I know we could convert Pathfinder monsters using the GM section's guidelines, but not everyone who picks up Starfinder will know Pathfinder, or know that there is an SRD they can find the monsters on. And even then, creating humanoid NPCs and spellcasters works vastly differently in Starfinder, so converting monsters can only get you so far.
EDIT: I say october because that's when Alien Archive drops.
I doubt they'll fully release something so major independently, maybe a blog post that gives hints/vague explanations of how it works but until then I think we'll just have to use First Contact/Dead Suns and whatever is in the CRB.
The only enemy in the CRB is a CR 20 Goblin Technomancer.
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I would assume that creating NPCs is going to be similar to Pathfinder rules - their CR is 1 lower than their total class levels or equal to their class level if fully geared (as the page 389 mentions), but they'd likely add their Stamina and HP together for a total HP (as monsters and NPCs do not have stamina). Page 389 states that full rules for creating statted NPCs will be in the Alien Archive, and it's also mentioned on 501 that full Monster Creation rules in general will also only be available in that book, so it looks like waiting for October at least.
Otherwise, it seems to me that monster creation works almost identically to the monster creation rules from Pathfinder Unchained, with a handful of differences to accommodate system changes. If people have access to the PRD and the dedication to then convert that as appropriate to Starfinder (mostly just increasing HP and setting up KAC and EAC) it shouldn't be so bad. I know that's not the answer you were maybe hoping for, but it currently looks like the only option.
For those unaware of Pathfinder before Starfinder, however, it does mention Pathfunder Unchanged by full name, meaning a quick google would hopefully allow a GM to quickly find the PRD and it's Unchained rules.
Plus if you have First Contact and get the first volume of the Dead Suns AP you have a decent number of monsters to run basic adventures, otherwise you'll have to do converting but from what I've seen in the CRB it isn't that hard.
I would assume that creating NPCs is going to be similar to Pathfinder rules - their CR is 1 lower than their total class levels or equal to their class level if fully geared (as the page 389 mentions), but they'd likely add their Stamina and HP together for a total HP (as monsters and NPCs do not have stamina). Page 389 states that full rules for creating statted NPCs will be in the Alien Archive, and it's also mentioned on 501 that full Monster Creation rules in general will also only be available in that book, so it looks like waiting for October at least.
NPCs are made using the monster creation rules ala Unchained, trying to create them as PCs like in Pathfinder will result in them being unbalanced as PC and monster balance has changed (Mark simplified the changes by saying that monsters have higher chances to hit and lower defenses compared to PCs). That's why I want the official rules.
Plus if you have First Contact and get the first volume of the Dead Suns AP you have a decent number of monsters to run basic adventures, otherwise you'll have to do converting but from what I've seen in the CRB it isn't that hard.
Unless Dead Suns has CR 1/2 orcs and CR 1 drow then it's no help to me. I need to stage a prison break from a drow run slave ship manned by orcs.
It doesn't have them specifically but it has plenty of mooks you can reskin, or you could reskin the pirates from First Contact. The mechanics are basically a blank slate so you can change up the flavour and maybe make a few minor math changes.
You can simply build a drow or orc using pf rules, swap the weapons, convert the KAC and EAC and you're good to go.
Yes, I can. But I'm not asking just for myself. Not everyone that picks up Starfinder will know you can do that without buying pathfinder as well, especially someone new to rpgs. It just doesn't seem new gm friendly.
Yes, I can. But I'm not asking just for myself. Not everyone that picks up Starfinder will know you can do that without buying pathfinder as well, especially someone new to rpgs. It just doesn't seem new gm friendly.
New GMs who stat with Starfinder still have access to First Contact and Dead Suns, or they can go to the back of the CRB and see the conversion rules then go to the SRD and find appropriate monsters. There are only 2 months to wait for these rules and there are plenty of ways to work around the problem. D&D 5e was similar and although I don't know for sure I'd imagine Pathfinder and other D&D editions were also done similar ways.
