Questions tagged [starfinder]

For questions about Starfinder, Paizo's Pathfinder-like soft sci-fi game. While officially cross-compatible with Pathfinder material, Starfinder is intended to stand as its own system.

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Is the pregen character Obozaya encumbered at level 1?

I am filling official character sheets with Paizo's pregens based on the Beginner Box (but with the core ruleset). And according to my calculations, Obozaya (Vesk Soldier 1, Mercenary), should be ...
Yotus's user avatar
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16 votes
6 answers
4k views

One of PCs backstabbed a powerful ally. How do I punish them without seeming like singling them out?

Followup to this question. So, I'm running a Starfinder game, and we are 50 sessions into this campaign. The campaign involves the fate of a small but strategically important settlement, which several ...
HFOrangefish's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
389 views

Alternative source for Pathfinder (or Starfinder) Society School items

If you play in Pathfinder Society, you can pick a School (Spells, Scrolls, etc). These give you a free item for each Society game, and a skill feat on level 5 among other things. Up until a few day ...
András's user avatar
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13 votes
7 answers
4k views

How do I keep a party together when they have conflicting goals?

I'm running a Starfinder game, and we are 40 sessions into this campaign. The campaign involves the fate of a small but strategically important settlement, which several factions are vying for control ...
HFOrangefish's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
136 views

How does one balance massive resources in large battles/scenes to the party?

This is mainly for Starfinder. My players are L4. So, my players have set up a successful political party on the moon of Europa, which is currently in revolt against the Soviet Union. One of the PCs ...
HFOrangefish's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
355 views

How do I adjust an already easy adventure for a party made of healers and tanks?

I am planning for a campaign I'll start soon, the advice sought here is not system specific but the system is Starfinder and the adventure is the Adeventure Path Drift Crashers. My party is made out ...
TurtleTail's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
156 views

In Starfinder if I'm playing a Species with a vulnerability to an element what happens if I take a feat to overcome it?

If a player's species starts with a vulnerability to an elemental damage, or light blindness. What happens if the character is able to overcome that detriment. Do they "return the ability bought&...
EmyrsPhil's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
433 views

Would it be balanced to use the Starfinder system for races with more than 2 arms in Pathfinder 1e?

In Starfinder creatures with more than 2 arms have a feature where they can hold more items but not take extra actions with those arms. Would it be balanced if a race in Pathfinder 1e had this feature?...
TurtleTail's user avatar
13 votes
1 answer
198 views

Is a starship locked in geosynchronous orbit considered "stationary" for the purpose of teleportation between ships?

Teleportation rules in Starfinder are sketchy. In combat, two ships are not moving relative to one another and Teleportation is impossible. However, if ships are stationary and not in combat, ...
Tristian's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Do humans start off with 1/3rd the languages of Other Races?

A character begins play speaking and reading Common, her racial tongue (if any), and the language of her home planet (if any). Common Racial language: the human racial language is Common Language of ...
Tristian's user avatar
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12 votes
1 answer
200 views

How do I know if my ship has a recharging station?

"At the GM’s discretion, some larger starships might have onboard recharging stations. These might offer recharging at low or no cost, but they typically take 1 minute per charge to recharge a ...
Tristian's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
126 views

Starfinder: Soldier: Qi Adept Plasma Blasts Multiple Attacks?

With regard to the Soldier/Fighting Style:Qi Adept/Plasma Blast, these characters get a ranged attack (30ft) with 1.5xlevel bonus (specialization). My question is, How many of these blasts do they get ...
Tristian's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
609 views

How can you improve your skill checks in Starfinder?

I am currently in the campaign with two other players. Our party consists of an Operative, a Soldier, and a Solarian. Due to the way skill points are distributed in this game, the Operative is ...
Deeps's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Does Starfinder cap ability scores or ability score modifier?

My group has recently started a weekly game of Starfinder, a system we don't have any prior experience in. During a level-up in the last session, we found the following inconsistency or at least ...
Deeps's user avatar
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15 votes
1 answer
1k views

Do healing spells harm undead in Starfinder?

So after being programmed through years' of D&D play, we are trying Starfinder. I guess we just assumed that undead creatures are harmed by heal spells and effects but we can't find RAW saying so. ...
Jimmy Fix-it's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
827 views

Are Androids immune to all inhalation effects? (Starfinder)

My party and I can't seem to come to a good agreement on the extent of the Constructed Racial trait with regards to breathing. The Android Constructed racial trait reads: ...androids do not breathe ...
lodewykk's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
550 views

Does bleeding damage stack?

