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Starfinder Interstellar Species

3.90/5 (based on 11 ratings)
Starfinder Interstellar Species

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Bring an array of aliens—both weird and familiar—to your science fantasy adventures with Interstellar Species, the newest rulebook for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game!

This gorgeously illustrated reference provides deep dives on 25 playable Starfinder species, each with thematic player options usable by any character, plus new options for 7 Starfinder character classes. There's also a system for easily creating your own playable species, and a catalog of around 100 thematic nonplayer characters ready to slot into any adventure! 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.

Written by: Rigby Bendele, Jessica Catalan, John Compton, John Curtin, Dana Ebert, Eleanor Ferron, Ivis K. Flanagan, Nicole Heits, Joan Hong, Mikko Kallio, Jason Keeley, Aaron Lascano, Hilary Moon Murphy, Emily Parks, Joe Pasini, Erin Roberts, Chris S. Sims, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Owen K.C. Stephens, Jason Tondro, Isis Wozniakowska, Linda Zayas-Palmer

ISBN-13: 978-1-64078-473-4

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

Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Archives of Nethys

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

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Average product rating:

3.90/5 (based on 11 ratings)

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A Must have!

5/5 —

I personally liked it, the evolutionist is weird with plenty of space to grow in future supplements and I loved the deep dive into species creation as well as the deep dives into the individual species themselves. I personally would have preferred more of these and less of the npc stat blocks but that's a personal preference. I also feel like they missed out by not including a deep dive into the Dromada species from Alien Archive 3, but again, that's a personal preference thing. 10 out 10! Great job!!

I need more of these books for other species too

4/5 —

Its great to get lore expansion on the non core species and it was also great to get "NPC Codex" sort of bestiary for starfinder as well and new species creation guidance. New art in book is mostly good, but while officially starfinder has stance of "sometimes art will have wildly different designs to show case how different members of species can be", I kinda feel like that's mostly just excuse that artists are never going to be super consistent. I didn't realize it previously before reading Drift Hackers, but Shimreen since the first picture from AP (and one of pictures here based on that picture) have ever since Alien Archive had human like noses making them look like oreads with even heavier crystal focus. Basically I do think its important to have basic traits of species consistent in art or else their portrayal will over time shift elsewhere from where they started.

Well that nitpick aside, as said having lore articles are great(though they are wildly different since they are from different writers and they don't cover all same topics), like without these articles I wouldn't know how wild some of the species naming schemes are.

I think I had more specific things to comment on the articles as well, but I don't want to make review too long when my main point is "please do more interstellar species books"

Great resource for GMs

5/5 —

Great book for players looking for more playable species

5/5 —

1oo pages covering 25 species in depth. I like the sample name section, along with a paragraph or two on naming practices for each species.

Even the custom species-building section is intended for both players and GMs

I love the 5-page thumbnail index of all the playable species. Besides being a great quick way to look up the source of each species, it's great for quickly finding an NPC that fits the situation by being able to see what looks like vs just reading an index of names on the Archive of Nethys. Other than the core rule book this is the book I reach for the most.

18 pages with 72 NPCs for GMs

Took me a while to appreciate the Evolutionist class. My original concept for an Evolutionist just didn't seem to work, but then I worked it through all the way up to the 20th level and it worked great with exactly the flavor I was looking for.

Playable species are one of the big attractions in Starfinder for me. I hope to see more books like this one.

This is a GM book, not a Player book

3/5 —

Hoo boy, working through this book has been a real exercise in trying to understand what the product is vs. what it is not.

What it is is a book fleshing out several mostly previously unfleshed out species from across several pathfinder products with pages of lore, and an alien NPC stat block collection. If you understand that is what it is and want those, this is a good product. In short: This is mainly a GM-oriented product

What this isn't is a Player-oriented product. The evolutionist is a great concept that mechanically just doesn't feel like what its described as. The options for players of other classes are sparse, with 2 pages a piece for 7 classes in the character option section. limited The custom species rules are for the GM to build races, and less so for players to make custom races. The player options for the species highlighted are definitely the biggest let down. It's most often 1-3 spells and a couple feats, and thats it. None of the alternate racial adjustments and feats we've seen in other products, and only a couple of class options.

TL;DR: This is a book you get because you want the lore on some of the races deep-dived, or want a collection of useful NPC stat blocks to cut down on game prep. It is a book you should avoid if all you want is player options.

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Second Seekers (Jadnura)
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Pathfinder Starfinder Society Subscriber

I pretty much only run pre-published stuff, and mostly in Society org play land. Even so, I think the book's worth the price of admission. Then again, I enjoy reading up on species' histories and cultures. So - if you're okay spending $20 to read up about 25 weirdo Starfinder aliens, go for it! If not, wait for the Evolutionist to come out in the AoN System Ref Docs and decide then.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

I'm still working my way through the book.
CorvusMask wrote:
Guess this is what the survey was for :O Hope we see some ap article only species getting hardcover coverage

I would hope it's not because the word "race", as it's used in most RPGs, helps perpetuate racism.

The Soldier's "Devastating Throw" Gear Boost seem to have it's attributes the wrong way round. Soldiers cannot throw weapons with Dexterity (Thrown attacks are Strength-based and the Operative weapon special property only applies to melee attacks). In general no class can use Dexterity instead of Strength for thrown attacks. Making the bonus for having higher Strength impossible to use and even if it was possible there would be no reason to choose to use Dexterity over the default Strength.

However if the attributes were switched this Gear Boost makes a lot more sense. It would allow Dexterity-based Soldiers to take advantage of thrown weapons they previously couldn't have meaningful used.

