>. As with previous alien archives, this book presents scores of new friends, foes, and potential player character races with tons of lore and new rules options tied to each.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_StarfinderAlienArchive4.jpg"><img style="max-width:35%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_StarfinderAlienArchive4.jpg" alt="Alien Archive 4 cover illustration by Remko Troost" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Alien Archive 4 cover by Remko Troost</p></div>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien1.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien1.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Bryce Homick" /></a>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien2.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien2.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Michael Soong" /></a>
<a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien3.jpg"><img style="max-width:30%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_PreviewAlien3.jpg" alt="Starship illustrations by Michael Soong" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;">Left to right: alien illustrations by Tuan Duong, Victor Rossi, and Alexandre Honore.</p></div>
<p>Check out these aliens inhabiting the book from Tuan Duong Chu, Victor Rossi, and Alexandre Honore. Can you guess what they are?</p>
<br>
<br>
<h3><em>Devastation Ark Adventure Path</em></h3>
<p>We don’t just publish rules supplements, though! Starfinder is all about galaxy-spanning adventure, which we provide in the pages of the monthly <em>Starfinder Adventure Path</em>. In August, we’ll launch the first sequel AP in the line with the 3-chapter high-level Devastation Arc Adventure Path. This campaign begins at 13th level, making it the perfect sequel to nearly all of our previous APs, and characters should reach 20th level by the story’s conclusion! </p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_NEW-Devastation-Ark-Logo.jpg"><img style="max-width:50%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_NEW-Devastation-Ark-Logo.jpg" alt="The Devistation Ark Adventure Path Title Treatment" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<br>
<br>
<h3><em>Fly Free or Die Adventure Path</em></h3>
<p>In November, we’ll mix things up and return to our normal 6-chapter campaign format with the Fly Free or Die Adventure Path. In this exciting story, the player characters aren’t necessarily heroes—at least not intentionally. A crew of scoundrels, rogues, and misfits, they find it hard to survive in a galaxy where everyone has a price. Targeted by a crime boss and his army of enforcers, preyed upon by faceless mega-corporations, and hounded by rivals, the crew of the Free Trader <em>Oliphaunt</em> line up the big score that will at last make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. But when their many enemies join forces and the crew loses it all, they find out there are two things in the galaxy that can't be bought: freedom... and revenge.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Fly-Free-or-Die-Mock-Logo.jpg"><img style="max-width:50%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_Fly-Free-or-Die-Mock-Logo.jpg" alt="Fly Free or Die Adventure Path Title Treatment" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<br>
<br>
<h3><em>Galaxy Exploration Manual</em></h3>
<p>Fans wondering what our next hardcover rules supplement will be need look no further, because we’re happy to announce the <em>Starfinder Galaxy Exploration Manual</em> for release in April of next year. This book will provide players and GMs alike with rules for hailing from or exploring the myriad worlds found in the Starfinder galaxy, covering a variety of biomes and planetary concepts, allowing for nearly endless possibility every time a starship drops out of the Drift into uncharted space. It’s still nearly a year out, so we don’t have a lot to show you now, but we’ll have a lot more on this book as its release approaches.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_GEMMockUpCover.jpg"><img style="max-width:40%" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Blog/052720_GEMMockUpCover.jpg" alt="Galaxy Exploration Manual mockup cover" /></a><p style="font-size: 13px;"></p></div>
<br>
<br>
<h3><em>Beyond the Galaxy</em></h3>
<p>That wraps up this infosphere transmission, but we’re on halfway through Wednesday here at PaizoCon Online! Be sure to check out the live-play Starfinder X.T.R.E.M.! stream this evening from 4-7 PM (Pacific Daylight Time) at <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/officialpaizo" target="_blank"><b>twitch.tv/officialpaizo</b></a>. You can find the full schedule of streamed events <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sh85" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>. Enjoy the rest of your PaizoCon Online, stay safe, and roll high!</p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px;">Mark Moreland<br /><em style="font-size: 13px;">Director of Brand Strategy</em></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<!— tags: Paizo Twitch, PaizoCon, PaizoCon Online, Starfinder, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Adventure Path, Alien Archive, Devastation Arc, —>
</article>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/paizoTwitch">Paizo Twitch</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/conventions/paizocon">PaizoCon</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderAdventurePath">Starfinder Adventure Path</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderRoleplayingGame">Starfinder Roleplaying Game</a></p>2020-05-27T21:00:00ZI'm an Alien, You're an Alienhttps://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sgcd?Im-an-Alien-Youre-an-Alien2018-10-24T19:00:00Z<blockquote>
<br />
<h1 itemprop="headline">I'm an Alien, You're an Alien</h1>
<p class="date">Wednesday, October 24, 2018</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurbCenter" style="display: none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20180928-Preview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20180928-Preview_360.jpeg"></a></div>
<div class = "blurb360"><a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20181023-Rat.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20181023-Rat_360.jpeg"></a></div>
<p itemprop="description">While much of the fun in <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpya20r?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-2"><em>Alien Archive 2</em></a> for players is looking at new playable species, there's much more player-facing content than just aliens to make into new characters. Like the first <em>Alien Archive</em>, we wanted to help describe the strangeness of a science-fantasy universe with rules elements any character can pick up and use.</p>
<p>Unlike <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Alien Archive</em></a>, we made sure to create an index (Appendix 9: Rules Options) to list them all in one place for easy reference.</p>
<p>There are lots of items, including weapons (such as the phasic scythe), defensive items (such as the adaptive defense module), technological items (such as the plasma diverter), hybrid items (from the <i>mi-go brain cylinder</i> to the <i>Shotalashu saddle</i>), magic items (such as the <i>calecor skull-globe</i>), a surprising number of augmentations (six of them!) , and even a computer upgrade (the telepathic user interface).</p>
<p>Each of those is tied to a specific creature entry, in ways that help define that creature's place in the galaxy. For example, the glass serpent is a terrifying ambush predator that roams the blasted wastelands of Eox (though similar creatures have been found on dozens of planets, including many outside the Pact Worlds). The scales of a glass serpent can absorb and bend light, which the creature controls with its musculature to become invisible. While a glass serpent's skin isn't a continuous cloak of invisibility just because you remove and present it, it can be used as the basis for stealth technology, including the glass skin augmentation and lightwarp inlay armor upgrade (previewed below).</p>
<div class = "blurb360"><a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20181023-Armor.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20181023-Armor_360.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p class = "stat-block-title"><b>Lightwarp Inlay</b></p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Price:</b> 5,000 <b>Level:</b> 6</p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Capacity:</b> 10 <b>Usage: </b>1/round</p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Armor Slots:</b> 1 <b>Armor Type:</b> Any <p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Bulk:</b> L</p>
<p>This specialized coating of glass serpent scales shifts its collective angle in response to localized electrical fields created by a delicate circuitry inlay, allowing the bending of light around you. You can activate this inlay as a standard action to become temporarily invisible (as the <i>invisibility</i> spell, save that the process is purely technological rather than magical). This invisibility lasts until you deactivate it (which you can do as part of any other action) or the inlay runs out of charges. A lightwarp inlay's charges replenish each day.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>There are also two feats (Polymorph Adept and Squox Companion), which tie to specific new options, one of which is obviously an element of magic that so far Starfinder hasn't gone into—polymorphing.</p>
<p>A set of core rules present a flexible set of general guidelines for what happens when magic changes your form and then a set of variable level spells (<i>polymorph</i> and <i>baleful polymorph</i>, along with mass versions of each) give spellcasters access to those shapechanging powers. A number of forms are presented (from simple kalo form to more complex blue dragon and fire elemental forms) to allow polymorphing to be accessed quickly, but the rules are also presented to allow a player and GM to build forms for nearly any conceivable creature. After all it's a big galaxy out there, and there's no telling what weird things a character might want to change into!</p>
