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Since the equivalent of this recurs in the Pathfinder forums, I figured I’d start one here. What kinds of Starfinder APs would you like to see in the future? What sorts of villains, themes, genres etc. would you like to see explored in future adventures?
(This is also an outlet to share ideas for campaign-length adventure setups in general.)
For me personally:
The players are soldiers who enlist in the Pact military to fight the Swarm. They will rise in the ranks as they rise in power, and, by the end, will have succeeded in a major endeavor and saved the Pact from Swarm conquest.
I have a feeling that SF will abound with play that concerns the illegitimate, illegal, unseemly underbelly of society, as much science fiction of this type tends to revolve around such things. As a result, I think it’d be good to have at least one AP where you are acting above the table to be the kind of fighter society recognizes and respects.
Somewhere, a Vesk military commander who was put in suspension at the height of the war between the Pact and the Vesk is unearthed. He feels differently about the decision to align with his enemies than the rest of the Veskarium. He is disgusted that they would sell out by allying with their enemies rather than conquering them, and sets out to find like-minded Vesk who will aid him in conquering the Pact worlds, then that puny swarm, then the rest of the galaxy. MAKE THE VESKARIUM GREAT AGAIN!
This one just seems like an opportunity in the backstory. I may go ahead and do this one myself if it doesn’t become a thing in time for me to start doing so. I just like the idea of a nationalist demagogue from a past era having to, or failing to, deal with society not only moving on, but looking back at his beliefs with derision.
Abadarcorp, some Hellknights, or simply the Pact Government, decide the diaspora’s criminal nature has gone too far, and begin cracking down harshly on all within the region. Alternately, a new and horrifying criminal syndicate forms in the diaspora, so vicious and cruel that even criminals cannot suffer its continued existence, if only because it is a threat to them as well. In either case, the PCs must rise up to defend their rocky home. Either of these could merely be elements of a campaign about running your own criminal syndicate, with special rules for being in charge of such an organization.
As I said above, I suspect more than 50% of player characters will be criminals, smugglers, roguish mercenaries, or the like, with the bulk of these being from either the diaspora or the poor parts of Absalom station, because that is the kind of thing these sorts of Sci-Fi works tend to focus on. It might be nice to have an AP pandering to that.
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I'd like to see
an "Alien" (movies, each one could work very well) AP
"Starship Trooper" (book and/or Movie) AP
"Above and Beyond" (old TV series) type AP
:)
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I'd like to see something involving Earth, as, as far as I understand, Earthlings also received Drift drives, letting them invade reach Absalom station within 1d6 days.
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I'd love to see a cyberpunk/film noir-style AP...
as far as I understand, Earthlings also received Drift drives.
Oh?
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as far as I understand, Earthlings also received Drift drives.Oh?
First, Earthlings exist in Pathfinder. One AP has the party visit Earth.
Second, for Starfinder lore, it's explicitly said that Triune gave the Drift drives to all intelligent beings. Earthlings are pretty intelligent.Thus, as long as Earthlings haven't been wiped out by some cataclysm, they also have Drift drives and are literally 1d6 days away from Abalom Station.
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... Earthlings are pretty intelligent.
Um... have you even seen the internet? Or for that matter... nope, never mind... if I bring up all that stuff, I'll get banned from the forums. So, uh, never mind...
;-)
as far as I understand, Earthlings also received Drift drives.Oh?First, Earthlings exist in Pathfinder. One AP has the party visit Earth.
Second, for Starfinder lore, it's explicitly said that Triune gave the Drift drives to all intelligent beings. Earthlings are pretty intelligent.Thus, as long as Earthlings haven't been wiped out by some cataclysm, they also have Drift drives and are literally 1d6 days away from Abalom Station.
Triune revealing itself to Earthlings would really f+@# with Earth's religious and political spheres. IMO it would cause lots of civil unrest unless gods had slowly started taking a more active role in Earth's development between PF and SF.
Also, doesn't that mean that literally any race anywhere can get to Absalom in 1d6 days if Triune did give every intelligent life Drift drives? Wouldn't that mean that a massive fleet of Dominion ships could just drop in with ease and conquer the entire solar system? Or that an infinite number of of evil fleets from all over the infinite universe would too?
Actually, wasn't it that Kasatha didn't receive drift technology? They came over in a generational ship.
as far as I understand, Earthlings also received Drift drives.Oh?First, Earthlings exist in Pathfinder. One AP has the party visit Earth.
Second, for Starfinder lore, it's explicitly said that Triune gave the Drift drives to all intelligent beings. Earthlings are pretty intelligent.Thus, as long as Earthlings haven't been wiped out by some cataclysm, they also have Drift drives and are literally 1d6 days away from Abalom Station.