Yes, I can. But I'm not asking just for myself. Not everyone that picks up Starfinder will know you can do that without buying pathfinder as well, especially someone new to rpgs. It just doesn't seem new gm friendly.New GMs who stat with Starfinder still have access to First Contact and Dead Suns, or they can go to the back of the CRB and see the conversion rules then go to the SRD and find appropriate monsters. There are only 2 months to wait for these rules and there are plenty of ways to work around the problem. D&D 5e was similar and although I don't know for sure I'd imagine Pathfinder and other D&D editions were also done similar ways.
I've actually encountered people who weren't even aware first contact existed, so I wouldn't be so sure. It's also a bold claim to say that everyone who picks up the game will also pick up the published adventure.
I've actually encountered people who weren't even aware first contact existed, so I wouldn't be so sure. It's also a bold claim to say that everyone who picks up the game will also pick up the published adventure.Yes, I can. But I'm not asking just for myself. Not everyone that picks up Starfinder will know you can do that without buying pathfinder as well, especially someone new to rpgs. It just doesn't seem new gm friendly.New GMs who stat with Starfinder still have access to First Contact and Dead Suns, or they can go to the back of the CRB and see the conversion rules then go to the SRD and find appropriate monsters. There are only 2 months to wait for these rules and there are plenty of ways to work around the problem. D&D 5e was similar and although I don't know for sure I'd imagine Pathfinder and other D&D editions were also done similar ways.
I don't think everyone who picks up the CRB will pick up the AP but it seems seems reasonable to assume that an SRD will go up within a week or two of the game's launch (I believe there's one pretty much ready to go) so the monster stats from there will be available to the public as well as possibly the First Contact stats. The point I'm trying to make is that there's gonna be enough content available to the public for people to run games until Alien Archive comes out at which point this whole issue becomes meaningless anyway.
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That seems like a really important thing to leave out of the CRB. I honestly just wanted to get SF on its own first without the AP or other stuff so I can GM it myself. But if there aren't rules for it, that actually might be a deal breaker for me.
I fail to see the problem here. D&D 3.5/4e/5e and Pathfinder had similar delays. 3.0 too, if I recall correctly.
The problem is that we have a game with no rules for creating balanced NPCs or monsters and with no library of enemies for players to face. Those books at least had monsters or NPC creation rules in them, Starfinder has nothing but an invisible CR 20 goblin.
Yeah, it's unfortunate but is luckily only going to be for a couple of months.
I guess the alternative was waiting until October to release the Core rules as well - which would have meant missing the GenCon window, so I can see why they would have gone this route.
Releasing the bestiary this month as well would have been impossible, I suspect - as it is, it seems like they were severely stretched over the last twelve months.
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I fail to see the problem here. D&D 3.5/4e/5e and Pathfinder had similar delays. 3.0 too, if I recall correctly.The problem is that we have a game with no rules for creating balanced NPCs or monsters and with no library of enemies for players to face. Those books at least had monsters or NPC creation rules in them, Starfinder has nothing but an invisible CR 20 goblin.
This is something that's been true of just about every single tabletop RPG that's released nowadays, and is a practice that spans back a bit over a decade.
The reason for this is because the book of rules is not for the GM. The GM is meant to know the rules and enforce them on the player - but the GM has absolute power in their game, including the ability to create monsters and NPCs with whatever stats they feel like giving out whatever amounts of experience points they deem necessary. Books like the monster manual are filled with suggestions, advice, and quick-grab items - it is not a block of code for a non-existent video game. Numerous other games have a delayed release of a monster manual because a monster manual is giving rules to a person who need not follow those rules.
As per example: Dozens of other RPGs, Pathfinder included, have had releases with no monster manuals (some never releasing a monster manual) and have done just fine. Starfinder is not unique in this regard. This is standard practice.
In fact, Starfinder is in a much better place because of Legacy material, given it gives you a shorthand list of rules of conversion between the two systems that's relatively quick to do, and given that it names the sources for lists of monster manuals by name in the back of the book. It states by name a source for creating monsters.