<p>Owen K.C. Stephens<br />
<i>Starfinder Design Lead</i></p>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Alien Archive —>
</blockquote><p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a></p><blockquote>
<br />
<h1 itemprop="headline">I'm an Alien, You're an Alien</h1>
<p class="date">Wednesday, October 24, 2018</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="blurbCenter" style="display: none;"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20180928-Preview.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20180928-Preview_360.jpeg"></a></div>
<div class = "blurb360"><a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20181023-Rat.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20181023-Rat_360.jpeg"></a></div>
<p itemprop="description">While much of the fun in <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpya20r?Starfinder-Alien-Archive-2"><em>Alien Archive 2</em></a> for players is looking at new playable species, there's much more player-facing content than just aliens to make into new characters. Like the first <em>Alien Archive</em>, we wanted to help describe the strangeness of a science-fantasy universe with rules elements any character can pick up and use.</p>
<p>Unlike <a href="https://paizo.com/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Alien Archive</em></a>, we made sure to create an index (Appendix 9: Rules Options) to list them all in one place for easy reference.</p>
<p>There are lots of items, including weapons (such as the phasic scythe), defensive items (such as the adaptive defense module), technological items (such as the plasma diverter), hybrid items (from the <i>mi-go brain cylinder</i> to the <i>Shotalashu saddle</i>), magic items (such as the <i>calecor skull-globe</i>), a surprising number of augmentations (six of them!) , and even a computer upgrade (the telepathic user interface).</p>
<p>Each of those is tied to a specific creature entry, in ways that help define that creature's place in the galaxy. For example, the glass serpent is a terrifying ambush predator that roams the blasted wastelands of Eox (though similar creatures have been found on dozens of planets, including many outside the Pact Worlds). The scales of a glass serpent can absorb and bend light, which the creature controls with its musculature to become invisible. While a glass serpent's skin isn't a continuous cloak of invisibility just because you remove and present it, it can be used as the basis for stealth technology, including the glass skin augmentation and lightwarp inlay armor upgrade (previewed below).</p>
<div class = "blurb360"><a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20181023-Armor.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/20181023-Armor_360.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<p class = "stat-block-title"><b>Lightwarp Inlay</b></p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Price:</b> 5,000 <b>Level:</b> 6</p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Capacity:</b> 10 <b>Usage: </b>1/round</p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Armor Slots:</b> 1 <b>Armor Type:</b> Any <p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Bulk:</b> L</p>
<p>This specialized coating of glass serpent scales shifts its collective angle in response to localized electrical fields created by a delicate circuitry inlay, allowing the bending of light around you. You can activate this inlay as a standard action to become temporarily invisible (as the <i>invisibility</i> spell, save that the process is purely technological rather than magical). This invisibility lasts until you deactivate it (which you can do as part of any other action) or the inlay runs out of charges. A lightwarp inlay's charges replenish each day.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>There are also two feats (Polymorph Adept and Squox Companion), which tie to specific new options, one of which is obviously an element of magic that so far Starfinder hasn't gone into—polymorphing.</p>
<p>A set of core rules present a flexible set of general guidelines for what happens when magic changes your form and then a set of variable level spells (<i>polymorph</i> and <i>baleful polymorph</i>, along with mass versions of each) give spellcasters access to those shapechanging powers. A number of forms are presented (from simple kalo form to more complex blue dragon and fire elemental forms) to allow polymorphing to be accessed quickly, but the rules are also presented to allow a player and GM to build forms for nearly any conceivable creature. After all it's a big galaxy out there, and there's no telling what weird things a character might want to change into!</p>
<p>Owen K.C. Stephens<br />
<i>Starfinder Design Lead</i></p>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Alien Archive —>
</blockquote><p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a></p>2018-10-24T19:00:00ZStarfinder Society Chronicle, Updates from the Organized Play Teamhttps://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo5lkb6?Starfinder-Society-Chronicle-Updates-from-the2017-12-07T20:00:00Z<blockquote>
<br />
<div class = "blurbCenter"><a href = "/starfindersociety"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Logos/StarfinderSociety_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Starfinder Society Chronicle, Updates from the Organized Play Team</h1>
<p class="date">Thursday, December 7, 2017</p>
<div itemprop = "articlebody">
<h2 class = "spaced-header-small">Mega-Regions</h2>
<p itemprop="description">Back in <a href = "/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lk7r?That-Cantina-Feel">mid-October</a>, Starfinder Society Developer Thurston Hillman gave a sneak peak into <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a> and the organized play team's plans to introduce more alien species as player character options. We put our heads together and developed the Mega-Region plan!</p>
<p>Over the past weeks, we worked on implementing our idea, writing boons, developing regions, and identifying upcoming conventions running Starfinder Society. The only thing left is to announce the regions to our community. Please note, the Mega-Region is only a unit of accounting. It doesn't change anything about how our organized play volunteers are structured or the Regional Support programs. The first iteration of this plan will start with conventions this weekend. Sometime in March or April, we will rotate the boons around, so that each region has new rewards for their GMs. Future rotations will occur on roughly a 3-month timeframe, so that each region will get all the boons over the course of a year.</p>
<h3>Mega-Regions Divisions</h3>
<ul><li>Mega-Region 1—Africa-East Eurasia (AEE) and Asia-Pacific</li>
<li> Mega-Region 2—Central Europe, Northwest, and Southeast</li>
<li>Mega-Region 3—Western Europe Middle East (WEME), Northeast, and Southwest</li>
<li>Mega-Region4—Midwest and Great Lakes</li></ul>
<p>But a list of regions is bland, without the races to accompany them. So without further ado, here's the news you need to start planning trips around the globe:</p>
<h3>Mega-Region Starting Boons</h3>
<ul><li>Mega-Region 1: Kalo & Verthani</li>
<li>Mega-Region 2: Draelik & Witchwyrd</li>
<li>Mega-Region 3: Maraquoi & Nuar</li>
<li>Mega-Region 4: Formian & Ikeshti</li></ul>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-KaloDeepspeaker.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-KaloDeepspeaker_120.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Formian.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Formian_180.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Witchwyrd.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Witchwyrd_180.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7202-Ferran.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7202-Ferran_180.jpeg"></a>
<p><i>Illustrations by David Franco Campos, Connor Sheehan, Matthias Kinnigkeit, and Pixoloid Studios</i></p></div>
<p>When deciding how to handle the regions, we were left with our newest region, Online, as a bit of an oddity, as it encompasses all the physical regions. After putting their heads together, Thurston and John came up with a solution. Instead of being part of the rotation, they would get their own racial boons from a source other than the <em>Alien Archive</em>. In Thurston's words, "The online region gets something unique, while the value of physical regional boons won't be seem devalued by online availability. We think this is a good way to include the new online region in our program, and hope to review it in the future to see what other unique boons might be appropriate for distribution through our online region."</p>
<p>So Online will be Mega Region 5 and GMing a game online will open access to the Ferran & Woioko races, both of which are available <a href = "/products/btpy9ujm?Starfinder-Adventure-Path-Temple-of-the-Twelve"><em>Starfinder Adventure Path #2: Temple of the Twelve</em></a>. Like the races in the <em>Alien Archive</em>, a player needs to own the resource and have the boon to play the race.</p>
<h2>Starfinder Season Launch</h2>
<p>When the team looked at the summer convention schedule and what spinning up new seasons on two organized play programs meant to our timelines (and sanity), we decided a split release would work better. So we went looking for an event that our players could get to, that had the size and scope of a premier event, and that would welcome the profile of a new season launch. Our choice is <a href = "http://originsgamefair.com" target = "_blank"><b>Origins Game Faire</b></a>, June 13-17 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. In past, the <a href = "http://ohiopfs.org" target = "_blank">Ohio Pathfinder Society</a> planned games at Origins. The same leadership team of Mike McNerney and associates will work with myself to bring you a quality, Paizo-sponsored event. Watch this space in early 2018 for the blog calling for GM volunteers.</p>
