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Starfinder Pact Worlds

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Starfinder Pact Worlds
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The Pact Worlds are the beating heart of the Starfinder campaign setting, a solar system full of citizens both familiar and bizarre. From the cosmopolitan corridors of Absalom Station to the carnivorous jungles of Castrovel or the floating cloud-cities of the gas giant Bretheda, this hardcover rulebook is your guide to Starfinder's core worlds and civilizations, and the perfect place to launch any adventure.

Inside, you'll find:

  • In-depth gazetteers of the system's 14 major worlds, from high-tech Verces and the draconic empires of Triaxus to the necromantic wastleands of Eox or magical bubble cities floating on the surface of the sun. Each gazetteer features a detailed world map, residents and cultures, settlements and adventure locations, a unique theme to customize characters from that world, and more.
  • New playable alien species, from undead Eoxians to Castrovellian plant-people.
  • New starships, from the living vessels of the Xenowardens to sinister Hellknight dreadnoughts.
  • A codex of themed NPC stat blocks to help Game Masters create vivid encounters.
  • New archetypes for every class, including the Star Knight, Skyfire Centurion, and Divine Champion.
  • Tons of new weapons, armors, spells, feats, magic items, technological gadgets, and more to help outfit your adventurers.

978-1-64078-022-4



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4.30/5 (based on 15 ratings)

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5/5 —

Good splat. Need to continuity fact-check the Hellknights

4/5 —

This splat definitely reflects Joe Pasini's philosophy of "Something for everyone". I especially appreciated the NPC blocks for various soldiers and other factional members, very useful. Wish Near Space had the same!

The only hang-up I have is that there is implied tension in the Pact Worlds, say , between the Hellknights and Iomedaens/Knights of Golarion but it's never really explained how this conflict might play out given that The Stewards enforce a NO FIGHTING rule.

EDIT 6/25/2022:

Okay, that's not the only critique I have. There are a couple other issues with the Hellknights.

First is rather pedantic - the Hellknight armor list should read:

Armiger (Level 2)
Paralictor (Level 5)
Maralictor (Level 9)
Lictor (Level 14)

Because that's the traditional Hellknight hierarchy as shown in Path of the Hellknight. Instead it reads

Armiger (Level 2)
Paralictor (Level 9)
Maralictor (Level 14)
Lictor (Level 5)

Sad!

The other thing is this -- the star Knight (Hell Knight) feat grants you heavy armor proficiency at level 2. But every single Hellknight NPC in this book uses D-Suit III's. Light armor! Whyyyyy? I can understand the Signifers, but why would the Hellknight Commander or the Armigers not use the Hellknight Plate?!

Great for both GMs & Players

5/5 —

If someone were interested in Starfinder, the first three books I'd recommend they buy would be the Core Rulebook, the Alien Archive, and Pact Worlds. The first one gives the rules, the second one gives the adversaries and allies, and the third one gives the setting. Pact Worlds is a 216-page hardcover book primarily intended to provide a detailed overview of each of the planets in the setting's main star system. In addition, the book introduces several new starships, NPC stat blocks, and some player options like new archetypes, playable races, and weapons. The artwork and layout are really pretty, though the book is a bit pricey given its length. Still, I consider it a nearly essential buy for GMs looking to add depth and richness to their Starfinder games.

The book starts with a four-page introduction, "Welcome to the Pact Worlds", that provides a nice, readable summary of the general government, economy, and culture of the system. Some key historical events are put into perspective, which is something I appreciated. For example, the alliance with the Vesk is a relatively recent phenomenon after decades of war, and there are still some tensions there. The description of the Stewards was interesting, and one gets the sense that they're essentially Jedi Knights, roaming the galaxy and settling local disputes. Economy-wise, it seems capitalism runs unbridled, which probably makes for a good setting for adventurers even if it's a bit depressing to imagine.

