Creating a character for Starfinder Society play follows the steps in the Starfinder Player Core with a few additional Starfinder Society-specific rules and benefits.
Character Sheets
There is no standard character sheet format required. Character sheets must be legible, clear, and reviewable by the GM. Blank character sheets for Starfinder can be found at:
- Paizo.com (printable)
- Hephaistos (digital)
Character Creation Guidelines
Follow the standard steps PC pg. 17Player Core page 17
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1. Create a Concept
Your character is a member of the Starfinder Society, so they must be able to work with any other Starfinder and abide by the Society’s motto: “Explore, Report, Cooperate.”
2. Start Building Attribute Modifiers
Starfinder Society characters can use the standard attribute boosts and flaws for their ancestry or the alternate ancestry boosts. Your character can also take two additional attribute flaws to gain one additional attribute boost as described PC pg. 25Player Core page 25
(click to close).
3. Select an Ancestry
Ancestry follows the normal rules PC pg. 41Player Core page 41
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Always Available Ancestries
All players have access to all ancestries and versatile heritages in the Starfinder Player Core without needing to own the book. Players can use any ancestries from other sources (such as the Starfinder Galaxy Guide) provided they own a copy of the source and obey any restrictions on the Character Options page.
Home World
When you create a character, you can decide where they have come from, including their port of call, home world, and deity PC pg. 25Player Core page 25
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Languages
All Starfinder Society characters are literate and speak Common as well as any other languages granted by their ancestry. All Starfinder Society characters have Access to all common and uncommon languages.
4. Pick A Background
In addition to the backgrounds allowed by the Character Options page, players who participated in the Starfinder Playtest have access to special Starfinder Playtest Backgrounds, found in the xxYear 1 Player's Guidexx.
5. Choose A Class
Starting Level: Starfinder Society characters can begin play at 1st, 3rd, or 5th level. Regardless of their starting level, characters begin play with 0 XP. Keep a record of your character’s starting level.
6. Finish Attribute Modifiers
Follow the normal rules.
7. Record Class Details
Follow the normal rules.
8. Buy Equipment
Further information on purchasing equipment is in Purchasing Guidelines. New characters can choose to begin with the credits-only (lump sum) option OR the collection of permanent items + remaining credits option listed below:
| PC Starting Level | Credits-Only Option | Permanent Items Option | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 150 cr | - | n/a |
| 3rd | 750 cr | OR | - one 2nd-level item - two 1st-level items; and - 250 cr |
| 5th | 2,700 cr | OR | - one 4th-level item - two 3rd-level items - one 2nd-level item - two 1st-level items - 500 cr |
9. Calculate Modifiers
Follow the normal rules.
10. Finishing Details
Introduction Notes: The beginning of Starfinder Society games includes character introductions, so consider making a few notes on your character’s appearance, personality, and pronouns to share with other players. The Starfinder Galaxy Guide contains information on the campaign setting you can use for this purpose.
Age: Characters must be at least young adults to be accepted as members of the Starfinder Society.
No Unholy PCs: Starfinder Society characters cannot be sanctified unholy.
Deities and Philosophies
Characters can worship and gain mechanical benefits from any deity listed in the table of gods in the Player Core (beginning on page 35) so long as they follow the deity’s listed divine sanctification rule and the deity is not limited or restricted. (See the Character Options page for whether a deity is limited or restricted.)
Characters can revere deities they do not worship. Revering a deity means that your character might do things like wearing the deity’s holy symbol, attending the deity’s religious services, or performing other acts of obeisance that aren’t rewarded with spells or divine powers. A character can revere as many deities as they wish, but can worship and receive power from only one.
Some deities, such as The Devourer or Urgathoa, require their followers to be sanctified unholy; because Starfinder Society characters cannot be sanctified unholy, these deities cannot be worshiped to gain benefits. Characters can also be agnostic, atheist, or can follow the tenets of philosophies PC pg. 39Player Core page 39
(click to close) rather than deities.
Edicts and Anathema in Society Play
To allow a wide variety of characters in Starfinder Society play, the rules around edicts and anathema are slightly relaxed. All characters can participate in Starfinder Society adventures without running afoul of their deity’s or classes’ edicts and anathema. Assume the Society has ensured that attempting to perform the primary objective of an official Starfinder Society mission by itself will not cause a character to fall out of favor with their deity.
Likewise, while edicts are valorous actions praised by a deity, a character does not need to perform their deity’s edicts to the exclusion of other activities or if doing so would prevent the smooth progression of play at the table.
An anathema in Starfinder Society is always personal. The actions of one PC at a table can never cause another PC at the table to fall. However, other characters are welcome to express their disapproval provided it does not interfere with the progress of the game.
Remember that edicts and anathema exist to create roleplaying opportunities at the table for your character, not to be used by the GM or players to pressure others at the table toward specific styles of play.