<h2>Starfinder Society Scenarios</h2>
<p>Since we rolled the Starfinder Society out at Gen Con 50, players clamored for more content. We've evaluated a number of factors in-house, including available organized play resources and current project commitments (more on this in a future blog). It brings us great pleasure to give our players a treat. To once more quote Starfinder Society Developer Thurston Hillman:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"Two is a pretty cool number. I hear a lot of people talking about two in recent months. Lots of questions and comments about the word two. What is two? What does two mean to you? The dictionary defines two as "equivalent to the sum of one and one." Did you know that two is the smallest and first prime number? Two is also the only even prime number. Did you know that a honeybee must tap TWO million flowers to make one pound of honey!</p>
<p>There's just so many interesting and fun facts about the number two..."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As you may have guessed by Thurston's fixation on the number two, we are pleased to announce an increase to two Starfinder Scenarios a month, starting in <b>March 2018</b>.</p>
<h3>Scenario News</h3>
<p>We are deep in plans for 2018, so I asked John and Thurston if we could give a few snippets of information about upcoming scenarios. In Thurston's words,
"April sees the release of a new Tier 1-4 repeatable scenario. We've received great reviews on <a href = "/products/btpy9tsw?Starfinder-Society-Roleplaying-Guild-Scenario-101-The-Commencement"><em>Starfinder Society #1-01: the Commencement</em></a>, and knew we wanted to get another repeatable scenario out. As an added bonus, this scenario is also slated to include starship combat, making it a suitable teaching tool for players just learning Starfinder.</p>
<p>June brings us the release of a new Quest Pack. This should help the summer conventions out by providing further introductory material for bringing in new Starfinder players.</p>
<p>Our first Tier 5-8 scenario debuts in June. This scenario is the capstone for our ongoing Scoured Stars storyline, which began in <a href = "/products/btpy9wet/discuss?Starfinder-Society-Roleplaying-Guild-Scenario-1-05-The-First-Mandate"><em>Starfinder Society #1-05: The First Mandate</em></a>, and continues until Origins.</p>
<p>June (a popular month) also sees Starfinder Society debut its first interactive special, starting at Origins, with later appearances at Gen Con and conventions across the world. While this event is still being planned out, we are ready to announce that it will be a Tier 1-8 event!</p>
<p>While June is popular, we also want people to know that PaizoCon 2018 is getting closer. This year not only debuts Starfinder Society events at the convention, but also debuts a very special product. Four words: Strawberry Machine Cake Scenario.</p>
<p><i>•mic drop•</i></p>
<p>On that note, and given I can't top Strawberry Machine Cake, I'm signing off for this week. With so much Starfinder Society goodness in this blog, we are going to take a break next week, and return on December 20th. Next week's blog will feature some upcoming Pathfinder Society tidbits, since we can't give the Starfinder Society all the shiny new toys!</p>
<p>Until next time—Explore, Report, Cooperate!</p>
<p>Tonya Woldridge<br />
<i>Organized Play Manager</i></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<!— tags: Organized Play, Starfinder Society, Starfinder Society Scenarios, Conventions, Community, Alien Archive, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder, David Franco Campos, Pixoloid Studios, Connor Sheehan, Matthias Kinnigkeit —>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/community">Community</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/connorSheehan">Connor Sheehan</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/conventions">Conventions</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/davidFrancoCampos">David Franco Campos</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/matthiasKinnigkeit">Matthias Kinnigkeit</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/organizedPlay">Organized Play</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/pixoloidStudios">Pixoloid Studios</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderAdventurePath">Starfinder Adventure Path</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderSociety">Starfinder Society</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderSocietyScenarios">Starfinder Society Scenarios</a></p><blockquote>
<br />
<div class = "blurbCenter"><a href = "/starfindersociety"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Logos/StarfinderSociety_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<h1 itemprop="headline">Starfinder Society Chronicle, Updates from the Organized Play Team</h1>
<p class="date">Thursday, December 7, 2017</p>
<div itemprop = "articlebody">
<h2 class = "spaced-header-small">Mega-Regions</h2>
<p itemprop="description">Back in <a href = "/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lk7r?That-Cantina-Feel">mid-October</a>, Starfinder Society Developer Thurston Hillman gave a sneak peak into <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a> and the organized play team's plans to introduce more alien species as player character options. We put our heads together and developed the Mega-Region plan!</p>
<p>Over the past weeks, we worked on implementing our idea, writing boons, developing regions, and identifying upcoming conventions running Starfinder Society. The only thing left is to announce the regions to our community. Please note, the Mega-Region is only a unit of accounting. It doesn't change anything about how our organized play volunteers are structured or the Regional Support programs. The first iteration of this plan will start with conventions this weekend. Sometime in March or April, we will rotate the boons around, so that each region has new rewards for their GMs. Future rotations will occur on roughly a 3-month timeframe, so that each region will get all the boons over the course of a year.</p>
<h3>Mega-Regions Divisions</h3>
<ul><li>Mega-Region 1—Africa-East Eurasia (AEE) and Asia-Pacific</li>
<li> Mega-Region 2—Central Europe, Northwest, and Southeast</li>
<li>Mega-Region 3—Western Europe Middle East (WEME), Northeast, and Southwest</li>
<li>Mega-Region4—Midwest and Great Lakes</li></ul>
<p>But a list of regions is bland, without the races to accompany them. So without further ado, here's the news you need to start planning trips around the globe:</p>
<h3>Mega-Region Starting Boons</h3>
<ul><li>Mega-Region 1: Kalo & Verthani</li>
<li>Mega-Region 2: Draelik & Witchwyrd</li>
<li>Mega-Region 3: Maraquoi & Nuar</li>
<li>Mega-Region 4: Formian & Ikeshti</li></ul>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-KaloDeepspeaker.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-KaloDeepspeaker_120.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Formian.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Formian_180.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Witchwyrd.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Witchwyrd_180.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7202-Ferran.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7202-Ferran_180.jpeg"></a>
<p><i>Illustrations by David Franco Campos, Connor Sheehan, Matthias Kinnigkeit, and Pixoloid Studios</i></p></div>
<p>When deciding how to handle the regions, we were left with our newest region, Online, as a bit of an oddity, as it encompasses all the physical regions. After putting their heads together, Thurston and John came up with a solution. Instead of being part of the rotation, they would get their own racial boons from a source other than the <em>Alien Archive</em>. In Thurston's words, "The online region gets something unique, while the value of physical regional boons won't be seem devalued by online availability. We think this is a good way to include the new online region in our program, and hope to review it in the future to see what other unique boons might be appropriate for distribution through our online region."</p>
<p>So Online will be Mega Region 5 and GMing a game online will open access to the Ferran & Woioko races, both of which are available <a href = "/products/btpy9ujm?Starfinder-Adventure-Path-Temple-of-the-Twelve"><em>Starfinder Adventure Path #2: Temple of the Twelve</em></a>. Like the races in the <em>Alien Archive</em>, a player needs to own the resource and have the boon to play the race.</p>
<h2>Starfinder Season Launch</h2>
<p>When the team looked at the summer convention schedule and what spinning up new seasons on two organized play programs meant to our timelines (and sanity), we decided a split release would work better. So we went looking for an event that our players could get to, that had the size and scope of a premier event, and that would welcome the profile of a new season launch. Our choice is <a href = "http://originsgamefair.com" target = "_blank"><b>Origins Game Faire</b></a>, June 13-17 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. In past, the <a href = "http://ohiopfs.org" target = "_blank">Ohio Pathfinder Society</a> planned games at Origins. The same leadership team of Mike McNerney and associates will work with myself to bring you a quality, Paizo-sponsored event. Watch this space in early 2018 for the blog calling for GM volunteers.</p>
<h2>Starfinder Society Scenarios</h2>
