The Pact Worlds (Rules) (GM Core)

The galaxy is full of wonder and peril, advanced technology, magic, meddling gods, and countless new worlds to explore. It's a science-fantasy setting, combining elements of science fiction with those of classic fantasy while taking inspiration from the modern world. Although infinite opportunities for adventure await on other planets, systems, and planes, the Pact Worlds are the focus of the Starfinder campaign setting. With 13 major worlds, dozens of moons, and countless nations, cities, frontiers, wildlands, and strange phenomena, this group of allied planets present a huge range of opportunities for heroism and villainy, drama and disgrace, fame and fortune! Because Absalom Station is easy to reach from anywhere in the galaxy, the Pact Worlds makes a perfect home base for interstellar explorers and travelers, safe from the horrors and dangers of the wider galaxy. It's the heart of the Starfinder setting and a collection of places worth protecting. The Pact Worlds' core system is a group of planets, major satellites, and regions orbiting lost Golarion's sun. These united worlds are Aballon, Castrovel, Absalom Station, Akiton, Verces, the Diaspora, Eox, Triaxus, Liavara, Bretheda, and Apostae, plus the Brethedan moons of Dykon, Kalo-Mahoi, and Marata. The Idari —a generation ship built and inhabited by kasathas—is a Pact World, as is Pulonis, a planet in Near Space formerly occupied by the Veskarium. What's left of Aucturn, a planet destroyed by the birth of a god, floats among the field of ice and haunted debris ringing the system's outskirts, called the Gelid Edge. Planets details the planets and regions of the Pact Worlds System, including their people, governments, cultures, and themes. Only a brief overview of each planet is presented here—enough to establish the setting and spark the imagination. If you're interested in exploring the Pact Worlds and the wider galaxy further, see the Starfinder Galaxy Guide , Starfinder Adventures, and Starfinder Society Scenarios. At time of print, the year in the Pact Worlds is 325 After Gap (AG). As the calendar advances in the real world, time also progresses for the Pact Worlds. Starfinder Player Core was first published in the year 2025, with the Pact Worlds' corresponding year ending in the same two final digits. The Pact Worlds' history is expansive, but four of the most significant events to shape the world occurred in 0 ag , when the Gap erased history and the modern era began; in 3 ag when Triune's Signal led to the discovery of the Drift and Drift travel; 41 ag when the Pact Worlds unified; and 324 ag when the Pact Worlds planet Aucturn hatched, birthing an outer godling dubbed the Newborn into the universe and forming the Gelid Edge at the fringes of the Pact Worlds. The map image depicts the Pact Worlds System, which features the planets and regions explored on the following pages. Beyond the Pact Worlds Outside the Pact Worlds, other planets and systems maintain their own calendars, timelines, and temporal measurements. Due to the nearness of Absalom Station everywhere in the galaxy, many societies have knowledge of Pact Standard Time and track it alongside their own. Days The names of the days of the week are simply numbered based on their position, as follows. Firstday (Monday) Seconday (Tuesday) Thirday (Wednesday) Fourthday (Thursday) Fifthday (Friday) Sixthday (Saturday) Seventhday (Sunday) Months The names of the months of the year are traditional, a remnant from a time before the Gap, and are believed to date back to lost Golarion. They're named in honor of gods both current and ancient, as follows. Abadius ( January) Calistril (February) Pharast (March) Gozran (April) Desnus (May) Sarenith ( June) Erastus ( July) Arodus (August) Rova (September) Lamashan (October) Neth (November) Kuthona (December) Time Absalom Station has an artificial day/night cycle lasting 24 hours, similar to Earth's. A week has 7 days and a year has 52 weeks. To keep the calendar synchronized with the astronomical year, an extra leap day is tacked on to the second month of the year every 4 years. Despite the different orbits and cycles of other planets, the Pact Worlds and its planets maintain a “Pact Year” and a “Pact Day” as a standard form of temporal measurement, even if individual planets have days and years far longer than Pact Standard Time.