Triune revealing itself to Earthlings would really f%$@ with Earth's religious and political spheres. IMO it would cause lots of civil unrest unless gods had slowly started taking a more active role in Earth's development between PF and SF.
Also, doesn't that mean that literally any race anywhere can get to Absalom in 1d6 days if Triune did give every intelligent life Drift drives? Wouldn't that mean that a massive fleet of Dominion ships could just drop in with ease and conquer the entire solar system? Or that an infinite number of of evil fleets from all over the infinite universe would too?
Actually, wasn't it that Kasatha didn't receive drift technology? They came over in a generational ship.
I may have misunderstood the lore on Triune, then.
It could be that Triune only gave Drift tech to races around the Golarion system and places where Brigh used to be worshipped before the merger between her and the other two. Since that would be its "Sphere of Influence", so to speak.
I believe Triune also wouldn't have given knowledge of Drift drive to races who wouldn't actually be able to build the drives to begin with.
It also makes sense when you consider that Brigh, as goddess of Technology, was only worshipped in very limited numbers on Golarion, as most people didn't know of/have technology, so her worship only existed where technology existed.
I imagine a god like Triune would only reveal itself to technologically advanced societies, since to anyone below that level it'd be a god of something non-existant.
It could be that Triune only gave Drift tech to races around the Golarion system and places where Brigh used to be worshipped before the merger between her and the other two. Since that would be its "Sphere of Influence", so to speak.
I believe Triune also wouldn't have given primitive races knowledge of Drift drive, as those races wouldn't be actually able to build the drives to begin with.
It also makes sense when you consider that Brigh, as goddess of Technology, was only worshipped in very limited numbers on Golarion, as most people didn't know of/have technology, so her worship only existed where technology existed.
I imagine a god like Triune would only reveal itself to technologically advanced societies, since to anyone below that level it'd be a god of something non-existant.
Given that Earthlings were one of the most technologically advanced factions in Pathfinder due to being forced to develop technology in absence of their own magic and didn't seem to show any signs of slowing down, I doubt "insufficiently advanced" would be a valid explanation.
I personally hope to see some really rad tech from Earthlings in Starfinder.
Given that Earthlings were one of the most technologically advanced factions in Pathfinder due to being forced to develop technology in absence of their own magic and didn't seem to show any signs of slowing down, I doubt "insufficiently advanced" would be a valid explanation.
I personally hope to see some really rad tech from Earthlings in
Starfinder.
I was more saying why the idea of every race getting Drift drives doesn't make much sense to me.
As for Earth, there's the problem that Earth is in a different galaxy entirely, and it turns out you can't use Drift drives for intergalactic travel. I had originally forgot that bit of lore when I said the bit about infinite evil armies, so that point is moot.
Also, the Gap is "galaxy wide", not "universe wide". So knowing what year it is on Earth would allow us to know just how far into PFs future we are.
Travel beyond the Rim: While other galaxies are known to exist, the distances between them and the galaxy of the Pact Worlds are so incredibly large that there have yet to be any confirmed instances of intergalactic travel using Drift technology. Whether this is due to the extreme travel times involved, limits to the reach of the Drift itself, or dangers encountered in the Drift during such attempts remains unknown.
Given that Earthlings were one of the most technologically advanced factions in Pathfinder due to being forced to develop technology in absence of their own magic and didn't seem to show any signs of slowing down, I doubt "insufficiently advanced" would be a valid explanation.
I personally hope to see some really rad tech from Earthlings in
Starfinder.I was more saying why the idea of every race getting Drift drives doesn't make much sense to me.
As for Earth, there's the problem that Earth is in a different galaxy entirely, and it turns out you can't use Drift drives for intergalactic travel. I had originally forgot that bit of lore when I said the bit about infinite evil armies, so that point is moot.
Also, the Gap is "galaxy wide", not "universe wide". So knowing what year it is on Earth would allow us to know just how far into PFs future we are.
Travel beyond the Rim: While other galaxies are known to exist, the distances between them and the galaxy of the Pact Worlds are so incredibly large that there have yet to be any confirmed instances of intergalactic travel using Drift technology. Whether this is due to the extreme travel times involved, limits to the reach of the Drift itself, or dangers encountered in the Drift during such attempts remains unknown.
Huh. I thought they're simply far away within the same galaxy, but looking up shows comments written by JJ that they're in different galaxies. My bad, then.
as far as I understand, Earthlings also received Drift drives.Oh?First, Earthlings exist in Pathfinder. One AP has the party visit Earth.
Second, for Starfinder lore, it's explicitly said that Triune gave the Drift drives to all intelligent beings. Earthlings are pretty intelligent.Thus, as long as Earthlings haven't been wiped out by some cataclysm, they also have Drift drives and are literally 1d6 days away from Abalom Station.