<p>Since we rolled the Starfinder Society out at Gen Con 50, players clamored for more content. We've evaluated a number of factors in-house, including available organized play resources and current project commitments (more on this in a future blog). It brings us great pleasure to give our players a treat. To once more quote Starfinder Society Developer Thurston Hillman:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"Two is a pretty cool number. I hear a lot of people talking about two in recent months. Lots of questions and comments about the word two. What is two? What does two mean to you? The dictionary defines two as "equivalent to the sum of one and one." Did you know that two is the smallest and first prime number? Two is also the only even prime number. Did you know that a honeybee must tap TWO million flowers to make one pound of honey!</p>
<p>There's just so many interesting and fun facts about the number two..."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As you may have guessed by Thurston's fixation on the number two, we are pleased to announce an increase to two Starfinder Scenarios a month, starting in <b>March 2018</b>.</p>
<h3>Scenario News</h3>
<p>We are deep in plans for 2018, so I asked John and Thurston if we could give a few snippets of information about upcoming scenarios. In Thurston's words,
"April sees the release of a new Tier 1-4 repeatable scenario. We've received great reviews on <a href = "/products/btpy9tsw?Starfinder-Society-Roleplaying-Guild-Scenario-101-The-Commencement"><em>Starfinder Society #1-01: the Commencement</em></a>, and knew we wanted to get another repeatable scenario out. As an added bonus, this scenario is also slated to include starship combat, making it a suitable teaching tool for players just learning Starfinder.</p>
<p>June brings us the release of a new Quest Pack. This should help the summer conventions out by providing further introductory material for bringing in new Starfinder players.</p>
<p>Our first Tier 5-8 scenario debuts in June. This scenario is the capstone for our ongoing Scoured Stars storyline, which began in <a href = "/products/btpy9wet/discuss?Starfinder-Society-Roleplaying-Guild-Scenario-1-05-The-First-Mandate"><em>Starfinder Society #1-05: The First Mandate</em></a>, and continues until Origins.</p>
<p>June (a popular month) also sees Starfinder Society debut its first interactive special, starting at Origins, with later appearances at Gen Con and conventions across the world. While this event is still being planned out, we are ready to announce that it will be a Tier 1-8 event!</p>
<p>While June is popular, we also want people to know that PaizoCon 2018 is getting closer. This year not only debuts Starfinder Society events at the convention, but also debuts a very special product. Four words: Strawberry Machine Cake Scenario.</p>
<p><i>•mic drop•</i></p>
<p>On that note, and given I can't top Strawberry Machine Cake, I'm signing off for this week. With so much Starfinder Society goodness in this blog, we are going to take a break next week, and return on December 20th. Next week's blog will feature some upcoming Pathfinder Society tidbits, since we can't give the Starfinder Society all the shiny new toys!</p>
<p>Until next time—Explore, Report, Cooperate!</p>
<p>Tonya Woldridge<br />
<i>Organized Play Manager</i></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<!— tags: Organized Play, Starfinder Society, Starfinder Society Scenarios, Conventions, Community, Alien Archive, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder, David Franco Campos, Pixoloid Studios, Connor Sheehan, Matthias Kinnigkeit —>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/community">Community</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/connorSheehan">Connor Sheehan</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/conventions">Conventions</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/davidFrancoCampos">David Franco Campos</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/matthiasKinnigkeit">Matthias Kinnigkeit</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/organizedPlay">Organized Play</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/pixoloidStudios">Pixoloid Studios</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderAdventurePath">Starfinder Adventure Path</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderSociety">Starfinder Society</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderSocietyScenarios">Starfinder Society Scenarios</a></p>2017-12-07T20:00:00ZScanning for Intelligent Life-Formshttps://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo5lk89?Scanning-for-Intelligent-LifeForms2017-10-27T23:00:00Z<blockquote>
<div class = "blurbCenter" style = "padding: 15px 0;"><a href = "/starfinder"><img src = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Logos/Starfinder_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<br />
<h1 itemprop="headline">Scanning for Intelligent Life-Forms</h1>
<p class="date">Friday, October 27, 2017</p>
<div itemprop="articlebody">
<p itemprop="description">By now, many of you have seen the myriad of interesting and incredible creatures found within <a href = "http://paizo.com/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a> (and if not, what are you waiting for?), but you might be wondering how we went population this book. After all, the galaxy is a very big place, full of all manner of beings—and that doesn't even begin to cover the infinite planes of existence.</p>
<p>Luckily, we had a few places where we could start. When we started thinking about <em>Alien Archive</em>, the Pathfinder RPG had already printed five Bestiary volumes (<a href = "http://paizo.com/products/btpy9r1y?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Bestiary-6"><em>Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 6</em></a> was at the printer at the time) that we could mine for ideas. In addition, <a href = "http://paizo.com/products/btpy8qib?Pathfinder-Campaign-Setting-Distant-Worlds"><em>Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Distant Worlds</em></a> established a number of tentpoles regarding the Starfinder setting, albeit in the distant past. Conceivably though, some of the monsters and cultures name-dropped in that volume would still be around!</p>
<p>However, to truly capture the feel of a weird, science-fantasy universe, we also needed brand-new creatures. To that end, several of us here at Paizo absconded to a conference room and began filling up a whiteboard with ideas: general concepts (space mermaid), cool-sounding names (assembly ooze), and specific alien features (ability to break into constituent pieces). The fruits of our labor can be seen below.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MountainEel.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MountainEel_180.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-AkitonianLizardfolk.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-AkitonianLizardfolk_180.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-GravityUndead.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-GravityUndead_120.jpeg"></a></div>
<p>After all that, we needed to make some hard cuts. We knew dragons should be in the book, but we couldn't give them the space that <em>Bestiary</em> volumes give them, so we stuck with the evil chromatic dragons. We thought angels and devils should be represented, but we could only have one of each. We wanted to make sure that each creature type would be represented, and And, of course, each of us had our own ideas for the book.</p>
<p>I argued that we needed at least one starship-sized creature. Rob McCreary noted the Azlanti Star Empire with their Aeon Guard was one of the setting's core threats and should be in the book. Owen K.C. Stephens persistently urged for the inclusion of the nuar, a nod to one of the first things he ever wrote for the world of Golarion. Amanda Hamon Kunz wanted to design a creature for the kaiju-infested planet she wrote for the core rulebook. Similarly, James Sutter was interested in fleshing out some of the races he originally wrote about in <em>Distant Worlds</em>. Some of our other coworkers who took freelance assignments for the book (Crystal Frasier and John Compton) voiced their own opinions on what it would be fun to write.</p>
<p>All this information went into several spreadsheets and we organized and re-organized it until we hit on a final list, which was sent out to writers, who returned with some terrific takes on what were sometimes very odd requests. In the end, I think we curated a fine collection of creatures that flesh out the world of Starfinder, as well as provide GMs with a wide array of foes for their players and players with some exciting new choices for races they can play!</p>
<p>Jason Keeley<br />
<i>Developer</i></p>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Alien Archive —><p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a></p><blockquote>
<div class = "blurbCenter" style = "padding: 15px 0;"><a href = "/starfinder"><img src = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Logos/Starfinder_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<br />
<h1 itemprop="headline">Scanning for Intelligent Life-Forms</h1>
<p class="date">Friday, October 27, 2017</p>
<div itemprop="articlebody">
<p itemprop="description">By now, many of you have seen the myriad of interesting and incredible creatures found within <a href = "http://paizo.com/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a> (and if not, what are you waiting for?), but you might be wondering how we went population this book. After all, the galaxy is a very big place, full of all manner of beings—and that doesn't even begin to cover the infinite planes of existence.</p>
<p>Luckily, we had a few places where we could start. When we started thinking about <em>Alien Archive</em>, the Pathfinder RPG had already printed five Bestiary volumes (<a href = "http://paizo.com/products/btpy9r1y?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Bestiary-6"><em>Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 6</em></a> was at the printer at the time) that we could mine for ideas. In addition, <a href = "http://paizo.com/products/btpy8qib?Pathfinder-Campaign-Setting-Distant-Worlds"><em>Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Distant Worlds</em></a> established a number of tentpoles regarding the Starfinder setting, albeit in the distant past. Conceivably though, some of the monsters and cultures name-dropped in that volume would still be around!</p>
