How to Create Fun Starfinder Characters

Starfinder is one of our favorite science-fantasy games here at Nerds on Earth. Paizo has been pumping out quality content and supplements to round out the game.

One of the best mechanics for character building is centered around Theme. In other tabletop games, like Dungeons & Dragons, this is usually referred to as your Background, or something similar. Theme gives you a baseline for determining what your character was (or is) all about.

We’ve been working hard on a series that gives you five character concept ideas around each of Starfinder’s Themes. This will serve as the master list that we will keep updated as we continue to expand the series. Each of the concepts comprises of a bunch of questions to help get your creativity flowing.

This article combines each of those entries, serving as a one-stop shop for all of your Starfinder character creation needs!

ACE PILOT

Ace Pilots are the masters of flight! Whether they’re transporting cargo or engaging in dogfights, they are skilled at completing objectives and arriving at their destinations safely.

Cargo Transport Pilot: You’re probably just moving crates and boxes, but maybe there’s something more…
Mining Rig Operator: The bigger the machine, the better!
Stunt Driver: You can never have too many pyrotechnics to get the crowd going.
Military Training Pilot: Real battles are nothing like simulations, but you do your best to prepare the troops.
Getaway Driver: Pull the ship up to the front and keep that engine running.

Click here for the Ace Pilot entry!

BATTLE TECH

Battle Techs have the grit and fortitude needed to handle themselves calmly in high-stress situations. Their medical expertise is focused on speed and efficiency to get their patients to the evacuation point as quickly as possible.

Ambulance Chaser: Misery loves company and you’re more than willing to add your talents to the mix.
Meditation Master: Achieving a state of zen is easy. Maintaining it over a long period of time is the sign of a true master.
Calvary Extraordinaire: If you can tame it, you can ride it!
On-the-Fly Repair Jockey: You’re no R2 unit, but your adrenaline really starts kicking in while lasers whiz past your head.
Magnetic Imager: You’d be surprised at all the nuts and bolts rolling around in stomachs. And the action figures!

Click here for the Battle Tech entry!

BIOTECHNICIAN

Combining natural biology with advancements in technology is the expertise of the Biotechnician. Whether they’re researching new enhancements, or perfecting their current arsenal of knowledge, they are on the forefront of cutting-edge procedures.

Augmented Devotee: Blender attachment? Check. Slingshot? Check. Rocket-powered legs? Double Check.
Technological Tinkerer: There are few things that can’t be crafted in a cave, with a box of scraps.
Passionate Humanitarian: Your heart and arms are open to all. Sharing is caring.
Cultivating Cult Leader: Look at all of those bright, young minds, ripe and ready to be harvested into the fold.
Doctor Octopus: Imagine what you could do with a set of four adaptable, bionic pincers!

Click here for the Biotechnician entry!

BOUNTY HUNTER

Bounty Hunters get paid to find people and fulfill their contract for doing so. They can be ruthless and calculating, stopping at nothing to fulfill their end of the deal and collect their paycheck.

Great Mouse Detective: Ysoki are perfect for hunting down clues and stopping other robotic rodents from claiming world domination.
Gung-Ho Repo-Man: You spend your life reclaiming what is rightfully not yours.
Corporate Headhunter: Although other recruiters might get you a lot of hay, you find the needle in the haystack.
Pre-Gap Antiquarian: There’s nothing like flying through space and coming across an old cassette player, fully equipped with Awesome Mix, Vol 2.
Zealous Proselytizer: Shout it from the rooftops! Compel everyone to join your cause.

Click here for the Bounty Hunter entry!

CAREER TROOPER

Career Troopers only know a life bookmarked by the constant rigidity of a military regiment. They may have been in active combat situations or supported their squadrons behind the scenes.

Contemplative Strategist: Those years of Stratego are finally paying off.
Arms Dealer: You’re locked and loaded with the best surplus deals around. Spend a thousand credits, and you’ll get a blaster absolutely FREE!
Recruit Trainer: People really tend to develop bad habits. Within your tight regiment of training, those will go away right quick.
Speedy Dispatcher: Information comes in at a mile a minute, but you are able to condense it down to an easy shorthand for expedited communication.
Professional War Gamer: Hand me that template for the 30ft burst and a pair of d8s. Just like the real world!

