Player Rewards

In addition to adventure rewards, players can also choose to use Boons, Factions, and the Retail Incentive Program.

Boons

Boons are small in-game rewards distributed for a variety of reasons, including playing certain adventures, attending events, and supporting charities. Boons must be stored or recorded alongside your adventure Chronicles and presented to GMs on request.

Achievement Point, Chronicle, and Game Reward Boons can be found on the Boons tab of your My Organized Play page. A list of purchased Boons appears at the bottom of the page, where each boon has a link to download a PDF copy with the text of the Boon.

The supplemental materials to this Guide include a list of Achievement Point Boons (coming soon) and retired Boons. Unless otherwise stated, Boons that are no longer available for purchase ("retired") can still be used in play.

Boons have no cash value. You cannot sell a Boon to another player.

You can only apply one copy of any Boon to a character unless the Boon states otherwise.

By contrast, as a player you can earn more than one copy of some Boons. The following rules are the default for how many copies of a Boon a player can earn:

• Chronicle Boons are earned by completing adventures. You can earn up to two copies of each Chronicle Boon, one as a player and one as a GM. You can use Replays to earn additional Chronicle Boons.
• AcP Boons are bought with Achievement Points (AcP). Unless otherwise specified, you can buy as many copies of AcP Boons you qualify for as you can afford.
• All other boons limit you to one copy each.

As usual, specific rules override general rules, so the text of an individual Boon takes precedence over the default rules above.

Types of boons include:

• Achievement Point Boons: Players earn Achievement Points (AcP) by participating in and reporting Starfinder Society games. AcP can be used online to purchase Boons.
• Chronicle Boons: Some adventures award an additional Boon. Once the game has been reported on paizo.com, players and GMs can download the Boon from the Boons tab of your My Organized Play page and apply it to the character that received credit for the adventure.
• Convention Boons: A player can acquire a convention Boon from participating in a convention supported by Paizo. You can’t assign multiple copies of a convention Boon to the same character. If the only difference in the Chronicle Sheet is the title of the convention or event listed at the top, it is the same Boon.
• Discount Boons: Some Boons provide a discount on purchases. Unless otherwise noted, only one Boon that provides any discount can be applied to any one purchase. This prevents multiple discounts from reducing the cost by an unreasonable amount.
• Fame Boons: Fame was a currency earned during Years 1-3 which has since been replaced with Achievement Points (AcP). Boons can no longer be purchased with Fame, but boons purchased with Fame before January 1, 2022, remain valid. A small number of Boons were retired instead of being converted to AcP boons; they are reproduced in Retired Rewards for reference.
• Game Reward Boons: Certain in game accomplishments (such as reaching a certain level of Reputation with a Faction) grant a reward. Games must be reported on Paizo’s website to meet these requirements. Once a character has met the requirement, the Boon can be assigned and downloaded from the player’s Boons tab.
• Species Access Boons: There are many species in Starfinder that can be accessed via special boons. Many of these boons can be earned by spending AcP. This includes System Traveler boons, which allow a player to spend AcP from one game system to access new species in another. For example, a player could spend Pathfinder Society (2e) AcP to access certain species for Starfinder Society play.
• Welcome Boon: A player can apply the Welcome to Starfinder Boon to their first character (XXXX–701). This Boon is available for download from this Guide.

Boon Slots

To ease player record-keeping burdens, the Starfinder Society uses the Boon slot system. Each Boon slot represents an available space in which a player can place one of their earned Boons; A PC can apply only one of their Boons per Boon slot.

if you’ve slotted a Boon, it’s active for that adventure, and if you didn’t slot one of your Boons, it’s dormant. Every Starfinder Society character has five Boon slots, each of which corresponds to a different type of Boon.

Most Boons include a corresponding Boon type, so you can slot a Social Boon into your Social Boon slot, but not into your Ally Boon slot. This means that aside from slotless Boons, you will handle only up to five Boons during a session—and do not need to sort through stacks of paper in the middle of the game.