Chapter 1, "The Worlds", weighs in at 140 pages and is by far the longest chapter. Each of the planets in the Pact Worlds receives ten pages of coverage broken down into the subheadings of Geography, Residents, Society, Conflicts and Threats, and Notable Locations. A one-page map of each planet is provided, but there's something about them that just doesn't look right to me. Each world-entry then concludes with a new character theme suitable for PCs from that planet. Here are the worlds covered:

* The Sun: Far from simply a source of light, heat, and gravity, the Pact World's sun is the home to the "Burning Archipelago", a collection of "force bubble" cities and tunnels of mysterious origin. The various cities are controlled by different groups, and there are several mysteries (such as why the lashunta feel psychic emanations of paranoia, or whether institutions like the "Sun Atlas" or "Deep Cultures Institute" are correct that there may be civilisations within the sun itself). Overall, it's a clever way to make the sun itself an interesting place to have adventures. Now that I'm preparing the Dawn of Flame adventure path, I appreciate it even more. As for the theme: the Solar Disciple has benefits so minor as to be completely forgotten by most players.

* Aballon: A world of megacities inhabited primarily by anacites--sentient robots. Aballon is a major manufacturing center in the Pact Worlds. Although I still don't have a very good picture of what individual anacites are like when encountered as NPCs, there are some surprisingly interesting plot hooks written into this section: the mysteries of the First Ones, the political ramifications of the Machine Court, or the riddle of PreceptumXIII, a megacity constantly built and destroyed. I could actually see a campaign here. The new theme, Roboticist, is one I've actually used for a character and it's reasonably good as far as themes go.

* Castrovel: A planet with an interesting mix of continents occupied by lashunta, formians, and elves, as well as an array of wild, dinosaur-sized beasts. There are some potential political/intrigue plot threads a GM could work with, given that a war between some of the species just ended. Stories involving any sort of wilderness theme could easily be set here, and setting elements like the Green Faith, the Xenowardens, and more are incorporated. I have some fond memories of adventuring on Castrovel with my barathu envoy, and I wouldn't mind heading back. The new theme, Wild Warden, has very useful and fitting abilities. It's a good model for what themes can offer when done well.

* Absalom Station: This is the most crucial location for most GMs and players, as it's a sort of default setting/home base for a lot of adventures (both adventure paths & Starfinder Society games). Unlike some of the other maps, I do like the top-down view we get of the station here. Absalom Station has some important links to setting lore (the Gap, the Starstone, the Drift), but there's also some good discussion here of local politics and problems: everything from income inequality to gerrymandering to a "Strong Absalom" movement with unfortunate real-world analogues. I particularly liked the Eyeswide Agency (providing psychic investigative services) and the Simar Communion (identical clones who work as spies and assassins!). The new theme is Corporate Agent, which is a good concept and executed in an okay way.

* Akiton: This is the Mars or Tattooine analogue, a difficult rocky desert wasteland in decline. It's perfect for some Firefly-style space cowboy adventuring. An interesting mix of 5 species (hylki, ysoki, contemplatives, ikeshti, and shobhads) inhabit the planet. There's a ton of great little adventure hooks littered throughout the section, such as extensive wrecks left sometime during the Gap, a flying tourist attraction called Five Tines Fortress, and (in a shout-out to an early SFS scenario), old thasteron mines. The new theme is Gladiator, which is okay.

* Verces: The most technologically advanced of the Pact Worlds, Verces is a place where human augmentation is extensive. It's also the politically most advanced world, and served as the model for both the Stewards and the Pact Worlds system of government. I didn't quite get a picture on what adventuring on the planet would be like, however. The new theme, Cyberborn, is rarely going to be meaningful in practice.

* Idari: This world-ship was the means by which kasatha came to the Pact Worlds. There's a surprising number of lakes and variety of ecosystems within the vessel. A number of factions are in play in the Idari, which raises several natural story possibilities. I like the feel of the place and there's a lot of material to work with, though there are few obvious adventure hooks. The new theme is Tempered Pilgrim, which is what kasatha are called when they go on a yearlong walkabout to learn about new cultures. It has pretty good features.

* The Diaspora: A huge, lawless asteroid belt full of tons of great adventure hooks. My favourites are the Abattoir and the Hum, both classic science-fiction/horror set ups. If you're interested in pirates, dwarves, or sarcesians, the Diaspora is the place to be. I liked the write-up for Songbird Station and the shout-out to Strawberry Machine Cake. It's nice to see crossover with SFS scenarios. The new Space Pirate theme has some pretty useful abilities.

