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 Character Operations Manual, explore the Pact Worlds’ closest neighbors in Near Space, dramatically expand what’s possible in spaceflight with the upcoming Starship Operations Manual, meet extraordinary lifeforms in Alien Archive 4, or just blast into uncharted space with the Galaxy Exploration Manual, the past year and upcoming 12 months’ hardcover books keep bringing new reasons for excitement!

So forgive my Zo!-like theatrics in saying: “But wait, there’s more!”

That’s right! Why pine longingly for amazing 2021 content when you could playtest it this summer? Beginning in July 2020, 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.

A New Class!

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!

Enter the nanocyte.

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.

A New Way to Play!

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.

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!

Get excited and follow along for more updates! The action begins this July!

John Compton
Starfinder Senior Developer

Starfinder Near Space released last month, and to show off some of the new character options available in the book, we present Daytenna Flass, an NPC witchwarper that you can use in your Starfinder campaigns. Among her many abilities, Daytenna utilizes an alternate damai racial trait, the mediator archetype, a new damai-themed witchwarper paradigm shift, and some new witchwarper spells, all from Near Space. While NPCs don’t normally use themes, we’ve given Daytenna the bureaucrat theme to give you a sneak peek at one of the new themes from the book as well. In addition, we offer a brief look at Daytenna’s home world, the colossi-infested Daimalko, which is fully detailed in Near Space.

Content from other Starfinder products is marked with the following abbreviations: AA2 (Starfinder Alien Archive 2), COM (Starfinder Character Operations Manual), and NS (Starfinder Near Space). These books are available here on paizo.com or online at sfrd.info.

Daytenna Flass

CR 12

XP 19,200
Female witchwarperCOM (mediatorNS)
LG Medium humanoid (damaiAA2)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +22

Defense

HP 170 RP 5

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EAC 25; KAC 26
Fort +11; Ref +13; Will +15

Offense

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Speed 30 ft.
Ranged valorous LFD sonic pistol +21 (2d8+12 So; critical deafen [DC 18]; boost 1d6)
Witchwarper Spells Known (CL 12th)

• 4th (3/day)—dimension door, modify outcomeNS
• 3rd (6/day)—planned obsolescenceNS (DC 22), prescienceCOM (DC 22), suggestion (DC 22), tongues
• 2nd (at will)—dampening fieldNS, slice realityCOM (DC 21)

Statistics

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Str -1; Dex +3; Con +2; Int +5; Wis +4; Cha +8
Skills Bluff +27, Culture +22, Diplomacy +22, Mysticism +22, Sense Motive +27
Language Ancient Daimalkan, Common, Daimalkan
Other Abilities alternate outcomeCOM (1/day), brazen bravadoNS, bureaucrat themeNS (expert in the field), empathic linkNS, infinite worldsCOM, paradigm shiftsCOM (phantom colossusNS), scrappyAA2

Other Abilities

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Gear platinum AbadarCorp travel suit, valorousNS LFD sonic pistol with 1 high-capacity battery (40 charges), mk 3 serum of healing, serum of enhancement (diplomat); computer (tier 6, hardened, miniaturization [6, Bulk L], security I, self-charging), formal clothing

Special Abilities

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Brazen Bravado Daytenna relies on her incredible force of personality and in-the-moment ingenuity to get herself out of scrapes, rather than on the survival skills common among her fellows. She gains a +2 racial bonus to Bluff and Sense Motive checks. When she aids another creature using either of these skills, the aid another bonus she provides increases to +3. This alternate racial trait replaces survivor.

Bureaucrat Theme Daytenna is a civil servant, operating within institutional boundaries to effect change and navigating the proper channels to find solutions, skills which serve her well in encounters with organizations across the galaxy. Bureaucrats gain an ability adjustment of +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma at character creation.

