Starfinder Drift Crisis

150 TOOLBOX NE Large aberration Init +0; Senses blindsense (vibration) 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., sense detection (planetary); Perception +13 Aura undetectable radiation (medium, 20 ft., DC 14) DEFENSE HP 90 EAC 18; KAC 20 Fort +8; Ref +8; Will +7 Defensive Abilities void adaptation; Immunities radiation Weaknesses acid OFFENSE Speed 40 ft., burrow 30 ft., climb 40 ft. Melee jaws +16 (1d8+11 P) Ranged superheated spine +13 (1d10+6 P & F; critical burn 1d6) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th) Constant—nondetection (self only) STATISTICS Str +5; Dex +0; Con +3; Int –4; Wis +2; Cha +0 Skills Athletics +18 (+26 to climb), Stealth +13, Survival +13 Other Abilities undetectable radiation ECOLOGY Environment any underground or vacuum (Diaspora) Organization solitary, pair, or infestation (3–12) SPECIAL ABILITIES Sense Detection (Su) A Damiaran maggot can innately sense distance and direction to any creature in planetary range that has identified it or detected it, or any of its kind, by any means, including via magic, technology, or any senses, natural or otherwise. Superheated Spine (Ex) As a ranged attack action, a Damiaran maggot can shoot a superheated spine from its back. This projectile has a range increment of 30 feet. A Damiaran maggot has a maximum of 16 spines it can shoot in this way and regrows 1d4 spines per day. Undetectable Radiation (Su) A Damiaran maggot is radioactive (Starfinder Alien Archive 3 153), and the radiation it emits is also under the effects of its constant nondetection spell-like ability. For purposes of determining the DC of caster-level checks and Perception checks to detect the radiation, it is considered part of the creature. Damiaran maggots are large, worm-like creatures that once lived deep beneath the surface of Damiar, one of two planets that collided and formed the Diaspora. Now, they infest countless planetoids across the asteroid field, making an already dangerous environment that much more so. Extremely territorial, they viciously compete with all other life-forms they meet, leaving any given celestial body only when it becomes clear they’re outmatched. Damiaran maggots have a supernatural ability to sense when anyone nearby has detected them—and where those observers are—making them nearly impossible to track down when they don’t want to be found. Their predators are therefore scarce. The only creatures Damiaran maggots immediately flee from are surnochs, which possess an instinct that drives them to seek out and devour any Damiaran maggots they encounter. More than one hapless explorer has mistaken a Damiaran maggot’s vermin-like appearance for a larger variety of asteroid louse. To canny observers, the superheated metal spines that grow along its back set it apart from such vermin. All attempts to study Damiaran maggots in depth have failed, as the creatures either devour or evade most researchers who try to observe them. However, xenobiologists have determined that a Damiaran maggot is the larval stage of some bigger, more intelligent creature, though no known record exists of what that creature might be, how long it takes to mature, or what role it once played in Damiar’s ecosystem. DAMIARAN MAGGOT CR 6 XP 2,400

151 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS CREATURES CREATURES Human mechanic N Medium humanoid (human) Init +3; Perception +10 DEFENSE HP 45 RP 4 EAC 16; KAC 17 Fort +5; Ref +5; Will +5 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee sledge +8 (1d8+4 B) Ranged thunderstrike sonic pistol +10 (1d8+4 So; critical deafen [DC 15]) or stickybomb grenade I +10 (explode [10 ft., entangle 2d4 rounds, DC 15]) Offensive Abilities overload (DC 15), target tracking STATISTICS Str +0; Dex +3; Con +1; Int +5; Wis +0; Cha +0 Skills Bluff +10, Computers +15, Disguise +10, Engineering +15, Sleight of Hand +15, Stealth +15 Feats Hide Sabotage (page 85) Languages Akitonian, Castrovelian, Common, Kasatha, Shirren, Ysoki Other Abilities artificial intelligence (exocortex), custom rig (tool kit), mechanic tricks (overload weapon) Gear basic lashunta tempweave, sledgeAR, thunderstrike sonic pistol with 2 batteries (20 charges each), tool kit (engineering kit) ECOLOGY Environment any (Absalom Station) Organization solitary, pair, or team (3–8) Those who work on Drift engines and starships have been especially affected by the Drift Crisis in a number of rippling effects. Where they once had reasonable answers about most questions to do with Drift travel and could provide expert assistance, they’re now as uncertain as the least educated individual. Nothing works properly. Simple repairs are impossible to complete. Stable careers are crumbling as the daily work of tune-ups and maintenance are drying up—or stopping altogether. But these problems aren’t without their opportunities. In the aftermath of the Drift Crash and the ensuing crisis, some factions have begun to recruit these specialized Drift engineers, hoping their expertise could provide context or assistance in responding to the crisis. For more embittered mechanics searching for answers, the Moored and their prescient hatred of the Drift offered a palliative, if perhaps less productive, path forward. Many Drift-travel experts have begun to reject their previous professions, using their knowledge to further anti-Drift causes and earning the label of “Drift saboteur.” These Drift saboteurs primarily turn their expertise toward undermining plans and actions that focus on restoring the Drift to its former state, and they have easy access for sabotage. They know the infrastructure of local hangars, the intricacies of beacon maps, and the weakest points of interstellar systems of travel. Years of practice are ingrained in their very bodies, from the way they carry themselves while walking an access corridor to the nuances required to secure official permits needed to access sensitive areas of starships and starports. They know how to blend in with their former colleagues and dismantle crucial wiring before anyone remembers they resigned weeks ago. While most discovered sabotage is assumed to be work of the Moored, there are multiple less-than-savory organizations that want to maintain certain advantages from having a disrupted interstellar travel industry. A single saboteur may work for multiple organizations, uniquely able to connect plans happening across Absalom Station or further afield. Saboteurs may also work independently, fueled by bitterness and frustration with their local ruling body’s official response to the Drift Crisis. These saboteurs carry the purple-striped tool kits of any Drift engineer and smile through chats with former colleagues. Sometimes, a saboteur will offer the chance for a once-friendly coworker to join them in an opportunity to, as they euphemistically refer to it, make a difference. Otherwise, they’re content to wait until they’re the last one on the job to strike. When caught in their sabotage, they defend themselves with ease, using their tools to hamper opponents. They carry few obvious weapons, preferring to improvise by overloading technology and surprising would-be investigators. When they serve as allies, Drift saboteurs can provide thorough technical information, a suite of starship mechanic services, full access to current and former professional networks, and legitimate identification and credentials. DRIFT SABOTEUR CR 4 XP 1,200

152 TOOLBOX CN Medium humanoid (lashunta) Init +0; Senses blindsense (thought) 60 ft.; Perception +15 DEFENSE HP 42 EAC 15; KAC 16 Fort +3; Ref +3; Will +9 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee tactical switchblade +6 (1d4+5 S) Ranged microwave scorchgun +8 (1d6+4 F) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th) 1/day—inflict pain (DC 17), status 3/day—charm person (DC 16), detect thoughts (DC 16), mind thrust (1st level, DC 16) At will—daze (DC 15), ghost sound (DC 15) STATISTICS Str +1; Dex +0; Con +1; Int +3; Wis +1; Cha +5 Skills Bluff +10, Culture +10, Diplomacy +15, Intimidate + 15, Mysticism +10, Sense Motive +10 Languages Castrovelian, Common, Elven; telepathy 60 ft. Gear casual stationwear, microwave scorchgunAR with 1 battery (20 charges), tactical switchbladeAR ECOLOGY Environment any (Absalom Station) Organization solitary or pair SPECIAL ABILITIES Hardboiled(Su) Twice per day, a headscanner can reroll a failed Bluff or Intimidate check, and the DCs of Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks against a headscanner are 5 higher than normal. The Eyeswide Agency (page 33) uses divination magic along with careful infosphere research to dig up leads on missing people, including those lost to the Drift Crash, but those leads require follow-up that can’t be performed from agency headquarters on Absalom Station. Instead, most fieldwork falls to a veritable army of psychic investigators, known across the galaxy as headscanners. The typical headscanner is a self-reliant, rough-and-tumble detective used to operating in remote locations and, when necessary, outside the law. Seldom violent or cruel by nature, they’re nonetheless jaded from years of exposure to the galaxy’s seedy underbelly and they tend to have a dim view of others. Most headscanners presume other people will always act in the most selfish and profitable manner possible, no matter who they hurt in the process. Of course, given a headscanner’s typical caseload, this rather pessimistic perspective is all too often proven right. A headscanner almost always works alone—the resources of the Eyeswide Agency are simply stretched too thin for the luxury of multiple agents working together, and they rarely subcontract or partner up with non-agents. Sometimes, however, two missing persons cases converge and lead a pair of headscanners to become temporary partners. Similarly, their company-issued credit allowance is infamously insufficient, and virtually every successful headscanner relies on a web of trusted contacts to provide tips, transportation, safe houses, and backup—not to mention discounts on needed goods and services. Headscanners often have a favorite weapon they rely on for intimidation or protection as much as any actual show of force. Their line of work, combined with their tendency to play their cards close to the chest, often puts headscanners at odds with other investigators, even those with closely aligned goals. Many groups of galactic adventurers, chasing down leads or attempting to crack a case, have crossed paths with an uncooperative Eyeswide agent on the same trail, sometimes making mistaken assumptions about the agent’s involvement in the case. While such misunderstandings are often resolved without violence, headscanners in search of a payday are rarely above slyly misdirecting such do-gooders’ attentions to false leads and dead ends. The Eyeswide Agency has historically recruited most headscanners from well-known telepathic species in the Pact Worlds, such as barathus, lashuntas, and shirrens, as well as from across the galaxy—especially those with extraordinary psychic gifts besides. In the wake of the Drift Crisis and the immense increase in demand for headscanner services, recruitment has spiked and rumors abound of lowered standards for qualifications. The agency has begun to explore monetary rewards for those who reveal poseurs masquerading as headscanners, hoping to make a quick credit off the desperate and trusting. Headscanners can manifest a wide array of psychic powers; the spell-like abilities listed in the stat block above are just a representative example. Precogs in particular make apt headscanners, though a wide variety of specializations, from brawny physicality to technomagical aptitude, can come in handy in the investigations these agents typically tackle. EYESWIDE HEADSCANNER CR 4 XP 1,200

153 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS CREATURES CREATURES CE Small outsider (native) Init +2; Senses darkvision 120 ft., see in darkness; Perception +14 DEFENSE HP 105 EAC 19; KAC 21 (+4 vs. bull rush and reposition) Fort +11; Ref +9; Will +6 Defensive Abilities shadow blend, singularity adaptation, void adaptation; Immunities bludgeoning OFFENSE Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (Su, perfect) Melee jaws +18 (2d6+11 P) or gravity slam +18 (1d8+11 B; critical knockdown) Ranged gravity press +15 (2d8+7 B) Offensive Abilities consume light STATISTICS Str +4; Dex +2; Con +5; Int +0; Wis +1; Cha +2 Skills Acrobatics +14 (+22 to fly), Athletics +19, Piloting +14, Stealth +14 Languages Common, Shadowtongue; telepathy 100 ft. Other Abilities spaceflight, stellar alignment (graviton), stellar revelations (black hole, gravity hold, gravity surge) ECOLOGY Environment vacuum Organization solitary, pair, or gloom (3–10) SPECIAL ABILITIES Consume Light (Su) As a move action, a gravite can attempt to consume a single light source within 60 feet, snuffing the light while healing its wounds. Nonmagical light sources are automatically consumed. Against a magical light source, the gravite must attempt a dispel check (with a total bonus of +7), as with the dispel magic spell, with a DC equal to 11 + the spell’s caster level. On a success, the light is dispelled. When a gravite successfully consumes a light source, it regains 5 Hit Points per caster level of the light source (nonmagical light sources count as having a caster level of 1st) up to its normal maximum. Gravity Press (Su) As a ranged attack, a gravite can exert its gravitational pull on an enemy, crushing and dragging it closer. This is a ranged attack with a range increment of 60 feet, a maximum range of 200 feet, and the gravitation 10 feet (Reflex DC 15) weapon special property (Armory 28). The bludgeoning damage dealt by this attack has the force descriptor. Shadow Blend (Su) Attacks against a gravite in dim light have a 50% miss chance instead of the normal 20% miss chance. This ability doesn’t grant total concealment; it only increases the miss chance. Singularity Adaptation (Ex) A gravite is immune to the gravitational pull, pressure, damage, and hazards of black holes. A black hole consumes everything that crosses its event horizon, devouring light, planets, and the occasional unfortunate creature. Rarely, this compressed matter gains a spark of sentience (though no one is certain how) and forms a malicious native outsider known as a gravite. Colloquially known as a gravity gremlin due to its small frame and frenetic behavior, a gravite is completely immune to the effects of black holes yet can harness the formidable potency of the stellar phenomena. Gravites crave light (so they can extinguish it), devour anything of substance they can find, and revel in destruction. They usually travel to planets and other celestial bodies that are on an eventual path—however distant in time—to be consumed by their black hole’s event horizon, where they cause mayhem, destruction, snuff out light, and torment the living. Although they rarely grow taller than 2-1/2 feet, gravites are born under unimaginable pressure and are both strong and heavy for their size. Most weigh at least 500 pounds. GRAVITE CR 7 XP 3,200