* Eox: This is a cool concept: a planet ruled entirely by intelligent undead after an apocalypse killed most of the living. There's good places for exploring (like the Lacustria Sea), plenty of opportunity for random encounters (from feral undead), room for political machinations (with the Bone Sages), and the classic reality-t.v. horror of the Halls of the Living (plus Zo!). I've used the Death-Touched theme in a game, and it was fine.

* Triaxus: Triaxus is one of those concepts that sounds interesting at first: a planet that has an erratic orbit, meaning winters last centuries and then summers last centuries). But in practice, PCs are only ever going to encounter the long winter season unless they travel through time or something. The natives are ryphorians, and dragons are a common feature (with dragon-kin sort of in-between). There's frankly not much here that I found exciting or that stuck out at me. The Dragonblood theme looks solid, however.

* Liavara: Formally a protectorate (not an independent member of the Pact Worlds), this gas giant proved more interesting than I expected. Some of its settled moons like Arkanen and Nchak have potential, and the adventure hooks here are solid. The Dream Prophet theme isn't bad, especially the 12th level ability.

* Bretheda: Another gas giant, but this one is home to my favourite floating jellyfish aliens, the barathu. Its moons hold kalo, haan, and some other important species. The "kalo fashionista" pic on page 123 cracks me up. I like the story seed with a creeping, fatal fungal infestation among barathu called the Laoe Araae that threatens to spread to other species. I could see an adventure involving finding a cure for it. I also like the moon Yashu-Indiri, in which monks have built shrines to abandoned, dead, or otherwise forgotten deities--including those that received widespread worship prior to the Gap, like Torag and Cayden Cailean. The new Biotechnician theme is solid.

* Apostae: Drow! This artificial planetoid has a (mostly) inaccessible interior, and there's plenty of story to be had in PCs trying to figure out how to open one of the doors (and then exploring whatever fantastical things it leads to). Special shout-out to Nightarch, site of an epic SFS scenario I ran that lasted until 3 a.m. and led to an 80% TPK. Good times! The new Xenoarchaeologist theme has probably the best special ability of any theme I've seen: Trap Spotter (just like in Pathfinder, a free chance to spot traps just by walking near them).

* Aucturn: This planet is not for tourists. It's a mutating, pulsing, toxic planet that can change to fill whatever needs the GM has for it. The site of battles between the Dominion of the Black and cultists of the Great Old Ones, this is a planet with a clear Lovecraftian theme. Mad recluses, warlords, monstrous things, and more are here. The image of Carsai the King is very cool. I'm not a fan of the new theme, Cultist, as it comes across as very generic.

Chapter 2 is "Starships" and comes in at 16 pages. We get a better explanation of the Drift, though I still find it's a feature under-utilized in the system (and I still wonder whether communication in or out of the Drift is possible). Some new starship options are introduced, such as biomechanical ships (simple but cool), drift shadow projectors (akin to interdictor ships in Star Wars), and more. Overall, I like the new options--some are necessary "bread and butter" ones left out of the Core Rulebook, while others show some good creativity. Stats (and good artwork) are given for new ships for Aballonians, Hellknights, Iomedaeans, Vercites, and Xenowardens.

Chapter 3 is "Supporting Cast" and also weighs in at 16 pages. This is effectively like a mini-NPC Codex. It contains stat blocks (and alteration suggestions) for a variety of NPCs that a GM might need at a moment's notice: Cultists, Free Captains, Hellknights, Mercenaries, Security Forces, and Street Gangs. I find material like this incredibly useful, and I like how it also saves space for writers of SFS scenarios and APs.

Chapter 4 is "Player Options" (35 pages). There's a lot here: new archetypes, feats, weapons, armor, items, spells, and races.

Six new archetypes are introduced here, though (unfortunately, to my mind) no actual affiliation with the related organisation is necessary in order to take them. The six are Arcanimirium Sage (really good, and perhaps most interesting for non-spellcasters), Divine Champion (kind of bland, though Divine Judgement is very useful), Skyfire Centurion (some good abilities, though it seems to demean the bonding process), Star Knight (interesting and I like the variations), Starfinder Data Jockey (bland and makes it easy to use an already overpowered skill, Computers, in place of other skills), and Steward Officer (Demand Surrender is too late and too weak).

