Character Conversion

While the core Starfinder classes can simulate a great variety of different science fantasy character concepts, players are always thinking of ideas that can be a little more difficult to model. As the GM, you may decide you are interested in allowing Pathfinder RPG classes in your Starfinder campaign. This will require work on your part and the cooperation and patience of the players allowed to play such classes. The following guidelines will help you manage some of the more common factors, but be forewarned that complicated class features will require a more in-depth conversion than what can be presented here.

Keep in mind that legacy class conversions can only be used in your Starfinder game if you, the GM, allow them!

Health, Stamina, and Resolve

Starfinder characters don’t rely solely on Hit Points to stay alive: they also have pools of Stamina Points that they can quickly replenish using Resolve Points. These concepts are vital in Starfinder, so a converted Pathfinder RPG class needs both Stamina and Resolve Points. Additionally, Hit Points in Starfinder are calculated differently. Find the converted class’s Hit Die on the chart below to determine how many Hit Points and Stamina Points that class receives at each level.

Like all Starfinder characters, a character with levels in a converted Pathfinder RPG class receives a number of Resolve Points equal to half her level plus her key ability score modifier.

PATHFINDER RPG HIT DIE	HIT POINTS	STAMINA POINTS
d6	5	5 + Con modifier
d8	6	6 + Con modifier
d10	7	7 + Con modifier
d12	8	8 + Con modifier

Class Skills and Skill Ranks Per Level

A Pathfinder RPG character’s list of class skills will necessarily be shorter when converted to Starfinder. Use the guidelines for skill conversions (see page 500) to determine a converted class’s appropriate class skills.

Find the converted class’s number of skill ranks per level on the chart below to determine the new number of skill ranks that class should receive at each level. Of course, you can decide to give the converted class fewer skill ranks if you wish, but you shouldn’t give that class more.

PATHFINDER RPG SKILL RANKS PER LEVEL	STARFINDER SKILL RANKS PER LEVEL
2 + Int modifier	4 + Int modifier
4 + Int modifier	4 + Int modifier
6 + Int modifier	6 + Int modifier
8 + Int modifier	8 + Int modifier

Armor Proficiency

There are only two types of armor in Starfinder—light and heavy armor—compared to the three types of armor found in the Pathfinder RPG. When bringing a legacy class into Starfinder, this conversion is fairly simple. If a class grants proficiency with light armor, then it functions the same way in Starfinder. The same holds true for heavy armor proficiency, and proficiency with medium armor can be ignored.

Shields don’t see much use in Starfinder, so proficiency with them can also be ignored when converting a Pathfinder RPG class.

Weapon Proficiency and Specialization

Ranged weapons are an important part of Starfinder, and most converted classes should have some familiarity with them. A Pathfinder RPG class proficient with simple weapons should be proficient with basic melee weapons and small arms in Starfinder. A class proficient with martial weapons should be proficient with basic and advanced melee weapons and longarms in Starfinder; if that class has a base attack bonus equal to its class level and class features that increase accuracy or damage with weapons, it should also gain proficiency with heavy weapons. For classes with very tight restrictions on the types of weapons with which they are proficient (such as druids and wizards), you will have to curate a similar list, allowing such characters proficiency with only certain types of small arms. If a class already offers proficiency with firearms (such as the gunslinger), you might want to consider giving that class proficiency with sniper rifles (or another special type of ranged weapon).

Remember that at 3rd level, all classes grant the Weapon Specialization feat for every weapon type with which that class is proficient.

Base Attack Bonus and Iterative Attacks

The progression of base attack bonuses for classes is unchanged from the Pathfinder RPG to Starfinder, but you should remember that iterative attacks (extra attacks a character receives for having a high base attack bonus) aren’t used in Starfinder. For classes that receive the first iterative attack at 6th level (such as barbarians and fighters), you might consider granting new class features that either reduce the penalty when taking the full attack action or allow extra attacks when taking the full attack action (similar to the solarian’s flashing strikes class feature or the soldier’s onslaught class feature, respectively).

Spells

Converting a Pathfinder RPG spellcasting class to Starfinder will require the most amount of work. You will need to decide which Starfinder spells are available to that class. In addition, the highest-level spell that can be cast by a mystic or a technomancer is 6th level, but a great deal of Pathfinder RPG spellcasting classes can cast 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-level spells! It will be up to you to provide spells of those levels, either by creating your own or converting Pathfinder RPG spells. For an idea of how to convert a spell, look at how acid arrow became caustic conversion. Remember that spells in Starfinder don’t require components of any kind, though some very powerful ones do require an expenditure of credits or another costly component.