Starfinder

No. You can start fresh. Starfinder uses a straightforward d20 system. You state your actions, roll the dice, and the GM interprets the results. A professional Game Master guides you as you play, explains starship roles, and keeps the scenes flowing. They can provide pre-generated characters and a ready ship if you wish. If you're familiar with D&D or other d20 games, the pace will feel familiar, but it's not necessary at all.

Both. First Edition (2017) is available now and provides extensive options with a classic feel. Second Edition will be released in 2025 with updated rules and quicker onboarding. Our Game Masters can recommend what suits your group’s style and schedule. Many groups choose 1e for more complex builds, or 2e for a more straightforward start. Ready to compare options and set a date? Browse Game Masters who run Starfinder.

Everyone has a role on the bridge. Players can take on positions such as pilot, gunner, captain, engineer, or science officer. Each round has distinct phases for maneuvers, scans, repairs, and firing. Piloting checks dictate the flow, gunnery rolls determine salvos, and subsystem damage is important. Both your character’s skills and the ship’s configuration play a crucial role. A skilled Game Master ensures turns are quick and stakes are clear, creating a cinematic experience, whether online or in person.

Expect more tactical detail than 5E, especially in 1e. Gear upgrades, conditions, and positioning matter. Character options can stack in interesting ways. Starfinder 2e aims to maintain that depth while making it easier to get started and reducing edge-case rules. Your GM can adjust complexity with pregens, simplified gear, or optional subsystems turned off for a one-shot, or ramp it up for a long campaign. Either way, choices in and out of combat remain significant.

There are many options. Humans, androids, ysoki, vesk, lashunta, shirren, and more are popular choices. You could be a stealthy operative, a soldier armed with heavy weapons, a mystic healer, a technomancer who combines code and magic, a mechanic with a drone, a solarion harnessing stellar power, or a silver-tongued envoy. Share your concept and edition with your GM, and they will assist in crafting a build and a starship role that suits the crew.

Yes. The science-fantasy tone can be bright and adventurous. A professional Game Master tailors content for age and comfort, using safety tools, non-lethal outcomes, and stakes that prioritise exploration and teamwork over violence. Aliens can be allies, mysteries can be solved with cleverness, and combat pacing remains straightforward. It is suitable for families, birthdays, and school clubs. You can establish lines and veils before play.

Starfinder excels with tactical maps for both firefights and starship scenes, making a grid useful. Our Game Masters provide physical maps and tokens for in-person play, or can set up a virtual tabletop with fog of war, ship sheets, and digital dice for online sessions. If you prefer a theatre of the mind approach, the GM can simplify encounters. To explore the online tools they use, check online play platforms.