Click here for the Career Trooper entry!

COLONIST

Colonists seek out a new life, usually in a previously uninhabited location. They battle with the environment and natural horrors wherever they put down their new roots.

Emboldened Pioneer: Cut away the trappings of civilization and set foot where nobody has before.
High-Adventure Thrill-Seeker: It if doesn’t involve insane heights, dangerous rapids, rocky hazards, or caustic environments, it’s not a place for you.
Perceptive Chronicler: Properly dotting i’s and crossing t’s is just as important as writing an unbiased account.
Dropship Captain: These people don’t know what they’re getting themselves into…
Bushy-Eyed Greenhorn: What am I getting myself into?

Click here for the Colonist entry!

CORPORATE AGENT

Pushing paper and making deals define the Corporate Agent. Their orders come from above, usually several floors up, as they seek to improve their company’s bottom line.

Corporate Spy: Not even Spongebob can keep you from the fabled recipe for the Krabby Patty! Or for Good Burger. Spoiler: it’s the same recipe.
Savvy Negotiator: You can sell a ballpoint pen to the person holding it before they even have a chance to comprehend what you’re saying.
Meticulous CFO: Nothing is more important than maintaining the bottom line!
Species Resources: Someone keeps taking my stapler and eating my lunch from the community fridge.
Brand Loyalist: SPACE APPLE IS THE BEST AND HAS NO FLAWS!

Click here for the Corporate Agent entry!

CULT HUNTER

Cult Hunters track down dangerous cults to stop them from nefarious deeds. They generally become consumed and obsessed in their work, as they are driven to fulfill their sole task.

Documentary Producer: The first rule of producing a documentary is to always keep those cameras rolling, no matter what.
Ruthless Vigilante: Adjunct Instructor by day, Crystal Ghost by night.
Probing Cop: You’ve left your beat to follow clues, even if you only have a the slightest inkling that a crime is being committed.
Religious Studies Professor: People usually call you up when they can’t remember the difference between Talavet and Weydan.
Inquisitive Applicant: Drink the punch, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.

Click here for the Cult Hunter entry!

CULTIST

Cultists are active members of an organization that is considered to be a cult. This could mean that they conduct rituals to bring about the apocalypse, or maybe they just exchange punch recipes.

Hand of the Elder: It’s usually a right-hand, but sometimes it’s a tentacle.
Recovery Physician: Be sure to drink plenty of water and take two space Aspirin every eight hours until your head isn’t foggy anymore.
Vault of Secrets: If someone tells you a secret, you swallow the key. Sometimes literally.
Liberated Soul: You’re free at last, but you carry the weight of your experiences with you on this journey of life.
Award-Winning Author: Once your fandom starts creating their own fan-fiction, that’s when you know that you have them hook, line, and sinker.

Click here for the Cultist entry!

CYBERBORN

Cybernetic enhancements have come a long way, and Cyberborn are obsessed with them. Arguably, they seek to incorporate as much machinery into their person as possible.

Tech Wrangler: Well of course you have to upgrade to the next version. Think of all the FEATURES!
Robotics Auditor: Every button has a purpose and if it doesn’t work as advertised, it’s little more than junk.
Battle Bot Champion: How many sawblades can you fit on the front of an RC Car? At least six.
Machine Purist: You know the phrase, ‘a pound of flesh’? You’d literally give that up to be made of metal.
Gadget Inspector: We don’t want any trademark disputes, so your catchphrase is going to need some work. Maybe something like, ‘Yo Yo Gadget Copter!’

Click here for the Cyberborn entry!

DEATH-TOUCHED

Death-Touched are affected by some degree of loss. Maybe it seems to follow in their wake, or maybe they had a traumatic experience when they were younger. Regardless, it has become something of a defining characteristic of them.

Morgue Attendant: The only things certain in life are death and taxes. Formaldehyde is a close third.
Corrupted Pathologist: Good things may come in small packages, but bad things do too.
Nuclear Physicist: It’s dangerous, but the sheer amount of power that be created from nuclear applications is well-worth the risk.
Morbid Puppeteer: Remind me to never ask you to borrow a needle and thread.
Space Van Helsing: Of course there are Space Vampires and Space Demons! Bonus points for using a sick steam-powered crossbow.