As an operative I have Bleeding Shot and make level bleeding damage if I hit. My question: what happens if I do bleeding damage after I hit the first shot. Does the bleeding damage stack?
ruedi's user avatar
  • 6,527
8 votes
2 answers
243 views

Determining creature rarity in Starfinder

I have a player at my Starfinder table who is really keen to use her bonuses for identifying rare creatures, but has never gotten a chance to. I'd assumed none of the encountered creatures were ever ...
T.E.D.'s user avatar
  • 1,528
4 votes
1 answer
103 views

Does the vanguard's Entropy Shield stack with a real physical shield?

Can a Vanguard have both an Entropy Shield and a real physical shield, and do they stack if so?
Adrian's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
359 views

Can a sniper scope be mounted on a solarian's solar flare, like on other small arm weapons?

This is a weird one, but nobody seems to have asked about it. The Character Operations Manual (p. 84) adds the Solar Flare option for the solarian's Solar Manifestation feature. Its description says, ...
Mike Cosgrove's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
117 views

When does a Taunt action take effect during starship combat?

According to Starfinder's starship combat rules on the Captain's Taunt action: You can use the communications system to broadcast a taunting message to the enemy vessel. You select an enemy vessel ...
ruffdove's user avatar
  • 6,069
3 votes
1 answer
102 views

Does the mandatory piloting check at the beginning of a helm phase count as the pilot "acting" for the purposes of a Taunt action?

In starship combat, a successful Taunt captain action imposes penalties on opposing crew members for a period of 1d4 rounds if they "act" during the phase in which the Taunt occurs. To quote ...
ruffdove's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
372 views

Can you take a guarded step in difficult terrain

So the way I am reading the rules it seems impossible to take a guarded step in Starfinder in difficult terrain. So the guarded step rules say:- You can carefully step 5 feet as a move action. This ...
Adrian's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
148 views

How do aliens without the Medicine Skill stop the bleeding condition?

According to Starfinder's bleeding condition rules: You take the listed amount of damage at the beginning of your turn each round until this condition ends. Your bleeding can be stopped with a ...
ruffdove's user avatar
  • 6,069
5 votes
1 answer
327 views

Starship HP increase on tier level up

When a ship is upgrade from tier 3 to tier 4 in starfinder it says there is a hp increase. You can see this in the starfinder core rulebook, page 294, table 9-1. ...
humanbeing's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
160 views

Does the use of a gunner major action always preclude the use of the Snap Shot minor crew action?

In Starfinder, during starship combat, the Snap Shot minor crew action allows a crew member who has taken a major crew action earlier in the round to fire a starship weapon during the gunnery phase. ...
ruffdove's user avatar
  • 6,069
5 votes
1 answer
202 views

Does a force field absorb hit point damage from an attack that would only deplete stamina points?

In Starfinder, personal force fields grant temporary hit points to the user and fast heal those temporary hit points every round for a finite number of rounds. My question is whether the force field ...
ruffdove's user avatar
  • 6,069
1 vote
1 answer
227 views

Illusion vs Hologram, what are the pros and cons

My DM is creating a new 1e campaign and wants to include starfinder elements such as items and classes to it. I'm planning on creating an spellcaster and am wondering if I should work towards the ...
Andre DeJesus's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
287 views

Can I connect grenades with a detonator and use it as a ranged weapon in combat?

We've been dipping into Starfinder and I find myself playing a mechanic. I love the idea of using grenades to their fullest advantage, it's a fun, volatile weapon that turns up as loot too often not ...
TigerDM's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
95 views

Does a Successful Saving Throw vs. Disease protect you until the next day?

So you have a monster that can inflict an Injury Track disease. The PC successfully saves to avoid contracting the disease when he is injured in the first round of combat. If he is injured in the same ...
Jimmy Fix-it's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
197 views

What are the inhabitants of Golarion called?

Like the inhabitants of Earth are called Earthlings, what are the inhabitants of Golarion called? Golarions? Golarian? Something completely different?
Dave Matney's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
184 views

When a ysoki is holding items in his cheek pouches, can others tell if they have something in there?

The rules on ysoki cheek pouches are rather vague on whether objects held inside them are actually concealed. It seems possible that someone else would be able to determine that the ysoki was ...
ruffdove's user avatar
  • 6,069
3 votes
1 answer
251 views

Does the pressurized lung augmentation in Starfinder protect a character from the effects of sudden decompression?

According to the Starfinder rules, the pressurized lungs biotech augmentation has the following effect: "You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour and are immune to the normal environmental ...
ruffdove's user avatar
  • 6,069
7 votes
1 answer
267 views

Why does pregen character Iseph have +11 to acrobatics and +10 to piloting at level 1?

Paizo provides pregenerated level 1 character stats for iconic character Iseph. Among the stat bonuses listed, it mentions "Acrobatics +11" and "Piloting +10 (1 rank)". I don't ...
Kevin's user avatar
  • 313
2 votes
1 answer
203 views

Can a Solarian's ability to enter a Stellar Mode take into consideration conditions affecting her?