Eight new feats are introduced. Some are fairly underwhelming (like the stage magic line), but some of the Divine Blessings (which vary depending on which deity worshipped) are pretty awesome (one lets you overcome immunity to a particular type of energy!).

Regarding the new equipment, there were a few things that stood out to me. Some of them have become almost commonplace in games, like magboots and library chips (way overpowered for their trivial cost). Others just look fun, like magical energy drinks and motospheres. This is the section that allowed my descent thruster-equipped character to *very slowly* fall into a pool of acid and die horribly.

As a preface to the new spells, a little blurb explains who and how they were created (in-game). I loved this, and wish we got more. It really adds to the flavour. Anyway, this section introduces the "junk" line of spells and a few others. One of them, control atmosphere, would definitely have its uses.

Finally, six new playable races are introduced: astrazoans, bantrids (cool origin and flavour), borais, khizars (kind of bland), SROs, and strix. I've actually played two of these.

And that's the book! It's not perfect, but on the whole I think it's an excellent overview of the setting and provides a lot for both GMs and players to take advantage of. I'd definitely recommend it.

Good Setting Overview.

4/5 —

I picked this book up in an LGS I play in regularly, and what a great introduction to the Pact Worlds setting. I had played the 'Into The Unknown' introduction adventure, but the lack of exposition made the adventure hard for me to immerse into.

This book makes the setting come alive, and the art compliments the good writing rather than having to make up for any lack in it.

I took away a star for the continuing lack of deckplans for playable ships. In a Sci Fi setting the party's ship fast becomes a character, and the lack of a deckplan is a severe handicap.

Space Worlds

5/5 —

A very good, solid, well illustrated, rich... book on the Starfinder setting.
Great as a DM, as a player to flesh out your character's background.
Super nice!

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Dark Archive
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:
They can play it comfortably already, PDFs exist.

Please stop getting on my nerves.

I and a lot of other people can´t get pdfs because it requires a credit card. Also a lot of people prefer the print edition.
Thanks.
Silver Crusade
4 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Marco Massoudi wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
They can play it comfortably already, PDFs exist.

Please stop getting on my nerves.

I and a lot of other people can´t get pdfs because it requires a credit card. Also a lot of people prefer the print edition.
Thanks.

You don't need a credit card, I use regular debit cards with paizo.com just fine for the last 10 years, and I live in a backwards country that doesn't have flying cars and teleportation yet.

And if somebody in a developed country doesn't have a debit card in 2017, well, thy are deeply in the "intentionally make your life harder on purpose" territory.

Also, "prefer print to PDF" is different from "can't play comfortably".
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:
Also, "prefer print to PDF" is different from "can't play comfortably".

You think?

I mean, I could use PDFs and occasionally do if there’s no other option, but I won’t play a game unless I have the book in my hand. Isn’t that an issue of comfort, really?
4 people marked this as a favorite.

As much as I hate disagreeing with another magical bag I prefer having the book in hand myself. However I am a patient bag too and have no problem waiting it out.
Silver Crusade
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

No, it's just an issue of you trying to bring the XX century back :P

And it's not like Starfinder requires you to juggle the amount of books anywhere near Pathfinder at this point.
Gorbacz wrote:
No, it's just an issue of you trying to bring the XX century back :P

I know what I like.

Quote:
And it's not like Starfinder requires you to juggle the amount of books anywhere near Pathfinder at this point.

My aversion to PDFs is paging through the same book (I generally play CRB-only Pathfinder, anyhow so SF and PF are the same for me, in that regard). There’s something about the physical placement that helps me learn the rules. In a PDF page 3 and page 550 don’t have that tactile distinction.

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Their is statistical proof that some people do learn and retain information better when reading it in book form as opposed to reading it off a devise.
Silver Crusade
6 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

There's also proof that handwriting helps your brain develop and walking/cycling is better for your body than teleportation or flying cars. BUT THE FUTURE IS UNSTOPPABLE! *zaps Steve with a time-displacing gun sending him into the distant future, the year 2000!*
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Good news everyone! In the future they give talking teethed bags time traveling laser guns! (except aprently they only send you to the year 2000)

5E’s release was pretty slow too - it doesn’t seem to have done that game’s success any harm.
Dark Archive
Gorbacz wrote:
Marco Massoudi wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
They can play it comfortably already, PDFs exist.

