When creating your own homebrew Starfinder campaign, consider the following elements:
The world built in the Starfinder RPG franchise is impressive and colorful. Mixing elements of magic, technology and expansive intergalactic settings, this game carries a ton of possibilities. However, this expansive world and lore can be overwhelming for someone creating their own adventure.
Therefore, check out a few elements of worldbuilding and campaign ideas to spark your next outer space adventure.
Firstly, consider your players’ input on the story. One of the best parts of tabletop RPGs is the shared storytelling aspect. At the very least, your friends will have ideas on what their character brings to the team—a theme.
Are your players leaning toward battle-hardened mercenaries with laser weapons? Consider a quest to slay an alien monster or confront a band of space pirates.
How about a team full of clever mechanics, hackers and espionage agents? Now, you have a mystery on your hands—something like Obi Wan Kenobi’s investigations in the Star Wars prequels.
Finally, if you’re party is full of foul-mouthed outlaws, pilots and gunslingers, consider setting them in a spaceship on the run from space authorities.
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The universe inside the Starfinder lore is mythic, cosmic and mysterious. They really did a good job mixing tales of gods, elves, orcs and major planetary accomplishments and disasters. In many ways, the science fantasy element brings an intense sense of mystery and possible cosmic horror. This is especially true with the Unknown period of time described in the lore—a time period completely devoid of history or understanding.
Nobody knows what happened.
This kind of mystery can be a launching point for your own version of events. Sure, Starfinder will have its own take on how events play out. However, you, the GM, have full creative control over your own adventure. Either way, Starfinder lore should be studied—at least a little bit.
Plus, Starfinder has a creative collection of monsters, planets and technology to populate your general campaign idea.
A basic story trope in spacefaring sci fi, deep space exploration is a fantastic go-to for a classic sci fi adventure.
Xenoseekers, operatives, envoys, mechanics and general science nerds all have a place on an explorer mission. A never-before explored planet can hold all kinds of adventures and setups. Consider the following prompts:
I love the mysterious signal trope—think movies like Alien, 2001 a Space Odyssey or Event Horizon. The aspect of a strange signal calling to the crew from the abyss of space is incredibly intriguing. Plus, it’s the perfect setup for a scary pay-off. What’s going to be on the other side of that distress signal?
A few setups to consider are:
Of course, any campaign with classes like operatives, technomancers and mechanics need a good technical mystery to flex their unique skills. Plus, Envoys and tough guys can fit into these stories to handle the NPCs. Consider a hacking-based campaign with a mystery to solve.
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Naturally, parties of soldiers, solarians, operatives and envoys may simply be on the hunt for a job—classic RPG monster slaying. A populous has a problem and your party of slayers has the solution. Consider these bounty hunting setups:
If you’re dealing with a party full of wisecracking tough guys, consider making them a band of outlaws on the run. Now, we can pull from the Firefly show for this classic space western trope, which gives us a good basis for weekly adventures. Some nights may be about pulling off a heist. Other nights may be all about a daring escape. Either way, an outlaw campaign has plenty of tropes to pull from in the space western genre.
A few prompts to consider:
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