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Starfinder Core Rulebook

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Starfinder Core Rulebook
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Shoot for the Stars

Blast off into a galaxy of adventure with the Starfinder Roleplaying Game! Step into your powered armor and grab your magic-infused laser rifle as you investigate the mysteries of a weird universe with your bold starship crew. Will you delve for lost artifacts in the ruins of alien temples? Strap on rune-enhanced armor and a laser rifle to battle undead empires in fleets of bone ships, or defend colonists from a swarm of ravenous monsters? Maybe you'll hack into the mainframe of a god-run corporation, or search the stars for clues to the secret history of the universe or brand new planets to explore. Whether you're making first contact with new cultures on uncharted worlds or fighting to survive in the neon-lit back alleys of Absalom Station, you and your team will need all your wits, combat skill, and magic to make it through. But most of all, you'll need each other.

This massive 528-page hardcover rulebook is the essential centerpiece of the Starfinder Roleplaying Game, with rules for character creation, magic, gear, and more—everything you need to play Starfinder as either a player or Game Master! The next great adventure in science-fantasy roleplaying takes off here, and the Starfinder Core Rulebook is your ticket to a lifetime of adventure amid the stars!

Inside this book, you'll find:

  • All of the rules you need to play or run a game of Starfinder.
  • Seven character classes, from the elite soldier and stealthy operative to the physics-hacking technomancer and mind-bending mystic.
  • Character species both new and classic, from androids, insectile shirrens, ratlike ysoki, and reptilian vesk to the dwarves and elves of the distant future.
  • An in-depth exploration of the Starfinder setting, including its planets, gods, factions, and threats.
  • Hundreds of weapons, spells, technological gadgets, magic items, and other options to outfit any character.
  • Complete rules for starships, including customization and starship combat.
  • Rules and tips on using Pathfinder RPG content with Starfinder.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-956-1

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Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Hero Lab Online
Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Roll20 Virtual Tabletop
SoundSet on Syrinscape
Archives of Nethys

Note: This product is part of the Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscription.

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Thanks again for another great game! May I have another piece of crow pie?

5/5 —

I started gaming with Star Frontiers and science fiction gaming has always been my true gaming love despite most of the time being spent – unsurprisingly – on fantasy. The fantasy genre has done much over the decades to close the gap to where the affection gap between them is pretty narrow but sci-fi still wins out. However, science fiction and fantasy have always been “two great tastes” that didn’t really taste great together for me. For every Star Wars (and there are few), there are dozens of examples of poorly mashing the genres together. Planetary romance and pulp managed it before Star Wars was a thing but the only thing close to Star Wars that did it successfully IMO was Farscape.

So going into the announcement of Starfinder, I was intrigued but not thrilled. From a Paizo perspective, it made perfect sense – it gave the company the opportunity to satisfy Lisa’s love of Star Wars with Paizo intellectual property and no licensing headaches and also could satisfy Erik’s love of planetary romance/pulp as well as fully realize the science fantasy seeds planted in the PF1 era Golarion system.

I picked up Starfinder and while I was impressed with some elements, others on first glance didn’t quite satisfy my physics-degree based-desire to keep magic out of my science fiction. I’d found Savage Worlds years before and it provides the science-fiction toolbox I was looking for. (BTW, Pinnacle has a kickstarter for the Irongate expansion for their highly recommended Last Parsec setting underway right now).

Specifically, I wasn’t crazy about NPCs operating by different rules, the gear progression system, and what appeared to be the restrictive nature of the base classes. I was running multiple Pathfinder campaigns and struggling to find regular times to run those and still had my intermittent Last Parsec campaign so there was little incentive to add Starfinder to the mix of games I’d run.

But a month ago my eldest son said he wanted to purchase Starfinder with an eye towards running it. For the first time in many years, I would get to be a player rather than a GM, so I threw my Starfinder reservations aside and eagerly dove into Starfinder.

It iS GLORIOUS!!

Yes, it’s more Farscape and Guardians of the Galaxy than Aliens, Dark Matter, The Expanse, or Firefly (but it can do these also). Yes, it has a specific tone/feel just like Pathfinder is for fantasy so it can’t be molded to suit any style of science fiction. Also, yes – it’s a blast to play!

