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So far everything in the book looks great!, but one thing that really got my attention is the mention of a second 3 part adventure path after Drift Crashers, called Drift Hacker that takes place on Alluvion.
I know some people were concerned about how this would fit their existing campaign, and thought it was great that the book takes the time to suggest how the drift crisis could fit in with every AP.
Lots to like in this book, what are some of your favorite things in it?
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A friend with the book mentioned that one of the potential changes post-Crisis is...
I want to know about the First World as it relates to space. They can get real weird with things and I hope they do.
I'm sure to post when I get it on the 25th, can't wait!!
Tom
Flipped through it real fast. Will digest it later but based on what I've seen, currently I'd give it a 3/5. Not because it's "bad" but because it was overhyped when they only seem to have gone halfway into everything.
Reminds me of "Avatar Storm 2.0" from Mage The Ascension - lots of breaking stuff, but only 5-8 pages on how things look once things settle. And I'm not at all satisfied by the how things settle part. Very much a Chesterton's fence situation.
Vesk-6. Is it liberated? Is the rebellion crushed? Somehow I doubt they want to completely pulp the section on Vesk-6 in the Near Worlds splat, so I doubt anything will come of this. Even though I'm pro-Veskarium and not Pahtra, I would rather they have committed to pulling the trigger either way on Pahtran independence rather than just let it sit there in a state of quantum superposition.
I think the vexing part is that there really isn't much of a mechanical change other than "going places takes longer". So unless you're into using the Drift random encounter table from Galaxy Exploration Manual that doesn't help you much. If there are any mechanical consequences other than what's listed on page 14 I haven't seen them.
Thematically it definitely changes the tone of the game from Star Trek: The Next Generation to Star Trek: Discovery. Your mileage may vary.
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I think the vexing part is that there really isn't much of a mechanical change other than "going places takes longer". So unless you're into using the Drift random encounter table from Galaxy Exploration Manual that doesn't help you much. If there are any mechanical consequences other than what's listed on page 14 I haven't seen them.
I don't think this needs to be a "mechanical" change to be a massively impactful one. If the Veskarium decides to invade somewhere, or some Starfinder Society agent sends out a frantic distress signal, the response to that is no longer going to be immediate. Trade-based campaigns now make a lot more sense, and trade lanes (potentially) become a major resource in the setting; piracy and blockades can now feature prominently. Flying across the galaxy feels more like actually crossing the galaxy if it isn't quick and safe.
I really like the story options that slower travel opens up, personally.
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It's a setting shakeup, not a mechanics shakeup. I think the biggest impact Drift Crisis has on mechanics is that all the cool alternatives faster than light drives from the starship operations manual have a reason to get some use now.
The biggest impact I've found in just reading the first 20 pages of the book is that I no longer think of the drift as just how we get around in Starfinder, I now see it as a core part of the setting and one I'm really interested in. Even without the crisis parts the extra info on the drift and things in it make the drift a more interesting place to explore and not just travel through.
Speaking of trade lanes (potentially) if so that means we might get a map of drift someday or at least the parts connected that way.
I love that the Drift Crisis doesn't have a set timeline of events, it can happen anytime in any AP or homebrew game.
Yikes. Anything worthwhile for characters?
Yikes. Anything worthwhile for characters?
Yes, there are class options for all the spellcaster and the supernatural classes (Solarian/Vanguard). Temporal anomalies, mystic connection, yet another WW replacement for infinite worlds, etc. Basically/wholly mundane classes didn't get anything.
There's also some new gear, feats, and ship frames.
I gotta say that the art in this is 5/5. Didn't see a single piece I disliked.
Contributor
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It's a setting shakeup, not a mechanics shakeup. I think the biggest impact Drift Crisis has on mechanics is that all the cool alternatives faster than light drives from the starship operations manual have a reason to get some use now.
I wrote that section of SOM! I have been wanting to ride in a Constellation Orrery Drive for quite some time.
I wrote that section of SOM! I have been wanting to ride in a Constellation Orrery Drive for quite some time.
That was my favorite section of SOM. Was sad to see there was little mention of what the Knights of Iomedae were up to in Drift Crisis.
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Now that I've had some time to sit with Drift Crisis I have to say I like a lot of the shakeups it's got, especially in places like the Veskarium and Azlanti Star Empire where various planets are attempting secession and outright rebellion!
The poor kothamas and skittermanders though! D:
Out of the adventure ideas, I think I like Absalom Station Refugees and Lost in the Void the most, the former for the community-building aspects along with exploring the Armada and the Ghost Levels, which are things I've always been intrigued by, and the latter because of the "crisis survival" aspect (it's not exactly survival HORROR, but trying to explore and save an adrift cruise ship is certainly scary) and of course because Zo! is in it.
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I think a lot of the fear people had from the announcement is exactly the kind of fear Drift Crisis should cause in-game, fear of change and the unknown. I don't think the book was overhyped but maybe some of the hype was in character.
Haven't got to the part with skittermanders, sounds like it could lead to a free RPG day adventure called skittermander rescue.
A cruise ship with Zo! sounds like an episode of "Love you to death boat"
If it's got Zo! in it I'll be watching for sure. I saw Zo! NPC page in the book but dint know he was in one of the adventures can't wait to one tonight.
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I think a lot of the fear people had from the announcement is exactly the kind of fear Drift Crisis should cause in-game, fear of change and the unknown. I don't think the book was overhyped but maybe some of the hype was in character.
I'm DEFINITELY relieved that while it doesn't pull any punches that the Crisis IS bad, it's not like the Spellplague where entire parts of the setting I liked were unceremoniously nuked with the assumption they took the characters I cared about with them (Neverwinter and its area of influence on the Sword Coast mostly). And the subsequent character assassinations that have occurred since. >:(
Haven't got to the part with skittermanders, sounds like it could lead to a free RPG day adventure called skittermander rescue.
It's in the section that gives an overview of how the Veskarium's handling the Crisis. Long story short, there's a newer, crueler High Despot on Vesk-3.
A cruise ship with Zo! sounds like an episode of "Love you to death boat"
If it's got Zo! in it I'll be watching for sure. I saw Zo! NPC page in the book but dint know he was in one of the adventures can't wait to one tonight.
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Yeah, the Drift Crisis was careful about not nuking favorite locales or killing beloved NPCs - if anything they're more interesting and dynamic now, which I love.
(The Maw in the Veskarium, the extraplanar nightmare storm surrounding and isolating Vesk-7 and Vesk-8, is probably my single favorite addition, though I was surprised that the vlaka homeworld Lajok got a brief writeup in the Vast section.)
I gotta also add - I edited this into my review - the AP tie-ins are hamfisted. Fly Free Or Die (the one it should tie-in with the best) just kinda falls flat on its face and doesn't even mention one of the biggest challenges of the AP series
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I gotta also add - I edited this into my review - the AP tie-ins are hamfisted. Fly Free Or Die (the one it should tie-in with the best) just kinda falls flat on its face and doesn't even mention one of the biggest challenges of the AP series ** spoiler omitted **
I really didn't understand how THREEFOLD was any different. but I am going to run ATTACK as presented here.