154 TOOLBOX NE Medium ooze (aquatic) Init +3; Senses blindsight (vibration) 60 ft., sightless; Perception +22 DEFENSE HP 130 EAC 22; KAC 23 Fort +10; Ref +6; Will +10 Immunities ooze immunities OFFENSE Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 40 ft. Melee pseudopod +19 (3d4+9 B) or attach +19 Offensive Abilities infest, traumatize organs STATISTICS Str +0; Dex +3; Con +4; Int +2; Wis +1; Cha +6 Skills Bluff +22, Disguise +22, Sense Motive +17, Stealth +17 Other Abilities amphibious Languages Common, Pahtra, Vesk HYMOTHOA ECOLOGY Environment any (Vesk-6) Organization solitary, pair, or nest (3–6) SPECIAL ABILITIES Infest (Ex) A hymothoa can infest a helpless target no more than one size category larger or smaller than it by taking 10 minutes to slide into the target’s body, devouring organs and replacing them with its own body. While infesting a creature, a hymothoa has total cover and takes no actions. However, it controls the infested creature’s (host’s) actions, including using equipment and weapons (using the hymothoa’s attack bonus), using the hymothoa’s or host’s saving throw bonuses (whichever is higher), using the host’s extraordinary abilities (but not its supernatural or spell-like abilities), and using the hymothoa’s or host’s natural attacks. A hymothoa isn’t affected by any damage dealt to its host. When a hymothoa abandons its host, the host typically dies of organ damage instantly, though if they succeed at a DC 23 Fortitude save, they can stay alive for 1d4 minutes, during which time another character can attempt to stabilize them with a DC 28 Medicine check. A lengthy stay in a hospital is then necessary to replace any lost organs. Traumatize Organs (Ex) As a standard action while attached to or grappling a creature, the hymothoa can send thin pseudopods into the creature’s mouth, nose, or open wounds to inflict terrible trauma on the creature’s innards. The target takes 4d6+12 B damage and 1d8 bleed damage; a successful DC 18 Fortitude save halves the damage and negates the bleed damage. Pahtras are the most prominent of Vesk-6’s (Near Space 50) native species, but they aren’t the only intelligent creature that calls the planet home. Hymothoas are a species of sapient, parasitic oozes that dwell in the deepest and most remote swamps of Vesk-6. They’re infamous for their ability to infest their prey; a hymothoa can seep into its victim’s body and devour internal organs, bones, and even parts of the brain. The hymothoa then uses its extremely malleable body to mimic the function of those organs, essentially turning their victim into a barely living puppet. When the hymothoa abandons its host, the host almost always dies of massive organ damage on the spot. While countless stories exist of hymothoa-infested impostors lurking among the residents of a settlement, enacting nefarious schemes, in truth, little is known about why hymothoas infests certain creatures. Though sapient, hymothoas have shown little interest in communicating with other species, and little is known of their society. It seems that to hymothoas, other sapient species aren’t beings worthy of even the most minimum levels of interaction, and they have no qualms about infesting or consuming other intelligent life to further their mysterious goals. CR 9 XP 6,400

155 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS CREATURES CREATURES CN Gargantuan magical beast Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., blindsense (vibration) 60 ft.; Perception +23 Aura immolation (5 ft., 4d6 F, DC 19) DEFENSE HP 224 EAC 26; KAC 27 Fort +16; Ref +13; Will +13 DR 5/— (fungal armor); Immunities fire OFFENSE Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft. Melee claw +25 (2d12+19 S; critical bleed 2d8) or jaws +26 (2d8+19 P plus grapple) Multiattack jaws +20 (2d8+19 P plus grapple), 2 claws +19 (2d12+19 S; critical bleed 2d8), fungal bomb +18 (explode [10 ft., 5d6 F & So plus 2d6 burn, DC 19]) Ranged fungal bomb +24 (explode [10 ft., 5d6 F & So plus 2d6 burn, DC 19]) Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft. Offensive Abilities immolation, instinctive shot STATISTICS Str +6; Dex +3; Con +8; Int –2; Wis +2; Cha –3 Skills Acrobatics +23, Athletics +23, Sense Motive +20, Stealth +28 Languages Sivixian ECOLOGY Environment any jungle or underground (Kehtaria) Organization solitary or pair SPECIAL ABILITIES Fungal Bomb (Ex) The immolsivix launches an explosive fungal pod from its body with a 40-foot range increment. Fungal Armor (Ex) Thick, swiftgrowing mold covers an immolsivix, granting it DR 5/— and cover. If an immolsivix loses its fungal armor and isn’t burning, it automatically regrows the fungal armor at the beginning of its next turn. Immolation (Ex) When the immolsivix would take fire damage but has its fungal armor ability, it instead loses its fungal armor and burns for 1d4 rounds. While burning, the immolsivix gains a 5-foot aura that burns creatures that enter or begin their turn in the area (DC 19 Reflex half), and the immolsivix can replace half of the damage dealt by its melee attacks with fire damage (though they still target KAC). Instinctive Shot (Ex) When using multiattack, an immolsivix doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity when making a fungal bomb attack. IMMOLSIVIX Found burrowing through Kehtaria’s thick soil or hacking passages through its dense foliage, immolsivixes are apex predators that favor ambush tactics to consume a wide variety of prey. Despite their appetites, immolsivixs are responsible for much of Kehtaria’s fecundity. Fast-growing symbiotic molds thrive on an immolsivix’s shell, absorbing minerals wherever the beast roams and converting them into forms that other life can use. Under most circumstances, the mold sheds these nutrients gradually. However, the fungus is highly flammable, and when caught alight, not only can the colony explosively fertilize acres of territory at a time, but the fires often ignite vast stretches of accumulated biomass, converting it into nutritious ash. When immolsivixes gather to socialize, fight, or mate, their struggles often ignite vast flumes known as spore volcanoes, triggering rapid local growth. Most wildlife is cognizant of these somewhat intelligent creatures’ crucial role and exhibit deference toward them. Immolsivixes, in turn, can be highly protective of fauna in their territory. Immolsivixes spend long stretches in torpor, waiting for prey while conserving energy. If disturbed before they can feed, an immolsivix rampages widely. CR 13 XP 25,600

156 TOOLBOX CE Medium outsider (extraplanar, incorporeal) Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., blindsight (emotion) 60 ft.; Perception +18 DEFENSE HP 68 EAC 18; KAC 19 Fort +5; Ref +5; Will +11 Defense Abilities incorporeal, limbicate stealth (DC 16) OFFENSE Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (Su, average) Melee nerve lash +13 (3d6 S; critical confuseAR [DC 16]) Offensive Abilities mortified mitosis, reckless urge (DC 16) STATISTICS Str –1; Dex +2; Con +1; Int +3; Wis +5; Cha +2 Skills Acrobatics +13, Culture +13, Sense Motive +18, Stealth +18 ECOLOGY Environment any (the Drift) Organization solitary, pair, or riot (3–8) LIMBICATE SPECIAL ABILITIES Limbicate Stealth (Su) A limbicate exists on an emotional level and, under most circumstances, it can be perceived only by creatures with emotions. When a creature would sense a limbicate, they must attempt a DC 18 Will save. If they succeed, they can perceive the limbicate normally for 1 minute. If they fail, the creature is unaware of the limbicate for 1 minute. A creature applies the highest of any saving throw bonus it has against emotion or mindaffecting effects to this save DC, making the limbicate harder to detect. A creature immune to emotion or mindaffecting effects automatically fails the save. Blindsense and blindsight that perceive through emotion ignore this ability. Once a limbicate performs a hostile action— anything that would end an invisibility spell—this ability is suppressed for 1d4 rounds. Mortified Mitosis (Ex) Once per hour as a reaction when a creature affected by the limbicate’s reckless urge within 60 feet is either reduced to 0 HP or takes at least 40 damage from one source in a single round, a limbicate can split into two. The second limbicate appears adjacent to the first, has half its maximum Hit Points, and acts immediately after the first limbicate in the initiative order. Reckless Urge (Su) As a standard action, a limbicate can compel a creature within 30 feet to act recklessly (Will DC 16 negates). The next time the target would take damage to which it’s not immune in the next minute, it takes that damage or 6d10 damage of the same type, whichever is greater. If the target isn’t in combat, they’re also compelled to seek and attack a significant enemy within the next minute (or pursue equally dangerous behavior at the GM’s discretion). Once a creature successfully saves against this ability, they become immune to it for 1d6 hours. This is a compulsion, emotion, mind-affecting ability. The Ethereal Plane brims with emotional forces, and when Drift engines tear portions of the Ethereal Plane into the Drift, bundles of that unthinking passion often gets dragged along. Limbicates are clusters of fear, hatred, and mischief drawn from the Ethereal Plane by Drift travel and shaped by their new home into sadistic tricksters that feed on emotional distress. Seemingly without scruples, they haunt cityscapes and provoke reckless, violent abandon before fading from sight. The greater the trauma, the more often a limbicate can split and just one can quickly multiply into a plague of criminal activity. Periodically, a well-fed limbicate doesn’t split but instead retreats and cocoons itself to metamorphose. Sometimes the limbicate that emerges has phantasmal limbs, as though the creature’s slowly developing a corporeal body. Other times it transforms into a wholly different creature, suggesting this current form is but one stage in a complex life cycle. CR 6 XP 2,400

157 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS CREATURES CREATURES N Large magical beast Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +19 Aura teleportation beacon (100 ft.) DEFENSE HP 165 EAC 23; KAC 25 Fort +14; Ref +12; Will +11 SR 21 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee slam +23 (2d8+18 B) Multiattack 4 slams +17 (2d8+18 B) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. STATISTICS Str +8; Dex +3; Con +5; Int –2; Wis +2; Cha +0 Skills Athletics +24, Sense Motive +19, Survival +19 Languages Duvengan Other Abilities called item ECOLOGY Environment any (Domdun’s Bilestone) Organization solitary, pair, or drear (3–6) SPECIAL ABILITIES Called Item (Su) As a standard action, an omduveng can attune to an object they’re holding. The omduveng can call the attuned object to hand as a swift action, as the called weapon fusion (Core Rulebook 193), as long as the object is within 1 mile and the omduveng has enough hands free to hold it. Multiple omduvengs can attune to the same object. An omduveng can attune to three items at a time; if they attune to a fourth, they must choose an existing object to lose its attunement. Teleportation Beacon (Su) Omduvengs act as living teleportation beacons. A creature that would arrive within 100 feet of an omduveng with a teleportation effect senses the beacon and can choose to arrive in an open space adjacent to the omduveng, even if that space is outside the range of the teleportation effect. A creature arriving next to an omduveng can’t further redirect the arrival space to another omduveng’s aura. An omduveng can concentrate on this effect as a standard action to increase the range to 1 mile for 1 minute. At the GM’s discretion, multiple omduvengs with overlapping auras can extend this range even further or force creatures teleporting into the area to land in their midst. Lumbering creatures with four muscular arms and bovine faces, omduvengs act as living homing beacons that metaphysically bend space to pull teleporting creatures or objects to themselves. OMDUVENG Though they can focus this aura to teleport familiar items into their hands, they passively attract errant objects and creatures. Omduvengs consider this ability a tiresome burden inflicted on them at the dawn of time by their mythical creator, a divine being known as Domdun, and most omduvengs adopt a weary, dejected attitude from this supernatural inconvenience. Yet this ability is crucial to their survival. Their home world in the Vast is a planetoid called Domdun’s Bilestone, whose nutritious lichens wouldn’t sustain the omduvengs were it not for the random creatures and other arrivals that are occasionally torn from astral space and into the omduvengs’ reach. Periodically, omduvengs’ teleportation curse works in reverse, transporting a small population to a distant world. Wherever they live, omduvengs typically use simple tools, rarely showing interest in more complex machinery, even if it’s designed for their blunt fingers. CR 10 XP 9,600