Empathic Link (Su) Mediators tap into an innate emotional and psychological understanding of others to act as efficient arbitrators between the innumerable species and civilizations of the galaxy. As a full action, Daytenna can touch up to two willing or unconscious creatures to create an empathic link between herself and the creatures touched. This link lasts for 1 hour or until she ends it for all creatures with a swift action. While linked, she and the linked creatures gain the effects of status in relation to one another. Whenever a linked creature fails a Will saving throw, a different linked creature can spend 1 Resolve Point as a reaction to allow the affected creature to reroll the save; if the effect is an emotion or fear effect, they gain a +1 circumstance bonus to this reroll. An affected creature can reroll a given saving throw only once in this manner. Finally, once per day at the beginning of combat, each linked creature can swap their initiative result with that of any other linked creature within 60 feet.

Expert in the Field When Daytenna spends 10 minutes with a creature that knows about Daimalko’s war against the colossi that walk its surface, she gains a +4 circumstance bonus to her next attempted Diplomacy check to change that creature’s attitude or Intimidate check to bully that creature.

Phantom Colossus (Su) As a reaction, when a hostile creature within 100 feet would take any action to move 10 or more feet toward Daytenna or an ally, she can force it to witness an alternate reality in which a massive horror covered in tongues, teeth, and armored plates is bearing down toward it. The target creature must succeed at a DC 21 Will saving throw or it instead loses its action immediately as it is shocked into stillness, and it cannot voluntarily take any additional movement until the beginning of its next turn. Once an attacker has been affected by this paradigm shift, it can’t be targeted by it again for 24 hours. This is a fear effect.

Daytenna Flass is a talent scout for the Guardians of Daimalko, who defend the planet’s inhabitants from the roving colossi that rampage across the planet’s surface with mystical orbs that allow them to psychically sense and subtly influence the monsters’ behavior. Now the hunt is on for brave warriors beyond Daimalko who might be willing to step into battle against these destructive giants by other, more traditional, methods. Daytenna travels Near Space and the Pact Worlds seeking soldiers, saboteurs, and assassins with the guts and experience necessary to face down terrifying horrors from beyond space and time… and she’s very, very persuasive.

DAIMALKO

Daimalko is a dry, blasted world orbiting a tiny star in Near Space, teeming with rampaging colossi and the struggling survivors of the damai species (Starfinder Alien Archive 2 32). Two hundred years ago, the planet’s oceans evaporated, its greenery withered, and earthquakes reverberated across the planet as nightmarish colossi—kyokors (Starfinder Alien Archive 72), tekenkis (Starfinder Alien Archive 3 108), and even stranger monstrosities—rose from the rocky terrain of the empty seabeds. The colossi destroyed the planet’s population centers, forcing the Daimalkans underground, but under the watchful eyes of the Guardians, people have begun returning to the planet’s surface for the first time in generations.

For more character options and more details about Daimalko and dozens of other Near Space Worlds, check out Starfinder Near Space, available now!

Jason Tondro
Starfinder Developer

Starfinder Near Space releases this month, and to show off some of the new character options available in the book, we present Sheevak Smoke-Eater, an NPC antagonist and rival that you can use in your Starfinder campaigns. Among his many abilities, Sheevak utilizes an alternate vesk racial trait and the battle leader archetype, in addition to a new weapon in the form of the doshakari, all from Near Space. While NPCs don’t normally use themes, we’ve given Sheevak the stormrunner theme to give you a sneak peek at one of the new themes from the book as well. In addition, we offer a brief look at Sheevak’s current base of operations, the gas giant Ulthel, which is fully detailed in Near Space.

Content from other Starfinder products is marked with the following abbreviations: NS (Starfinder Near Space) and PW (Starfinder Pact Worlds). These books are available here on paizo.com or online at sfrd.info.

