Creating a Narrative

Characters and their choices create the story of Starfinder, ­but how they interact with each other and the galaxy around them is governed by rules. So, while you might decide that your character steals a starship and takes off on a perilous interstellar journey, your character's chance of success is determined by their abilities, the choices you make, and the roll of the dice. The GM determines the premise and background of most adventures, although character histories and personalities should also play a part. Once a game session begins, the players take turns describing what their characters attempt to ­do, while the GM determines the outcome, with everyone working together to create the story. The GM also describes the environment, other characters' actions, and events. For example, the GM might announce that the PCs' home world is under attack by the Swarm. The characters might fight off the first strike, then track the invaders back to a planetoid in the Vast—just as a jinsul raiding party arrives! The PCs have the choice of battling Swarm emganats, fending off jinsul invaders, or both. Whatever they decide, their success depends on their choices and their die rolls. A single narrative—including the setup, plot, and conclusion—is called an adventure . A series of adventures creates an even larger narrative called a campaign . An adventure might take several sessions to complete, whereas a campaign might take months or even years! The Galaxy as a Participant Aside from characters and monsters, the galaxy of Starfinder itself can be a force at the table and in the narrative. While the presence of the larger setting can sometimes be an obvious hazard, such as when a firestorm rages through an alien jungle, the setting can also act in subtler, smaller ways. Traps and treasures are just as important in many tales as monstrous foes. To help you understand these game elements, many of them use the same characteristics as characters and monsters. For example, most environmental hazards have a level that indicates how dangerous they are, and the level of a magic item gives you a sense of its overall power and impact on a story.