<p>However, to truly capture the feel of a weird, science-fantasy universe, we also needed brand-new creatures. To that end, several of us here at Paizo absconded to a conference room and began filling up a whiteboard with ideas: general concepts (space mermaid), cool-sounding names (assembly ooze), and specific alien features (ability to break into constituent pieces). The fruits of our labor can be seen below.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MountainEel.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MountainEel_180.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-AkitonianLizardfolk.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-AkitonianLizardfolk_180.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-GravityUndead.jpg"><img src = "//cdn.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-GravityUndead_120.jpeg"></a></div>
<p>After all that, we needed to make some hard cuts. We knew dragons should be in the book, but we couldn't give them the space that <em>Bestiary</em> volumes give them, so we stuck with the evil chromatic dragons. We thought angels and devils should be represented, but we could only have one of each. We wanted to make sure that each creature type would be represented, and And, of course, each of us had our own ideas for the book.</p>
<p>I argued that we needed at least one starship-sized creature. Rob McCreary noted the Azlanti Star Empire with their Aeon Guard was one of the setting's core threats and should be in the book. Owen K.C. Stephens persistently urged for the inclusion of the nuar, a nod to one of the first things he ever wrote for the world of Golarion. Amanda Hamon Kunz wanted to design a creature for the kaiju-infested planet she wrote for the core rulebook. Similarly, James Sutter was interested in fleshing out some of the races he originally wrote about in <em>Distant Worlds</em>. Some of our other coworkers who took freelance assignments for the book (Crystal Frasier and John Compton) voiced their own opinions on what it would be fun to write.</p>
<p>All this information went into several spreadsheets and we organized and re-organized it until we hit on a final list, which was sent out to writers, who returned with some terrific takes on what were sometimes very odd requests. In the end, I think we curated a fine collection of creatures that flesh out the world of Starfinder, as well as provide GMs with a wide array of foes for their players and players with some exciting new choices for races they can play!</p>
<p>Jason Keeley<br />
<i>Developer</i></p>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Alien Archive —><p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a></p>2017-10-27T23:00:00ZThat Cantina Feelhttps://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo5lk7r?That-Cantina-Feel2017-10-18T19:00:00Z<blockquote>
<br />
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://paizo.com/starfindersociety"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Logos/StarfinderSociety_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<h1 itemprop="headline">That Cantina Feel</h1>
<p class="date">Wednesday, October 18, 2017</p>
<div itemprop = "articlebody">
<p itemprop="description">Ever since <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Alien Archive</em></a> was announced, the organized play team has received a veritable flood of questions concerning the legality of this new book. As was <a href = "/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lk7b?Just-My-Luck-I-Get-Stuck-with-a-Race-that">recently revealed</a>, <em>Alien Archive</em> contains 22 new playable races for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game. So today, I want to take some time to discuss our current and future plans for getting these amazing new alien races into the Starfinder Society.</p>
<p>First off, I want everyone to know that the "cantina feel" is important to the Starfinder Society campaign. We want players to have access to a wide array of fun and unique species to create characters with. We want those characters to explore the similarly diverse universe that is Starfinder. Along with that, we also want to balance the experience for those dedicated people behind the GM screen. Most people are still getting acquainted with the Starfinder rules, so introducing 22 playable races right away can be another layer of complexity for some. So, to start, we will be introducing several of the new playable races in a way that shouldn't overwhelm GMs, while still promoting some of our core goals for the campaign.</p>
<h2>Method 1: Regional Convention Support</h2>
<p>Conventions are a major source of pride for many communities, and we've repeatedly heard from event organizers and venture-officers that access to race boons is a big draw for many people attending conventions. We'll be providing several <em>Alien Archive</em> races via conventions, but with some additional tweaks to make a wider array of races more accessible to people across the world.</p>
<p>First, over the coming weeks, we'll be creating a group of four informal "mega regions" that group together existing organized play regions; these are just ways for us to organize this distribution, not a new administrative unit with assigned leaders. Conventions in each of these larger regions will receive a GM reward Chronicle sheet that provides access to a choice of two different <em>Alien Archive</em> races, similar to how existing convention support works for the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild but with more options. Because these mega regions will have different available races, it should also provide some additional incentive to travel to different areas in search of new race boons.</p>
<p>If you're concerned about missing a desired race boon because it might be in a different region, fear not! We're aiming to regularly rotate which races are available—roughly every quarter—so that players can still have a chance to collect these boons locally, without having to travel outside their region. For example, Races A and B might start in Region 1, and Races C and D might start in Region 2. After about three months, they might swap so that Region 1 GMs would have access to Races C and D.</p>
<h2>Method 2: Player Focused Boon</h2>
<p>For those of you who are not able to attend conventions, we recognize that there needs to be other means of accessing playable races. The first method, available today, has its roots in the Regional Support Program GM incentive. Rather than focusing on GMing, this new Chronicle sheet is entirely based on games played. In the same vein as the Regional Support Program, this is a multi-tiered boon that will begin by allowing players access to a ryphorian or wrikreechee after playing in six unique scenarios with any combination of characters. For those holding onto the Chronicle sheet a bit longer, the barathu race becomes available after playing 12 unique scenarios.</p>
<p>There are some key things to note about this boon. First, it is entirely based on games played, so GMing does not count towards completion; we have the Regional Support Program and convention rewards for GMs. Second, while the boon itself requires that you "...play an adventure for which you have not previously received credit on this boon..." it does provide greater progress for playing sanctioned Adventure Path material. Along the same lines, once you apply a boon from this Chronicle sheet to a character, the Chronicle sheet is considered used, but you can immediately start filling in a new copy of this Chronicle sheet. While standard replay rules apply, you can fill in a few of the lines by partaking in repeatable content—so while you can't fill these Chronicle sheets out by continually replaying <a href = "/products/btpy9tsw?Starfinder-Society-Roleplaying-Guild-Scenario-101-The-Commencement"><em>Starfinder Society Scenario: #1-01: The Commencement</em></a>, you can still get a few extra lines filled from those repeatable adventures when you start filling in a new Chronicle sheet.</p>
<p>Finally, you'll note that this boon has a limited period of validity. This is intentional, as we hope to swap out the races on this boon to make more available to the general player base. Given this shortened period, it seems appropriate to issue an immediate ruling: previously played Starfinder Society scenarios are considered valid and can be applied to this Chronicle sheet immediately, so long as they follow the required rules listed in the Chronicle sheet. For some of you, this might mean you've already completed the Tier 2 requirements and now have access to the associated races—enjoy!</p>
<p style = "text-align: center;"><a href = "/include/PZO7105-Boon.zip"><b>Download the <em>Alien Archive</em> Player Boon</b></a> — 533kb zip/PDF</p>
<h2>Method 3: You Decide the Future</h2>
<p>Finally, I want to open up a discussion in the comments below about future methods of distributing playable races to our players. We're already hard at work planning out scenarios that could allow access to new races, as well as other potential events where we can release Chronicle sheets opening up further options. But, despite our best-laid plans here on the organized play team, I would like to get some feedback on how our players would like to see playable races added into the campaign. As we're really just finishing our "First Steps" (bad pun, sorry) feedback is important, and now is a great time to see what you, the players and GMs, think about how we can proceed.</p>
<p>Until next time!</p>
<p>Thurston Hillman<br />
<i>Starfinder Society Developer</i></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<!— tags: Organized Play, Starfinder Society, Starfinder, Alien Archive —>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/organizedPlay">Organized Play</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderSociety">Starfinder Society</a></p><blockquote>