Triune revealing itself to Earthlings would really f%@+ with Earth's religious and political spheres. IMO it would cause lots of civil unrest unless gods had slowly started taking a more active role in Earth's development between PF and SF.
Also, doesn't that mean that literally any race anywhere can get to Absalom in 1d6 days if Triune did give every intelligent life Drift drives? Wouldn't that mean that a massive fleet of Dominion ships could just drop in with ease and conquer the entire solar system? Or that an infinite number of of evil fleets from all over the infinite universe would too?
Actually, wasn't it that Kasatha didn't receive drift technology? They came over in a generational ship.
We know from the GeekDad article that spaceflight was relatively common at the end of the Gap and that exactly three years after the end of the Gap in the Golarion system Triune made drift technology accessible to mortal races. We also know that the drift is only reachable through technology. Obviously, any civilization that has wants to use the drift must have sufficiently advanced technology and already be in possession of the technology for space flight.
Regarding the kasatha, I cannot locate the reference, but I am quite certain that we have been told somewhere by someone from Paizo that the trip their generation ship took predates the advent of Triune and access to the drift.
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I second the Starship Troopers / Heavy Military service campaign. I've wanted to run one of those for so long but I'd much rather see Paizo's masterful take on it.
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Regarding the kasatha, I cannot locate the reference, but I am quite certain that we have been told somewhere by someone from Paizo that the trip their generation ship took predates the advent of Triune and access to the drift.
Don't know about the reference either, but it's also pretty straighforward even without someone from Paizo calling it out, I think. Given the kasatha generation ship exists in Pathfinder timeframe and access to the Drift is in Starfinder timeframe, the ship has to predate the drift tech.
Even with the basic plot of the Iron Gods AP and Triune's origin, one has to be before the other. :)
Back to the original question, an espionage AP would be incredible in Starfinder. Either political intrigue between the Pact Worlds, or start with that but uncover a sinister secret organization that spans multiple worlds and has ties going back to an ancient alien intelligence/god/something. Traveling from world to world meeting contacts, protecting the negotiations sort of mission, exploring ancient alien ruins, etc.
Although it is also quite tempting to just think of past AP concepts and port them over - like a Kingmaker-esque colonizing a new world.
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Well, since we're wishing...
Space Hulk Exploration/pacification/cleansing/destruction before it reaches The Inner Worlds and the horrid 'Critters' inside spill out with their heretical evil spawn and destroy the multiverse!!
Heck, I might just run one of these on my own if I have the time, once I learn the system.
Oh and as Ken Marable mentioned... Kingmaker in Spaaaaaaaace!!!!
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I want:
• An Indiana Jones in outer space caper AP. Space Nazis, ancient artifacts out on ruined worlds past the fringes of civilization.
• Treasure Planet / Treasure Island, the AP.
• A king-maker style "bring this world into the pact" type of AP.
• An ap surrounding a single solar system on the brink of civil war. I want to see a space elevator come down, Red Mars style in pathfinder.
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A low-combat exploration/diplomacy/space hazards as primary threat AP. Will NEVER HAPPEN because combat is the skeleton upon which all things in the D20-derived world are built and thereby frames player expectations of what constitutes fun, but... I can dream. A five-year mission, as it were. Or maybe something a bit like Dark Star. We'd see.
A holy war in space. Bonus points if the PCs have to start out on a side and are then allowed to grow bitterly disillusioned with the whole thing.
Drift Drive Castaways- Event Horizon meets Lost in Space meets Alice in Wonderland.
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There could be a whole invasion from Eox, or better yet, extra-dimensional followers of the Elder Gods which brings in psion abilities/classes/creatures.
At the end, you have to take on Azathoth.
Spoiler alert: Everyone dies.
Seriously though ... an invasion from the Elder Gods that starts out subtle and you have to stop some grand summoning of an avatar of one of the Elder Gods would be pretty epic, and fun.
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Another option is always political intrigue amongst the Pact Worlds, find out who the real puppet master is, when the Pact is nearly shattered by well planned calamitous events occur, and certain factions suddenly rise to power advocating a more isolationist movement threatening planetary withdrawal from the Pact.
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Golarion has disappeared, but perhaps the Star Stone is found in the Diaspora. Have a whole AP trying to find the star stone, then getting it to safety, while fighting off the minions of more nefarious beings. This could be a multi-AP arc that might eventually bring back Golarion itself.
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Golarion has disappeared, but perhaps the Star Stone is found in the Diaspora. Have a whole AP trying to find the star stone, then getting it to safety, while fighting off the minions of more nefarious beings. This could be a multi-AP arc that might eventually bring back Golarion itself.
The Starstone is already on Absalom Station.
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Stop Thanos from acquiring all the infinity stones.