Please stop getting on my nerves.

I and a lot of other people can´t get pdfs because it requires a credit card. Also a lot of people prefer the print edition.
Thanks.

You don't need a credit card, I use regular debit cards with paizo.com just fine for the last 10 years, and I live in a backwards country that doesn't have flying cars and teleportation yet.

And if somebody in a developed country doesn't have a debit card in 2017, well, thy are deeply in the "intentionally make your life harder on purpose" territory.

Also, "prefer print to PDF" is different from "can't play comfortably".

Thanks for the civil reply (for your standards). ;-)

I have an EC or Maestro card from the "Sparkasse KölnBonn", but i think that is not one of the possible ones that Paizo offers payment with, at least when i looked last time.

Didn´t you buy an actual copy of "Ultimate Equipment Pocket Edition" recently? ;-)
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

He's listed as a "Pathfinder Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber", so it's obvious he's able to pay at this site.

The kind of debit card Gorbacz mentions is different from an EC or Maestro card. It's like a credit card, but you have to put money into it before you can use it to pay, then it works just like a credit card. Sparkasse offers something like that under the name "Aufladbare Kreditkarte". Check here
Dark Archive
Zaister wrote:
He's listed as a "Pathfinder Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber", so it's obvious he's able to pay at this site.

Why do you write that?

I did not doubt that anywhere. ;-)
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Because your question "Didn't you buy ..." sounded like "are you able to pay here?"
Dark Archive
Zaister wrote:
Because your question "Didn't you buy ..." sounded like "are you able to pay here?"

Sorry if it came over that way. I meant he bought an actual print copy of UE pocket edition, despite bashing those (jokingly?). ;-)

Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Ok then "nix für ungut" :)
Dark Archive
1 person marked this as a favorite.

None taken.
Or like ALF would say:

"Null problemo." ;-)
Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Zaister isn't correct on one count - my card isn't a prepaid one. It's just a regular non-credit Visa that's issued with pretty much every bank account. It just taps into my main account, no need to load it. I'm quite certain that German banks issue such cards as well.

I also do have a Visa credit card which works with Paizo as well, but I prefer not to dip into my credit line with entertainment expenses ;)

They included rules for converting pathfinder monsters right in the CRB.

They worked pretty good for me the couple of monsters I converted.
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Pathfinder Lost Omens, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Starfinder Roleplaying Game Ongoing Subscription wrote:
The world of Starfinder puts you and your friends in the role of a rag tag starship crew exploring the mysteries of a weird, science-fantasy universe! The Starfinder Roleplaying Game line of products gives you the tools to personalize your own campaign, including rulebooks, volumes of aliens, and strange worlds to keep your game fresh. Paizo plans to release rulebooks on a roughly quarterly basis.

So we've got four major rulebook releases every year, plus six adventure paths, accessories, and possibly more (any word on modules, anyone?). That's 10+ major annual releases. 5e keeps up a schedule of about 3-4 major releases every year. Yeah, the wait until March is gonna be a long wait, but if Paizo sticks by the schedule they've alluded to, pretty soon we're gonna be hit with releases left and right, almost every month. That's assuming Starfinder's awesome success hasn't convinced Paizo to pool even more resources to bolster its Starfinder release schedule. I think we're fine. All things considering, the waiting times we've had between the major releases so far haven't even been that substantial. 5e didn't get its campaign setting sourcebook until more than a year after the system's debut.

On another related note, an earlier post by Erik Mona.

Erik Mona wrote:

Size and frequency of the Starfinder Adventure Path is a realistic pace given the staff resources we have available for this project and the desire to get it right out of the gate. If the audience is there and people want larger volumes and the sales are there, we'll possibly adjust things. We're shaking up orthodoxies a bit with Starfinder in a way that we can't with Pathfinder. That means exploring different product configurations, etc.

One way that the pre-release interest in Starfinder has already influenced things is a significantly larger Core Rulebook than originally conceived, as well as plans for more accessories like Flip-Mats and for more frequent releases of product in the main rulebook line (albeit smaller books than those in the Pathfinder line, generally speaking). This latter development somewhat offsets the need of the non-adventure part of the Adventure Path to do heavy lifting on setting development and presentation of character options and stuff.