For some reason my book (using subscription) has been showing as pending since end of October anyone else not getting there book who is setup as a subscriber.
Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Cybear Guru wrote:
For some reason my book (using subscription) has been showing as pending since end of October anyone else not getting there book who is setup as a subscriber.

Send an e-mail to customer.service@paizo.com and reference your order number. They supposedly finished the subscription shipments for November, but clearly something went wrong with yours.

Is there any new mystic connection, fighting style or alternate classes features in this book ?
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

New options by class:

Biohackers: 1 alt class feature, 2 fields of study, 5 theorems
Envoys: 4 improvisations, 6 expertise talents
Mechanics: 1 alt class feature, 2 drone chassis, 2 basic drone mods, 2 advanced drone mods, 6 mechanic tricks
Nanocytes: 15 knacks
Operatives: 1 alt class feature, 2 specializations, 7 exploits
Precogs: 1 anchor, 11 temporal anomalies
Soldiers: 2 fighting styles, 4 gear boosts
Witchwarpers: 1 new option that applies to all witchwarpers

In addition, every spellcasting class gets new spells.
Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Question for any devs: My reading is that the damage from the feat Bear Hug is specifically damage that is equivalent a characters natural unarmed attack damage and not the damage of something they are wielding that can be used to make an unarmed attack. Is this correct? The case I'm envisioning here being a Vanguard's shield being used as an unarmed attack, which is then used to deliver Entropic Strike.

Thank you John !

Just some thoughts in no particular order and I probably forgot half what I wanted to write about

- Awesome Atrazoan art. It takes skill making a walking starfish seem badass
- Space Marine Kelo. Seriously, that is not space marine inspired, thats a picture of an Ultramarine with the skull images removed
- The lines between Soldier and Operative gets even more blurred. And with the Operative being one of the best skill users already and now stealing more and more stuff from Soldiers they become a bit too good imo
- Dragonkin can reproduce with other species? Is that a normal thing in Starfinder or something special to Dragonkin only? Their entry doesn't seem to think that its a big deal.
- Generally Dragonkin are a bit one sided, its all about the bond. On one hand, having such a detailed topic is nice, but on the other hand it makes them one trick ponys. What about them looking like how Vesk think their heroes will be transformed in the afterlife? No mention of that?
- The equipment and feats being spread through the book is a bit sup-optimal in my opinion.
- Would have liked a bit more explanation of what the creature type influences instead of just saying that its mostly for flavour. Like giving an example of spells that only work on humanoids, ect.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Radam wrote:
- Dragonkin can reproduce with other species? Is that a normal thing in Starfinder or something special to Dragonkin only? Their entry doesn't seem to think that its a big deal.

It's an interesting take and one based, I assume, in 3E/Pathfinder/Starfinder dragons being able to reproduce with virtually anything.

Random question but...what is the range of the 'volcanic wrath' spell?
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Duskblade wrote:
Random question but...what is the range of the 'volcanic wrath' spell?

Medium.

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber

Is "medium" a distance or a temperature?
Paizo Employee Starfinder Senior Developer
5 people marked this as a favorite.
Ed Reppert wrote:
Is "medium" a distance or a temperature?

Range: Medium

Doneness to which your enemy's cooked: Medium well
John Mangrum wrote:

New options by class:

Biohackers: 1 alt class feature, 2 fields of study, 5 theorems
Envoys: 4 improvisations, 6 expertise talents
Mechanics: 1 alt class feature, 2 drone chassis, 2 basic drone mods, 2 advanced drone mods, 6 mechanic tricks
Nanocytes: 15 knacks
Operatives: 1 alt class feature, 2 specializations, 7 exploits
Precogs: 1 anchor, 11 temporal anomalies
Soldiers: 2 fighting styles, 4 gear boosts
Witchwarpers: 1 new option that applies to all witchwarpers

In addition, every spellcasting class gets new spells.

Nothing for Vanguard or Solarion? (Technomancers too but they got new spells at least)

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Failedlegend The Eternal Gish wrote:
Nothing for Vanguard or Solarion?

Solarians get two new solarian weapon crystals that scale in item level from low (2nd and 3rd, respectively) to 20th.

Can you please tell us what are the 2 fields of studies, the 2 operative specilizations, the precog anchor and the 2 fighting styles ? Thank
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Biohacker fields of study: Efficiency and Thermoregulation
Operative Specializations: Bully and Diplomat
Precog Anchor: Memory Echoes
Soldier Fighting Styles: Farshot and Mine Menace

(2 weeks later...) Thank you !
John Mangrum wrote:
JiCi wrote:
I saw Dragonkin being mentioned... does it include alternate breath weapons, natural weapons, smaller size, gliding wings and whatnot?
Some of those, yes.

They receive a trait that replaced the energy damage of their breath weapon... and a trait that replaced flight with a feat... Yeah, kinda disappointed... The flightless one should have been a size change to Medium.

The Sonic Vocalizer Biotech is kinda impressive, and now I wonder if making it into other energy as a house rule would be suitable.
Acquisitives
Mika Hawkins wrote:
Announced for November! Product image and description are not final and may be subject to change.

Is this coming to Fantasy Grounds Unity?

Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber
CheyTom wrote:
CorvusMask wrote:
Guess this is what the survey was for :O Hope we see some ap article only species getting hardcover coverage
I would hope it's not because the word "race", as it's used in most RPGs, helps perpetuate racism.

How, exactly, does it do that?

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Ed Reppert wrote:
How, exactly, does it do that?

Allow me to assist you.

Page 152, Masked Assassin has Perception listed in the normal place at +16 and also in the skill list at +11. Assuming the former is the correct one.
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