Mika Hawkins Sales & eCommerce Assistant |
Opsylum |
3 people marked this as a favorite. |
This is cool! I hope the seven core ancestries are among the 25 (and the three others that seem to represent core Veskarium ancestries: Pahtras, Ijtikris, and Skittermanders). Other than them, excited to see who else made it. NPC codex portion of this book is going to be amazing, as will Evolutionist. Can't wait!
RiverMesa |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I KNEW A BOOK LIKE THIS WOULD COME ONE DAY!
Last year (or was it 2020?) there was a poll about which species folks would want to see more info on - I assume the results of that heavily influenced what species we're getting coverage on here. With 25 species (roughly a quarter of what's available in the game), I expect between 2 and 4 pages per, which is still way more than some currently have.
(Please tell me there's naming conventions in this, I've been dying for those.)
Custom species rules are totally unexpected, but potentially welcome, especially depending on the implementation (I don't know how well the PF1 Advanced Race Guide rules were received).
New options for only a limited selection of the classes is disappointing but understandable if it's for page count reasons - do we think it's the Core Rulebook classes, or a more mixed selection?
Can't say no to a codex of NPCs (of a variety of species) either.
And finally...Evolutionist!
Very excited for this, though November feels like an eternity away.
RiverMesa |
6 people marked this as a favorite. |
The odds are so low, but I'd love if the 5 species from the Alien Character Deck - grippli, gnolls, kitsune, samsarans and kobolds - received writeups here as well.
I know a lot of species in the game have very little to work with, but those in particular operate pretty much exclusively on pre-existing Pathfinder assumptions.
Alright folks, let's get speculating, who did you vote for in that survey?
So in Starfinder Society, if you include all the legacy and additional species (as of the next season), but leave out the core ones (some of whom, especially vesk, already have a lot of options and lore), you get up to 25 - and it would conveniently line up with what you can easily play in organized play, which probably constitutes a lot of what people like info on.
- Legacy: dwarf, elf, half-elf, half-orc, gnome, halfling
- Extras: draelik, formian, ikeshti, kalo, maraquoi, nuar, ryphorian, skittermander, verthani, witchwyrd, ijtikri, izalguun, copaxi, dragonkin, pahtra, sarcesian, shobhad, and vlaka
This would however leave out some prominent non-Society options like orcs, drow, barathu, contemplatives, spathinae, bantrids, raxilites, hanakans, tieflings and space goblins, though.
I could see the argument that legacy species aren't included in that and we might get some other ones slotted in their place instead.
Or I'm entirely wrong on all of this and we'll all be surprised by what we find in this!
Leon Aquilla |
A build your own species system makes way more sense for Starfinder than prior fantasy focused efforts in other systems like the Advanced Race guide or Savage Species. I'm not sure on the value though of the generic NPCs. More lore is always appreciated though.
I think they have some utility!
Other than Pact Worlds there hasn't been any NPC lists, something I criticized Near Space for. I know what a generic mercenary's CR should be, or a Hellknight, or Iomedaen. I have no idea what your average Vesk soldier's CR should be, or what equipment comes standard in their armed forces.
The NPC |
9 people marked this as a favorite. |
"A new class, the evolutionist, allows you to transform yourself over time into an eldritch being, mechanized construct, sepulchral undead, or riot of biological potential, each with unique abilities—and drawbacks, should you allow your transformation to grow out of control."
Where have you been? Where have you been? Damn you! Where have you been?...How dare you! How dare you come to me now, when I am this!
Aaron Shanks Marketing & Media Manager |
11 people marked this as a favorite. |
"A new class, the evolutionist, allows you to transform yourself over time into an eldritch being, mechanized construct, sepulchral undead, or riot of biological potential, each with unique abilities—and drawbacks, should you allow your transformation to grow out of control."
Where have you been? Where have you been? Damn you! Where have you been?...How dare you! How dare you come to me now, when I am this!
The Last Unicorn. Amazeballs.
Gaulin |
I think the idea is your character slowly changes into whatever you want as they level. Mechanically they would fully become whatever it is they become at level 20, when their type changes and they gain immunities or other benefits. That's how I look at it anyway. If you have a PC that's a human but is slowly turning into a dragon, they could basically look like a dragon early on in their career (just not gaining mechanical benefits)
The NPC |
The NPC wrote:Can we be told if the Evolutionist every fully changes creature type? Humanoid to undead/aberration/etc?In the playtest, that was the level 20 bonus. You got some immunities and your type changed.
I honestly thought it should happen sooner. I suppose we'll see when it comes out.
Cool. At lest it happens at all.
IS the playtest document still available?
Luthorne |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Dracomicron wrote:The NPC wrote:Can we be told if the Evolutionist every fully changes creature type? Humanoid to undead/aberration/etc?In the playtest, that was the level 20 bonus. You got some immunities and your type changed.
I honestly thought it should happen sooner. I suppose we'll see when it comes out.
Cool. At lest it happens at all.
IS the playtest document still available?
Yes, it's available here.
The NPC |
The NPC wrote:Yes, it's available here.Dracomicron wrote:The NPC wrote:Can we be told if the Evolutionist every fully changes creature type? Humanoid to undead/aberration/etc?In the playtest, that was the level 20 bonus. You got some immunities and your type changed.
I honestly thought it should happen sooner. I suppose we'll see when it comes out.
Cool. At lest it happens at all.
IS the playtest document still available?