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Does anyone know if the Starstone is unique? Space is big so there could be other things like it out there. An AP based on finding one (or more) of them could be interesting. Maybe not for a while though (Mythic ... In ... Spaaaaaaace!)
Yeah there are 5 or 6 of them, all small - each is a very powerful artifact itself... and someone is going after them to remake the universe, and the PCs need to.... wait...
Stop Thanos from acquiring all the infinity stones.
Destroy the Death Star before it can destroy Absalom Station.
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Destroy the Death Star before it can destroy Absalom Station.
"That's no moon."
"Asteroid? Asteroids can get pretty big."
"Nope."
"Comet?"
"Uh-uh."
"Mmmmm ... planetoid?"
"Nah."
"Dwarf planet?"
"Golem."
queue thematically appropriate music
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Destroy the Death Star before it can destroy Absalom Station."That's no moon."
"Asteroid? Asteroids can get pretty big."
"Nope."
"Comet?"
"Uh-uh."
"Mmmmm ... planetoid?"
"Nah."
"Dwarf planet?"
"Golem."
queue thematically appropriate music
Have Mel Brooks direct and cast Rick Moranis, John Candy, Jeffrey Tambor, and Bill Pullman and you'll have a cult classic!
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I want something I can play Vietnam Era music to.
An. Attractive. Green colored alien. From another planet. Needs. Your. Help.
What. Are you going. To do.
An. Attractive. Green colored alien. From another planet. Needs. Your. Help.
What. Are you going. To do.
I. Am Going. to ogle it. While having Bones. Run. A detailed health scan. Set. Phasers. To Kill.
Destiny?
I'm currently working on a Hellknight campaign- I'm really looking forward to see what the new hell knight orders are.
But- this thread is for AP ideas. So, in no particular order:
- The PC's infiltrate the Atlanti Star Empre for a reason. I would need to know more about the setting to give a reason, but I'm sure something can be thought up.
- The stars are right, IA IA IA! With the power of a Greta ritual, Acturn, the egg of a great old one, can be hatched by the Dominon of the black. The PC's have to stop them, joined by unlikely allies including Drow, Vesk, Hellknights, Space Pirates, the church of Iomedae, the church of Desna, and more.
Half the challenge is juggling the various factions who all have varying reasons to be at each others throats and keep them focused on the main threat.
- Someone claiming to be Aroden reborn has set up a colony on a planet in the vast. The PC's are hired to expose this fraud, only to find out he's the real deal.
(Obviously this won't happen, but I can dream).
-King maker in space and skulls and shackles in space are viable options.
- Verces's rotation has suddenly changed, and the planet now rotates normally, causing havok to the planet's ecosystem. PC's investigate why on this is happening and to stop it at all costs.
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I do not care that much as long as it comes with a player's guide.
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I'm currently working on a Hellknight campaign- I'm really looking forward to see what the new hell knight orders are.
FYI -- The new major orders are Chain, Eclipse, Furnace, Gate, Nail, Pike, and Scourge.
I'm currently working on a Hellknight campaign- I'm really looking forward to see what the new hell knight orders are.
FYI -- The new major orders are Chain, Eclipse, Furnace, Gate, Nail, Pike, and Scourge.
Thanks!
The new ones are the Furnace and the Eclipse. I was already planning on making a Hellknight order with a darker sounding name, so the eclipse fits that role. I'm really hoping it's necromancy focused.
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A video game set in the future with lots of guns, grenades, lasers, etc.
Ah, thanks. I see it's one of these multiplaer-only games. I tend to ignore those.
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Third Darkness: A Sequel to Second Darkness, now that the Gap happened, maybe the origin of Drow is once again shrouded. An AP that can bring elves kicking and screaming out of Sovyrian into galactic culture, and deal with a particular pernicous plan put together by a rogue faction of drow of Apostae.
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Third Darkness: A Sequel to Second Darkness, now that the Gap happened, maybe the origin of Drow is once again shrouded. An AP that can bring elves kicking and screaming out of Sovyrian into galactic culture, and deal with a particular pernicious plan put together by a rogue faction of drow of Apostae.
I really like the idea of revisiting Second Darkness in Starfinder.
Maybe Eclipsed by Darkness: The drow succeeded, shunting Golarion off into the gods-know-where-and-when in no small part by corrupting the elf-gates whilst they invaded Castrovel/Sovyrian/wherever the Hell elves call kip in Starfinder.
Elves could be exceedingly rare for a long time as a result, until Your TableTM resolves this facet of the Golarion Enigma. Perhaps instigated by the sudden emergence of a converted Pathfinder Elf character, battered, bruised and traumatized from what they went through in culture-shock-taken-to-Eleven aeons past from Starfinder character's point-of-view.