<br />
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://paizo.com/starfindersociety"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Logos/StarfinderSociety_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<h1 itemprop="headline">That Cantina Feel</h1>
<p class="date">Wednesday, October 18, 2017</p>
<div itemprop = "articlebody">
<p itemprop="description">Ever since <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Alien Archive</em></a> was announced, the organized play team has received a veritable flood of questions concerning the legality of this new book. As was <a href = "/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lk7b?Just-My-Luck-I-Get-Stuck-with-a-Race-that">recently revealed</a>, <em>Alien Archive</em> contains 22 new playable races for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game. So today, I want to take some time to discuss our current and future plans for getting these amazing new alien races into the Starfinder Society.</p>
<p>First off, I want everyone to know that the "cantina feel" is important to the Starfinder Society campaign. We want players to have access to a wide array of fun and unique species to create characters with. We want those characters to explore the similarly diverse universe that is Starfinder. Along with that, we also want to balance the experience for those dedicated people behind the GM screen. Most people are still getting acquainted with the Starfinder rules, so introducing 22 playable races right away can be another layer of complexity for some. So, to start, we will be introducing several of the new playable races in a way that shouldn't overwhelm GMs, while still promoting some of our core goals for the campaign.</p>
<h2>Method 1: Regional Convention Support</h2>
<p>Conventions are a major source of pride for many communities, and we've repeatedly heard from event organizers and venture-officers that access to race boons is a big draw for many people attending conventions. We'll be providing several <em>Alien Archive</em> races via conventions, but with some additional tweaks to make a wider array of races more accessible to people across the world.</p>
<p>First, over the coming weeks, we'll be creating a group of four informal "mega regions" that group together existing organized play regions; these are just ways for us to organize this distribution, not a new administrative unit with assigned leaders. Conventions in each of these larger regions will receive a GM reward Chronicle sheet that provides access to a choice of two different <em>Alien Archive</em> races, similar to how existing convention support works for the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild but with more options. Because these mega regions will have different available races, it should also provide some additional incentive to travel to different areas in search of new race boons.</p>
<p>If you're concerned about missing a desired race boon because it might be in a different region, fear not! We're aiming to regularly rotate which races are available—roughly every quarter—so that players can still have a chance to collect these boons locally, without having to travel outside their region. For example, Races A and B might start in Region 1, and Races C and D might start in Region 2. After about three months, they might swap so that Region 1 GMs would have access to Races C and D.</p>
<h2>Method 2: Player Focused Boon</h2>
<p>For those of you who are not able to attend conventions, we recognize that there needs to be other means of accessing playable races. The first method, available today, has its roots in the Regional Support Program GM incentive. Rather than focusing on GMing, this new Chronicle sheet is entirely based on games played. In the same vein as the Regional Support Program, this is a multi-tiered boon that will begin by allowing players access to a ryphorian or wrikreechee after playing in six unique scenarios with any combination of characters. For those holding onto the Chronicle sheet a bit longer, the barathu race becomes available after playing 12 unique scenarios.</p>
<p>There are some key things to note about this boon. First, it is entirely based on games played, so GMing does not count towards completion; we have the Regional Support Program and convention rewards for GMs. Second, while the boon itself requires that you "...play an adventure for which you have not previously received credit on this boon..." it does provide greater progress for playing sanctioned Adventure Path material. Along the same lines, once you apply a boon from this Chronicle sheet to a character, the Chronicle sheet is considered used, but you can immediately start filling in a new copy of this Chronicle sheet. While standard replay rules apply, you can fill in a few of the lines by partaking in repeatable content—so while you can't fill these Chronicle sheets out by continually replaying <a href = "/products/btpy9tsw?Starfinder-Society-Roleplaying-Guild-Scenario-101-The-Commencement"><em>Starfinder Society Scenario: #1-01: The Commencement</em></a>, you can still get a few extra lines filled from those repeatable adventures when you start filling in a new Chronicle sheet.</p>
<p>Finally, you'll note that this boon has a limited period of validity. This is intentional, as we hope to swap out the races on this boon to make more available to the general player base. Given this shortened period, it seems appropriate to issue an immediate ruling: previously played Starfinder Society scenarios are considered valid and can be applied to this Chronicle sheet immediately, so long as they follow the required rules listed in the Chronicle sheet. For some of you, this might mean you've already completed the Tier 2 requirements and now have access to the associated races—enjoy!</p>
<p style = "text-align: center;"><a href = "/include/PZO7105-Boon.zip"><b>Download the <em>Alien Archive</em> Player Boon</b></a> — 533kb zip/PDF</p>
<h2>Method 3: You Decide the Future</h2>
<p>Finally, I want to open up a discussion in the comments below about future methods of distributing playable races to our players. We're already hard at work planning out scenarios that could allow access to new races, as well as other potential events where we can release Chronicle sheets opening up further options. But, despite our best-laid plans here on the organized play team, I would like to get some feedback on how our players would like to see playable races added into the campaign. As we're really just finishing our "First Steps" (bad pun, sorry) feedback is important, and now is a great time to see what you, the players and GMs, think about how we can proceed.</p>
<p>Until next time!</p>
<p>Thurston Hillman<br />
<i>Starfinder Society Developer</i></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<!— tags: Organized Play, Starfinder Society, Starfinder, Alien Archive —>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/organizedPlay">Organized Play</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinderSociety">Starfinder Society</a></p>2017-10-18T19:00:00ZJust My Luck, I Get Stuck with a Race that Speaks Only in Macroshttps://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo5lk7b?Just-My-Luck-I-Get-Stuck-with-a-Race-that2017-10-13T23:00:00Z<blockquote>
<div class = "blurbCenter" style = "padding: 15px 0;"><a href = "/starfinder"><img src = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Logos/Starfinder_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<br />
<h1 itemprop="headline">Just My Luck, I Get Stuck with a Race that Speaks Only in Macros</h1>
<p class="date">Friday, October 13, 2017</p>
<div itemprop="articlebody">
<p itemprop="description">The first hardback sourcebook for Starfinder is <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Alien Archive</em></a>, a book with scores of npcs and monsters drawn from numerous species and rules for creating brand new creatures. That obviously makes it a book GMs are going to get a lot of use out of. But there's a great deal more to it than just a bestiary of space monsters. <em>Alien Archive</em> has lots of additional material that's useful to players, from new player character races to new equipment options and even a whole set of summoning spell rules.</p>
<p>While there are stat blocks appropriate for GM use with every species, 22 of them also give the traits that allow the creation of player characters of that race. The races that receive the racial traits to allow them to be used as player characters (along with their size when it is different from Medium, and their type and subtype if any) are: barathu (aberration), contemplative (monstrous humanoid), draelik (humanoid, draelik), dragonkin (Large dragon), drow (humanoid, elf), formian (monstrous humanoid), space goblin (small humanoid, goblin), gray (small humanoid, gray), haan (Large monstrous humanoid), ikeshti (small humanoid, ikeshti), kalo (monstrous humanoid, aquatic), maraquoi (humanoid, maraquoi), nuar (monstrous humanoid), reptoid (humanoid, reptoid, shapechanger), ryphorian (humanoid, rhyphorian), sarcesian (Large humanoid, sarcesian), shobhad (Large monstrous humanoid), skittermander (Small humanoid, skittermander), urog (Large magical beast), veranthi (humanoid, veranthi), witchwyrd (monstrous humanoid), and wrikreechee (monstrous humanoid, aquatic). While some of those races are familiar to players from Pathfinder or earlier Starfinder products, others appear here for the first time.</p>
<p>As a sample of the new kinds of creatures available to players, here are the racial traits for wrikreechees, chitinous natives of the watery planet of Akchios.</p>
<div class="blurb180"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Wrikreechee.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Wrikreechee_180.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<h3>Wrikreechee Racial Traits</h3>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Ability Adjustments</b>: +2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Dex</p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Hit Points</b>: 4</p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Size and Type</b>: Wrikreechees are Medium monstrous humanoids with the aquatic subtype.</p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Amphibious</b>: Wreikreechees are able to breath both water and air normally.</p>