Click here for the Death-Touched entry!

DIPLOMAT

Negotiating with foreign dignitaries is an art that requires mindfulness and acceptance. Diplomats engage in discourse with other countries to reach agreements without things escalating to war.

Starfinder Theme Insectoid creature with a wide-goggled helmet.

Retained Consul: What’s really nice is when you’re put on retainer but you’re never actually needed.
Interplanetary Delegate: Sure, the interplanetary relations are important, but trying the varied cuisine is the real draw.
Unrelenting Earworm: Dignitaries listen to whoever has their ear. And you happen to whisper the loudest.
Non-Profit Advocate: Money isn’t everything. Humanitarian decency is much more important.
Used Spaceship Salesman: *Slaps hood* I can get you in this baby TODAY with the exceptional interest rate of only 43%!

Click here for the Death-Touched entry!

DRAGONBLOOD

Dragonblood have a deep, lasting connection with dragons and anything else with draconic properties. They might study dragons, tame them, or just have a wicked tattoo of one with wings spread wide.

Dragon Breeder: Dragon eggs are gargantuan in size, but you definitely don’t want to fry one of those up.
Trained Herpetologist: Always giving your hot takes on these cold-blooded beasts.
Arena Steward: The matches are thrilling, and they’re even better when you can make a little extra dough on the side.
Best-Selling Novelist: It honestly isn’t all that hard to get on the bestsellers list. Especially if you know the right people.
Robotics Expert: There isn’t a sprocket that can’t be fixed, and nothing that a little oil can’t help.

Click here for the Dragonblood entry!

DREAM PROPHET

Possessing near-oracular abilities, Dream Prophets interpret and understand the deeper meanings of dreams. Their experiences have given them the innate ability to comprehend even the most obscure signs and prophecies their receive while they slumber.

Oracular Savant: Even with your incredible abilities, you still can’t tell me if it’s going to rain this afternoon.
Sleep Specialist: Catching Zs would be a lot easier if it wasn’t the last letter in the alphabet.
Investment Banker: Those numbers scrolling across the screen might remind some of The Matrix, but all you see are patterns.
Hallucinating Hypnotist: Keep following the watch with your eyes and three, two, one….out.
Licensed Optometrist: Just because people can get cybernetic eye implants doesn’t mean that glasses can’t be a fashion statement!

Click here for the Dream Prophet entry!

ICON

Beloved and well-known, Icons are figures revered or scorned by the general public. Usually unable to travel anywhere without being plastered across a tabloid, they are major influencers with considerable clout.

Pop Icon: Oops, we did it again! We played Starfinder! Got lost in the game! Oh baby, baby.
Renowned Scientist: Discovering atoms and developing penicillin are already taken, but I’m sure you’ll figure something out.
Political Propaganda: Big Brother is watching, so you had better not commit any thought-crime.
Luxurious Billionaire: What’s it like living on Easy Street? It’s awesome – I own it.
Skilled Athlete: Your face is plastered on trading cards and advertisements selling delicious soup.

Click here for the Icon entry!

MERCENARY

If you want a job done right, there’s always somebody who will accept payment in exchange for their services. Mercenaries have no allegiance except to the job at hand.

Starfinder prisoner, growing some leafy vines from their head.

Security Officer: Let’s not get it twisted – there’s more to this job than watching monitors and falling asleep.
Divine Crusader: Your orders come from a higher power. The Highest power, in fact.
Corporate Consultant: Chalk Mark: $5. Knowing where to put it: $49,995.
Intergalactic Lobbyist: Everybody has an agenda these days. Big Oil. Big Coffee. Big Holoscreens. Their checkbooks are out and their pens are ready.
Boisterous Revolutionary: A revolution doesn’t happen unless someone lights the powder keg…

Click here for the Mercenary entry!

OUTLAW

On the run from the authorities, Outlaws are always being hunted. They might have committed a crime or perhaps they are being falsely accused. Regardless, they stay out of the limelight lest they be recognized.