D&D 3rd-5th, Pathfinder, and numerous other RPGs said "Just wing it or wait" on release, and Starfinder gives you rules on:
A) How to wing it with NPCs without an in-depth guide (pg. 382)
B) How to run a different form of combat to still run a campaign in the meantime with its own set of monster stats (pg 306-315, and again on pg. 326)
C) How to incorporate monsters from a different game into this one, listing books of information on such things by name (pg. 501)
and you want to say that there is no library of enemies to face?
If a GM looks at all that and says "Yeah, I don't have enough to run a game", the problem is with the GM, not the book.
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Pathfinder didn't need it since it's whole schtick was "backwards compatible - you can keep your 3.5 books". When Pathfinder launched there were a bazillion monsters you could use with minimal conversion. The effort to convert to Starfinder is undeniably greater than that required to convert 3.5 monsters to Pathfinder. It also is designed as free-standing - Pathfinder was literally marketted as "3.5 thrives" so was targetting people who already had the Monster Manual.
I don't really see the dispute, to be honest. It's unfortunate that there's a delay in the monster rules being fully available at launch, but it's reality and it's better than things would have been if they'd delayed the core book until October.
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Pathfinder didn't need it since it's whole schtick was "backwards compatible - you can keep your 3.5 books". When Pathfinder launched there were a bazillion monsters you could use with minimal conversion. The effort to convert to Starfinder is undeniably greater than that required to convert 3.5 monsters to Pathfinder. It also is designed as free-standing - Pathfinder was literally marketted as "3.5 thrives" so was targetting people who already had the Monster Manual.
I don't really see the dispute, to be honest. It's unfortunate that there's a delay in the monster rules being fully available at launch, but it's reality and it's better than things would have been if they'd delayed the core book until October.
You can literally just calculate the new AC (and that is very easy) and you're good to go.
Stuff
Then why are there no rules for creating and balancing any sort of encounters at all? We're only told how to read an enemy statblock and how much XP enemies give per CR, but we're never told how to build stats or how to balance enemies for the players to face.
Are you seriously saying that the GM is expected to pull everything out of thin air and hope it's balanced? Especially new GMs who've never picked up an RPG before?
StuffThen why are there no rules for creating and balancing any sort of encounters at all? We're only told how to read an enemy statblock and how much XP enemies give per CR, but we're never told how to build stats or how to balance enemies for the players to face.
Are you seriously saying that the GM is expected to pull everything out of thin air and hope it's balanced? Especially new GMs who've never picked up an RPG before?
The book tells you to build NPCs, using their CR as a level example, and give them items as appropriate for quick-build NPCs. There is then, in just the same and following page, rules on how to build encounters. I don't know how it can be any more clear-cut than that. There's a section on "Character Creation" and the NPC section then gives you stipulations on their gear (weapon and armor equal to their CR). I imagine that the "NPC build guide" in the Alien Archive isn't going to be too much longer.
I'll agree, new GMs will have issue. I think that a new GM should wait for the Alien Archive.
I'd also say that new GM's, in general, should not be picking up RPGs fresh on release, whether that's Starfinder, D&D, Shadowrun, or what have you, given the amount of tools and erratas that come after which help clarify things and aid newer players - GMs included.
I'll agree, new GMs will have issue. I think that a new GM should wait for the Alien Archive.
I'd also say that new GM's, in general, should not be picking up RPGs fresh on release, whether that's Starfinder, D&D, Shadowrun, or what have you, given the amount of tools and erratas that come after which help clarify things and aid newer players - GMs included.
I think this is very important. While new GMs are welcome to pick up whatever system they want, they should also be fully prepared to not have the answers they need readily available for some time. If I hadn't had a year or so playing other RPGs before I picked up 5e on release I wouldn't have had a clue! I say let the vets pick the system apart and break it down rather than confuse yourself with unclear rulings.
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StuffThen why are there no rules for creating and balancing any sort of encounters at all? We're only told how to read an enemy statblock and how much XP enemies give per CR, but we're never told how to build stats or how to balance enemies for the players to face.
Are you seriously saying that the GM is expected to pull everything out of thin air and hope it's balanced? Especially new GMs who've never picked up an RPG before?
Do you only use NPCs as adversaries? Either convert monsters from the PRD for two months, or build your NPCs like PCs. The fight might take longer, but it is still mostly balanced.