If you want to call bi-monthly 64-page volumes "tentative," I can't disagree with you. If the audience is there, we'll expand the line accordingly.

Absalom was not built in a single day. :)
Paizo Employee Sales Associate
12 people marked this as a favorite.

Removed a needlessly antagonistic post and the replies to it. Please find a way to express your displeasure without name calling or calling for the termination of Paizo employees.

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Will this book explore the Pact Worlds system's general history any more, such as Triune's ascension, the signing of the Absalom Pact, the Stardust Plague, the Android abolition movement, and the war with the Veskarium? Considering the consequences of the Gap, every nugget of history is gold!
Wayfinders

Can't Wait!
Patrick Newcarry wrote:

Will we see a world generation system at the end of this book? Just to help out a GM if the PC's jump to a world which he was completely underprepared for?

Might we also see a town generator? A place where the PCs might venture and the harried GM is rushing to throw something together, would be really helpful for on-the-fly gamemasters.

Everything I do is on the fly. That would be wonderful. Planets I have the hardest time with.

Grand Lodge

Vic, when the PDF comes out, do you have any idea what the pricing will be?

Hmm
Sovereign Court

Perfect for me would be bi-monthly AP, two hardcovers a year and yearly pawn sets. Nothing else beyond Society.

Well, maps, minis and syrinscape are fine too.

[looks at children]You’re not hungry, are you?

Genuinely, if Paizo goes all-in on Starfinder then I will have to make a choice between Pathfinder and Starfinder. Both will no longer be an option.
Hmm wrote:

Vic, when the PDF comes out, do you have any idea what the pricing will be?

Hmm

I’m guessing $10 since it’s in the Core line.

Grand Lodge

Yes, except it is the equivalent of IWSG, which turned out to be incredibly expensive in PDF. But I am hoping you’re right that it is 9.99 like the rest of the line.

Hmm

... uh, Hmm, the ISWG PDF is $9.99 as well :3
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
13 people marked this as a favorite.
Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:
Hmm wrote:

Vic, when the PDF comes out, do you have any idea what the pricing will be?

Hmm

I’m guessing $10 since it’s in the Core line.

$10? That would be CRAZY! We're not doing that!

It'll be $9.99.
Vic Wertz wrote:
Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:
Hmm wrote:

Vic, when the PDF comes out, do you have any idea what the pricing will be?

Hmm

I’m guessing $10 since it’s in the Core line.

$10? That would be CRAZY! We're not doing that!

It'll be $9.99.

I’m glad to be wrong! Woohoo!

Grand Lodge

Thank you, Vic!

Hmm
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I read all of the bulletin points and I'm excited for this book, but how much more are you guys going to talk about the planets themselves with the gazetteers and not just copy and paste from Pathfinder Distant Worlds book?
Dark Archive
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SphereRunner wrote:
I read all of the bulletin points and I'm excited for this book, but how much more are you guys going to talk about the planets themselves with the gazetteers and not just copy and paste from Pathfinder Distant Worlds book?

I have been wondering about that too, but with Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Distant Worlds only 64 pages strong and including a Bestiary section of Lashunta, four-armed giants of Akiton, Contemplatives, undead Bone Sages of Eox, the Forever Queen, Dragonkin, Brethedans & Oma, which have all been updated to the Alien Archive, it has to contain more than the four-page entries about the planets.

That being said, there are other things than the planets planned in Pact Worlds too.
Do we have a page count yet?
I imagine it has to have more pages than the Alien Archive, as it costs $5 more...
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Hopefully a lot, since this book will have at least a hundred or two more pages than Distant Worlds and the information in DW is a couple of centuries out of date :3
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
James Sutter wrote:
Since some folks were asking: this book will be 216 pages long!

If the Pact Worlds follows the trends of AP gazetteers, we'll probably get 8-10 page spreads of planetary lore, with concise descriptions of various geographical regions and a little more detailed look on major locations. Looking back at Distant Worlds, the book seemed more about giving a feel for the atmosphere and character of each planet, spending much time on description of architecture, environmental features, culture, and the planet's major denizens - while significantly lacking in detail about anywhere on the planet that's not a major settlement or geographic novelty. Castrovel's fourth continent, Ukulam, was not even named in this book. DW is good for short, planet-hopping visits, which seems to be the flavor it was going for - but bad for extended stays - which is important for Starfinder.