<p class = "stat-block"><b>Cooperative (Ex)</b>: Wrikreechees spend much of their lives in close contact with one another, learning to predict their neighbors' reactions and coordinate their actions. A wrikreechee gains a +2 bonus to skill checks for the aid another action and to attack rolls to provide harrying fire. A creature using the aid another action to assist a wrikreechee's skill check gains a +2 bonus to her check.</p>
<p class = "stat-block"><b>Darkvision</b>: Wrikreechees have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.</p>
<p class = "stat-block"><b>Sheltering (Ex)</b>: A wrikreechee instinctively knows how to exploit sources of cover. When a wrikreechee is benefiting from partial cover, cover, or improved cover, the granted bonus to its AC and Reflex saves increases by 1. Snag (Ex): Thanks to the feathery material lining its forelimbs, a wrikreechee is adept at grabbing small prey. A wrikreechee gains a +4 bonus to attack rolls when attempting to grapple a creature smaller than itself. As a full action, a wrikreechee can make two attempts to grapple a creature with a -4 penalty to the attack rolls.</p>
<p class = "stat-block"><b>Wrikreechee Movement</b>: A wrikreechee has a base speed of 20 feet and a swim speed of 30 feet.</p>
</blockquote>
<div class = "blurb180"><a href = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-NuarMaztech.jpg"><img src = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-NuarMaztech_180.jpeg"></a></div>
<p>Beyond the expansion of 22 new players races, many of the creature entries also include equipment that can potentially be made from a slain monster (such as the bones cestuses that can be crafted from a crest-eater), or that is an advanced item most often found in the possession of members of a specific race (such as the grays' memory expunger) or even a whole new kind of technology (such as the nuar's multifunction maze-core technology). Each piece of new equipment is tied to a new race in some specific way, allowing players to know what kinds of gear is preferred by members of various races, or to allow them to benefit from overcoming foes that can be usefully turned into equipment that may not otherwise be available.</p>
<p>Finally, <em>Alien Archive</em> includes the summon creature variable-level spell, which is available to both mystics and technomancers. This spells allows spellcasters to select four types of planar creatures that can be summoned, ranging from angels, devils, and other outsiders to elementals, shadow creatures, or even beasts from the First World (only for mystics) or robots drawn from pieces scattered through the Astral Plane (only for technomancers). Where appropriate, specific creatures from the <em>Alien Archive</em> are available as choices to be summoned by the spell, but a series of simple templates ensures a wide range of generic outsiders can also be called upon. If a mystic wants to focus on summoning good outsiders, it's possible to have an agathion, angel, archon, and azata at every spell level the mystic can cast summon creature.</p>
<p>While not every player may wish to use equipment from distant cultures, and GMs may not make all the new potential player character races available in every campaign, the ability to have new life forms and new civilizations impact player options is an important part of the information presented in <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Alien Archive</em></a>.</p>
<p>Owen KC Stephens<br />
<i>Starfinder Design Lead</i></p>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Alien Archive —><p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a></p><blockquote>
<div class = "blurbCenter" style = "padding: 15px 0;"><a href = "/starfinder"><img src = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Logos/Starfinder_500.jpeg"></a></div>
<br />
<h1 itemprop="headline">Just My Luck, I Get Stuck with a Race that Speaks Only in Macros</h1>
<p class="date">Friday, October 13, 2017</p>
<div itemprop="articlebody">
<p itemprop="description">The first hardback sourcebook for Starfinder is <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Alien Archive</em></a>, a book with scores of npcs and monsters drawn from numerous species and rules for creating brand new creatures. That obviously makes it a book GMs are going to get a lot of use out of. But there's a great deal more to it than just a bestiary of space monsters. <em>Alien Archive</em> has lots of additional material that's useful to players, from new player character races to new equipment options and even a whole set of summoning spell rules.</p>
<p>While there are stat blocks appropriate for GM use with every species, 22 of them also give the traits that allow the creation of player characters of that race. The races that receive the racial traits to allow them to be used as player characters (along with their size when it is different from Medium, and their type and subtype if any) are: barathu (aberration), contemplative (monstrous humanoid), draelik (humanoid, draelik), dragonkin (Large dragon), drow (humanoid, elf), formian (monstrous humanoid), space goblin (small humanoid, goblin), gray (small humanoid, gray), haan (Large monstrous humanoid), ikeshti (small humanoid, ikeshti), kalo (monstrous humanoid, aquatic), maraquoi (humanoid, maraquoi), nuar (monstrous humanoid), reptoid (humanoid, reptoid, shapechanger), ryphorian (humanoid, rhyphorian), sarcesian (Large humanoid, sarcesian), shobhad (Large monstrous humanoid), skittermander (Small humanoid, skittermander), urog (Large magical beast), veranthi (humanoid, veranthi), witchwyrd (monstrous humanoid), and wrikreechee (monstrous humanoid, aquatic). While some of those races are familiar to players from Pathfinder or earlier Starfinder products, others appear here for the first time.</p>
<p>As a sample of the new kinds of creatures available to players, here are the racial traits for wrikreechees, chitinous natives of the watery planet of Akchios.</p>
<div class="blurb180"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Wrikreechee.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-Wrikreechee_180.jpeg"></a></div>
<blockquote>
<h3>Wrikreechee Racial Traits</h3>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Ability Adjustments</b>: +2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Dex</p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Hit Points</b>: 4</p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Size and Type</b>: Wrikreechees are Medium monstrous humanoids with the aquatic subtype.</p>
<p class = "stat-block-1"><b>Amphibious</b>: Wreikreechees are able to breath both water and air normally.</p>
<p class = "stat-block"><b>Cooperative (Ex)</b>: Wrikreechees spend much of their lives in close contact with one another, learning to predict their neighbors' reactions and coordinate their actions. A wrikreechee gains a +2 bonus to skill checks for the aid another action and to attack rolls to provide harrying fire. A creature using the aid another action to assist a wrikreechee's skill check gains a +2 bonus to her check.</p>
<p class = "stat-block"><b>Darkvision</b>: Wrikreechees have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.</p>
<p class = "stat-block"><b>Sheltering (Ex)</b>: A wrikreechee instinctively knows how to exploit sources of cover. When a wrikreechee is benefiting from partial cover, cover, or improved cover, the granted bonus to its AC and Reflex saves increases by 1. Snag (Ex): Thanks to the feathery material lining its forelimbs, a wrikreechee is adept at grabbing small prey. A wrikreechee gains a +4 bonus to attack rolls when attempting to grapple a creature smaller than itself. As a full action, a wrikreechee can make two attempts to grapple a creature with a -4 penalty to the attack rolls.</p>
<p class = "stat-block"><b>Wrikreechee Movement</b>: A wrikreechee has a base speed of 20 feet and a swim speed of 30 feet.</p>
</blockquote>
<div class = "blurb180"><a href = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-NuarMaztech.jpg"><img src = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-NuarMaztech_180.jpeg"></a></div>
<p>Beyond the expansion of 22 new players races, many of the creature entries also include equipment that can potentially be made from a slain monster (such as the bones cestuses that can be crafted from a crest-eater), or that is an advanced item most often found in the possession of members of a specific race (such as the grays' memory expunger) or even a whole new kind of technology (such as the nuar's multifunction maze-core technology). Each piece of new equipment is tied to a new race in some specific way, allowing players to know what kinds of gear is preferred by members of various races, or to allow them to benefit from overcoming foes that can be usefully turned into equipment that may not otherwise be available.</p>
<p>Finally, <em>Alien Archive</em> includes the summon creature variable-level spell, which is available to both mystics and technomancers. This spells allows spellcasters to select four types of planar creatures that can be summoned, ranging from angels, devils, and other outsiders to elementals, shadow creatures, or even beasts from the First World (only for mystics) or robots drawn from pieces scattered through the Astral Plane (only for technomancers). Where appropriate, specific creatures from the <em>Alien Archive</em> are available as choices to be summoned by the spell, but a series of simple templates ensures a wide range of generic outsiders can also be called upon. If a mystic wants to focus on summoning good outsiders, it's possible to have an agathion, angel, archon, and azata at every spell level the mystic can cast summon creature.</p>