Escaped Convict: Using a spoon to dig a hole behind a poster of Racquel Welch would be a little cliche at this point. But I’m sure your story is just as impressive.
Undercover Vigilante: Wait! You already have a vigilante in another Theme! I’m calling shenanigans!!! (Editor Note: I’m surprised there’s only one duplicate on this list).
White Collar Criminal: Stealing ships and setting fires draws too much attention. Let’s stick to forging documents and extorting money from Pam Am.
Petty Thief: All around the galaxy, I shall be known as the Gum Bandit! They’ll know me by my minty fresh breath!
Contract Assassin: Just because I get paid to do a job doesn’t mean I can’t pass along that contract to someone else.

Click here for the Outlaw entry!

PRIEST

The influence of the gods is undeniable, and Priests serve as that divine connection for the people. They are conduits of power, and follow the tenets of their deity with reverence, obedience, and devotion.

Dedicated Pilgrim: A pilgrimage to a holy site can work wonders in solidifying faith and resetting one’s moral compass.
Faithful Preacher: As long as there is one willing ear, I will continue to proclaim the message.
Astute Theologian: Understanding the complex evolution of religion as it relates to the steady development of culture and technology yields a swath of useful insights.
Motivational Life Coach: You can do it. Please turn to Side B.
Secluded Hermit: I’ve never really cared for people, so now I live by myself. Surrounded by hermit crabs.

Click here for the Priest entry!

SCHOLAR

Advances in technology and science couldn’t be possible without the tireless work of Scholars. They understand the past and seek to uncover the secrets of the world through careful study and meticulous research.

Eccentric Entomologist: Now THAT’S a big bug!
Forensic Scientist: Spatter and splatter analysis, both are tools of this particular trade.
Acclaimed Archaeologist: You’re still waiting for that huge find that defines a year and cements your name in the halls of history.
Environmental Engineer: Taking care of the planet is just as important as taking care of one’s own well-being.
Legacy Historian: If we don’t understand and remember history, then we are certainly doomed to repeat it.

Click here for the Scholar entry!

SPACEFARER

Spacefarers love to travel and see new places. The universe is vast, and even if one were committed to constant expedition, they would only scratch the surface of its entirety. They do their best to see what they can with the time they have.

Clueless Tourist: If the fanny pack and upside-down map weren’t enough of a clue, maybe the oversized camera and inappropriate footwear will do it.
Deductive Meteorologist: These days it’s not about knowing when it’s going to rain. No, it’s much more important to know about the next solar flare or radiation storm.
Hospitable Flight Attendant: Why travel in basic economy when you could arrive at Castrovel in the comfortable, plush armchairs of First-Class?
Curious Explorer: Sure, this tropical vista is nice, but what’s beyond it?
Budding Photographer: Be sure to check out my Space Insta for more one-of-a-kind shots and smash that Like button!

Click here for the Spacefarer entry!

XENOSEEKER

The discovery of exciting species and creatures fuels the Xenoseeker. Every culture and ecosystem has some interesting insight to offer and something for us to learn from.

Captivated Anthropologist: Learning about other people can teach us even more about ourselves.
Inquisitive Marketing Guru: There’s still a place in marketing for a catchy jingle. Right?
Experimental Doctor: You have to take risks if you want to make progress. It’s the only path to discovery.
Calming Zoologist: Creatures literally flock to you, knowing that they have a friend in your loving embrace.
Talkative Space Taxi Driver: Turn up the volume on your headset as loud as you want, but you’re not drowning out this driver!

Click here for the Xenoseeker entry!

THEMELESS

Although uncommon, it’s entirely possible that the other Themes don’t fit the concept of character that you want to play. In that case, there’s no shame in going the Themeless route! It’s a catch-all for everything else, including the kitchen sink.

Creating Fun Starfinder Characters

At the end of the day, you should play the characters that you want to play! Find something that really interests you about a particular class, background, or ancestry and expand on it.

Brainstorm! Ask questions! Conduct a rigorous series of hypothetical situations for your friends and family! Whatever helps you create your next favorite character.

Until next time, happy creating!

starfinder Starfinder Theme Focus