Assuming Pact Worlds' gazetteers are about filling out each planet, aiming for the forest instead of the trees (as was DW's luxury), I think Distant Worlds will still have a lot of use as a supplement both for its historical relevance, and for its greater amount of detail on the locations it does cover (DW's section on Qabarat was twice as long as Dead Suns AP's). At least until we get "Guide to Qabarat" or "Capitol Cities of the Pact Worlds" type books.

Features (not already confirmed) I'm hoping will be in Starfinder Pact Worlds:
1. Encounter tables for each planet (or list of native inhabitants and monsters)
2. Brief planetary timelines citing major developments since the Gap
3. Adventure Hooks (these were a nice feature in DW)
4. Full planetary statistics (like Absalom Station had)
5. Planet's relationships with other Pact Worlds, and system-wide reputation

Just realized that, unless I'm mistaken, we're getting 14 new Themes from this book, one for each of the worlds within the Pact Worlds. I'm curious to see what the theme for someone from the Sun is.
TheGoofyGE3K wrote:
Just realized that, unless I'm mistaken, we're getting 14 new Themes from this book, one for each of the worlds within the Pact Worlds. I'm curious to see what the theme for someone from the Sun is.

Maybe they're a positive, upbeat go getter?

TheGoofyGE3K wrote:
Just realized that, unless I'm mistaken, we're getting 14 new Themes from this book, one for each of the worlds within the Pact Worlds. I'm curious to see what the theme for someone from the Sun is.

I predict that we will get the "On Fire" theme, for PCs who are constantly on fire.

TheGoofyGE3K wrote:
Just realized that, unless I'm mistaken, we're getting 14 new Themes from this book, one for each of the worlds within the Pact Worlds. I'm curious to see what the theme for someone from the Sun is.

I predict each will be related to some faction/ideal/problem associated with the planet, rather than the planet itself. The Sun might have Sarenrae connections or be about exploring harsh environments or abandoned cities.

Xenocrat wrote:


I predict each will be related to some faction/ideal/problem associated with the planet, rather than the planet itself. The Sun might have Sarenrae connections or be about exploring harsh environments or abandoned cities.

I'll find it disappointing if the themes are that specific.

I hope some of the spells they add are more technomancer fire spells (especially adding at least one to 2nd, 5th, and 6th level, where there are currently none). My vesk firebender needs them to regain his honor!
Acquisitives
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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
GeraintElberion wrote:

Perfect for me would be bi-monthly AP, two hardcovers a year and yearly pawn sets. Nothing else beyond Society.

Well, maps, minis and syrinscape are fine too.

[looks at children]You’re not hungry, are you?

Genuinely, if Paizo goes all-in on Starfinder then I will have to make a choice between Pathfinder and Starfinder. Both will no longer be an option.

I think Starfinder is at just the right pace. There's SO MUCH Pathfinder material that it's overwhelming.

On the other hand, Starfinder with two books a year should be manageable.

I think the current publishing rate for Starfinder will be fine in a year or so but right now, the system feels a little starved. There's a great deal of stuff that's introduced or hinted at in the baseline system but not sufficiently fleshed out (like Power Armor).

Personally I would have loved it if they had had one more hardcover ready to launch with/soon after the SCRB hit the floor. Core rules Book/Bestiary Book/Setting Book all available at launch along with Dead Suns would have been ideal, but obviously takes more resources. I'm guessing Paizo already has a lot riding on Starfinder, putting even more eggs in that release basket is probably not that tempting.
Lantern Lodge
Kudaku wrote:

I think the current publishing rate for Starfinder will be fine in a year or so but right now, the system feels a little starved. There's a great deal of stuff that's introduced or hinted at in the baseline system but not sufficiently fleshed out (like Power Armor).

Personally I would have loved it if they had had one more hardcover ready to launch with/soon after the SCRB hit the floor. Core rules Book/Bestiary Book/Setting Book all available at launch along with Dead Suns would have been ideal, but obviously takes more resources. I'm guessing Paizo already has a lot riding on Starfinder, putting even more eggs in that release basket is probably not that tempting.

could be worse we could have the fantasy age publishing schedule.

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