SHEEVAK SMOKE-EATER

CR 6

• XP 2,400
• Male vesk operative (battle leaderNS)
• CE Medium humanoid (vesk)
• Init +7; Senses low-light vision; Perception +14

DEFENSE

HP 80 RP 4

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• EAC 19; KAC 20
• Fort +5; Ref +8; Will +9
• Defensive Abilities armor savant, evasion

OFFENSE

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• Speed 40 ft.
• Melee tactical doshakari +12 (1d6+7 P; critical wound [DC 15]; analog, disarm, operative) or unarmed strike +12 (1d3+4 B)
• Ranged advanced shobhad horizon striker +14 (3d4+6 P; analog, sniper [1,000 ft.], unwieldy) or frostbite-class zero pistol +14 (1d6+6 C; critical staggered [DC 17])
• Offensive Abilities debilitating trick, natural weapons, trick attack +3d8

STATISTICS

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• Str +2; Dex +5; Con +1; Int +0; Wis +1; Cha +4
• Skills Acrobatics +19, Athletics +14, Culture +14, Intimidate +14, Survival +19 (+23 with trick attack)
• Languages Common, Iji, Pahtra, Vesk
• Other Abilities brawnyNS, operative exploits (ever vigilant), specialization (explorer), stormrunner themeNS (eye of the storm, theme knowledge), victory cry NS (got ’em!, regroup)
• Gear freebooter armor II (jetpack), advanced shobhad horizon strikerPW with 25 sniper rounds, frostbite-class zero pistol with 1 battery (20 charges), tactical doshakariNS, mk 2 serum of healing, adamantine alloy cable line (50 feet), environmental clothing (zero gravity), grappler, signal jammer (level 6); Augmentations cardiac accelerator

SPECIAL ABILITIES

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• Brawny Sheevak takes pride in being as physically fit as possible. He gains a +2 racial bonus to Athletics and Acrobatics checks. This alternate racial trait replaces fearless.
• Eye of the Storm When in stormy conditions, Sheevak is able to gather greater information about his surroundings. His visibility range in a storm is reduced by only half, and he takes a –4 penalty to Perception checks instead of –8. When he succeeds at a Survival check to endure severe weather, he can move his full overland speed and still receive the +2 bonus to Fortitude saves against severe weather. He suffers the forced movement and takes damage from a failed Acrobatics check to fly in dangerous wind conditions only if he fails the check by 10 or more, instead of by 5 or more.
• Stormrunner Theme Sheevak is trained to navigate the tumultuous atmospheres of gas giants with grace, learning weather patterns and recognizing the order in the apparent randomness of storms. Stormrunners gain an ability adjustment of +1 to Dexterity at character creation.
• Stormrunner Theme Knowledge The life of a stormrunner is about beating the odds in high-risk situations. Reduce the DC of Survival checks to endure severe weather, orienteer, and predict weather when in rainy, snowy, or windy conditions by 5.
• Tactical Doshakari This punch dagger resembles a miniature doshko extending from the knuckles, with one to four diamond‑shaped blades.
• Victory Cry (Ex) Followers of a tradition that originated in the Veskarium among devout followers of Damoritosh, battle leaders are known for celebrating victories as they happen. Sheevak knows how to capitalize on his allies’ successes in battle, inspiring them to further incredible feats. As a reaction when Sheevak or an ally scores a critical hit against a significant enemy with an attack or drops a significant enemy to 0 Hit Points, he can issue a victory cry, choosing one of the following and providing its benefits to all allies within 60 feet (but not Sheevak himself):
• Got ’Em!: Affected allies gain a +2 morale bonus to damage rolls until the end of their next turn.
• Regroup: The triggering ally regains 10 Stamina Points.
• These alternate class features replace the operative exploit class features normally gained at 2nd and 4th level.

Sheevak Smoke-Eater is a veteran stormrunner, leading a team salvaging minerals and other valuable resources from the atmospheres of gas giants. He’s currently working for Project Omega, a top secret research facility in orbit around the Near Space gas giant Ulthel. Sheevak’s mission is to take samples from ulthelim, the planet’s native species, for study by Project Omega’s scientists. Project leader Dr. Holton-8 pays well, and ethical characters who seek to shut down Sheevak and his employers are in for a fight.

For members of Sheevak’s stormrunning team, you can use the stats for the mercenary rookie on page 174 of Starfinder Pact Worlds, but replace their Stealth skill with Acrobatics +13 and add the Eye of the Storm and Stormrunner Theme Knowledge special abilities from Sheevak’s stat block above.

