In addition to the Community Standards laid out in the Paizo Organized Play Code of Conduct the following rules govern Starfinder Society Organized Play
Do Not Cheat
Maintain the integrity of the game. Cheating behaviors include, but are not limited to, falsifying rolls, forging records, using unapproved resources, not owning the sources used by your character, and lying to GMs and event coordinators. Participants caught cheating will be barred from Starfinder Society events for an amount of time dependent on the severity of the offense. Repeat offenders will be banned from all Paizo Organized Play activities.
Keep Good Records
Starfinder Society uses a combination of character sheets, Chronicles, and record trackers to chart character progression. GMs and event coordinators rely on these documents to keep the campaign honest, fair, and fun for everyone. It is your responsibility to maintain accurate records. Always bring either paper or digital copies of your character sheet and supporting documentation such as Chronicles and record trackers of any character you wish to play to Starfinder Society events. If using paper copies, we suggest keeping them all together in a binder, with a folder for each character.
If you cannot produce the supporting documents for your character, the GM can ask you to play a pregenerated character instead.
No Character-versus-Character Combat
In keeping with the “Explore, Report, Cooperate” motto of the Starfinder Society, engaging in non-consensual character-versus-character conflict is prohibited. While accidental friendly fire happens due to missed attack rolls or other factors, players must obtain the consent of other players before taking an action that would include another PC in a damaging effect or other or harmful effect (such as effects that impose negative conditions).
Some examples include casting a harmful spell on another PC or an area that includes them, throwing a weapon with the explode property that would deal damage to another PC, or moving closer to another PC while surrounded by a harmful emanation in a way that exposes them to its effects.
This rule does not apply in situations where a character is not acting of their own free will, such as if they’re being mind-controlled by an NPC and forced to attack a fellow Starfinder.
Violation Enforcement Procedures
If a player is removed from a table for violating the community standards, or a character is marked “dead” due to Infamy, then it is the responsibility of table GM or event coordinator to advise their local venture-officers of the situation. The GM or event coordinator must advise the player of the report and provide the player with the venture-officer contact information, so that the player may present their side of the issue to the venture-officer. Rules infringements will be kept on file, as continued violations will result in suspension of organized play membership.
Rules Variations
From time to time, players might encounter different rules sources with minor variations in the rules. In general, the most current English-language printing of the rulebook in question should be treated as the definitive source. For this Guide, the most current printing is the English version on this web page.
Campaign Leadership
The rules of the campaign reside in this guide and the Character Options page. As the campaign develops, additional rulings might be needed. These rules will be published via the paizo.com forums or blogs and from there be compiled into the program documentation listed above.
The people with the authority to issue rulings for the Starfinder Society campaign are:
- Linda Zayas-Palmer (Development Manager (Digital Adventures)),
- Alex Speidel (Organized Play Coordinator), and
- Jessica Catalan (Starfinder Society Developer).
Clarifications from other campaigns and their campaign managers do not apply to the Starfinder Society Organized Play campaign unless confirmed by one of the above individuals.
Rules Changes
The Starfinder roleplaying game is a living game, and sometimes game elements change over the course of a PC’s career. The following guidelines allow players to update or convert existing characters to use the most current rules. When rebuilding your character in any way, you must describe all changes on your next Chronicle Sheet.
Class Features and Archetype Abilities: If an errata or FAQ changes an ability score-dependent feature of a class or archetype, you can rebuild your character to its current XP. You can keep the same equipment or choose to resell any equipment that augments the altered ability score at full price.
If an errata or FAQ changes one of your character's class features for which there are multiple options (such as a biohacker's field of study), you can switch that class feature to a different one that your character would have qualified for at the same level when they first received the class feature. Any abilities that have the removed feature as a prerequisite may also be altered in the same manner.
If an errata or FAQ changes a class or archetype so that you no longer have proficiency with a given weapon or armor type, you can sell back any affected equipment at full price. You can also swap out any feats directly associated with the affected equipment.
Feats: If a feat changes or is removed from the Character Options page, you have two options: you can switch the old feat for an updated feat of the same name in another legal source (if available), ignoring any prerequisites of the new feat you do not meet, or you can replace the feat (and any of the old feat’s prerequisite feats) entirely with another feat for which you meet all the prerequisites. If any of the feat’s changes directly reference one or more pieces of equipment you own (such as the weapon selected for the Weapon Focus feat), you can sell back that equipment at full price.
Items: If the price of an item increases, you must sell back the affected equipment at its original full price. So long as you have enough credits, you can repurchase the same item at its updated cost.
Spells: If the level of a spell changes, you must retrain the altered spell, replacing it with another spell of its original spell level. You can also retrain one spell of the altered spell’s new level, but only in order to learn the altered spell. You must sell back any items that use that spell at their current full price based on the spell’s old level.
Errata: Changes to rules via errata go into effect at the next game played by the character.
Playtest: For information on rebuilding characters affected by changes between playtests and final rules visit the Pathfinder Society blog for each associated playtest.
Effects on Scenarios: If an errata or clarification changes how an ability works in a scenario, follow the current rules. If that means that the ability no longer works with how NPC tactics are written, modify the tactics as best you can to incorporate the changes.
Timing: To reduce confusion and chaos, rule changes announced during a gaming event do not take effect until after the event ends.