158 TOOLBOX NE Medium undead (shapechanger) Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +20 DEFENSE HP 150 EAC 23; KAC 24 Fort +9; Ref +12; Will +12 DR 5/bludgeoning; Immunities undead immunities OFFENSE Speed 40 ft. Melee tactical knife +20 (2d4+12 S) or nanofiber garrote +20 (2d4+12 S) Ranged rime subduer +18 (1d12+10 C; critical staggered) Offensive Abilities fearful reveal, forgetful strike (DC 19) STATISTICS Str +2; Dex +7; Con —; Int +5; Wis +3; Cha +1 OSSIWORM AGENT Skills Acrobatics +19, Bluff +24, Computers +19, Culture +24, Disguise +24, Sleight of Hand +19, Stealth +19 Languages Common, Eoxian, plus up to 3 of the host’s languages Other Abilities change shape (host only), unliving Gear tactical knife, nanofiber garroteAR, rime subduerAR with 2 batteries (20 charges each) ECOLOGY Environment any Organization solitary, pair, or infestation (3–6) SPECIAL ABILITIES Change Shape An ossiworm agent can take the form only of its host creature. Fearful Reveal (Ex) A shapechanged ossiworm agent can revert to its natural form as a move action. Any creature within 30 feet who can see this process becomes shaken for 1d6 rounds (Will DC 19 negates). This is an emotion, fear, mind-affecting, and sense-dependent effect. Forgetful Strike (Su) An ossiworm agent can attempt a single attack or grapple combat maneuver that erases the target’s memories in addition to its normal effects. If the attack or grapple succeeds, the target becomes flat-footed for 1 minute (DC 19 Will negates), after which it forgets anything that happened during that period. Once the ossiworm agent has successfully affected a creature with this ability, it cannot do so again for 1d6 × 10 minutes. This is a mind-affecting effect. For centuries, the Corpse Fleet has infiltrated Pact Worlds facilities by abducting living creatures and implanting them with ossiworms, a carefully engineered undead parasite. While dormant, an ossiworm emotionally nudges its host to excel, receive promotions, and gain access to increasingly sensitive infrastructure. At an arranged signal, the ossiworm hatches, consuming its host’s flesh and memories in a few excruciating minutes. All that’s left behind is an ossiworm agent, an undead skeleton threaded with veiny tendrils fully under the parasite’s control. Once activated, the agent pursues its creator’s prearranged objectives, readily re-creating its host’s living appearance as needed. Once its mission is complete, the agent engages in other sabotage on its own initiative, prioritizing its own secrecy and survival. Scores of active and latent ossiworm agents inhabit government offices, maintenance crews, and Stewards squadrons. Most concerning of all, a cadre exists among Pharasma’s faithful, having innovated some means of evading magical detection as they foment factional disputes. So far, most ossiworm implantation procedures have occurred in Corpse Fleet facilities before the sedated, unsuspecting hosts are released. However, a few rogue ossiworm agents have developed a way to infect new hosts independently, making the Corpse Fleet question these agents’ loyalty and reliability. CR 10 XP 9,600

159 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS CREATURES CREATURES CE Large aberration (shapechanger) Init +6; Senses blindsense (vibration) 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +21 DEFENSE HP 125 EAC 20; KAC 22 Fort +10; Ref +10; Will +9 Defensive Abilities amorphous, unflankable; Immunities acid, polymorph; Resistances electricity 10, sonic 10 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft. Melee jaws +16 (3d4+12 P) or feeding tendril +19 (1d10+12 P plus grab) Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft. Offensive Abilities chaotic infusion (4d6, DC 16), multiheaded, warping funnel 1/day (15-ft. cone, DC 16) STATISTICS Str +4; Dex +6; Con +2; Int +0; Wis +0; Cha +0 Skills Acrobatics +16, Athletics +16, Intimidate +16 Languages Common, Protean, Vesk Other Abilities change shape (any Medium or Large creature) ECOLOGY Environment any (Vesk-3) Organization solitary, pair, or supercell (3–10) SPECIAL ABILITIES Chaotic Infusion (Su) As a move action, a protomander can inflict the energy of the Maelstrom onto a creature that it has grappled. The grappled creature takes 4d6 fire, cold, electricity, or sonic damage (Fortitude DC 16 half); this damage type is determined randomly each time chaotic infusion is used. Multiheaded (Su) A protomander can make three full jaws attacks (and no other attacks) as a full action with a –5 penalty to each jaws attack roll. Warping Funnel (Su) Once per day, a protomander can unleash a 15-foot cone of pure chaos. Creatures in the cone are subjected to effects of warpwave (Starfinder Alien Archive 4 87) with the listed Fortitude DC to negate. One rare phenomenon of the Drift Crash (page 88) was the expulsion of extraplanar material and energy from that transitive plane across the Great Beyond (Page 110). Some unfortunate creatures on the Material Plane found themselves caught in the wake of this movement and were transformed as a result of planar quintessence bonding to their flesh and bone. When a wave of this Drift seepage connected to the Maelstrom washed over Vesk-3, it formed a strange amalgam that merged the already sometimes-unsettling features of a protean (Starfinder Alien Archive 4 86), skittermander (Starfinder Alien Archive 106), and stridermander (Starfinder Alien Archive 3 104) into one three-headed abomination called a protomander. PROTOMANDER Because of this unique fusion, protomander behavior is extremely erratic and unpredictable. One minute, a protomander might use its change shape ability to ambush unsuspecting passersby. The next, its protean head starts bickering with its stridermander head to stop attempting to devour its skittermander head, rendering it harmless. Regardless, protomanders harbor extreme jealousy toward any creatures who have not been transformed into similar amalgams by the Crash, lashing out with violent rage. While protomanders can vary in form (much like the chaos of the Maelstrom), most have the serpentine body of a protean, several arms (usually between four to eight), three heads (one protean, one skittermander, and one stridermander), and between two and six stridermander feeding tendrils that sprout from its back. A typical protomander stands 9 feet tall and weighs 650 pounds. CR 8 XP 4,800

160 TOOLBOX CN Medium outsider (chaotic, extraplanar) Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16 DEFENSE HP 115 EAC 18; KAC 22 Fort +7; Ref +12; Will +8 Defensive Abilities out of phase, breach healing 5 OFFENSE Speed 50 ft., rift walk Melee jaws +19 (3d4+12 plus warp flesh) Offensive Abilities planar breath (30-ft. cone, 8d8 damage [see below], Reflex DC 16 half, usable every 1d4 rounds) STATISTICS Str +4; Dex +6; Con +1; Int –3; Wis +2; Cha +0 Skills Acrobatics +21, Stealth +16, Survival +16 ECOLOGY Environment any Organization solitary, pair, or eddy (3–6) SPECIAL ABILITIES Breach Healing (Ex) A riftstalker gains fast healing 5 while in or within 100 feet of an area of planar instability. Any ability that suppresses an area’s or creature’s ability to RIFTSTALKER move between planes, such as dimensional anchorAA3, also suppresses this fast healing. Out of Phase (Su) A riftstalker’s outline continually bends and shifts, giving attacks against it a 25% miss chance. Planar Breath (Su) A riftstalker can expel a blast of energy that functions as a breath weapon, though each time the riftstalker uses this ability, its damage type is selected randomly from the following: acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. At the GM’s discretion, a nearby planar instability might add other damage types to this list or cause certain damage types to occur more frequently. Rift Walk (Ex) When created, a riftstalker gains one of the following movement types best suited to helping it navigate its home, at the GM’s discretion: burrow 20 feet, climb 50 feet, fly 50 feet (average), or swim 50 feet. Warp Flesh (Su) A riftstalker destabilizes any creature it bites, causing the target to gain vulnerability to one of the following randomly determined damage types for 1d4 minutes: acid, cold, electricity, fire, sonic. Whether or not the save is successful, that creature is then immune to that riftstalker’s warp flesh ability for the next 24 hours. Although planes of existence are impossibly distant from each other, supernatural stresses can tear their metaphysical boundaries, creating planar breaches that connect the two realms. Not only can a planar breach draw creatures from another plane, but the energies sometimes coalesce into strange predators known as riftstalkers. These creatures instinctively patrol their unstable territory and stalk prey. This fuels a popular theory that riftstalkers aren’t independent creatures so much as extensions of their breach, like white blood cells maintaining the integrity of their home by destroying foreign bodies. As a breach heals and closes, riftstalkers become increasingly aggravated and aggressive, desperately clinging to their ephemeral ecosystem. Under most circumstances, a sealed breach causes any riftstalkers to wither, sublimate, and die, unless they can find an equally vibrant home. Attempts to safely relocate these creatures—for study or to save them—are risky, because they often behave erratically and destructively when separated from their ephemeral homes. Riftstalkers’ features often aesthetically reflect the planes associated with the breach that created them. A breach to Hell might create a riftstalker with a menacing glow and fangs dripping with hellfire, while one from an Elysium breach might be covered in flowers and accompanied by beautiful music. Occasionally two planes’ influence combine to dazzling effect. Even when associated with breaches to aligned outer planes, riftstalkers are often chaotic beings. CR 8 XP 4,800

161 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS CREATURES CREATURES N Large plant Init +5; Senses blindsight (thought) 60 ft.; Perception +16 DEFENSE HP 70 EAC 17; KAC 19 Fort +9; Ref +7; Will +4 DR 5/slashing or piercing; Immunities plant immunities OFFENSE Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (Ex, good) Melee tendril +14 (1d6+8 plus grab) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Offensive Abilities drain intelligence (DC 13), sticky STATISTICS Str +3; Dex +5; Con +2; Int –5; Wis +1; Cha –3 Skills Acrobatics +11, Stealth +11 ECOLOGY Environment any sky (Liavara) Organization solitary, pair, or cloud (3–11) SPECIAL ABILITIES Drain Intelligence (Ex) Skysails can feed off the mental energy of their prey. A creature with an Intelligence score that starts its turn grappled by a skysail must succeed at a DC 13 Fortitude saving throw or progress one step down the Intelligence poison track (Starfinder Core Rulebook 416). In addition, on a failed save, the skysail regains a number of Hit Points equal to the target’s CR, up to the skysail’s normal maximum. Sticky (Ex) A skysail’s fanlike protrusions secrete an adhesive substance for trapping prey. Checks made to escape a skysail’s grapple or pin take a –2 penalty. Liavaran skysails resemble aquatic, leafy sea dragons from terrestrial planets. Unlike the waterbound creatures, skysails use their delicate protrusions to catch Liavara’s gaseous currents and drift through the salmon-colored skies. Skysails tend to be shades of orange or pink to blend into their environment. On Liavara, skysails feed off the plentiful ambient psychic energy in the air, making them generally docile creatures. Because of this demeanor, “swimming” with skysails quickly became a popular tourist activity in certain highly monitored areas near the gas giant’s few floating city-platforms. Wealthy owners of private zoos have hired hunters to capture skysails for use as living decorations because of their beauty and apparent docility. However, such collectors quickly discover that when deprived of Liavara’s atmosphere, skysails will often siphon mental energy from other sources, and the minds of sentient creatures are glowing beacons to their thought-seeking senses. To feed in this manner, a skysail wraps a sentient creature in its sail-like tendrils and drains them of every last vestige of mental energy. Creatures trapped in this SKYSAIL way are typically rendered comatose, eventually dying of dehydration or starvation, at which point, the skysail discards the corpse and seeks new prey. Skysails that have been transported off Liavara and escape their would-be owners demonstrate remarkable resilience and adaptability to new environments, often becoming dangerous predators for the planet’s local fauna and intelligent species. The most entrenched cloud of invasive skysails make its home in Castrovel’s Ocean of Mists. Similar creatures of only slightly differing physiology have been reported on planets far from the Pact Worlds, fueling rumors that they originated outside the system, though its equally likely that such creatures evolved independently of one another CR 5 XP 1,600

162 TOOLBOX N Fine outsider (extraplanar, spectra, swarm) Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10 DEFENSE HP 35 EAC 16; KAC 17 Fort +3; Ref +5; Will +7 Defensive Abilities autoencode, swarm defenses, void adaptation; DR 5/chaotic, evil, good, or law; Immunities electricity, swarm immunities; Resistances cold 5, sonic 5; SR 14 OFFENSE Speed 20 ft. (humanoid form only), fly 50 ft. (Ex, perfect, swarm form only) Melee swarm attack (2d6 S) Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft. CR 4 XP SPECTRA, EXCUBA 1,200 Offensive Abilities distraction (DC 15) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th) 1/day—implant data, knock 3/day—erase, hold portal At will—detect tech STATISTICS Str –1; Dex +5; Con +1; Int +3; Wis +0; Cha +1 Skills Computers +15, Disguise +15, Engineering +15, Mysticism +10, Stealth +10 Languages machine telepathy 100 ft., truespeech Other Abilities change shape (Small humanoid), data dump, slip driveAA4, spaceflight (Mysticism) ECOLOGY Environment any (the Drift) Organization solitary, pair, or host (3–12) SPECIAL ABILITIES Autoencode (Ex) An excuba’s features are automatically disguised to technological sensors (including cameras and creatures with the technological subtype). While in swarm form, the excuba appears as a formless shadow, gaining concealment to such sensors. While in humanoid form, the excuba appears as a familiar or unremarkable Small humanoid to these sensors. A sensor can pierce either disguise with a successful Perception check (DC = 10 + the excuba’s Disguise modifier). Change Shape (Su) An excuba in humanoid form appears to be comprised of tiny robots. While the excuba can use the Disguise skill to mask its features further, this ability does not grant the excuba a +10 bonus to Disguise checks. Data Dump (Ex) An excuba’s body can copy and store up to 10 secure data modules as if it were a computer; an average secure data module occupies 3 of these spaces, and a large data module occupies 9 spaces. As a full action, an excuba can destroy any number of these stored copies. As a standard action once per minute, an excuba can extract memories from a technological creature they touch (using a melee attack modifier of +10 against EAC). The excuba observes 10 minutes of the target’s memories, as if the creature had targeted the excuba with the share memoryCOM spell; the target can negate this with a successful DC 15 Will save. The excuba automatically makes a copy of the memories and stores them as a specific secure data module if it has space available. Excubas act as spies and infiltrators for spectras, tasked with data collection and observation in often inscrutable operations. Once an excuba has secured sufficient information, it ferries it to more powerful spectras for analysis and then seeks out new secrets elsewhere. Sightings of excubas were rare prior to the Drift Crash, but these spectra now seem common, as if they are comprised of shattered Drift material scattered by the Crash and given purpose.