Thank you :)
Mimski |
3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Speculation on my reaction to the content of this book: First, disappointment when a species I particularly enjoy is not one of the ones chosen for this book. Then reading and being blown away what the writers did with the species in it, ha. Looking forward to it.
Oh, and I do hope species is wholesale replacing race in Starfinder. Including reprints of previous books, honestly. I just wonder what the adjective "racial" could be changed into, I guess species as an attributive noun instead still works. Species modifier. Yeah.
Aaron Shanks Marketing & Media Manager |
Gaulin |
3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Luthorne wrote:Thank you :)The NPC wrote:Yes, it's available here.Dracomicron wrote:The NPC wrote:Can we be told if the Evolutionist every fully changes creature type? Humanoid to undead/aberration/etc?In the playtest, that was the level 20 bonus. You got some immunities and your type changed.
I honestly thought it should happen sooner. I suppose we'll see when it comes out.
Cool. At lest it happens at all.
IS the playtest document still available?
Just wanted to say, as someone crazy excited for the class, after you check out the playtest document for evolutionist, there's an interview with John Compton about upcoming changes to the class. It's a know direction beyond interview, number 66. I've done a write up of the major points in the playtest forums. Just saying because the changes are awesome!
Aaron Shanks Marketing & Media Manager |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The NPC wrote:Just wanted to say, as someone crazy excited for the class, after you check out the playtest document for evolutionist, there's an interview with John Compton about upcoming changes to the class. It's a know direction beyond interview, number 66. I've done a write up of the major points in the playtest forums. Just saying because the changes are awesome!Luthorne wrote:Thank you :)The NPC wrote:Yes, it's available here.Dracomicron wrote:The NPC wrote:Can we be told if the Evolutionist every fully changes creature type? Humanoid to undead/aberration/etc?In the playtest, that was the level 20 bonus. You got some immunities and your type changed.
I honestly thought it should happen sooner. I suppose we'll see when it comes out.
Cool. At lest it happens at all.
IS the playtest document still available?
The NPC |
Gaulin wrote:Know Direction: Beyond 66 – Evolutionist RetrospectiveThe NPC wrote:Just wanted to say, as someone crazy excited for the class, after you check out the playtest document for evolutionist, there's an interview with John Compton about upcoming changes to the class. It's a know direction beyond interview, number 66. I've done a write up of the major points in the playtest forums. Just saying because the changes are awesome!Luthorne wrote:Thank you :)The NPC wrote:Yes, it's available here.Dracomicron wrote:The NPC wrote:Can we be told if the Evolutionist every fully changes creature type? Humanoid to undead/aberration/etc?In the playtest, that was the level 20 bonus. You got some immunities and your type changed.
I honestly thought it should happen sooner. I suppose we'll see when it comes out.
Cool. At lest it happens at all.
IS the playtest document still available?
Cool. Thank you. :)
Hilary Moon Murphy Contributor |
VestOfHolding |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I haven't glanced at Starfinder in a while, but randomly saw this and it sounds really cool! I'll have to give it a look. Even if I only play PF2e, I've always enjoys looking over at the wide array of playable species in Starfinder and what they're all about, and this looks like the best version of that so far.
John Compton Starfinder Senior Developer |
CorvusMask |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I do hope art is consistent though, sometimes species art in starfinder can vary a lot biology wise :'D
(like sometimes giving mammaries to species that have never had mammaries or differing from physical description of species or like how all kasatha seem to have single color eyes except exactly one character who has clear small human like eyes)
(sidenote, I find it funny how I get briefly confused by other people sharing my avatar being like "wait I didn't post that post" xD )
Milo v3 |
4 people marked this as a favorite. |
I do hope art is consistent though, sometimes species art in starfinder can vary a lot biology wise :'D
(like sometimes giving mammaries to species that have never had mammaries or differing from physical description of species or like how all kasatha seem to have single color eyes except exactly one character who has clear small human like eyes)
(sidenote, I find it funny how I get briefly confused by other people sharing my avatar being like "wait I didn't post that post" xD )
One of my players gets annoyed whenever they see a kasatha with a protuding nose.
CorvusMask |
CorvusMask wrote:One of my players gets annoyed whenever they see a kasatha with a protuding nose.I do hope art is consistent though, sometimes species art in starfinder can vary a lot biology wise :'D
(like sometimes giving mammaries to species that have never had mammaries or differing from physical description of species or like how all kasatha seem to have single color eyes except exactly one character who has clear small human like eyes)
(sidenote, I find it funny how I get briefly confused by other people sharing my avatar being like "wait I didn't post that post" xD )
Yeaaaaaaah considering how they started out as having flatter face in the art... Its weird how lot of artists keep adding more human features to alien species. Even to animal head ones
Aaron Shanks Marketing & Media Manager |
hobblinharry |
I just really hope the Talphi of Vesk-4 are included in this. Based on Near Space, they are such an important part of the Veskarium, there are other races from Veskarium and even Vesk-4 that don't have player stats, but their importance pales in comparison to that of the Talphi so I really hope they are included in this.
Otherwise I am completely happy whether everything else is all knew, statblocks for previously mentioned races, or expansions upon things from the AAs
Duskblade |
3 people marked this as a favorite. |
I'm really hoping we get a lot of 'alternate racial traits' in this book. The ability to 'customize' and switch out a lot of racial benefits would really go a long way in helping out the more obscure races. In addition, I do hope the Envoy and Witchwarper get a little love too (I'm mostly crossing my fingers that we'll get a good replacement for the 'infinite worlds' ability lol).