My love of Savage Worlds and free-form/magic-free science fiction caused me to forget a lesson I learned when introducing my kids and their friends to Pathfinder. For most new players, class-based games provide structure that facilitates learning the game vs. being so overwhelmed by possibilities that a player doesn’t know where to start. The same goes for the gear list and while, yes it is a concession to game balance & structure, it’s not as intrusive or problematic as my casual initial Starfinder read-through appeared. And at the end of the day, it’s a game and not a physics simulator which is true of every RPG I’ve played in the past 35 years.

Once my preconceptions and biases were thrown aside, I’ve quickly grown to appreciate the design of this game. We are 4-5 sessions into the campaign and it’s fantastic. Some of my favorite SF facets:

1. Every class is broader than I originally believed. For example an operative, envoy, and even a soldier can be a skilled engineer, not just the Mechanic.

2. Every class is distinct but can contribute to similar roles via different means. The SF classes are very flexible. Themes allow for further differentiation out of the gate. Having multiple characters of the same class in a party isn’t detrimental.

3. Stamina Points + the removal of non-lethal damage provides a smooth cinematic experience without the limitations of Ultimate Combats Wounds+Vitality system. I like it so much I wish it would be in PF2. I understand why it won’t be, but I want it all the same.

4. Starship combat is excellent! It brought back Knight Hawks nostalgia but without the rough edges. If Knight Hawks was a classic car, Starfinder is the refined, high tech model of modern engineering.

5. Ability advancement is vastly superior to PF1. It’s easier to make well-rounded characters instead of having to hyper-specialize.

6. The broader magical classes that are differentiated by themes/sources/story is superior to PF1’s specialized spellcasting classes. I like that Priest is a theme rather than hard-wired into a class. The removal of arcane/divine makes magic seem more like a universal mystical force that can be interpreted multiple ways. In this respect, magic in SF seems more mystical than magic in PF, which is so categorized & defined that it seems more scientific in comparison.

7. Bulk is much more manageable than PF1’s encumbrance system. It has its own quirks but I like the system overall.

I’m still early into the system and have much to learn. While SF may not provide the pure science fiction of say The Expanse or the new Lost in Space out of the box, it does provide an exciting system and setting for science fantasy. As most players and GMs (and Hollywood directors) are perfectly happy moving “at the speed of plot”, the SFCRB provides a new-player-friendly toolkit for expanding beyond FRPGs. It builds off of PF1, the PF Beginner Box, and current media influences and refines the whole into a fun, yet familiar, science fantasy RPG.

Kudos, Paizo! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to prep my ship. We’re heading into the Drift!

I've been playing for half a year now; here are my thoughts.

5/5 —

First off, a review of a core rulebook is pretty similar to a review of a game system, so this is basically that. The short version? I really, really enjoy Starfinder, and I think the Core Rulebook does an excellent job of explaining and showcasing the system.

Alright, the long version:

Character Creation: In comparison to Pathfinder, building characters is less fiddly while maintaining a large array of meaningful customization options. One new addition is Themes (analogous to Pathfinder's traits) which have a small amount of mechanical impact but do a very good job of hooking your character into the world around them.

Races: Starfinder ships with six new alien races as well as all the core Pathfinder races. Most of them largely fall into the category of Star Trek aliens (ya know, humans with masks on), but they have some fairly interesting racial abilities to differentiate them.

Classes: Starfinder has seven classes. Some are familiar (soldiers are basically space-fighters), some are deceptively different (technomancers look like wizards, but they're really not), and some are completely new (solarians are... solarians). Overall, the power curve is pretty tight and each class is interesting, highly customizable, and worth playing.

Feats, Skills, and Spells: Feats are, overall, less important than in Pathfinder (as a corollary, feat taxes have been eliminated; the feat trees are quite short). Skills are arguably more important (especially in starship combat), and the skill list has been condensed in a way that makes skills more accessible. The biggest change to the magic system is probably the addition of undercasting (i.e., some spells can be cast at multiple spell levels), which is absolutely essential, considering that both spellcasting classes in Starfinder are spontaneous.

Tactical Rules: It feels like Pathfinder. There are a host of small to medium changes (iterative attacks have been replaced with scaling weapon damage, for example), but if you like Pathfinder combat, you'll like Starfinder combat (unless, of course, you hate change - Starfinder is a new system, not a setting on top of an old system).

Other Things: Starship combat! I think it's pretty neat and makes a good addition to the game. There's also an expansive chapter on setting, which includes deities, planets, groups, etc. - it's usful to both players & GMs. There's a chapter on game mastering, which is nice. Finally, the art is fantastic through and through.

5/5 —

Ehhh?