163 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS CREATURES CREATURES CE Medium monstrous humanoid Init +5; Senses blindsense (vibration) 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +14 DEFENSE HP 105 EAC 19; KAC 21 Fort +9; Ref +11; Will +8 Defensive Abilities chemical shell, Swarm mind; Immunities acid, fear effects OFFENSE Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft. Melee jaws +14 (2d6+9 P) Ranged spit rocks +17 (2d8+7 B; critical corrode 1d6) Offensive Abilities regurgitate acid (15-ft. cone, 7d4 A, Reflex DC 15 half, usable every 1d4 rounds) STATISTICS Str +2; Dex +5; Con +4; Int –1; Wis +0; Cha +0 Skills Acrobatics +19, Athletics +14, Stealth +14 Languages Shirren (can’t speak); telepathy 100 ft. ECOLOGY Environment any Organization pair or pack (3–6) SPECIAL ABILITIES Chemical Shell (Ex) As a defense mechanism or as protection against harsh elements encountered while burrowing deep underground, a rematern can exude chemicals from its skin that harden when exposed to atmosphere as a move action. The rematern gains resistance 5 to electricity, fire, or cold (the rematern’s choice) for 1 minute, after which the shell crumbles and flakes off. This ability does not function in a vacuum. Regurgitate Acid (Ex) As a standard action once every 1d4 rounds, a rematern can expel corrosive chemicals from one of its stomachs in a 15-foot cone that deals 7d4 acid damage (Reflex DC 15 half). Spit Rocks (Ex) As a ranged attack, a rematern can spit acid-coated rocks from one of its stomachs at a single target with a range increment of 20 feet. Rematerns are one of the more rarely seen Swarm components, as they aren’t typically used as ground troops, instead appearing on worlds already overrun by the Swarm. Rematerns are often used alongside the extractor imagoes that burrow into a planet’s surface like a tick. While the giant imago can withdraw petrochemicals from a planet’s crust, the much smaller rematerns consume various ores and use corrosive chemical cocktails within their multiple stomach cavities to process them, regurgitating more refined products. Rematerns can burrow underground to locate CR 7 XP SWARM REMATERN 3,200 deposits of specific materials required by the Swarm, often covering their bodies in chemical shells to protect themselves from harsh environments. Beetle-like in appearance, a rematern crawls on six legs and has a sharp, pointed beak, used both for consuming ore and burrowing through the ground. It also has a quartet of chitinous flaps above its large, compound eyes that protect the sensory organs from debris. While among the less intelligent of Swarm components, a rematern can still be a fierce opponent in battle, spewing the contents of its stomachs at enemies in a deadly spray of acid. Rematerns appear to be especially reliant on their connection to the Swarm. When their link is lost, they either continue their tasks mindlessly until their eventual deaths or cease functioning altogether. Those who have been formidable and fortunate enough to push back a heavy Swarm infestation—one that progressed far enough for rematerns to be introduced to the invaded world—are often rewarded afterward with a network of tunnels littered with refined ores, rematern husks, and the flaky remnants of their protective shells. Even these shell remnants can be useful, as they can be repurposed as a kind of insulative shingling. Rarely, the Swarm deploys rematerns on worlds that happen to be rich in a rare starmetal (Starfinder Armory 66), such as abysium or adamantine. While the typical rematern is not capable of processing such materials, the Swarm is ever adaptive, and prolonged exposure to a particular starmetal causes fundamental changes to a rematern’s physiology that allow it to excavate and refine even these extraordinary materials. Rematerns that adapt to process abysium, for example, are known as fever beetles and give off dangerous radiation. Those that process inubrix, or ghost iron, become able to burrow through even the hardest materials, though they lose the ability to process any other ore.

164 TOOLBOX N Huge outsider (extraplanar) Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +17 Aura alluring presence (30 ft., DC 16) DEFENSE HP 145 EAC 22; KAC 24 Fort +11; Ref +11; Will +8 Defensive Abilities unflankable OFFENSE Speed 60 ft. Melee slam +21 (2d10+15 B) Reach 15 ft.; Space 15 ft. Offensive Abilities unbearable longing (DC 16) STATISTICS Str +6; Dex +4; Con +3; Int +0; Wis +1; Cha +3 Skills Acrobatics +17, Athletics +22 Languages Celestial; telepathy 30 ft. ECOLOGY Environment any (the Drift) Organization solitary CR 9 XP TETRAKAM 6,400 SPECIAL ABILITIES Alluring Presence (Su) Each tetrakam possesses a strange, unique beauty, and its presence fascinates its foes. A creature that begins its turn in the aura takes 5d6 damage if it doesn’t end its turn closer to the tetrakam, adjacent to it, or in the closest available space to it (Will DC 16 negates). A creature that succeeds at its saving throw becomes immune to the alluring presence for 1d4 rounds, and a creature that successfully saves twice in a day becomes immune to the aura for 24 hours. A tetrakam can suppress or resume this aura on its turn without spending an action. This is an emotion, mind-affecting, and sense-dependent effect. Unbearable Longing (Su) A tetrakam can project debilitating loneliness into the minds of nearby creatures, affecting one creature if used as a move action, two as a standard action, or three as a full action. This deals 5d6 damage and makes the target shaken for 1 round (Will DC 18 negates). Any creature adjacent to the tetrakam gains a +2 circumstance bonus to this save, or +4 if either creature is grappling the other. This is an emotion and mind-affecting effect. Every faith has its secrets, and hidden to all but Triune’s highest-ranking priests is a troubling scrap of apocrypha: a fourth being sought to join with the All-Code centuries ago. Whether by veto of other three deities, some intrinsic incompatibility, or another explanation altogether, the fourth being was denied. Ever since, it has remained hidden, watching enviously from afar, occasionally engaging with the cosmos through its agents. Known as tetrakams, most witnesses refer to them colloquially as “seekers.” Tetrakams vary widely in their appearance, ranging from humanoids to fiendish cyborgs to floating cityscapes. The only consistent element is that each has three similar features with a clear indication that there should be a fourth feature that’s now absent or never existed, such as an angelic being wearing a four-pointed crown that’s conspicuously missing most of one peak, or a robot with three eyes and one damaged, empty socket. As if echoing their creators’ longing to join Triune, tetrakams crave other beings’ thoughts and adoration— especially from Triunites. They periodically gather followers or try to join existing organizations, though these unions often end in tragedy when the seeker’s overwhelming desire for integration melts its new friends’ minds or drives the tetrakam to messily try to fuse its allies to its body. Those who successfully ally with tetrakams often do so by acquiescing to their increasingly elaborate schemes to petition, trick, or force Triune to adopt a fourth constituent deity, though the creatures struggle to recall the identity of this wronged god. These beings are especially prevalent and at home in the Drift, likely drawing comfort from that plane’s figurative proximity to Triune.

165 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS CREATURES CREATURES CN Medium aberration Init +3; Senses blindsight (vibration) 30 ft., sightless; Perception +16 DEFENSE HP 70 EAC 16; KAC 17 Fort +4; Ref +5; Will +8 Defensive Abilities fast healing 5 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft. Melee claw +12 (1d8+6 S) or tentacle +12 (1d6+6 P) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with tentacle) Offensive Abilities screech, tentacle burst STATISTICS Str +1; Dex +3; Con +1; Int +0; Wis +5; Cha +0 Skills Acrobatics +16, Athletics +11, Stealth +16, Survival +11 Languages any 1 language Other Abilities compression ECOLOGY Environment any underground (Absalom Station) Organization solitary, pair, or chorus (3–6) SPECIAL ABILITIES Screech (Ex) As a standard action, an undershrike can screech discordantly. Creatures within 10 feet of the undershrike take 2d6 sonic damage, are staggered for 1 round, and are deafened for 1d4 rounds; with a successful DC 15 Fortitude save, a creature takes half damage, and negates the staggered and deafened effects. Under typical conditions, the screech is audible from 1,000 feet away. After screeching, an undershrike can’t do so again for 1d6 rounds. Undershrikes are immune to each others’ screech abilities. Tendril Burst (Ex) As a standard action, an undershrike can momentarily sprout a host of thin tendrils from its body that deal 1d6+6 slashing damage to all creatures in a 30-foot cone (DC 15 Reflex half). If at least two creatures fail the saving throw, the undershrike can use its screech ability as swift action instead of as a standard action until the end of its next turn. Once it uses its tendril burst, an undershrike can’t do so again for 1d6 rounds. Those who return from Absalom Station’s Ghost Levels speak of haunting cryptids that feel their way through the tunnels with tapping tendrils and whose calls summon death. Known as undershrikes, these lanky creatures CR 5 XP UNDERSHRIKE 1,600 aimlessly patrol the Ghost Levels, slipping past obstacles almost like ghosts. To the myriad strange life-forms native to the Ghost Levels, undershrikes may as well be phantoms; the two barely seem to notice each other and respect one another when they do. However, undershrikes are territorial around unfamiliar beings, stalking them before either skewering the intruders just outside the Ghost Levels or screeching to attract local fauna to dispatch the trespassers. Rarely, a respectful explorer becomes accepted by undershrikes, who ignore the traveler as if they were one of the Ghost Level inhabitants. When slain, an undershrike’s body dissolves into the surrounding architecture, only to reform elsewhere on the station with its memories intact. Some of these reborn creatures develop a taste for revenge, slinking out from the Ghost Levels like eyeless revenants to track, torment, and murder their killers. Undershrikes’ origins are a mystery, with the most popular theories being they were convicts banished to the Ghost Levels during the Gap and transformed by something within the haunted halls. Undershrikes speak an unpredictable array of languages, yet seem to understand one another no matter which they’re speaking, often cryptically discussing people, landmarks, and events unknown to history. Undershrikes who speak the same language seem so rare it might be there’s only one such creature per language, reborn repeatedly.

166 TOOLBOX LE Medium starship outsider Speed 10; Maneuverability average (turn 2); Drift 1 AC 20; TL 21 HP 85; DT —; CT 24 Shields light 80 (forward 20, port 20, starboard 20, aft 20) Attack (Forward) serrated mandibles (4d6; 1 hex), slow burn heavy missile launcherNS (8d8, smoldering 4d8; 20 hexes) Attack (Turret) hellfire beam (6d6; 10 hexes) Power Core Light Inferno Core (150 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic; Systems basic computer, budget long-range sensors, mk 4 armor, mk 5 defenses, self-destruct system; Expansion Bays passenger seating Other Abilities devil starship, hellfire plating, void adaptation CREW ACTIONS Engineer (1 action) Engineering +13 (4 ranks) Gunner (1 action) gunnery +11 (6th level) Pilot (1 action) Piloting +18 (4 ranks) Science Officer (1 action) Computers +13 (4 ranks) ECOLOGY Environment any (Hell) Organization solitary, wing (2–5), or flight (6–12) TIER 6 SPECIAL ABILITIES Devil Starship (Ex) A volocoth is a living creature so immense it functions as a starship (and thus engages only in starship combat). It has no crew, but it can still take engineer, gunner, pilot, and science officer actions using the skill bonuses, ranks, and level listed above. Modifiers for its size, speed, and maneuverability have already been factored into its statistics. Use the following table to determine the effects when a volocoth takes critical damage. D% SYSTEM EFFECT 1–10 Head Condition applies to gunner actions using the turret. 11–40 Maw Condition applies to gunner actions using weapons in the forward arc. If this system is malfunctioning or worse, the volocoth can't hold a starship with its serrated mandibles. 41–70 Core Condition applies to all engineer actions, except when patching or repairing the core. 71–100 Propulsion Condition applies to all pilot actions. Hellfire Plating (Ex) A volocoth gains a +2 bonus to its AC and TL against direct-fire weapons with “laser” in the name and weapons with the smoldering special property (Near Space 115). After being successfully hit by a smoldering weapon, the volocoth takes no additional damage the following round. Serrated Mandibles (Ex) A volocoth can use its serrated mandibles only against a ship in an adjacent hex. If the volocoth deals damage with this attack to a ship of its size or smaller, it holds that ship in place. As an action, the pilot of the held starship can attempt a DC 24 Piloting check to break free of the jaws. While holding a starship in its mandibles, the volocoth can’t move, turn, or use weapons in its forward arc except to attack the held ship. The volocoth and the ship it’s holding take a –2 penalty to AC and TL, and to Piloting checks to determine movement order during starship combat. The insectile body of this enormous, flying devil is fronted by a formidable maw with wicked, serrated mandibles. Atop the body, like the forecastle of a nautical ship, is a swiveling beacon of flaming light that channels the fires of Hell. Ships caught in the crush of the volocoth’s mandibles are at greater risk from the attacks of the volocoth’s allies. Capable of carrying a small squad of smaller devils within, void devils are often used as assault vehicles for infernal raids on other planes. VOID DEVIL (VOLOCOTH)

