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Starfinder Society Characters

Most Starfinder Society Scenarios and Quests require the use of a Starfinder Society Character or Starfinder Society Sanctioned Pregen.

Resources and Access

Characters have Access to all options listed as Legal for Play by the Character Options page . Players can choose any options their character has Access to in any Paizo published books or supplements they own. Players residing in the same household may share owned resources. Players can choose options their character has access to in the Core Sources regardless of ownership. Boons and Chronicle sheets can grant access to options not normally Legal for Play.

Using a Pregenerated Character

You can use a pregenerated character (or pregen) based on one of the Starfinder iconic characters. This option can be useful when time is short or you want to try out a character class. See Applying Credit for additional rules for Chronicles earned by playing a pregen.

You can choose any of the pregenerated characters without owning the associated source. You can download the Starfinder Pregenerated Characters or request them from your Event Organizer.

Character Creation

Creating a character for Starfinder Society play follows the same steps as in the Starfinder Core Rulebook (page 14 ) with a few additional 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:

Character Creation Guidelines

1. Create A Character Concept

Your character is a member of the Starfinder Society, so they should be able to work with any other Starfinder and abide by the Society’s motto: “Explore, Report, Cooperate.”

2. Choose A Playable Species

Follow the normal rules in the Core Rulebook and the additional rules below.
Players have Access to the playable species published in the Core Rulebook, including both the Core (Chapter 3 ) and Legacy species (Chapter 13 ) as well as the following species in Starfinder Alien Archive :

  • draelik, dragonkin*, formian*, ikeshti, kalo*, maraquoi*, nuar*, ryphorian*, sarcesian, shobhad, skittermander, verthani, and witchwyrd

The following species are also available provided you own a copy of the corresponding source book:

* Species marked with an asterisk (*) are also profiled in Starfinder Interstellar Species . You may use a copy of the original source or of Interstellar Species to satisfy source ownership requirements.

Additionally, there are many species that can be accessed via a Species Admittance Boon. If you have a Species Admittance Boon for a playable species that has since become always available, see the Starfinder Society FAQ for more information on the effects of that Boon.

3. Choose A Theme

All Starfinder Society characters must select a character theme during character creation.

4. Choose A Class

Starfinder Society characters begin play at level 1.

5. Finalize Ability Scores

Starfinder Society characters must use the Buying Ability Scores rules . They cannot use the optional rules for Character Flaws, Ability Quick Picks, or Rolling Ability Scores.

6. Apply Your Class

Follow the normal rules in the Core Rulebook.

7. Assign Skill Ranks And Choose Feats

Follow the normal rules in the Core Rulebook and the additional rule below.

Skills: Each time your character invests a skill rank in Culture , choose an additional language from the list of languages in “9. Fill In The Finishing Details” below or from any language they otherwise gain Access to.

8. Buy Equipment

Characters begin with 1,000 credits to spend on armor, weapons , and other equipment . Characters can purchase any piece of equipment listed in Chapter 7 of the Core Rulebook with an item level no greater than 2nd. Characters can purchase any piece of equipment authorized by the Character Options page with an item level no greater than 1st.

Characters retain any remaining credits on a personal credstick.

9. Fill In The Finishing Details

Follow the normal rules in the Core Rulebook and the additional rules below.

Age: Characters must be between the age of maturity and the maximum age for their species. When determining the maximum age of a species, assume maximum dice results. For example, human maximum age is 120, while ysoki maximum age is 80.

Alignment: Player Characters may not be evil-aligned. When choosing an alignment, be sure it satisfies any alignment requirements for your character’s theme (such as the priest theme).

Deities and Philosophies: Characters can worship any deity or philosophy from an approved source on the Character Options page, following the normal rules for sourcebook ownership.

Characters can worship any number of deities or philosophies but must choose a single deity or philosophy to gain mechanical benefits from. This choice may be changed later, but a character can never gain mechanical benefits from more than one deity or philosophy at the same time.

Characters with the priest theme must choose a deity or philosophy whose alignment is within one step (on either the good-evil axis or the law-chaos axis) of the character’s alignment.

Home World: This is where your character was raised, and it must be your species' home world, one of the Pact Worlds planets presented in the Core Rulebook, or a populated world presented in the Near Space sourcebook.

Introduction Notes: The beginning of a Starfinder Society game includes character introductions, so consider making a few notes on your character’s appearance, backstory, personality, and pronouns to share with other players. "In the Aftermath of the Gap" on the Society homepage and Chapter 12 of the Starfinder Core Rulebook both contain information on the campaign setting you can use for this purpose.

Languages: Characters gain some languages based on their species and home world, but might speak additional languages depending on their Intelligence or class. All Starfinder Society characters are literate and speak Common. A character with a high Intelligence score can select bonus languages from the list on pages 40–41 of the Core Rulebook.