—

While I like some aspects of this game. The over all experience fell flat. The main problem is equipment. The leveled set was so lockstep that it made all of my players disappointed. You could not have a signature weapon or such. It was grind for the next level of gear and toss out the old. No one like it.

The classes were Okay and the concepts were pretty cool. But I can say if this is the basis for pathfinder 2nd ed were not likely going to put out any more money.

One big problem you have is this drive to constantly simplify and stream line. Thing get lost when you smooth out the details to much. Good things get lost. This is not a hobby that tend to attracted people who can handle a few rules, And the simplification feels like our intelligence is being questioned and only the lowest common denominator is being served. I don't know why I am writing this though. Publishers never listen.

Any way the critical flaw is still in the money and equipment.

Great system, great book!

5/5 —

The book is beautiful, thick, filled with good mechanics and a lot of background.

The game is very nice, streamlined.

Go Starfinder!

I am very happy to have discovered the game, and this book is enough to run a lot of adventures.

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Dragon78 wrote:
I wonder if the book will have stats for the non-core races as well.

I would be very surprised if they did.

I wonder if we will have to wait for Gencon to find out who all the iconics will be.
Grand Lodge

When will there be a PDF preorder?

Hmm

I don't think (though I may be wrong) that you can ever preorder a Paizo PDF. They go live on street date, and you buy it at your leisure.

Yup, you only get the PDF early with subscriptions.

Which we still don't know about. :-)
Creative Director, Starfinder Team
4 people marked this as a favorite.
Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

Will this book contain the rules for traps like the PF CRB? Did they get an update?

Yup!

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
1 person marked this as a favorite.

I also hope gravity rules will be available. And simple...

I heard this about the lore

Lore:
That using hyperspace damages the fabric of space and time. Isn't hyperspace a big part of having adventures? If the players get smacked for using hyperspace, they are more likely to stay planetside.
Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
MannyGoblin wrote:

I heard this about the lore

** spoiler omitted **

IIRC: Each time hyperspace is used, it grabs a piece of one of the planes and imports it into the hyperspace plane. In the example given, I think they listed two planes from the Outer Sphere and the First World, so I am not sure if Inner Sphere planes are grabbed as well.

I don't recall anything about time being affected though.
The Exchange

So, my only question is:

Do those who pre-order get any added benefits, like a poster or complementary material?

Either way, I'm still buying this.

Get ready for gun-ho mayhem.
Thomas LeBlanc wrote:
MannyGoblin wrote:

I heard this about the lore

** spoiler omitted **

IIRC: Each time hyperspace is used, it grabs a piece of one of the planes and imports it into the hyperspace plane. In the example given, I think they listed two planes from the Outer Sphere and the First World, so I am not sure if Inner Sphere planes are grabbed as well.

I don't recall anything about time being affected though.

Close, from what I have been seeing.

It doesn't automatically grab a piece of a plane, but the longer the trip the more likely.
Liberty's Edge

First I'm hearing about the planar breach effect of hyperspace... I'm thinking that might make all sorts of extraplanar creatures unhappy with space travel.
The Exchange
1 person marked this as a favorite.
CBDunkerson wrote:
First I'm hearing about the planar breach effect of hyperspace... I'm thinking that might make all sorts of extraplanar creatures unhappy with space travel.

Could be a good plot hook for a planar invasion campaign. :)

Liberty's Edge
6 people marked this as a favorite.
CBDunkerson wrote:
First I'm hearing about the planar breach effect of hyperspace... I'm thinking that might make all sorts of extraplanar creatures unhappy with space travel.

They've already said this is explicitly the case... I think it might be a clever means for devising "wandering encounters" while in hyperspace.

I wonder how many skills points each class will get.
1 person marked this as a favorite.

All hyped for this game. I do hope that it's not the final cover we see. The painting for the Starfinder Character Folio is more interesting and attractive, while respecting the visual signature of the Pathfinder line.

Not a fan of the orange/blue color for the logo. Maybe these color could be embedded into a metallic version of the logo (overlay/color dodge in Photoshop) would work great for that and be less plastic-ey. But I would be more for a departure from the Orange/Blue Contrast meme, maybe purple and yellow.

Just a thought.
Scarab Sages
Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Shisumo wrote:
CBDunkerson wrote:
First I'm hearing about the planar breach effect of hyperspace... I'm thinking that might make all sorts of extraplanar creatures unhappy with space travel.
They've already said this is explicitly the case... I think it might be a clever means for devising "wandering encounters" while in hyperspace.