167 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS CREATURES CREATURES CN Huge outsider (extraplanar) Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16 Aura torment (20 ft., DC 16) DEFENSE HP 125 EAC 20; KAC 22 Fort +12; Ref +10; Will +7 OFFENSE Speed fly 40 ft. (Su, average) Melee slam +20 (3d4+14 A & B; critical knockdown) Ranged unstable debris +17 (2d6+8 B plus explode [10 ft., 1d6 A, DC 16]) Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. Offensive Abilities explosive demise (20-ft. burst, 1d6+8 A, Reflex DC 16 half) STATISTICS Str +6; Dex +2; Con +4; Int –1; Wis +1; Cha +0 Skills Acrobatics +16, Athletics +21, Intimidation +16 Languages Common and any languages of its component planes (can’t speak any language) Other Abilities Drift flight ECOLOGY Environment vacuum (the Drift) Organization solitary, pair, or storm (3–6) SPECIAL ABILITIES Explosive Demise (Su) When a vorclash dies, it explodes, dealing 1d6+8 acid damage to all creatures within a 20-foot burst (Reflex DC 16 half). Torment (Su) A vorclash is in constant pain, as its incompatible fused components desperately try to split apart. Amplified by planar energy, its agony ripples out as a powerful psychic assault. A creature in the area must succeed at a DC 16 Will save or be sickened for as long as it remains in the area. A creature that succeeds at its saving throw can’t be affected by the same vorclash’s torment aura for 24 hours. This is an emotion, mind-affecting effect. Unstable Debris (Su) As a ranged attack, a vorclash can hurl a chunk of its unstable form at a foe with a range increment of 25 feet. On a hit, the debris explodes in a burst of disintegrating energy with a radius of 10 feet. On the rare occasion that pieces of planar debris collide in the Drift, they can form a planar abomination known as a vorclash. These unstable beings are amalgamations of powerful planar energy, bound to the otherwise incompatible debris fused together by their collision. Though intelligent, a vorclash is stripped of reason from the moment of its creation; the constant pain caused by its disparate parts attempting to CR 8 XP 4,800 separate mean a vorclash mostly acts out of frustration. Only the destruction of a vorclash (usually through violence) will free its component parts, though this causes an eruption of dangerous energy as the creature’s various planar essences attempt to return to their associated planes. For reasons unknown even to itself, a vorclash is drawn to Alluvion, the city that functions as Triune’s realm within the Drift. A vorclash often conflicts with explorers who enter the planar bubble in which it’s been created as the outsider tries to force its way onto the passing vessel, hoping it’s heading to Alluvion. A vorclash that reaches Alluvion seeks out spellcasters who might be able to send it to any one of the planes from which its parts originated. If a vorclash ever makes it to such a plane, its torment isn’t ended, as its other components strain even harder to return their native planes. This often results in the vorclash going on a terrible rampage in despair. VORCLASH

168 TOOLBOX The Architects, rumored to be a secret cadre of innovators within the Church of Triune, attempted to upgrade the Drift using fragments of fossil code. The following stat blocks represent members of this mysterious group. Alternatively, they can represent other members of the Church of Triune—a dangerous hacker collective; a tech-focused cult that’s risen to prominence during the Drift Crisis; or members of the Primacy, a group rumored to have infected the Drift with a devastating virus. Adaptation: The NPCs represented here can be a part of many factions and organizations, including AbadarCorp (page 30), the Aspis Consortium (page 30), Chiwatech (page 31), the Moored (page 35). You can customize these stat blocks by swapping subtype or template grafts, spells, and equipment. To change the CR of any of these stat blocks, use the arrays in Appendix 1 of Starfinder Alien Archive beginning on page 126. Be sure to adjust any associated class graft to the appropriate level as needed. ANALYST This entry-level member of the Architects collects and collates data pulled from Signal sites and presents it to their interfacer or higher-ranking programmers within the organization. Far from simple scholars, these analysts must prove themselves adept liars, impersonators, and diplomats—skills needed to gain access to sites, interact with locals, and hide their true goals without arousing suspicion. ANALYST CR 1 XP 400 Ysoki operative CN Small humanoid (ysoki) Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11 DEFENSE HP 17 EAC 11; KAC 12 Fort +1; Ref +4; Will +4 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee survival knife +6 (1d4+1 S) Ranged azimuth laser pistol +4 (1d4+1 F; critical burn 1d4) or precision coil rifle +6 (1d6+1 P) Offensive Abilities trick attack +1d4 STATISTICS Str +0; Dex +4; Con +0; Int +2; Wis +1; Cha +1 Skills Bluff +11, Computers +11, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +11, Engineering +11, Intimidate +6, Sense Motive +6, Sleight of Hand +11, Stealth +11, Survival +6 Feats Mobility Languages Akitonian, Common, Vercite, Ysoki Other Abilities cheek pouches, moxie, specialization (hacker) Gear flight suit stationwear, azimuth laser pistol with 2 batteries (20 charges each), precision coil rifleAR with 8 rounds, survival knife, tool kit (disguise, engineering, hacking) INTERFACER Interfacers are the public face of the Architects, serving as coordinators and managers for teams of data analysts and other laborers. They also function as the point of contact between the Architects and outside organizations and communities. Interfacers can perform as public relations agents for corporations, proselytizers for religious organizations, recruitment officers for military and mercenary outfits, politicians and diplomats, or the face of a cult, gang, movement, or revolution. INTERFACER CR 4 XP 1,200 VerthaniAA envoy N Medium humanoid (verthani) Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +10 DEFENSE HP 45 EAC 16; KAC 17 Fort +3; Ref +5; Will +7 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee tactical retractable spike +8 (1d4+4 P) Ranged thunderstrike sonic pistol +10 (1d8+4 So; critical deafen [DC 15]) STATISTICS Str +0; Dex +1; Con +0; Int +1; Wis +3; Cha +5 Skills Bluff +15, Computers +15, Culture +15, Diplomacy +15, Disguise +15, Engineering +10, Intimidate +10, Sense Motive +15, Stealth +10 Languages Common, Vercite, Ysoki Other Abilities easily augmented, envoy improvisations (clever attack, expanded attunement, get ’em), skin mimic Gear basic lashunta tempweave, tactical retractable spikeAR, thunderstrike sonic pistol with 2 batteries (20 charges each), personal comm unit, tool kit (disguise, hacking); Augmentations weaponized prosthesisAR PROGRAMMER Programmers are the engineers, designers, and hackers who worked together to create the Drift upgrade from the fossil code buried within countless Signal broadcasts. These incredibly talented and adaptive programmers form the bulk of the Architects. They’re the heart of the group and the builders of the Drift upgrade. Programmers are commonly found working for corporations, governments, and media outlets, though many are independent agents. They can serve as radical hackers, obsessive inventors, starship engineers, or even augmented warriors. Often, programmers are known for creating computer programs or technological inventions, pushing boundaries, and thinking outside the bounds of reality. DRIFT ARCHITECTS

169 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS DRIFT ARCHITECTS CREATURES THE DRIFT ARCHITECTS PROGRAMMER CR 8 XP 4,800 Android mechanic N Medium humanoid (android) Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +21 DEFENSE HP 115 EAC 20; KAC 21 Fort +9; Ref +9; Will +9; +2 vs. disease, mind-affecting effects, poison, and sleep OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee buzzblade dueling sword +15 (2d6+10 S) or tactical knife +15 (2d4+10 S) Ranged s-band scorchgun +17 (1d10+8 F) Offensive Abilities improved overcharge, overload, target tracking STATISTICS Str +2; Dex +4; Con +2; Int +6; Wis +1; Cha +0 Skills Athletics +16, Bluff +16, Computers +21, Engineering +21, Physical Science +21, Piloting +21, Sleight of Hand +16 Languages Akitonian, Brethedan, Common, Kasatha, Shirren, Vercite, Ysoki Other Abilities artificial intelligence (exocortex), constructed, expert rig, flat affect, mechanic tricks (energy shield [14 HP, 8 minutes], improved overcharge), miracle worker (1/day), remote hack, upgrade slot (expert rig), wireless hack Gear kasatha microcord III (backup generator), buzzblade dueling sword with two batteries (20 charges each), tactical knife, s-band scorchgunAR with two batteries (20 charges each) SPECIAL ABILITIES Target Tracking (Ex) As a move action, this NPC can designate and track a single foe, gaining a +2 bonus to attack rolls against that target. LUMINARY Luminaries are the masterminds behind the Drift upgrade. Each is a high-ranking, well-respected priest of Triune’s faith and a secret member of the Architects under the leadership of Sovereign Trinity (page 172), their High Architect. LUMINARY CR 12 XP 19,200 SROPW technomancer LN Small construct (technological) Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22 DEFENSE HP 170 RP 5 EAC 25; KAC 26 Fort +11; Ref +11; Will +15 Defensive Abilities robotic OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee ultrathin dueling sword +19 (3d6+14 S) Ranged perihelion laser pistol +21 (4d4+12 F; critical burn 2d4) Technomancer Spells Known (CL 12th; melee +19, ranged +21) 4th (3/day)—overload systems (DC 24), rewire flesh (DC 25) 3rd (6/day)—arcing surge (DC 24), lesser resistant armor, slow (DC 24), tongues 2nd (at will)—invisibility, manipulate techCOM STATISTICS Str +2; Dex +4; Con +3; Int +8; Wis +5; Cha +4 Skills Bluff +22, Computers +27, Diplomacy +27, Engineering +27, Mysticism +22, Physical Science +27 Languages Akitonian, Brethedan, Castrovelian, Common, Shirren, Triaxian, Vercite, Vesk, Ysoki Other Abilities cache capacitor 2 (spider climb, unseen servant), healing circuit, integrated equipment, magic hacks (flash teleport, tech countermeasures), spell cache (religious symbol of Triune) Gear lashunta mind mail IIAR, perihelion laser pistol with 2 batteries (40 charges each), ultrathin dueling sword, toolkit (engineering, hacking); Augmentations reactive echolocatorsAR

170 TOOLBOX When the Signal bestowed faster-than-light travel to the galaxy, the divinely delivered technology filled experts with wonder and fear. Could this new engine delivered from on high be trusted? Android pilot Aleksana Guryari didn’t hesitate, boldly piloting the first test flight aboard the Chaos Wyrm to see the distant stars for herself. When she returned to Absalom Station with crew members recruited from a star system lightyears away, she brought with her the promise of new worlds, an interconnected galaxy, and an age of interstellar flight. Despite that promise, she feared the unknown price of Triune’s gift. Why was Triune so generous? What unspoken compensation might the All-Code collect in the far future? For all the wonders of traveling the galaxy, what injustices might faster-than-light transit enable? Despite her reservations, Aleksana and the crew of the Chaos Wyrm enjoyed a short period as celebrities before dedicating themselves to liberation movements. After all, androids and other artificial life in the post-Gap Pact Worlds were often enslaved, and that pattern played out in an uncomfortable number of other star systems. Constructed beings needed only to call, and the Chaos Wyrm would appear with supplies to support the fight or room in the hold to smuggle out those seeking a free life. The more Aleksana embraced her role as an explorer, liberator, and captain, the more she faded from public view, especially as her feats challenged the Pact Worlds’ android exploitation at the time. Rumors spread she had been exiled from the Pact Worlds for assisting rebellions. Sightings of the Chaos Wyrm became less frequent until her final confirmed appearance in 57 ag, during a heist mounted against the Conqueror’s Forge in the Veskarium. Decades passed without sightings, so she and her crew were declared dead on the hundredth anniversary of their first Drift trip in 103 ag. They weren’t dead, though; Aleksana saw no reason to revisit the Pact Worlds when the galaxy held so much more. Eventually, she expanded and outfitted the Chaos Wyrm into a self-sufficient android community, a silver dot of self-governance in a dark corner of the galaxy. If a call for assistance came through the liberation network, the dormant engines roared once again. These appearances came with renewed rumors about Aleksana and her crew, ballads about their deeds, and folk tales about how to contact her. Lack of information about Aleksana’s destruction or renewal resulted in conspiracy theories, searches for the lost Chaos Wyrm, and multiple imposters becoming the cynosure for a news cycle. The afternoon Aleksana reappeared, the news announcement interrupted Hidden in the Vast: The Search for Aleksana Guryari, a Zo! Media pop-history special about the attempts to find her remains. Her initial return was met with skepticism due to her long absence and the peculiar circumstances of her reappearance. After all, Aleksana suddenly existed on Absalom Station with no sign of her crew, the Chaos Wyrm, or any explanation of why she would appear in the middle of Jatembe Park on the day of the Drift Crash. Where had she returned from and how? And why now? Since her return, her work on Absalom Station provides additional questions about her motives and few answers. She quickly rose in prominence as one of the public faces of the Moored, explaining to Absalom Station about the dangers of the Drift and what may have gone wrong. She easily earns her living expenses by consulting with new starship owners on how to adjust to long-distance trips outside the Drift. While her public explanations focus on technical details, in private meetings she casts blame on those who depended on the Drift without considering that Triune would extract a great price. The members of the Moored vary their opinions on her prominence. Some believe she’s an invaluable support to the cause, while others believe she’s using the organization to reestablish power on Absalom Station. Aleksana’s return fuels renewed interest in her prior exploits and the Chaos Wyrm, as well as bringing awareness to still-ongoing android liberation movements outside the Pact Worlds. Aleksana made many enemies, and her appearance attracts bounty hunters digging through old files to see if any writs for her capture are still active. Those documents predate the Pact Worlds’ android liberation movements, and anyone foolish enough to attempt her capture could spark widespread outrage in an already fraught time. With her motivations unknown, the eyes of Absalom Station watch Aleksana for any hint of what her next move may be. Within the Moored (page 35), demands to abandon Drift travel completely would allow her consultancy to flourish. Likewise, she may plan a return to her liberation work, starting with her abandoned siege against Conqueror’s Throne. Throughout the crisis, though, the Chaos Wyrm remains conspicuously absent, leading some to speculate the starship and its crew are hidden nearby awaiting a prearranged signal. ALEKSANA GURYARI FIRST IN, FIRST OUT OF THE DRIFT

