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Chapter 13: Pathfinder Legacy

General Conversion

Source Starfinder Core Rulebook pg. 500
The universe of Starfinder takes place in a time far removed from that of Golarion and the Pathfinder RPG setting, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave all of those Pathfinder RPG books behind. In many cases, Pathfinder RPG rules content can be used in a Starfinder Roleplaying Game campaign with a few tweaks, but some abilities and class features require more effort. The following pages present details on how to convert Pathfinder RPG monsters to Starfinder rules, guidelines on how legacy classes can fit in Starfinder, and the specifics of playing Golarion’s core races in Starfinder.

Keep in mind that these conversions sometimes require a fair amount of work and won’t always result in perfect pieces of rules text. As such, most of this chapter is directed at Game Masters, who should be very careful about which conversions they allow in their games. The full conversion of all of the Pathfinder RPG core races (starting on page 506), however, can be used as written, as long as the GM still has those races in her setting.

Some types of rules appear in both monster stat blocks and player character classes, and they can be converted in the same way.

Actions

Source Starfinder Core Rulebook pg. 500
Starfinder has a different set of actions than the Pathfinder RPG. If rules for a type of action are already provided in Starfinder, use the new rules. Other abilities require the following adjustments.
  • Free Actions: Most abilities that require a free action in the Pathfinder RPG instead require a swift action in Starfinder. When a Pathfinder action needs to be used an unlimited number of times in Starfinder, that action does not require an action to perform.
  • Full-Round Action: Full-round actions change to full actions.
  • Immediate Action: Pathfinder RPG immediate actions used by a character when it isn’t that character’s turn use that character’s reaction in Starfinder, and those used on that character’s turn use his swift action. If a character uses an ability as a swift action, he can’t use his reaction to use that same ability again until the start of his next turn, and vice versa.

Bonus Types

Source Starfinder Core Rulebook pg. 500
It is important to note that Starfinder doesn’t use certain types of bonuses. If an ability or effect grants one of the bonuses listed below, you will need to convert that bonus type. (Remember that bonuses of the same type still don’t stack.) In most cases, these changes are fairly straightforward and won’t cause problems, but you should endeavor to keep bonuses that increase AC rare. See pages 266–267 for more about bonus types.

Starfinder Bonus
AlchemicalEnhancement
CompetenceInsight
DeflectionEnhancement
DodgeInsight
ProfaneDivine
ResistanceEnhancement
SacredDivine
ShieldEnhancement

Skill Names

Source Starfinder Core Rulebook pg. 500
Pathfinder RPG skills that have the same names as Starfinder skills don’t need to be converted (though you should use the Starfinder rules for those skills, of course). To convert a skill that isn’t found in Starfinder, replace mentions of that Pathfinder RPG skill with the Starfinder skill indicated in the right column of the table below. If the entry has a dash, you can simply assume that the PCs succeed at all skill checks of that type.

Pathfinder RPG SkillStarfinder Skill
Appraise
ClimbAthletics
CraftEngineering, Mysticism, or Profession of appropriate type
Disable DeviceEngineering
Escape ArtistAcrobatics
FlyAcrobatics
Handle AnimalSurvival
HealMedicine
Knowledge (arcana)Mysticism
Knowledge (dungeoneering)Physical Science
Knowledge (engineering)Engineering
Knowledge (geography)Physical Science
Knowledge (history)Culture
Knowledge (local)Culture
Knowledge (nature)Life Science
Knowledge (nobility)Culture
Knowledge (planes)Mysticism
Knowledge (religion)Mysticism
LinguisticsCulture
PerformProfession of appropriate type
RideSurvival
SpellcraftMysticism
SwimAthletics
Use Magic Device

Touch Attacks

Source Starfinder Core Rulebook pg. 501
Because touch AC isn’t used in Starfinder, any touch attacks should target EAC instead.