In David Weber's Honorverse the ships are able to be at station keeping while in hyperspace. This allows pirates to ambush ships along the common routes between star systems.

There could be something similar in Starfinder.
Grand Lodge
6 people marked this as a favorite.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber
Dragon78 wrote:
I wonder how many skills points each class will get.

2+IntMod.

Muah ah ah ah ah!

-Skeld
The Exchange
Nolinquisitor wrote:

All hyped for this game. I do hope that it's not the final cover we see. The painting for the Starfinder Character Folio is more interesting and attractive, while respecting the visual signature of the Pathfinder line.

Not a fan of the orange/blue color for the logo. Maybe these color could be embedded into a metallic version of the logo (overlay/color dodge in Photoshop) would work great for that and be less plastic-ey. But I would be more for a departure from the Orange/Blue Contrast meme, maybe purple and yellow.

Just a thought.

agreed

6+Int skill points or better...Muah ah ah ah ah...
2 people marked this as a favorite.

Who needs skill points, when you've got a hole in the head? USB learnin...

what is the name of the only full spellcaster class in starfinder Owen ?
Contributor

Last I heard, there weren't any core casters that went above 6th level spells.
Andrew Mullen wrote:
Last I heard, there weren't any core casters that went above 6th level spells.

You heard correctly.

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Well I just gave these people some money and I'm gonna give em even more next paycheck.

Why don't I feel bad about this? Why am I excited to spend money on the chance to play laser sword wielding super psychic with the power of a black hole?
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Gorbacz wrote:
Zaister wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
[If you're living in the EU, there's no import duties on books from the US. You might be hit by Vat if your order is super expensive, but that happened to me only once.
You seem to be lucky. then. I pay tax ("Einfuhrumsatzsteuer") on each and every package I get form Paizo.
Are you subscribed to anything that isn't a book line?

Yes, I am subscribed to basically everything.

Anyway, I've been using UPS shipping for some months now, which basically guarantees tax handling, but it is much more convenient (and faster!) than to have to drive out to the customs office which is out in the middle of nowhere for every package and wait in line and then wait for a slow customs official to calculate tax on his ancient calculator, especially when I tend to get more than one package per shipment and the customs office can't recognize that they belog together which means I may even have to go there twice a month.

I am VERY excited for this! By the time this book comes out, the campaign I'm running may actually have some space elements to it. Can't wait!

I was wondering, is there an ETA for when we may start to see full Meet the Iconics write ups for Starfinder? I love those stories and feel that they add a lot of flavor to these books so it'd be nice if at least most of the ones for Starfinder are posted before the book is released. This is of course under the assumption that there will be Meet the Iconics write-ups for Starfinder; please tell me that's a safe assumption....
The Exchange
pluvia33 wrote:

I am VERY excited for this! By the time this book comes out, the campaign I'm running may actually have some space elements to it. Can't wait!

I was wondering, is there an ETA for when we may start to see full Meet the Iconics write ups for Starfinder? I love those stories and feel that they add a lot of flavor to these books so it'd be nice if at least most of the ones for Starfinder are posted before the book is released. This is of course under the assumption that there will be Meet the Iconics write-ups for Starfinder; please tell me that's a safe assumption....

Yeah, there is. I've seen several write-ups already. Just search "Starfinder Interview" and you should be able to find the write-up on a blog-post for the Operative, which I'm too lazy to go and look for right now.

Theliah Strongarm wrote:
Yeah, there is. I've seen several write-ups already. Just search "Starfinder Interview" and you should be able to find the write-up on a blog-post for the Operative, which I'm too lazy to go and look for right now.

Yes, I've found the interview posts that briefly talked about the Operative and Envoy already, but I'm talking about giving them full Meet the Iconics write-ups like the one for Enora the Arcanist.

Liberty's Edge

Those will probably start up in late summer, when they start really rolling out the preview information for Starfinder, but I admit I am very much looking forward to them.
Creative Director, Starfinder Team
4 people marked this as a favorite.

We will absolutely be doing Meet the Iconics posts, but not until closer to release. Navasi and Iseph got their names announced a little early at the request of Game Informer and Polygon. :)

Just let on of my regular tabletop groups know. Wishing it would show up at Pax East, but love the wait.

Very much looking forward to this. It'll bridge my classic and sci-fi fantasies. I would pre-order, but I prefer by far the idea of a subscription. Going to wait.
The Exchange
Comrade_Jolan wrote:
Very much looking forward to this. It'll bridge my classic and sci-fi fantasies. I would pre-order, but I prefer by far the idea of a subscription. Going to wait.

