Embarking on a new Starfinder RPG Adventure: Against the Aeon Throne

After eyeballing the Starfinder RPG for a good many years, I’ve decided to pull together a game! The stars (HA!) are aligning on several fronts. One monthly game is ending. I’ve managed to collect most of the books through Humble Bundle. I’ve been slowly tackling reading them. Also, with Starfinder 2e coming out, we want play something in space, but the official system won’t be out until 2025. And even when it comes out, it’ll be a while before the core books are all released. So Starfinder 1e it is!

Note: This post is spoiler free, so my players can feel free to read it. This won't hold true for anything else in the series.

Choosing an AP

Starfinder has so many good options when it comes to Adventure Paths. All of the themes sound amazing, from the incredibly creepy to freaking Pacific Rim. I couldn’t find one that my players wouldn’t want to play in. I decided that, if all options were great, I should probably optimize for saving on money and effort. Only one AP fit the bill: Against the Aeon Throne. I already own the PDFs, and the AP is offered as a module by Roll20. It’s also low-level, which works for a group still getting a handle on the rules.

Also, reading over the reviews from more experienced players, it looks like it’ll be a good introduction to the Starfinder universe. None of my players have played much Starfinder, and I’m fairly certain none of them have cracked the book past being able to make their character. (Love y’all, but you know it’s true). This will allow me to drip feed lore to them rather than hitting them with a firehose.

Prep so far

I’ve read through book one using my usual laborious highlighting method. I’ve also read through a few other Starfinder books, including the CRB. It helps that the Starfinder books are written in an accessible and fun voice, so they read a lot faster than some drier RPG books might.

I’ve also gone through Roll20’s module for the first book. Tip to others: Even if your VTT has a module for your AP, make sure to go over the lighting and creatures. For me, this module was created before a few new features were deployed, so I had to add them in. Also, modules tend to only include maps from the AP, so I needed to go dredge up a few more.

Finally, I’ve been listening to Androids & Aliens from The Glass Cannon Network to get a feel for how combat flows. I know to take any Actual Play with a grain of salt (including a group that is learning the system as they go), but so far, it seems to be a decent representation of how the game works. Also, it’s a fun group and a super creepy AP (they’re running Dead Suns, which was on the short list).

Recruiting

If there’s any place where I’m going to get screamed at, it’s here, but hear me out.

Most of my monthly games are run on a shared Discord server, where we’ve taken to gathering so we can optimize boosts. There’s around two dozen of us on there, playing a wide range of games and systems. When I knew I’d be starting a new game, I put out the call… and ended up with a VERY full roster. Right now, I have eight interested players, which is high even for my ‘over-recruit and sort it out later‘ self. I know, I know, I should be grateful that this is the problem I have, but still, I know it’ll pose some interesting complications when it comes to things like ship combat and modifying encounters.

My theory is that once the game starts, some people will have to drop, some will show up for some sessions, and I’ll have a core who will be at every game. Until we hit homeostasis, I guess I’ll have a more chaotic crew than normal. At least there’s a ship where I can stow them?

Concerns

My biggest concern, of course, is that we’re kicking off a new system. Even with a group of experienced players, this can cause growing pains. Heck, I’d say there’s a few more issues when it’s a seasoned group. Rules are confused with other systems, and there’s the temptation to say “I know how X works, I’ve been doing this for decades!” I’ll probably set a table rule that, until we have a handle on the rules, we really do need to look up EVERYTHING as we go. It will slow down play, but I’ve found the rules you look up at the table stick better than the ones you say you’ll look up later (and never do).

Space combat also has me concerned. I haven’t quite got my head wrapped around it, and the APs don’t let you avoid it. For now, we’re using the base rules rather than the ruleset in Starfinder Enhanced, but that might change at some point.

It’s also a game with quite a few players in a system I’m not 100% confident in, so I’ll have to get used to adjusting combats. Here’s to hoping their CR system works as it should! I’ve become spoiled by the numbers ‘just working’ in Pathfinder 2e, but I have enough experience with tweaking Pathfinder 1e combats to carry me through. Hopefully.

Thoughts?

If any more experienced Starfinder players have thoughts or suggestions, I’m all ears, since we’re still collecting resources and learning.