Shortly after beginning a scenario, the GM will call for the players to slot their Boons. This typically occurs following the mission briefing, giving the players some information about which Boons might be relevant to the Scenario. In some cases, the GM will actively advise the players of pertinent Boons they might have earned on Chronicles from previous Scenarios.

Slotless boons do not take up any of your character’s slots; they are always active. There is no limit on how many slotless Boons you can have active.

Some slotless Boons are tagged as “limited-use.” These Boons grant a benefit a limited number of times, either once per Boon or a limited number of uses indicated by a series of checkboxes. In most cases, you do not need to continue keeping track of a limited-use Boon once it has been expended. Rarely, a limited-use Boon might include additional or altered rules in the description of the individual Boon.

A pregenerated character has Boon slots, though such characters rarely have Boons to use in these slots. If a pregenerated character does have Boons, such as Promotional Boons or temporary Boons granted by the adventure, they can slot them as normal.

Boon Slot List

Ally: These Boons typically represent an ally actively assisting the PC. This could be a hired ammo loader, a dodgy hacker, or a knightly squire from the Hellknights or Knights of Golarion.

Personal: Personal Boons represent a wide variety of special Boons available in the campaign. Uncommon playable species, typically those found outside the Starfinder Core Rulebook, are often accessed by Boons that occupy this slot. The Personal slot often requires associated Boons (such as new species options) to be permanently slotted, so that the slotted boon does not change on a scenario-by-scenario basis.

Promotional: Promotional Boons are unique in that they often represent out-of-game acquisitions that promote Starfinder or Starfinder Society and translate to in-game benefits. For a complete list of current Promotional Boons and associated requirements, see the Paizo Organized Play Perks page.

Social: These Boons often encompass agreements or alliances with in-game organizations or NPCs. The benefits of these arrangements often come in the form of a Boon granted by a Chronicle.

Starship: Starfinder Society Scenarios call out the inclusion of starship combat with the Starship Scenario tag. Starship Boons are most relevant to these Scenarios, allowing for the customization of the standard ships offered by the Starfinder Society organization. See the Starships section for more information on these Boons and customizing ships.

New Character Boons

Some Boons must be applied to new characters. Such Boons must be assigned to a particular character when received but can be held and applied later during character building or rebuilding.

Such Boons are applied in the following order:

1. Any Boon that specifies it must be the first Boon applied.
   If you can apply multiple such Boons, you can choose the order in which they are applied, provided that all such Boons are applied before any other Boons.
2. Any Boon that specifies it must be applied to a character with 0 XP.
   If you can apply multiple such Boons, you can choose the order in which they are applied, provided that all such Boons are applied before the character gains any XP.
3. Other Boons are then applied as normal.

You can use the normal level 1 character rebuild rules with the rules above.

Boons That Unlock Over Time

Some Boons allow players to unlock access to character options over time by checking boxes after meeting the criteria. The following additional rules apply to such Boons:

• Adventure Completion Boons: These are Boons that allow you to check one or more boxes after completing any adventure. After completing a given adventure, you can check off the relevant number of boxes on any one of these boons. Note the boon affected on the Chronicle for the adventure.
• Adventure-specific Boons: These are Boons which allow you to check off a box after completing a specific adventure. These boxes can always be checked when that adventure is completed, even if using that adventure completion to check off boxes on other Boons.
• Income-donation Boons: These Boons require the PC to donate a portion of their income. After completing an adventure, you can check off boxes on any number of Boons that require you to donate a portion of your income, provided you can afford to donate that amount. Any Boons that require a percentage donated are calculated as a percentage of total income (including Day Job, if any), not as a percentage of what remains after earlier donations.
• Downtime-donation Boons: These Boons require the PC to give up their downtime or their Day Job roll. PCs can check boxes on only one of these Boons per adventure.

For the purpose of checking off boxes on the Boons above, treat adventures that grant more than 1 XP as Adventure Path volumes.