I know there is GM discretion allowed as to the situations affecting a Solarian's ability to enter a Stellar Mode, but I would like other GMs opinions on this situation. RAW seem to generally require ...
Jimmy Fix-it's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
742 views

Do you lose a turn/spell slot when casting a spell on invalid creatures?

Say my Mystic attempts to cast Fear as a 1st level spell on a creature. 1st: When you cast fear as a 1st-level spell, it affects one living creature of CR 4 or lower at close range... If the DM ...
goodwind's user avatar
  • 456
6 votes
2 answers
105 views

If I fire a laser weapon with the Aurora property, does the damage (or lack thereof) occur before or after the target's invisibility is negated?

Laser weapons cannot do damage to invisible creatures (Core Rulebook, p. 184; emphasis mine): Laser weapons emit highly focused beams of light that deal fire damage. These beams can pass through ...
sideromancer's user avatar
  • 1,542
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Will it be a significant disadvantage to play a tiny character?

I'm looking to play in my first Starfinders game, and am delighted by the variety of races available. My inclination is to play a Raxilite Biohacker. I'm very familiar with Pathfinder but just ...
Jeff Fry's user avatar
  • 8,377
10 votes
1 answer
847 views

What are the potential pitfalls of using Starfinder's ability score generation and advancement method for Pathfinder?

I'm starting a new campaign as GM. We are in session zero and talking about how to roll/buy ability scores. I'm considering using the Starfinder system with Pathfinder 1e. Starfinder starts all stats ...
FrancisJohn's user avatar
  • 8,796
1 vote
1 answer
214 views

What's the significance of different laser weapon types?

What is up with all the different types of laser weapons? There's Zenith, Parallax, Corona, and others, but I can't seem to find the significance of these subtypes of laser. I am assuming there are ...
MC_Hambone's user avatar
  • 7,099
5 votes
1 answer
491 views

What content has been officially converted from Starfinder to Pathfinder?

Are any of the materials in Paizo's Starfinder rules considered standard content for Paizo's Pathfinder rules according to Paizo? If yes, is any of that content also considered Pathfinder Society ...
Stephen R's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
145 views

How unbalancing is changing the target of Detect Thoughts to only the dead and dying?

One of my players is playing a lashunta envoy with the death-touched theme. As such, they have access to "Detect Thoughts" once per day. To give a little flavor with their theme, I decided to let ...
Ada's user avatar
  • 33
-3 votes
2 answers
226 views

How can I roleplay a character who's been lobotomized? [closed]

I am doing a Starfinder campaign playing a Ysoki technomancer who had a black market brain augmentation go wrong, resulting in a "unique type of emergency lobotomization." I was lucky in my ability ...
Mike Fairhurst's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
262 views

How does the Divine Blessing of Triune work?

The description of the Divine Blessing of Triune says: Triune: You can use a computer without having a user interface or hacking kit simply by touching it. You must still succeed at a Computers ...
Jhyarelle Silver's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
475 views

Does the Technomancer's Supercharge Weapon spell work on a ship's weapon for the purposes of ship-to-ship combat?

Does the Technomancer's Supercharge Weapon spell work on a ship's weapon for the purposes of ship-to-ship combat?
Jhyarelle Silver's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
867 views

Will doubling the price & damage of grenades make them balanced compared to other weapons?

Context: I'm running a group through the Dead Suns adventure path. This is the first time any of us have used Starfinder. One of the party members is an ysoki envoy who would like to focus on grenades ...
Oblivious Sage's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
302 views

Can a ship in the Drift communicate with someone outside the Drift?

Traveling between worlds in the system takes 1d6+2 Days (Core pg 291) while system wide communication takes 1d6-1 Hours (Core pg. 430). Is there any reason a ship travelling in the Drift for 3-8 ...
TheRPGFoundry's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
3k views

Which books do I need in order to run a Starfinder game?

I recently got me the core rule book of Starfinder and I really love the setting and the rules. I want to run a Starfinder game but I don't exactly know which books I need or where to start exactly. ...
CKA's user avatar
  • 760
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the Roll20 syntax needed to add a +1 bonus from the Weapon Focus feat to an attack with a long arm?

Under Weapon & Armor Proficiencies > Attacks: I am trying to add a bonus +1 to my attack with a long arm because of the Weapon Focus feat (1st level soldier). I tried: ...
Arthur D. Howland's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
246 views

Does the Corona Aura of the Solarian Revelation (Same Name) Affect Allies?

Every source and forum I've visited, when talking about Solarian revelations for a melee build, suggests Corona as a great revelation...but they always (in their own words) state that the damage ...
Dargon's user avatar
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