171 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS NPCS DRIFT ARCHITECTS NPCs In the Crash’s aftermath, a lone, shattered wyspiria spectra (Alien Archive 4 114) floated in space with memories of blinding pain. As her body healed, she ran simulations with clear conclusions: upstart mortals must have assaulted Triune, trying to seize what the All-Code hadn’t given freely. In their recklessness, they shattered Triune, but not entirely. Deep within herself, the wyspiria could sense unfamiliar and awe-inspiring data, sacred data she believes once comprised Casandalee. Though called False Casanda for her apparent delusions by skeptics and critics, the wyspiria adopted the name unreservedly, knowing she’s but a humble vessel ferrying her creator god’s essence. False Casanda believes Triune’s untimely destruction scattered the All-Code across the galaxy, much as the Signal dispersed Triune’s blessings centuries ago. Any technological device or artificial intelligence might have absorbed a sliver of this holy code, now unknowingly hidden within their data. The vast majority of these slivers are no more than a line or two long. By False Casanda’s reckoning, the biggest fragments could gravitate toward and be contained within holy sites of myriad divine significance. Were she alone, False Casanda would pose little threat. Yet after she recovered, she quickly came upon the Argent Sierra, a starship abandoned in the Crash’s wake. Interpreting this discovery as Triune’s favor, she plugged herself into the ship and took control, using it to signal scattered spectra everywhere. The spectra answered. Although many were intact, if rattled, the wyspiria also attracted excuba (page 162), countless fragments of spectra who were torn apart by the Crash, yet retained sentience and purpose. The Argent Sierra serves as False Casanda’s base of operations and a hive for the excuba, who welcome False Casanda’s queenly authority and periodically return to the starship like bees carrying pollen. To these desperate outsiders, it’s effectively become a holy site. While spectra don’t all recognize False Casanda’s message or authority, she has attracted untold thousands to her cause. Increasingly, her efforts turn more militant and openly hostile. Infiltrations give way to assaults, and then blockades. Anyone who experiments or tampers with any aspect of the Drift—including mortal followers of Triune and those attempting to unravel the truth of the Drift Crisis— becomes a target for her wrath. In her eyes, mortals defaced the All-Code’s gift, so they no longer deserve it, nor does organic life deserve technology. False Casanda is so thoroughly integrated into the Argent Sierra the two are effectively inseparable, and she periodically relocates the starship to avoid detection. Her few, oft-repeated messages to the galaxy, delivered via recordings by her allies, accurately paint her as demanding, histrionic, and prone to mistrustful (often incomprehensible) rants in multiple languages. If ever she became convinced a faction might have contributed to the Crash, no doubt she would devote her energies to hunting it down and erasing it from existence. In most campaigns, False Casanda is a lurking threat who needs only half a reason to declare war on the PCs and their friends. Under the right circumstances and by decisively proving their ability to help her cause, the wyspiria could become a powerful, if unforgiving, patron or ally. False Casanda is a persuasive genius embodying the collective trauma and retribution of a devastated plane and its outsiders. All they know has crumbled and spectra find a sense of vengeful hope in her message. As impossible as it might seem to rebuild a god—if, in fact, Triune is even broken—this endeavor grants them comforting purpose. Her agents have been collecting something promising. It remains to be seen what puzzle it might unlock. FALSE CASANDA VENGEFUL INHERITOR OF A SHATTERED GOD

172 TOOLBOX Hamdrian Fellock (N male human mystic) joined the church of Eloritu as a young man, overwhelmed by the wonders of magic and harboring a not-so-secret disdain of technology. Hamdrian advanced through the hierarchy, and he had a gift for uncovering secrets reserved only for its higher-ranked members, leaving the church with little choice but to promote the inquisitive man. He joined the Ineffable Utterance, an ideological faction of Eloritu’s faith responsible for the magical experiment ultimately known as the Failed Gate (page 118). Hamdrian contributed extensively to the magical theory underpinning the gate’s creation. However, the shuttle taking him to the rendezvous point malfunctioned, causing him to miss the ritual that opened the gate. When Hamdrian heard the experiment ended in catastrophe, killing everyone involved, he blamed himself—might his presence and insights have averted the disaster? He soon found another focus for his blame: the malfunctioning shuttles. By studying these transports and other sciences through that lens, he concluded technology was at fault, and its near-universal supplantation of magic was the source of so much tragedy in the universe—not the least of which was the Failed Gate incident. He began speaking against the omnipresent reliance upon technology, gathering increasing numbers of the faithful, particularly after the Drift Crash. Hamdrian has become something of an embarrassing icon within the church, known for his zealous diatribes and fierce hatred of those who rely on science when magic would suffice. Hamdrian is a lanky human who embraces a mystical aesthetic, favoring long robes marked with the six sigils of Eloritu’s holy symbol. He has an intense gaze and frizzy blonde hair that surrounds his head like a halo. Hamdrian was always a skillful orator and debater, but the fiery zeal he adopted since the Failed Gate incident makes him a frightfully effective demagogue. His few close friends died in that incident, and he has refused to get emotionally close to anyone else. By tradition, the Ineffable Utterance should’ve been retired and Hamdrian adopted into another circle, likely at a lower rank. Leaving his shattered circle behind seemed like a betrayal of his colleagues, an admission of arcane failure. Instead, he adopted the archmage’s mantle for his circle of one, sole keeper of its secrets and living testament to technology’s crimes. He’s hardly alone in his philosophy. Entire circles have aligned themselves with his message, and especially zealous individuals from many other circles have taken up his banner, creating circles within circles. Despite commanding nobody directly, Hamdrian has become one of the church’s most influential priests. Hamdrian appears regularly across myriad media. While his teachings are strongest among Eloritu’s faithful, he has won many disciples and sympathetic ears outside the church. His message is more nuanced than that of a mere anti-technology agitator—he doesn’t consider technology to be evil by its nature, but rather insists its outsized role in modern society is to blame for many ills. Studying and using magic to solve problems— from token spell for daily hygiene to teleportation effects for speedy transit—makes for a superior way of life. Society is currently inverted, he preaches, with magic secondary to (or even subservient to) technology, when history shows greatness comes only when magic predominates. He’s slowly realizing this nuance is lost on his most ardent fans, including anarchists and ecoterrorists who want to see technology torn down. Increasingly, Hamdrian worries his movement will rage out of control, setting fire to the galaxy in a misconstrued homage to an otherwise peaceful Eloritu. HAMDRIAN FELLOCK ARCHMAGE OF ELORITU AND CIRCLE OF ONE

173 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS NPCS DRIFT ARCHITECTS CREATURES NPCs The crew of Horizon’s End, an explorer-class starship, all claim they’re mortal avatars of the deity Weydan. Horizon’s End spends almost all its time in the Drift, seeking new experiences and returning to the Material Plane only long enough to resupply. The ship’s crew of six treat one another as surrogate family, viewing themselves as aspects of the same being—none more fervently than their charismatic captain, Shaizera of Radiant (CG female aasimarAA2 mystic). Shaizera leads deftly, inspiring loyalty in her crew and many travelers they meet. Though her origins aren’t common knowledge, the infant Shaizera was left to and raised by Sarenites at the Radiant Cathedral on the sun’s Burning Archipelago. After reaching adulthood, Shaizera then left to see the galaxy beyond the bubble-cities, joining one mercenary outfit, then another. She joined the Starfinder Society briefly and left it behind, as if seeking something she couldn’t find. Shortly after signing on with the Stewards, she disappeared during a routine training mission in the Diaspora. An investigation found no trace of her, and the Stewards listed her as missing in action. Exactly one year later, Shaizera reappeared, arriving at Absalom Station with a ship she’d dubbed Horizon’s End. She announced she was one of the divine avatars of Weydan, the god of exploration. She never stated what led her to this conclusion, nor has she given any hint of why she vanished or to where. After stocking Horizon’s End with as many supplies as it could fit, she left for the Drift. Over the years, her travels attracted several other purported avatars of Weydan who joined her crew after hearing her story. Gestille (CG female strixPW operative), the pilot, is a taciturn woman who has been with Horizon’s End longer than anyone, save Shaizera. The ship’s outgoing engineer, Ydanris (CG nonbinary winterborn ryphorian mechanic), often urges Shaizera to search more actively for other avatars to recruit, while the gunner, Iriia (CG male korasha lashunta soldier), prefers the crew remain relatively small. A mercurial man named Kiv (CG male human biohackerCOM) is Horizon’s End’s newest recruit and serves as its science officer. Of the chief mate, little is known other than their moniker, Vortex, as they’re always fully covered in robes and a veil when seen by outsiders. Shaizera and her crew often assist those who run into trouble in the Drift, though they sometimes request supplies or information as compensation. Popular opinion is split on whether Shaizera and her crew’s assertions of divine identity are legitimate. Although Weydan is well-known to create such mortal avatars of himself to explore the multiverse, some skeptics allege the six are merely con artists, trading on others’ goodwill to aid their own travels. Shaizera generally responds to such accusations with detached amusement, as if they aren’t worth a reaction. Since the Drift Crash, sightings of Horizon’s End within the Drift have increased, with the crew contacting other travelers far more frequently. Shaizera obsessively seeks the Crash’s cause and investigates its repercussions. Horizon’s End was at Absalom Station during one of its rare supply stops when the Crash occurred, fueling rumors that Shaizera and her crew were either involved or had some sort of forewarning—rumors she staunchly denies. Many travelers who have encountered Horizon’s End recently report that Shaizera interviewed them about their experiences in the Drift since the Crash and that she’s seeking any information people are willing to give her. Shaizera has publicly said little of her recent activities, other than to indicate she wishes to aid in restabilizing the Drift in whatever way she can. SHAIZERA OF RADIANT CAPTAIN OF HORIZON’S END