Factions and Reputation

Factions

Factions have existed within the Starfinder Society since the organization’s inception. Each Faction supports its agents working within the Starfinder Society. All Society agents know that their allegiance is first to the Starfinder Society, followed by any Faction allegiances they maintain. In fact, most Factions within the Starfinder Society actively cooperate despite their differing goals.

Note: Each Faction's name below links to a page with additional details, including current faction leader and goals.

Acquisitives: "Fame, glory, and money. We want it all."
Members of the Acquisitives seek to increase their personal fame and fortune through working with the Starfinder Society and building its prestige.

Advocates: "We're here for you!"
The Advocates aim to heal the widening rifts between factions, unite the squabbling Starfinder agents into an accepting, loving, and supportive community, and encourage the Starfinder Society to do good throughout the Pact Worlds and beyond.

Cognates: "Diversity in knowledge, unity in purpose."
The Cognates aim to reduce the Starfinder Society’s dangerous over-reliance on technology, including Guidance, and refocus instead on magical and natural innovations, along with analog and other low-tech solutions.

Dataphiles: "Knowledge is power."
If information is power, the Dataphiles seek to become the most powerful faction within the Starfinder Society. The Dataphiles believe in curating all data (both digital and physical) and that they alone are worthy of deciding what is fit for public consumption.

Exo-Guardians: "The sword that seeks the darkness."
The Exo-Guardians are dedicated to protecting the Pact Worlds from external threats. Their members campaign in Near Space and the Vast to amass equipment, knowledge, and magic believed to be essential in protecting the Pact Worlds.

Manifold Host: "We who welcome all."
Functioning as recruitment officers and an enthusiastic welcoming committee, members of the Manifold Host are dedicated to inducting new species into the Starfinder Society in the belief that each alien species can contribute their own new and unique skills to the benefit of all. Additionally, they welcome new agents of all kinds and aid them in acclimating to the Society’s operations.

Second Seekers: "The past looms large" - Sarmak
The Second Seekers are an informal faction dedicated to pursuing the agenda of the Society’s current leader, the First Seeker. The current First Seeker, Sarmak, has dedicated his tenure to archeological exploration of ancient civilizations with advanced technology or megastructures, beginning with expeditions to Eternity, a city on Aballon left by the First Ones.

Wayfinders: "First into the unknown."
Named for an old relic of bygone explorers, the Wayfinders seek to explore space and create peaceful relationships with new species. Members of the Wayfinders often act as first contact ambassadors, as well as explorers to the absolute frontiers of known space.

Other Factions

There are innumerable entities and organizations in the galaxy, and some represent unique factions who are not currently influential in the Starfinder Society. During the course of play, it is possible for a character to receive an offer to join one of these factions. Other factions currently in circulation include the Second Seekers factions associated with former First Seekers Roheas, Jadnura, Luwazi Elsebo, and Ehu Hadif.

Reputation Tiers

As a PC earns Reputation associated with a faction, they unlock additional benefits and access to more Boons.

A PC’s overall standing is represented by their Reputation Tier. There are five Reputation Tiers numbered 0 through 4, with a Reputation Tier of 0 representing no advancement within a faction, and a Reputation Tier of 4 representing the height of prestige within a faction. A Reputation Tier of 0 is not a valid Reputation Tier to collect the rewards from Boons based on Reputation Tier.

To reach a particular Reputation Tier, a character must earn the corresponding amount of Reputation in the table below:

Reputation Tier Thresholds

All Factions Reputation

To calculate your current Reputation Tier for the purpose of all-factions Boons, add up your total Reputation from all factions.

Retail Incentive Program

The Retail Incentive Program (RIP) rewards players with benefits for their characters when they patronize retailers who provide space for Organized Play activities. Purchases made at the location within a stated time period are added together by table and unlock benefits at different levels for the next game played, including some that reduce the severity of failures. Implementation methods vary from store to store and are posted for attendees to review. For more information, read the full policy and consult your Event Organizer for details.