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Chapter: Game Mastering
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37 rules

Name ▲ Page Description
Game Mastering 386
Adventures And Campaigns 388As the Game Master, you wear many hats: storyteller, entertainer, judge, inventor, and player.
Building an Adventure 388How much work you put into preparing your adventure is up to you. The easiest approach is to simply modify or run a published adventure (see the sidebar on page 392).
Stat Blocks 388Stat blocks are one of the most complex parts of the game, but also the most useful.
Designing Encounters 388An encounter is any event that presents the PCs with a specific problem that they must solve.
Gaining Experience 390In the Starfinder RPG, characters advance in level by overcoming challenges ranging from combat situations to diplomatic encounters. All of these are symbolized by experience points (XP).
Gaining Wealth 391As PCs gain levels, they tend to obtain wealth. Starfinder assumes that all PCs of equivalent level have roughly equal amounts of wealth in the form of gear, magic items, and raw currency.
Before the Game 392Everyone approaches game mastering differently—some with intensive preparation, others with a sticky note and a prayer.
Running the Game 392Addressed below are several of the common situations and issues that you’ll invariably need to handle during the game.
Environment 394The universe is an endless expanse of adventuring potential. On its billions of worlds, physics create every possible permutation of geology, while life’s endless creativity gives rise to organisms both eerily familiar…
Space 394The immeasurable gulf of space is home to everything on the Material Plane, housing more stars and planets than could ever be recorded.
Astronomical Objects 394Most living beings begin their lives on floating astronomical objects. These planets, planetoids, and stars are the hub of much adventure and vary in complexity of design and makeup.
Atmospheres 395An atmosphere is a layer of gases held in place by the pull of a planetoid’s gravity. The gravity and temperature of a planetoid impact its ability to retain an atmosphere.
Biomes 396The following section includes information on a variety of biomes found on planets.
Aerial Terrain 396On worlds where the atmosphere expands high above the physical boundaries of the surface, there exists a region of open air.
Aquatic Terrain 396Aquatic terrain can be one of the least hospitable to PCs because most can’t breathe underwater.
Desert Terrain 397Desert terrain exists in cold, temperate, and warm climates, but all deserts share one common trait: very little precipitation.
Forest Terrain 397A forest can be composed of more than trees. On some worlds, vast fungal growths tower into the sky, while on others metallic veins rise from the ground and connect in spidery canopies.
Hill and Mountain Terrain 397Hill terrain describes rises in the immediate area, often multiple hills spread over miles. This type of terrain can occur in any other biome.
Marsh Terrain 397Two categories of marsh exist: relatively dry moors and watery swamps. Both are often bordered by lakes (see page 396), which are effectively a third category of terrain found in marshes.
Urban Terrain 398Urban terrain can be found in most settlements where the people have greatly exerted their influence over the surrounding environment, constructing buildings where they can live and work in comfort and laying…
Weather 398Weather can play an important role in an adventure. The following section describes weather common on most habitable worlds.
Environmental Rules 400The following is a compilation of rules appropriate for use in a variety of environments.
Falling 400A character that falls takes 1d6 damage per 10 feet fallen, to a maximum of 20d6. A character that takes damage from a fall lands prone.
Gravity 401Gravitational differences between planets have the potential to cripple characters or make them superheroes—and sometimes both at the same time.
Heat Dangers 402Heat deals nonlethal damage to the victim. A character can’t recover from the damage dealt by a hot environment until she gets out of the heat and cools off.
Radiation 403Radiation is a very real threat to adventurers, whether it’s the radiation emitted from stars or the radiation generated by various technological wonders of the universe.
Suffocation and Drowning 404A character who has no air to breathe can hold her breath for a number of rounds equal to twice her Constitution score.
Settlements 405Any place where sentient life gathers, lives, and works on a regular basis is referred to as a settlement, and they are just as varied as the types of life-forms that occupy them.
Structures 406The following rules cover the basic features that can be found in structures.
Materials 408While materials such as glass and wood are commonly found in terrestrial settlements, some substances are bit more unusual.
Breaking Objects 409When attempting to break an object, you have two choices: smashing it with a weapon or destroying it with sheer strength.
Traps 410Ancient alien ruins and corporate offices alike are rife with traps and defense mechanisms meant to protect valuable goods, personnel, and information.
Afflictions 414Curses, diseases, drugs, and poisons can all have effects on a character that continue long past the character’s first exposure.
Diseases 414Diseases are typically inhaled contagions (though these are usually filtered out by a standard space suit or suit of armor) or injury contagions. Page 417 explains the details of each method of contagion.
Poisons 415Each poison has a delivery mechanism. Page 417 explains the details of the various methods of delivery. A character who is poisoned attempts a saving throw after the listed onset and at the listed frequency thereafter.
How to Read Stat Blocks 420This section presents an example of a creature stat block that might be found in a Starfinder product. Below is a description of each line in that stat block.