ULTHEL

Ulthel is a gas giant in Near Space with a toxic atmosphere, home to a species of jellyfish-like creatures known as ulthelim. Early visitors to Ulthel reported hearing mental pleas from the ulthelim, which begged the visitors in a single cacophonous voice to partake of the planet’s wisdom, to merge with the clouds of ulthelim, and to become one with the planet as a single entity. These were always the last reports visitors logged before they themselves disappeared without a trace. To some, visiting the planet is a surefire death sentence. But to others, the transformative nature of the ulthelim represents a blueprint of utopia. To still others, the gas giant holds a potential gold mine of riches and scientific secrets that’s worth braving any risk.

For more character options and more details about Ulthel and dozens of other Near Space Worlds, check out Starfinder Near Space, available now!

Jason Tondro
Starfinder Developer

Journey to Near Space, the galactic region that contains the Pact Worlds, the Veskarium, and countless other systems and worlds. This hardcover rulebook expands the Starfinder campaign setting with details on dozens of planets and cultures found in Near Space, each perfect as a locale for science-fantasy adventure! Inside this book you’ll find:

• In-depth gazetteers of the nine worlds of the Veskarium, the interstellar empire founded by the militaristic vesk, and of 20 more worlds and civilizations of Near Space.
• New starship options and a dozen new starships.
• A wide variety of new player options: archetypes, themes, gear, spells, and alternate racial options!

WELCOME TO NEAR SPACE

In the Starfinder Roleplaying Game, the discovery of the hyperspace dimension known as the Drift has granted explorers access to a plethora of new worlds. Home to many sapient species both peaceful and otherwise, Near Space is not a single geographical area. Rather, it is defined by how quickly one can reach a world using the Drift, which depends on how many of the mysterious Drift beacons are nearby. One world might be virtually unreachable to another through normal travel, but the two might be neighbors via Near Space and can therefore reach one another in a matter of days.

WHAT’S IN THIS BOOK

Near Space is a bigger place than could be fully captured in any number of books—or even datapads—but these 160 pages are packed with information about some of its most interesting places.

Illustration by Roberto Pitturru

CHAPTER 1: THE VESKARIUM

Chapter 1 is all about the Veskarium, the home system of the warlike lizard people known as vesk. Along with brand new in‐depth information about the vesk species, each of the Veskarium’s eight planets are covered in detail, as is the massive mobile star base and shipyard known as Conqueror’s Forge.

Illustration by Rodrigo Gonzalez Toledo

CHAPTER 2: WORLDS OF NEAR SPACE

Chapter 2 opens with a guide on exploring the reaches of Near Space, along with 20 prominent and diverse planets and systems that starfarers from across the galaxy might visit. Whether you want detailed home worlds of playable species or entire new systems to explore, this chapter has you covered.

Illustration by Rodrigo Gonzalez Toledo

CHAPTER 3: STARSHIPS

Chapter 3 introduces new starships for several kinds of Near Space denizens, including six new vesk starships. There is also a selection of new starship options for those who wish to further customize their home away from their home world.

Illustration by Roberto Pitturru.

CHAPTER 4: PLAYER OPTIONS

Chapter 4 is packed with player options, from alternate race options for nine Near Space–based species (including hobgoblins, osharus, and skittermanders) to new themes and archetypes. The chapter also offers new armor and weapon options, plus new shields (Starfinder Character Operations Manual 124) and spells, which can be used to flesh out adventures in Near Space.

You can acquire Near Space at your favorite local gaming store. Or with your ongoing Starfinder Roleplaying Game subscription, we'll send each new installment right to your door and charge your payment method automatically as we ship each product. You only need to sign up once, and never need to worry about renewal notices or missed products.

The next big releases for Starfidner will be the Starship Operations Manual and the Starfinder Core Rulebook Pocket Edition in July, which actually means the first weekend in August at Gen Con 2020.

Adventures Ahead!

Aaron Shanks
Marketing and Media Manager