<p>While not every player may wish to use equipment from distant cultures, and GMs may not make all the new potential player character races available in every campaign, the ability to have new life forms and new civilizations impact player options is an important part of the information presented in <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Alien Archive</em></a>.</p>
<p>Owen KC Stephens<br />
<i>Starfinder Design Lead</i></p>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Alien Archive —><p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a></p>2017-10-13T23:00:00ZBuild Your Own Alienshttps://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo5lk6n?Build-Your-Own-Aliens2017-10-06T19:00:00Z<blockquote>
<br />
<h1 itemprop="headline">Build Your Own Aliens</h1>
<p class="date">Friday, October 6, 2017</p>
<div itemprop="articlebody">
<p itemprop="description">There's a chill in the atmosphere, a hint of pumpkin spice in the air recyclers, and fallen leaves are littering the floor of the hydroponics bay. Yes, October is here, and so is the <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a>! Over the next few weeks, we'll be previewing some of what can be found in this newest offering for the Starfinder RPG, starting with some goodies for Game Masters!</p>
<p>The <em>Alien Archive</em> is chock full of strange alien creatures and fearsome extrasolar monsters to populate your Starfinder games, but when your players discover an uncharted world deep in the Vast, you'll want to create your weird own native life-forms to inhabit it. Fortunately, the <em>Alien Archive</em> has you covered!</p>
<p>First off, in Starfinder, all nonplayer characters (NPCs as well as monsters) are built using different rules from those used to create player characters. Since most monsters are needed for just one encounter, this system allows GMs to quickly and easily create NPCs and monsters without having to go through the entire process of building a player character. So how does it work?</p>
<p>The central components of monster creation in Starfinder are arrays and grafts. Every monster derives the majority of its statistics from one of three arrays, which define the monster's primary role: combatant, expert, or spellcaster. Unsurprisingly, combatants are those who excel in combat, experts are more skill-focused, and spellcasters primarily use spells or other magic. The numbers from a monster's array are not set in stone, but they give you a baseline that can be modified by grafts, special abilities, or your own preferences.</p>
<p>After you've chosen an array for your monster, you add grafts to it, which adjust the monster's various stats and add additional abilities. There are grafts for creature types and subtypes, as well as a graft for each character class. Generally speaking, an NPC or monster will only use a creature type graft or a class graft, not both, depending on the monster's focus. Template grafts are another option that transform a creature in some way. For example, you might create a new alien using the combatant array and the monstrous humanoid creature type graft, then turn it into a shambling, technological undead horror by adding the cybernetic zombie template graft.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation1.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation1_360.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//static3.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation2.jpg"><img src = "//static3.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation2_360.jpeg"></a>
</div>
<p>Once you have these basics in place, you can start giving your monster special abilities. The monster's array and its CR determine how many special abilities it has. If a monster has a class graft, that class determines most, if not all, of its special abilities, but for non-classed monsters, you can add your own abilities or choose abilities from the list of Universal Creature Rules—those special abilities that appear in the stat blocks of the various creatures in the <i>Alien Archive</i>.</p>
<p>By this point, you're mostly done. Choose your monster's skills and determine a few other statistics like initiative, speed, and languages. If your monster has spells, you'll need to determine which spells it can cast, and you might need to outfit your monster with some armor, weapons, and other gear, but you should have all the statistics you need to use the monster in play.</p>
<p>In addition to dozens of fully detailed creatures, <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive </em></a>provides GMs with tons of options to build and customize NPCs and monsters for Starfinder. Check out the full rules and keep your eyes on the blog for more <em>Alien Archive</em> previews!</p>
<div class = "blurbCenter"><a href = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation3.jpg"><img src = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation3_500.jpeg"></a>
</div>
<p>Robert G. McCreary<br />
<i>Creative Director, Starfinder</i></p>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Alien Archive, Pixoloid Studios —><p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/pixoloidStudios">Pixoloid Studios</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a></p><blockquote>
<br />
<h1 itemprop="headline">Build Your Own Aliens</h1>
<p class="date">Friday, October 6, 2017</p>
<div itemprop="articlebody">
<p itemprop="description">There's a chill in the atmosphere, a hint of pumpkin spice in the air recyclers, and fallen leaves are littering the floor of the hydroponics bay. Yes, October is here, and so is the <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive</em></a>! Over the next few weeks, we'll be previewing some of what can be found in this newest offering for the Starfinder RPG, starting with some goodies for Game Masters!</p>
<p>The <em>Alien Archive</em> is chock full of strange alien creatures and fearsome extrasolar monsters to populate your Starfinder games, but when your players discover an uncharted world deep in the Vast, you'll want to create your weird own native life-forms to inhabit it. Fortunately, the <em>Alien Archive</em> has you covered!</p>
<p>First off, in Starfinder, all nonplayer characters (NPCs as well as monsters) are built using different rules from those used to create player characters. Since most monsters are needed for just one encounter, this system allows GMs to quickly and easily create NPCs and monsters without having to go through the entire process of building a player character. So how does it work?</p>
<p>The central components of monster creation in Starfinder are arrays and grafts. Every monster derives the majority of its statistics from one of three arrays, which define the monster's primary role: combatant, expert, or spellcaster. Unsurprisingly, combatants are those who excel in combat, experts are more skill-focused, and spellcasters primarily use spells or other magic. The numbers from a monster's array are not set in stone, but they give you a baseline that can be modified by grafts, special abilities, or your own preferences.</p>
<p>After you've chosen an array for your monster, you add grafts to it, which adjust the monster's various stats and add additional abilities. There are grafts for creature types and subtypes, as well as a graft for each character class. Generally speaking, an NPC or monster will only use a creature type graft or a class graft, not both, depending on the monster's focus. Template grafts are another option that transform a creature in some way. For example, you might create a new alien using the combatant array and the monstrous humanoid creature type graft, then turn it into a shambling, technological undead horror by adding the cybernetic zombie template graft.</p>
<div class="blurbCenter"><a href="https://paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation1.jpg"><img src="https//paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation1_360.jpeg"></a>
<a href = "//static3.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation2.jpg"><img src = "//static3.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation2_360.jpeg"></a>
</div>
<p>Once you have these basics in place, you can start giving your monster special abilities. The monster's array and its CR determine how many special abilities it has. If a monster has a class graft, that class determines most, if not all, of its special abilities, but for non-classed monsters, you can add your own abilities or choose abilities from the list of Universal Creature Rules—those special abilities that appear in the stat blocks of the various creatures in the <i>Alien Archive</i>.</p>
<p>By this point, you're mostly done. Choose your monster's skills and determine a few other statistics like initiative, speed, and languages. If your monster has spells, you'll need to determine which spells it can cast, and you might need to outfit your monster with some armor, weapons, and other gear, but you should have all the statistics you need to use the monster in play.</p>
<p>In addition to dozens of fully detailed creatures, <a href = "/products/btpy9ujg?Starfinder-Alien-Archive"><em>Starfinder Alien Archive </em></a>provides GMs with tons of options to build and customize NPCs and monsters for Starfinder. Check out the full rules and keep your eyes on the blog for more <em>Alien Archive</em> previews!</p>
<div class = "blurbCenter"><a href = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation3.jpg"><img src = "//static2.paizo.com/image/content/Starfinder/PZO7105-MonsterCreation3_500.jpeg"></a>
</div>
<p>Robert G. McCreary<br />
<i>Creative Director, Starfinder</i></p>
</div>
<!— tags: Starfinder, Alien Archive, Pixoloid Studios —><p><a href="https://paizo.comcommunity/blog/tags">Tags</a>: <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/alienArchive">Alien Archive</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/pixoloidStudios">Pixoloid Studios</a>, <a href="https://paizo.com/community/blog/tags/starfinder">Starfinder</a></p>2017-10-06T19:00:00Z