Tuesday 15 May 2018

Starfinder

So where do we even start? This game is huge because it's about PC's in a space ship that can go to worlds. Think of all the years it took Ed Greenwood to make one world . . . one. All the places, all the kingdoms, all the history. Think of the drow below, adventures in the far east, adventures in the south, it's huge! Now take all that and do it like ten or so times for just worlds in like one solar system, right?

In Development May 2018

It's something no one could ever do. This is why many times people create "planets" or "worlds" that have a gimmick or theme that is only one city or one area and they say it's the world. Think of the real world, all the races, all the places that are so different from each other that even though they do exist on one world together you would expect them in fantasy to just define one world. Even in Mass Effect Andromeda a "world" is gimmick-ed as ice or desert, when in reality it would have both.

It's this thinking that blows my mind and makes me unable to even consider Starfinder. Do we do adventures on a space station like in the published adventures? What about on a ship like in Alien? If we go to a world is it just like fantasy dungeons and dragons versus space adventure? Reading the core book I got taken right out of sc-fi fantasy and space when I saw an image of a dwarf on page 9, YUK! This is horrible, because it's saying "Hey were still playing Pathfinder or D&D with classic fantasy races in space."

If we were just playing pathfinder in space, I would just have played the "Lords of Rust" adventure where the PC's as fantasy characters explore tech stuff. My home-brew had them (at one time) on spaceships via Spelljammer. But this is not what I am looking for in Starfinder, I am looking for Sc-fi adventures in space. With so many styles like Star Trek, Star Wars, Mass Effect, Alien, Dark Matter, EVE, the list goes on, so where do we start?

I was hoping to use the rules loose in a home-brew campaign that has nothing to do with the published adventures because I have seen the same game streamed a hundred times and I don't feel one published adv can cover all genres of space and sc-fi. As well why do we want to re-run the same published adventure we've seen run because no one knows where to start in Starfinder.

Thinking about what type of game I would want to run, what the plot would be, where we would go, and how the setting needs to feel (Star Fleet uniforms with regulations, or a mercenary feel with space jockey's in crappy ships evading an empire, etc) and what would be our goal. There is sooooooooo much that can happen that I have to start to nail down what I want to build.



Using the Starfinder book I wanted to roll up a character for fun, so here it is:

Step 1: Concept - A ship captain of  a small ship that is kind of junky and has seen battle a few too many times. I want her tough and able to negotiate with the locals while avoiding getting ripped off. She has a background of a maybe spoiled life left behind to find freedom and independence. She's a loner but has contacts at many ports who she can look up for information and such.

Step 2: Race - I guess human would be best as Android, while cool is not a real person. However human covers so much ground. She could be a sub race of a type of humans who have used technology to modify their bodies.

Step 3: Theme - Spacefarer seems to fit most, as a nice mix of Ace Pilot/Mercenary/Bounty Hunter would be fun, but the Spacefarer has the intuition and the exploration aspects. Ace Pilot is too much about being almost a car person but for ships, Mercenary seems to be only combat and bounty hunter is a tracker.

Step 4: Class - Operative is maybe a rogue, but she would not be a magic user and is there magic in space? Not a warrior, and so forth.

Step 5: Roll ability scores and add in extras. Str -10, Dex-10, Con-10, Cha10, Int-10, Wiz-10. Race ability points = +2 Any. Theme ability points = +1 Con. Plus 10 points for customization. Final scores Str-12, Dex-16, Con-11, Cha-12, Int-12, Wiz-10.

Step 6: Add in class features. 6+1 (7) Stamina Points, 6HP, Dex - Key ability score. Class skills - 8+2 (10) Acrobatics +2, Athletics, Bluff, Computers+1, Culture, Disguise, Engineering+1, Intimidate, Medicine, Perception, Piloting +4, Profession, Sense Motive +2, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival. Proficient in Light Armor and Basic melee weapons, small arms and sniper weapons. BAB = 0, Fort = 0, Ref = 2, Will = 2. Operatives Edge +1 (Initiative and Skill Checks), Specialization (Thief - Perception +3 and Sleight of Hand +3. Specialization Exploit - Holographic distraction), Trick attack 1d4. 

Step 7: Skills (added above) / Feats - x2 Human. Dive for Cover and Minor Psychic Power.

Step 8: Equipment with 1000 credits to buy. Semi Auto Pistol Tactical, level 1, -260 credits, 1d6 P (dam), 30ft (range), No crit, x9 rounds, 1 usage, Bulk L, Special Analog. Second Skin, level 1, -250 credits, EAC +1, KAC +2, Max Dex +5, Upgrade slot x1, Bulk L.     

Step 9: Details
Alignment - chaotic neutral
AC - EAC+14, KAC+15. Vs combat maneuvers +23
Attack Bonuses - +2 Melee, ranged, thrown. +3 Other ranged attacks
Carrying Capacity - NA
Deity - I don't think applies, too much like fantasy
Description - Black haired, young, athletic, smart mouthed, captain of her ship. Loves to explore and trade as well as break in and take things . . . from time to time.
Home World - Unknown
Initiative - +4
Language - Common, +2 other.
Resolve Points - +4
Saving Throws - Fort = 1, Ref = 5, Will = 2
Size - Medium
Speed - 30ft.
Starship - Pale Maiden

From "World of Alessia" Building the Universe.

That is making a character using the Starfinder rules, but let's do more creating on this game world. First what rule set do we even use? Do we go in using Starfinder as it is? I have too many issues with space elves and dwarves so I can't use it like this. I could homebrew tons of it, but that is a lot of work. Another thought is to use a custom rule set like "Fate" and have the adventure about story with the PC's using skills to overcome situations. Or just use old familiar the d20 system and a 5E rule set tweaked for space PC's? I don't overall want the game to feel like were playing our normal d&d in space, but I don't want it too complex that it's no fun so we are not creating a custom new rule set.

Next after we pick a rule set I want to focus on who lives in this universe. Are their empires? What are the factions? The cultures? Who are the villains? In EVE there are four empires who each have a region of space and in each there are three classes or races of people. There are no aliens, just humans, however the humans do have powers such as cybernetics, pisonics, etc. Some could even add Star Wars like magic (Force) which is limited spell casting. Androids would be needed. Chemists who can alter their state of size, skill level, make drugs that effect powers, etc. Geology could have people who produce heat, fire, or lava, which could also flip to people of ice and cold, or that can phase into void. Once we set this feel for who lives there we have to work on how things work.

How are physics involved? Geology of the universe and the planets, how does chemistry and magic work in this universe? More to come as I am in the early stages of developing "Stardelver A guide to beyond the pale moon".