They can also select the following languages from other sources:

  • Bolidan, Daimalkan, Embri, Ghoran, Orrian, Osharu, Pahtra, Quorlu, and Vlakan (Spoken, Signed and Tactile) from Starfinder Alien Archive 2
  • Accaran, Akan, Brenneri, Dirindi, Dromadan, Espraksi, Hortaa, Iji, Izalguun, Koshorian, Lumos, Morlamaw, Perani, Raxi, Sazaron, Shimreeni, Spathinae and Telian from Starfinder Alien Archive 3
  • Copaxi from Starfinder Alien Archive 4

Natural Disabilities: The Starfinder Roleplaying Game allows for characters to be naturally blind or deaf as part of character creation; these character options are allowed as part of the Starfinder Society. The selection must be made at character creation and cannot be reversed. A character can choose to be either naturally blind or naturally deaf; he cannot choose to be both. A blind character gains the tactile version of any language he knows, while a character who begins play deaf automatically knows the signed versions of their known languages.

Registration: Make sure to register your character at paizo.com so you can earn credit for playing!

Starship: The Society provides Starfinders with starships as needed. See this Guide's Starships section for more information on how starships work in the campaign.

Pawns

During combat, each PC is represented by a pawn. Each other creature controlled by a PC whose location outside their PC’s square affects combat is also represented by a pawn. No PC can place more than 2 pawns per adventure including their own. Temporary creatures who last no more than an encounter or two do not count toward this limit. Creatures who stay in their controller’s square during combat do not require pawns.

For in person games the Starfinder Roleplaying Game uses maps with a standard 1-inch grid to determine movement and tactical positioning in combat, so you need a physical representation of your character to use on the grid. Paizo produces a wide range of Starfinder Pawns and also works with Reaper Miniatures and WizKids to offer a wide variety of gaming miniatures so you can find just the right figure for your character.

For digital play, use a digital image. Ask your GM for their preferred image format and size.

Purchasing Guidelines

Between adventures, you can purchase items according to the rules below. When you are in a settlement during an adventure, the same purchasing rules apply subject to the normal limit that the only items available have an item level less than or equal to the settlement's listed Maximum Item Level . You can purchase the following items:

  • All equipment listed on the Character Options page which you have Access to with an item level less than or equal to your character level.
  • All equipment listed in the Starfinder Core Rulebook with an item level less than or equal to your character level + 1.
  • All equipment listed on your character’s Chronicle Sheets with an item level less than or equal to your character level + 2.
  • All items and services purchased with Achievement Points (AcP).

All Starfinders also have access to the Tetrad Certified Translator.

Characters have Access to items in the Treasure Access field on Chronicle Sheets applied to that character. Players still follow the normal rules for Resource ownership (see the Character Options page).

Infamy can reduce a character’s effective level when purchasing items.

Magic, hybrid, and technological items that can be used less often than once per day (such as once per week or once per month and so on) are considered to be usable once per adventure.

Spellcasting Services

Provided you are in a settlement, you may purchase spellcasting services with a level up to half the settlement’s Maximum Item Level.
Follow the normal rules and costs for purchasing spellcasting services with credits in the Starfinder Core Rulebook (pages 234-235). You can also use Achievement Points to purchase spellcasting services, which are listed individually by spell.

Purchased spellcasting is assumed to be cast using the minimum caster level. Spells without a level, such as miracle and wish, cannot be purchased as a spellcasting service.

PCs can never purchase the traveling service of a spellcaster.

No PC to PC Exchanges

In Starfinder Society play, you can never permanently transfer items or credits between PCs, but you may allow another PC to borrow items for the duration of an adventure. Borrowed items are returned at the end of the scenario in whatever condition they are in at the end of the scenario. This means a PC cannot buy, sell, trade, or donate items to another PC. This rule does not affect the ability of PCs to pool their credits for group purchases or removing afflictions.

Applying and Transferring Fusions

The Society has specialists at the Lorespire Complex trained in Mysticism who can apply or swap out fusions for agents of the Starfinder Society. This service is free but is only available before the briefing or once the adventure is complete unless stated in the adventure. Only the service is free; characters must still pay the normal cost for transferring the fusion.

Selling Gear

All gear is sold back for 10% of the credits the character originally paid. Partially used consumables cannot be sold back. A pregenerated character's gear can never be sold.

Recording Purchases

All purchases must be recorded on a Chronicle Sheet or on a separate record tracker.

Rebuilding Characters

When rebuilding your character in any way, you must describe all changes on your next Chronicle Sheet. You can never create a character using Rebuilding or Retraining that you could not build without it.

Level 1 Free Rebuilds

After playing a new character, you might find aspects of your character you would like to change. Don’t worry! Until you play a game in which your character starts with 3 or more XP, you can rebuild any aspect of your character. If this would change the character’s equipment, you can sell back equipment at 100% of credits paid. This otherwise follows the rules for Selling Gear. The character retains their Reputation earned and character number.

For retraining options available once your character reaches 3 or more XP, see Player Options: Retraining Characters.

Rules Changes

The Starfinder Roleplaying Game is a living game, and sometimes game elements change over the course of a PC’s career. To reduce confusion, rule changes announced during a gaming event do not take effect until after the event ends. If an errata changes an element of your character, you may be eligible for a partial rebuild. See Errata Rebuilds for more details.

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