Returning to Starfinder from 5E

[Reynard]

I ran a very fun, successful but relatively short (12 session) homebrew Starfinder campaign about 4 years ago. Recently, I decided to drop 5E and go back to Starfinder.

help me figure out all the stuff I need to relearn from Starfinder and unlearn from 5E to make this transition as smooth as possible. I know some stuff will come back, but my brain is jammed with D&D 3.x, Pathfindre 1E, 5E, Pathfinder 2E and Starfinder rules and I know I am going to screw some stuff up.

As an added aspect, for those that have made the transition back and forth, is there anything worth keeping from 5E as a Starfinder house rule? For that matter, is there anything from PF2 worth importing as a SF house rule?

Thanks!

EDIT: Also, maybe I should note that I am running Fly Free or Die, rather than a homebrew.

[Kishmo]

Welcome back! As far as new game content goes, Character Operations Manual is the big one, and introduced three new classes. Armoury really expanded on the gear options. If you want even more gonzo classes, the nanocyte came out in Tech Rev, the precog came out in Galactic Magic, and most recently, the evolutionist came out in Interstellar Species. If you / your group is big into Starship Combat, then Starship Operations Manual really added a lot of new options and rules there (but didn't change the fundamental starship combat system, so if it wasn't your group's cup of tea before, then "the same thing but with more optional rules" probably won't change that.)

I'm sure others will chime in with more stuff, but off the top of my head, the big "system differences" that I felt most helpful to put on a sticky note on my GM Screen are:
- only 3 things provoke AoOs in SF: moving, casting a spell, and making a ranged attack. No AoOs for standing up, or retrieving an item, or opening a door, or drinking a potion, etc., etc.

- multiple attacks: every character can make 2nd attacks, right out of the gate. A level 1 space-wizard can do it. You just take a -4 to both. At mid-to-high levels, some martial-focused classes get class features to add 2nd, 3rd, or 4th attcaks, and/or reduce penalties, but that's higher level, class-specific, stuff.

[Davor Firetusk]

Charging is a penalty to hit. I'd say the biggest thing is confidence if you've run a lot of 3.5 and PF1e the system is fairly close and in my experience forgiving if you do misremember a rule in the moment. The setting is one of the most fun to play and just kind of have goofy fun with.

[Driftbourne]

Welcome back to Starfinder!

Starfinder uses EAC and KAC in place of AC
Starfinder uses stamina and health in place of just HP. If someone hasn't played a healer in Starfinder before, it can take a bit to get used to, as you can't heal stamina points with your spells and abilities unless you take the media archetype from the Character Operations Manual.

We now have over 120 playable species in Starfinder!

[Wei Ji the Learner]

Driftbourne wrote:

Welcome back to Starfinder!

Starfinder uses EAC and KAC in place of AC
Starfinder uses stamina and health in place of just HP. If someone hasn't played a healer in Starfinder before, it can take a bit to get used to, as you can't heal stamina points with your spells and abilities unless you take the media archetype from the Character Operations Manual.

We now have over 120 playable species in Starfinder!

There is an Envoy talent that allows the recovery of some Stamina, as well.

[BeNotAfraid]

Driftbourne wrote:

We now have over 120 playable species in Starfinder!

(new guy wide eye ->) O.O One-hundred and twenty-some playable races and counting..? Frakkin' smeg, Starfinder..! lol

[Metaphysician]

I wouldn't overly stress about the sheer number of playable species. Its not like Pathfinder and 3.x didn't have huge numbers, too. Best way to handle it? Simply tell your players "I would prefer to keep things from getting too complicated, so please stick to the more basic Pact Worlds species. If you have some very specific idea otherwise, talk with me about it."

As for stamina and healing, the most important takeaway is that combat healing is *not* a big important thing in Starfinder. Being able to recover some stamina or health in the middle of a fight can be useful, but its not obligatory, and you definitely don't need a Designated Healer, at least in the traditional D&D sense. You probably *do* want some means to clear certain statuses and afflictions ( and also to stabilize people at zero HP ), but between the Medicine skill and items, anyone can do that. For raw hit points, everyone is one ten minute breather away from getting half their total meter back, several times per day, that is more than enough under most circumstances.

[Hilary Moon Murphy]

Pactworlds Species includes a lot of delightful races that aren't in the core rule book. Barathu, Contemplatives, Dirindi, Dragonkin, Drow, Formians, Elebrians, Ghorans, Haan, Ifrits (in the Burning Archipelago), Ikeshti, Kalo, Maraquoi, Nuars, Orcs, Ryphorians, Sazurons, Sarcesians, Shobhads, Trox, Verthani... So many wonderful creatures!

While technically not a native Pactworlds race, I'd also include skittermanders in that list. They're almost as ubiquitous in the Pact Worlds as gnomes.

[The Ragi]

If you consider all the alternate ability adjustments, I'm at 182:

Starfinder Races, Themes and Archetypes