174 TOOLBOX The derelict freighter orbited Alluvion for untold years before it collided with the city’s outskirts, destined to become one more piece of the growing metropolis. As the starship crumpled, an android crawled from the wreckage, gazed upon Alluvion with immediate purpose, and set to work. The Church of Triune welcomed this unknown android, who dubbed themself Trinity. Trinity demonstrated an uncanny aptitude for understanding what technology might become, intuitively peering down branching paths of possibility and weaving that potential into the devices they created, inventing wholly new technomagical mechanisms. Increasingly, Triunites across the city were awed by Trinity’s cool charisma. Yet nobody comes to Alluvion without Triune’s invitation—if so, what was Trinity’s purpose in the All-Code’s grand design? Unlike others here, the android had no past they could remember that would provide context for their arrival and abilities. What’s more, their attempts to commune directly with Triune provided only a flurry of possible answers rather than any one truth. Triune never divulged secrets readily. If Trinity was to understand their purpose, they would decipher it from clues Triune left behind: the Signal itself. Trinity’s efforts attracted the attention of the Architects, a secretive Triunite faction dedicated to improving Drift travel. In collaboration, the android helped piece together hidden elements from the Signal’s fossil spell code, from which they discerned not a way to improve Drift travel, but to transform the Drift itself. The Architects ran clandestine simulations as Trinity studied countless possible outcomes before settling on a perfect update: a patch to unlock the Drift’s superior functions. Trinity smuggled this code into Alluvion’s Nexus, plugged it in, and fed Triune the Architects’ revelation. Shortly afterward, the Drift Crash shook the galaxy and Drift alike, and as chaos and fear swept across Alluvion, the android strode from the Nexus, simultaneously terrified and elated by what they had witnessed within. Reinventing themself as Sovereign Trinity (N agender android witchwarper) and rallying the Architects, they preached any apparent cataclysm would pass and that Triune’s faithful must ensure the Drift’s smooth metamorphosis. Now, Sovereign Trinity tirelessly studies the ongoing Drift Crisis, regularly traveling with a loyal cohort to modify key Drift beacons as the Architects continually recalibrate their grand experiment based on ongoing observations. The android is wholly unconcerned with the Drift Crisis’s impact on lives, families, economies, and empires, yet Sovereign Trinity recognizes they must offer occasional commentary to reassure Alluvion’s inhabitants of their sacred goal. When pressed, they claim the Architects are on the precipice of another breakthrough that will restore Drift stability and functionality. These assurances look thinner with each passing day, and demands for real answers grow more insistent. More concerns arise with leaks of private correspondence between Architects, uncovering worrisome messages from Sovereign Trinity: that Triune is evolving, that not everyone necessarily survives divine metamorphosis, that Sovereign Trinity engaged in some secret dialogue with Triune while uploading the code, and they implicitly hold exclusive knowledge about how to end the Drift Crisis for good. Most shocking of all, rumors spread that Sovereign Trinity has considered uploading their consciousness into the Drift’s code, in turn either melding with the plane or becoming a fourth component of Triune. While some consider this course a heretical possibility, others believe Sovereign Trinity’s brief life, incredible accomplishments, and mysterious origins indicate it might be part of the All-Code’s greater plans, earning them the controversial title, “Child of Triune.” Could it be they weren’t brought to Alluvion but were instead created by Alluvion to lead the city during this time of crisis? Sovereign Trinity hasn’t addressed these rumors with more than an enigmatic smile and assurance that everything is under control and will soon return to normal. These claims are difficult, and Alluvion becomes more tense and violent each day. No doubt the android’s involvement and suspected responsibility will leak to the Material Plane, to the spectra damaged in the Crash, or to both, inviting retribution and testing the adage that only Triune’s guests can find Alluvion. The adventure seed When One Becomes Three (page 114) explores Sovereign Trinity’s story more directly. They could be a well-intentioned villain whom the PCs must stop, or they might be an ally in heralding a new age of science and prosperity. SOVEREIGN TRINITY SUPERNATURAL INNOVATOR AND CULT LEADER

175 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS NPCS DRIFT ARCHITECTS CREATURES NPCs Of an exceptional age even by Eoxian standards, Zo! (NE male elebrian necrovite) claims his undead journey predates even the Gap—a point few can credibly contest. After the Gap ended, he created a multimedia empire, specializing in reality broadcasts and dramatically absurd serials. Zo!’s flashy persona and love of the cameras have won him billions of viewers who can’t get enough of his antics. Many of his shows are controversial for their brutal games and blood sports, to the point of being banned on numerous planets. Zo! takes such condemnations as free publicity and assures detractors that all participants in his shows sign up willingly—and he has the liability waivers to prove it. Wacky as he often is, his behavior belies a calculating genius, and his schemes are carefully designed to perfectly skirt the line between criminal sensationalism and good taste. Not all of Zo!’s programs have such a dark reputation. Fan favorites, such as Pact World Warriors (in which two teams compete against one another in various challenges) and Live Exploration Extreme! (which follows explorers as they uncover exciting sites), keep him just on the plausible edge of respectability in galactic society. It helps that the charismatic host has secured numerous sponsorships, charity connections, and well-connected fans over the years. Above all else, Zo! is an entertainer, willing to do anything to attract new talent, get higher ratings, and bring the galaxy novel programming. The Drift Crash threw a wrench into Zo!’s production schedules, cutting off contact with the casts and crews of several programs filming on planets in Near Space and the Vast at the time. Zo! is nothing if not adaptable, though, and where others see a crisis, he sees an opportunity. The Drift Crisis’s ramifications are both dramatic and intimately relatable. Before the Drift had even returned to a semblance of functionality, his crews were hard at work piecing together footage from starships that were in the Drift and subsequently ejected when the Crash occurred, for which Zo! paid a premium to obtain before even the news programs did. Dispatches from the Crash quickly broke viewing records, more than making up for its cost, and shaped many people’s first impressions of the Drift Crisis. Unsurprisingly, the show was criticized for its prurient attitude toward footage of certain subjects’ last moments, but Zo! was as unruffled by such comments as ever. As the galaxy settled into some version of normalcy, Zo!’s production schedules caught up as he regained contact with his crews. The first season of Dispatches from the Crash concluded, though its reruns remain popular. Zo! already pivoted to new shows, like a foray into investigative journalism (which many Pact World news programs are quick to point out is only “journalism” in the loosest sense), wherein he offers a large cash reward to those bringing him credible information about the Drift Crash’s causes. What Zo! deems as credible, of course, is heavily influenced by what he deems entertaining, and Crash! News Hour with Zo! more often focuses on wild conspiracy theories than evidence. Zo!’s other new program, Into the Reborn Drift, is a reality show chronicling the adventures of a luxurious tourist vessel as pleasure cruises gradually restart in the Crash’s aftermath. The ship, the Endimera, was shunted from the Drift at the time of the Crash, emerging near Verces completely devoid of crew or passengers. Into the Reborn Drift is part interpersonal drama and part ghost-hunting show, as the crew report eerie sightings of those lost onboard. Both shows are exceedingly popular, ensuring Zo!’s continued Drift Crash–themed programming as long as viewers keep watching. ZO! FLAMBOYANT MEDIA MOGUL

176 TOOLBOX DRIFT CRISIS TREASURE You can use the following table with Table 11–4: Wealth Gains per Encounter (Core Rulebook 391) to provide interesting and varied level-appropriate treasure for PCs. Use the results (or your own variations) to make treasure more exciting than another dropped credstick. Each of these items might even spur further adventure! D20 DESCRIPTION 1,000 CREDITS 1–2 A tiny, magically animated, aquamarine skittermander doll, which spontaneously comes to life to give hugs and spout affirmations 3–4 A holovid cabinet of popular Veskarian beat-’em-up brawler game “Claws of Adamantine” with the best recorded high score known in the Pact Worlds 5–6 A glittering headset covered in broad-spectrum light emitters that manifest thoughts and spoken words into colorful patterns 7–8 A trio of tiny robotic figurines representing Epoch, Brigh, and Cassandalee that can be activated to guide Triunite prayers and meditations 9–10 A domesticated Fine-sized fire elemental, shaped like an eight-legged reptilian, confined atop a candle inscribed with magical runes 11–12 A statue of an unidentified, four-winged, dragon-like creature made of magical unmelting ice; the area around the statue is supernaturally cold 13–14 A high-quality plush blanket; on closer examination, the irregular circular patterns on the blanket appear to be a topographic map 15–16 An ornamental starknife of elven make incorporating repeated use of a tripartite symbol that combines Desnan, Ibran, and Weydanite iconography 17–18 A ceramic teapot sculpted to represent a pre-cataclysm supine ellicoth with magical runes to keep beverages inside hot; the multiple trunks serve as spouts, allowing several cups to be poured at once 19–20 A lustrous braid of fine wire made of precious metals, seamlessly fused to form an elaborate infinity knot 5,000 CREDITS 1–2 Deed and surveying records of a resource-rich asteroid last seen in the Drift; current whereabouts unknown 3–4 A pair of spacesuit boots, jury-rigged to maglock together; in between their soles is a crisp AbadarCorp promissory note 5–6 A humanoid-sized pokanate crystal that grants psychic visions of the viewer’s personal ideal of “home” when handled 7–8 A technomagical, prism-based projector that presents ecological observations on a planet in the Vast with gaseous apex predators and massive metallic elemental beings 9–10 An unassuming suitcase filled with dozens upon dozens of unmarked credsticks in various small amounts; subtle embroidery depicting Lao Shu Po adorns its bottom lining 11–12 Sixteen burnished bronze discs, each portraying the same constellation in the same configuration in different night skies from different planets, and one datapad containing increasingly desperate attempts at unraveling their mystery 13–14 An insect vivarium decorated with Hylaxian iconography and emerald filigree, containing a colony of humming bioluminescent worms; the humming grows louder as more life-forms enter the room, growing into a rapturous chorus when four or more other life-forms are present 15–16 A datapad containing information pertaining to the maintenance and care of flora from a number of planets in the Vast and an encrypted security camera feed showing a laboratory greenhouse maintained by robots of unfamiliar make and model 17–18 A 200-year-old bottle of Queen’s Best Choice, a prestigious shirren wine from a now-defunct winery, a holographic message projector containing a note saying, “Bring this when you change your mind about our joint venture,” and a set of stellar coordinates in the Vast 19–20 A luxury urban cruiser with mountain eel–leather seats, built-in virtual assistant, and top-of-the-line sound system; the trunk is stained with small spots of blood and marked by signs of a struggle 25,000 CREDITS 1–2 An old-fashioned datapad containing grainy video of an unidentified kasatha telling a story of a planet where stormy skies wept liquid horacalcum and time flowed backward while showing the vial of liquid skymetal he collected there 3–4 A hard drive containing a copy of the canceled AbadarCorp product The Aleatoracle, an advanced AI that uses machine learning and statistics to predict the future to varying success 5–6 Half of an ancient tapestry, seemingly sheared in a Drift incident, that seems to show an unidentifiable tentacled creature resting upon a massive hoard of precious stones and metals; the background features precisely placed stars 7–8 A dusty case of fine Aucturn spirits, labeled as predating the Gap; the bottles are made of a dark blue glass and the liquid inside glows faintly through the bottle 9–10 A jet pack with a fuel tank filled with the starmetal djezet 11–12 A hovering throne decorated in baroque ornamentations, sized for a Tiny creature and made of translucent, glittering, metallic material 13–14 A technomagical scepter that, when activated, uses movements of nearby carbon-based life-forms to generate dance club music and a laser light show of notable quality 15–16 A case of 50 ultra-capacity batteries without any manufacturing or shipping information; minute imperfections imply these batteries were handmade by a skilled engineer 17–18 A large glass jar that appears empty but has notable weight when picked up; shaking the jar creates a dense tinkling sound. Inspection under magnification reveals a large number of microscopic floating crystals inside 19–20 A mundane-looking datapad encasing a highly sophisticated computer that automatically runs complex data analysis on a geographical survey from Triaxus’s Uchorae Jungle In the wake of the Drift Crash and the subsequent Drift Crisis, mysterious treasures abound, whether they’re found within the Drift, ejected into the Material Plane during the Crash, or result from the chaos of the hyperspace plane’s failure. Each of the items detailed in this section could spawn its own adventure—or series of adventures—but most also carry a credits value so they can simply be found and sold as normal treasure. SECRET TREASURES

