Interstellar Species: Tendril, Wing, and Scale

Starfinder Interstellar Species is almost here! Scroll down for a preview of what (and who!) you’ll encounter when you pick up a copy of this new Starfinder rulebook.

Cover Artist: Ignacio Bazán Lazcano

Tendril, wing, and scale

Starfinder isn’t just a game about hackers, telepathy, and laser pistols—it’s an intersection of the many delightfully unique aliens that you can play! Starfinder Interstellar Species presents an eclectic array of strange creatures, from extradimensional kobolds and tiny raxilite plant people to mighty dragonkin and crystalline, silicon-based urogs. Be prepared not only to uncover all-new cultures, histories, and character options, but also to learn that you don’t need a spine to pilot a starship! In this book, you’ll find:

• The new evolutionist character class, able to transform their body to overcome any challenge!
• An in-depth look at 25 fan-favorite playable species, all with exciting character options including feats, spells, and innovative gear.
• Tools for creating your own playable species, including their appearance, culture, and abilities!
• A vast gallery full of versatile NPCs like assassins, explorers, investigators, and star athletes—each ready to be included in any campaign.

First, did you miss the Starfinder Interstellar Species overview our favorite Tomb Juice™ merchant shared in July? Don’t worry, the "A Midsummner Night’s Market Meeting" blog has you covered if you want a refresher!

New Class Options

an excerpt from the chapter’s introduction

The Starfinder Core Rulebook presents a wide range of class abilities designed to fulfill classic roles, objectives, and tropes. And while subsequent books present an even broader array of exciting character options, these often draw on broad themes from technology and magic to exploration and adventure.

Starfinder Interstellar Species changes that approach by focusing on the diverse societies of the Pact Worlds and beyond, exploring how they’ve adapted familiar character classes to best fit their cultural, environmental, and physiological needs. Along with seven species’ innovative approaches to classic classes, the classes chapter also provides a new character class—the evolutionist—that allows your characters to adapt swiftly to any biome or social setting.

But you get to design, too. While creating your character, consider how your species and class concepts intersect. What cultural values shape the types of spellcasting favored by members of the species? Do cultural legends inspire adventurers to emulate ancient heroes or warn them against following in the footsteps of vilified predecessors? Is there a martial tradition that incorporates one of your species’ abilities? Does your species’ culture deemphasize a specific class’s core concepts, adapting them in unexpected ways?

In Chapter 2, you’ll have the opportunity to create your own playable species—perhaps as the GM, or even as a player (with your GM’s approval). As you do, consider how your species’ culture(s), values, surroundings, and resources might inspire you to create new character options that showcase a people’s heritage and history. As inspiration for your own creative process, consider how the class features presented in this chapter do the same.

Illustration by Tianxing Xu

Meet the Evolutionist

Conflict drives innovation, and in a strange and dangerous galaxy you’ve unlocked unparalleled means to adapt. By embracing mystic tradition, extensive augmentation, deliberate genetic mutation, or relying on other extraordinary means, you transform yourself into a powerful being better suited to achieving your goals. You might adopt characteristics of a ferocious chimera, an undead scion, a cybernetic paragon, or anything in between. Yet your evolution boasts a will of its own. Your abilities fight you for control in stressful situations, even while providing lethal instincts, an innate weapon, and spontaneous adaptations that help you outmaneuver, outwit, and outmatch your foes. No matter your niche, you are an adaptable combatant who forges your destiny in flesh, bone, or steel.

Illustration by Mirco Paganess

Species of Starfinder

This chapter delves into 25 of Starfinder’s most popular species—chosen in part by our fans in a public survey in 2021. Each article explores the physiology, home world, society, and innovations in unprecedented detail. This chapter also presents the long-awaited system for creating your own playable species in Starfinder, including guidelines for design, sample abilities, and questions to ask yourself throughout the creative process to inspire a fun, engaging, and believable new species.

Playable Species of Starfinder
The Starfinder Roleplaying Game has a staggering number of alien species for you to pick from when creating a character. This [five-page!] section provides a snippet of physical and cultural information for those that exist at the time of printing, to help you choose!

Custom Species Builder
The Starfinder Roleplaying Game provides more than 100 playable species to choose from, but it’s missing a particularly fascinating species: the one you’ve yet to create! This article gives you tools and tips for making your own contribution to the galaxy’s panoply of species (while ensuring it’s of an appropriate power level for most games). Of course, you’ll still want to collaborate with your GM and other players to make sure it’s a good fit for your game.

Illustration by Ivan Onokhin

NPC Gallery

Nonplayer characters are an essential part of the Starfinder Roleplaying Game, and having a wide suite of pre-built NPCs to choose from can be a boon to any gamemaster. This chapter presents 72 NPCs of varying themes and CR, complete with stat blocks and suggestions for incorporating them into your game. Populate cities and space stations with a variety of compelling NPCs, or flesh out a story for one and have them serve as the PCs’ primary antagonist—employ them as you wish!

Have fun exploring the galaxy, and thanks for playing Starfinder!

Order your copy of Starfinder Interstellar Species at your local retailer or the Paizo Store!