Yeah, I've already preordered the game, just to see how the game system works, but I'll probably use it for running a Star Wars campaign.

I will wait until June or July, if there is no subscription option by then, then I will pre-order.

I don't see any mention of monsters in the description of this book. Are you squeezing that into each AP?

I'll buy this for sure; curious to see if it's as crunchy as Pathfinder or if you're taking a cue from the 5e rules and roll-out strategy and trying for something that's a little more accessible and non-bloaty. I'm hoping for the latter, just so I can get more people into the game and not feel like I have an IV drawing from my bank account. :)
Coffee Demon wrote:
I don't see any mention of monsters in the description of this book. Are you squeezing that into each AP?

From the Humble Bundle Q&A, signs point to yes on the AP, the First Contact Free RPG Day book, and a future standalone Bestiary:

Quote:

Q: Will the Core Rulebook contain monsters, or will they be in a separate book later?

Jason Keeley: In a separate book later. We will have that First Contact Free RPG Day product available to even before Starfinder comes out, so you'll still have a couple of monsters. And also we know, as Owen mentioned earlier, that there's a philosophy where you can grab the (Pathfinder) Bestiary, plop it open, and run the monster that you find there.

Rob McCreary: The Starfinder Adventure Path, the first volume of which will come out in August at the same time as the Core Rulebook, will also have a Bestiary section just like the Pathfinder Adventure Path does, so right out of month 1 you'll have some new monsters, and every volume of the AP will have a selection of new monsters and new aliens and such.

Thanks!

I just read an interview with one of the designers, and I feel optimistic about what they're probably doing to streamline the rules and ensure that the game doesn't get bloat-y.

You gotta think that if the rulebook is as big as the PF Core book, but also includes ship combat and lore about the universe, they're going to have to trim and polish a fair bit. I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with!

I'm really curious to see how they make it compatible to BF Bestiaries, but I suppose that's just a matter of making bonuses increase at the same rate, and matching AC and HP.
6 people marked this as a favorite.

Captain's Log - It has now been one week since I preordered the Starfinder Core Rulebook. Gaming supplies are running dangerously low and I've had to read old Traveller hardbacks these past seven days.

I suspect I can no longer trust the remaining members of my regular group. The rigors of anticipating space travel have some how twisted their minds... they've gone crazy... they've got the SPACE MADNESS!

Oh, they think I am crazy, but I know better... It is not I who am crazy-- it is I who am mad! Didn't you hear 'em? Didn't you see the crowds?!

You can't take them from me! I've had these dice since I was a child! People always trying to take them from me! Why won't they leave me alone?!

It's going to be a long six months

Does anyone know if Automatic Bonus Progression, or something like it, will be in the core Starfinder rules?
ericthecleric wrote:
Does anyone know if Automatic Bonus Progression, or something like it, will be in the core Starfinder rules?

I somewhat doubt it. I expect with mundane equipment now having levels that they will be granting most of the bonuses eg. A HUD helmet granting a bonus to reflex saves.

Chris Lambertz wrote:
Now available for preorder! Cover image and description are not final and may vary before release!

Ah, it's too bad Paizo went for the less-exciting cover for the Core Rules book. Why did they change it from the original promo image? Seems like it should be swapped with the Player Character Folio.

Disappointing to say the least!
2 people marked this as a favorite.

But, that's NOT the final cover.

As said in the post you quoted. :-)

Has it been covered anywhere i haven't seen yet about a Starfinder subscription? I'm willing to give long term commitment a trial basis ;)

I believe they're still working on the logistics, but do plan to offer subscriptions.

No idea when that'll happen, and I suppose they could change their minds, but I'd be surprised if they did. :-)

Not having subscriptions would be a sign that Paizo has given up on the Starfinder product line, given how profitable the Pathfinder subscriptions have proven to be.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

I don't think they'd give up on it before it's even published. Just let them work out the details on their own terms.

Exactly. Note that there is a difference between subscriptions not being formally announced yet (our current state) and Paizo either formally announcing that there would be no subscriptions or letting Gencon slip by with no subscription being announced (which would be the "Not having subscriptions" state that I was referencing in my last post). I would be (unpleasantly) shocked if the latter case happened.

They've already said that there will definitely be subscriptions, and that if you pre-order now, they will push the pre-ordered products over into your subscription once they are available so you don't end up doubling up on anything.
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