Environment
Starfinder Core Rulebook, page 394
The 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 and defying imagination. Regardless of their design, all of these creatures struggle to survive and thrive in their native habitats, from icy seas and lush fungus jungles to the savage pyroclastic flows of tidally heated moons or the rusting hulks of ancient alien megastructures.
The following section contains rules to help you as GM adjudicate the game universe, including rules for the vastness of space, for various types of planets and the different terrains that may be found on them, and for environmental effects and hazards that may come into play in a variety of settings. Rules for settlements and structures both natural and artificial are presented at the end of the chapter.
In this section
- Space The immeasurable gulf of space is home to everything on the Material Plane, housing more stars and planets than could ever be recorded.
- Astronomical Objects Most 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 An 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 The following section includes information on a variety of biomes found on planets.
- Weather Weather can play an important role in an adventure. The following section describes weather common on most habitable worlds.
- Environmental Rules The following is a compilation of rules appropriate for use in a variety of environments.
- Settlements Any 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 The following rules cover the basic features that can be found in structures.
- Materials While materials such as glass and wood are commonly found in terrestrial settlements, some substances are bit more unusual.
- Breaking Objects When attempting to break an object, you have two choices: smashing it with a weapon or destroying it with sheer strength.