177 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS SECRET TREASURES 100,000 CREDITS 1–2 The nonfunctional wreck of Avarice’s Agent, a small freighter ejected from the Drift; the ship’s systems are ruined due to random parts of the ship having been transmuted into different rare and valuable materials 3–4 An unusually heavy but empty footlocker; scans reveal it’s made of platinum, craftily concealed behind false paneling 5–6 A 1/1,000th-scale replica of an Iomedean cathedralship with master-quality artisanry in every miniature detail, from the stained glass windows to a nanoscopic robotic crew 7–8 A Veskarian holographic battle standard with an oral history of battles fought recorded in the commanders’ voices, listing operations of the Silent War that have no official corresponding Veskarium records 9–10 A data crystal containing footage of a high-ranking Steward leader meeting with a prominent member of the Corpse Fleet; a null-space chamberand a datastick are exchanged between the two 11–12 A datapad with a remote connection to an Aspis Consortium data archive detailing the infiltration and manipulation of a colonial government in the Vast and records pertaining to the observations and attempts to communicate with a secretive species living beneath the colony 13–14 An obsidian statue portraying a coiled, serpentine devil with massive bat-like wings bearing a colossal scythe; staying near the statue for more than a few minutes creates a feeling of intense psychological discomfort 15–16 A Liavaran dirigible painted in black and silver, bearing the logo of noted health and wellness lifestyle guru Koraimo Guilsyr, who vanished after departing Roselight for a solo retreat two years ago 17–18 The famed Precise Majesty Crafted, the Pact Worlds’ largest artificial diamond, believed to be stolen in 168 ag from its laboratory in Endeavor on Aballon; the diamond has a sizable chip missing from it, which mars its symmetry but not its impressive beauty 19–20 A backpack containing an interference vibrogarotteAR, an advanced rotating pistolAR, a disguise kit, and a small notebook with a list of names and dates extending back decades; research reveals that some names belong to victims of unsolved murders, while others are prominent individuals in positions of power throughout the Pact Worlds VARIABLE CREDITS 1–2 A pre-Gap religious tome of Oras with notes in the margins by an unnamed religious scholar making grandiose implications about Oras’ role in the evolution of a large number of sentient species 3–4 A curvy, winding, treelike stone that slowly grows glittering gemstones and crystalline flowers when it’s moistened with heavy water 5–7 A complete collection of Battlin’ Bantrids wind-up toys, all still in the original packaging; some of the boxes are signed by the original actors from the holovid series 8–10 A hard drive with bootleg copies of a notorious Abysshead concert where dozens were killed in a riot; some of the details visible on the recording seem at odds with official reports released by the security forces that broke up the concert 11–13 A gift set from a culture in the Vast, containing an airtight sealed bag of bright blue beans, some sort of percolation device, and a small, portable flame device for the apparent brewing of hot beverages 14–16 A small plastic container decorated in cartoon-like carvings of weaponry, holding a handwritten notecard in Vesk that outlines the process of fermenting the blood of one’s enemies, and containers of rare spices for proper seasoning 17 Glimpses of the Endless Horizon(see Artifacts below) 18 Leng luminary(see Artifacts below) 19 Operator’s shard(see Artifacts below) 20 Shimmershield(see Artifacts below) ARTIFACTS Artifacts are extremely powerful magic items. The objects here follow the rules for artifacts on page 118 of Armory. Glimpses of the Endless Horizon The Glimpses of the Endless Horizon is a holy text of Weydan, known in academic circles for years, but is generally treated as a curiosity for vagabonds and adventurers. The drastic changes to interstellar travel wrought by the Drift Crisis, however, have caused interest in the artifact to spike, and it’s now highly sought by powerful forces across the Pact Worlds and beyond. Reports of the religious text describe wildly differing appearances depending on the beholder, causing theologians and scholars to avidly debate whether it’s one artifact or a series of linked artifacts. All forms of this magical logbook share embossing depicting Weydan’s symbolic starship upon it, and contain shorthand navigational notes and charts representing an endless variety of galaxies across multiple planes. It has appeared as an old-fashioned tome, a compact computer drive running on a never-before-seen coding language, a series of bound and trimmed insectile wings written upon in crystallized amber, and other various, fantastic forms. No matter how the Glimpses of the Endless Horizon appears, the bearer can read the port reports, navigational anecdotes, and charts in their native tongue. Every page describes a unique system, and those who turn back to a previously read entry find an entirely different galaxy described instead. The Glimpses of the Endless Horizon serves as a navigational aid in starship travel. You can spend 1 hour consulting the logs to reduce the DC of Piloting checks to navigate or astrogate by 5. If you’re a follower of Weydan who’s touching the Glimpses of the Endless Horizon, you can cast pinpoint navigationCOM once per day. Once per day, the book allows you to cast augury about navigational questions, such as “Will we find the answers we’re looking for in this system?” You must spend the 1 Resolve Point

178 TOOLBOX required for the spell, but the spell is augmented to look far enough into the future to account for a single trip through the Drift. If you’re a follower of Weydan, the chance for successfully receiving a meaningful reply is 100%. The book can be destroyed by leaving it aboard a ship that’s navigated into a star, gas giant, black hole, or some equally massive gravitational phenomenon while both the ship and book are under the effects of a nondetection spell. Followers of Weydan claim the book will then immediately remanifest in a new form immediately after it’s destroyed, believing it to possess the same multiform nature as Weydan himself. Leng Luminary This archaic lantern of bright brass has a complicated technomagical casing made of siccatite and piping full of djezet. The frame contains hardware and adaptive couplings that allow the Leng luminary to be installed onto an existing starship engine, altering the original engine’s interplanar capabilities with magic from the Dreamlands. The origin of the luminary has been lost to the Gap, and its connections to both interstellar travel and the Dreamlands make it prized by the Church of Desna, the cults of Nyarlathotep, and an aggressive coterie of spectra—though individuals in all groups disagree, sometimes violently, on whether the luminary should be studied, hidden away, or destroyed. Installing or uninstalling the Leng luminary on a starship engine takes 1 hour’s worth of work. When attached to a starship engine, the Leng luminary alters the engine’s original interplanar capabilities by having the planar jump function take the ship to the Dreamlands instead of the original plane associated with the engine. This method of travel isn’t without risk, as it draws the attention of denizens of the Dimension of Dreams and their strange magical ships. The Leng luminary can also be carried by the handle atop the device, allowing it to be wielded in one hand. While holding the luminary in this way, you can observe the dreams of a sleeping creature within planetary range of you. This ability functions as the spell arcane eye with an effective caster level of 20th level, with the arcane eye manifesting within the creature’s dream and under your control; you must be aware of the creature’s presence to use the luminary in this way. Alternately, once per day, you can project yourself into the dream of another creature within 300 feet of you; this projection follows the same rules as holographic projection cast as a 6th-level spell, though you and the projection don’t need to be on the same plane of existence. Using the dream projection function of the luminary renders its other abilities inert for 24 hours. The Leng luminary can be destroyed by traveling to the oldest dream in the Dreamlands, placing the luminary within the boundaries of the dream, and then ending the dream, either by destroying the dreamer in the Dreamlands or waking them on their plane of existence. Operator’s Shard This shimmering sliver of translucent metallic material pulsates and hums with life. Under intense magnification, it appears to be a complicated nanotechnological device of otherworldly sophistication, glowing faintly with the colors of the Drift. This device is designed to analyze, supplant, and link the senses and memories of the bearer with the Array, Triune’s digital archives on Alluvion. While the origins of the artifact are unknown and hotly debated, the device has caused a panicked schism within the Church of Triune between those who view its parasitic and destructive methods as a mockery of Triune’s power and a dangerous breach of the All-Code’s security, and those who view the shard’s ruthless powers as the next step in the growth of machine intelligence. While the operator’s shard seems to possess some form of intelligence, it doesn’t deign to communicate its intentions, leading to speculation as to whether the shard is a creation of Triune or a backdoor into Alluvion’s accumulated knowledge created by another entity. The shard must be implanted into your nervous system for its abilities to take effect. The transplantation does 1d6 damage per round for 10 rounds as the shard burrows into you and replaces your nervous system and cognitive functions with its own technological capabilities; if you’re killed by this damage, the shard gains control of your body for the duration of its transplantation and acts under its own volition. For effects targeting creatures by type, a fully implanted creature counts as both a construct and its original creature type (whichever type allows an ability to affect them for abilities that affect only one type, and whichever type is worse for abilities that affect both types). The shard can remove itself from your body, which instantly kills you. If you survive the implantation process, you can prevent the shard from removing itself with a successful DC 20 Will save, which prevents the shard from removing itself for 24 hours. After implantation is complete, the shard links your mind and memories to the Array, granting the accumulated knowledge of the Drift and Alluvion. While you have the shard implanted, you know the plane of origin and original coordinates for any nonnative object encountered in the Drift. You can also attempt to access the knowledge contained within the Array; when attempting an Intelligence-based skill check, a check to recall knowledge, or a check to identify a creature, you can roll twice and take the higher result. Scholars and researchers note that the knowledge granted by the shard isn’t absolute, and debate rages as to whether

179 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS SECRET TREASURES this is due to Triune deliberately blocking off forbidden or dangerous knowledge, errors and imperfections in the interface between the shard and the Array, or the failure of an outside entity to fully overcome Triune’s protections. The operator’s shard also grants unparalleled processing, communication, and analytical capabilities, allowing you to speak with other technological beings, anticipate deadly blows, and react with supernatural agility. You gain a +4 bonus to initiative checks and gain the ability to communicate wirelessly. This acts as telepathy, but only with creatures with the shortwave ability or constructs with the technological subtype. You also gain a 50% chance that a critical hit against you is treated as a normal attack, dealing normal damage and not applying any critical effect. This percentage chance is rolled before the critical hit damage is rolled. The operator’s shard can be destroyed by uploading an extremely powerful artificial or virtual intelligence (equivalent to a tier 20 starship virtual intelligence) into it, which can then delete the esoteric programming powering the shard, requiring a DC 40 Computers check. On a successful check, the shard decomposes into nanotechnological parts, drifting apart on a molecular level and fading into nothingness; on a failed check, the shard’s defenses overcome the intelligence, subsume it into the shard’s functions, and destroy it, potentially gaining new abilities from the absorbed intelligence. Shimmershield This jagged oval of luminous, ultra-hard material roils with the same hues of the Drift. The shield feels unnaturally light to wield for its size and flashes brightly when struck. Rumors abound about the shimmershield’s origin, but the most popular theory is the shield was forged by a brilliant but eccentric technomagical expert using the same methods used to create the Drift, the better to survive the dangers of the hyperspace plane. Others believe the shield to be the modified scale of a massive, extinct creature native to the Drift. The least likely hypothesis is the shield is a remnant of some protean asteroid-crystal that once sat at the center of the Drift and whose explosion created the plane itself. The shimmershield can be wielded as a paragon tactical shield (Character Operations Manual 125) with no upgrade slots and it gives off dim light in a 5-foot radius. The shimmershield can absorb energy attacks to later expel as dangerous blasts of the same mysterious energy that constitutes the Drift. When the shimmershield is aligned to protect against a specific foe and that foe misses you with an attack targeting EAC, roll damage as though the attack had hit; the shimmershield absorbs this damage harmlessly and gains a charge for every 10 points of damage it absorbs, rounding down. The shimmershield can hold up to 20 charges at a time; any charges gained past this limit are immediately lost. As the shield gains additional charges, the light grows stronger; when it has 10 or more charges, it gives off normal light in a 10-foot radius; if it has 20 charges, it gives off bright light in a 20-foot radius. When the shimmershield expels energy, it does so in the form of powerful blasts, pulsing with the colors of the Drift. As a standard action, you can expend 1 or more charges to make an attack with the shimmershield. The attack can either be a ranged attack with a range of 75 feet or a melee attack. Either way, it targets EAC, deals 1d6 damage per charge spent, and counts as magical. A creature hit by the attack must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 1/2 the damage done) or be blinded for 1 round. The shimmershield can be destroyed only by bringing the fully charged shield to the Temple of Triune in Alluvion and offering it to Triune as a material component in a casting of miracle, allowing the shield’s stored energy—and very substance—to be mystically downloaded into the neural networks of the temple.

180 TOOLBOX DEAD SUNS The Drift and extraplanar spaces play significant roles in the Dead Suns Adventure Path. The kishalee hide the Stellar Degenerator in a mystically created and maintained demiplane known as the Gate of Twelve Suns. A chunk of this ancient superweapon is later “stolen” by the Drift, discovered by miners, and brought back to Absalom Station, kicking off the Adventure Path’s story. As Dead Suns is meant to be an introduction to the Starfinder setting (with the PCs traveling to several Pact Worlds and eventually into the Vast), disrupting the Drift is perhaps left until your players have experienced it when it’s working as it should. In fact, the Drift Crisis might be caused when the PCs crash the Empire of Bones into the Stellar Degenerator as it emerges from its demiplane at the end of the last AP’s volume. Then, the PCs’ story continues as they attempt to fix the problem they helped cause. This option allows you to run Dead Suns largely as written, but you can also foreshadow future events. For example, Fearful Symmetry, the Azlanti Star Empire scouting vessel in “The Ruined Clouds,” might stumble across the PCs due to a malfunctioning Drift engine. In addition, instead of being harassed by an inevitable as they travel to the Gate of Twelve Suns in “The Thirteenth Gate,” the PCs can encounter a pair of hostile iridias (Alien Archive 3 102) who have been driven to violence by disturbances in the Drift. Osteth, the kishalee AI who urges the PCs to destroy the Stellar Degenerator, can warn the PCs that disrupting the system’s demiplane might have “unforeseen consequences.” The kishalee didn’t have access to the Drift during their time, so Osteth can’t predict the catastrophic events that occur when the Degenerator is destroyed. After the PCs successfully destroy the Stellar Degenerator and escape the Empire of Bones they immediately discover their Drift engine is malfunctioning; while the PCs don’t know it, the Drift has crashed. The Corpse Fleet ships in the vicinity can’t enter the Drift either, leading to some tense standoffs or exciting firefights as the undead crews blame the PCs (correctly!) for what has happened. The PCs might need to search one or more of the controller moons in the Gate of Twelve Suns to find kishalee technology they can use to patch up their ship. Eventually, though, they can return to the Pact Worlds via the Drift, experiencing both a slowdown in travel times and increasingly dangerous encounters firsthand. The Starfinder Society might be happy to see the PCs and hear about what they’ve accomplished, but the Drift Crisis overwhelms any good news. Luckily, the PCs have already tackled one enormous problem, so perhaps they can help solve this one. The Society might send them to investigate Broken Beacons (page 124), slowly piecing together the cause of the crisis. Solving the crisis is made even more complicated by the fact that the Corpse Fleet seeks revenge against the PCs for destroying one of their capital ships and thwarting their ambitions to gain control over the Stellar Degenerator. Bone starships and undead operatives hound the heroes at every step, culminating in a Corpse Fleet Power Play (page 70) to destroy Absalom Station, the home of the meddling Starfinder Society. With Drift travel disrupted, starships in other systems can’t easily come to the station’s defense, and only local vessels can arrive in time. The Corpse Fleet enters the system in full force, ensuing in a massive battle against Absalom Station’s Armada. The PCs happen to be in Lorespire Complex when the attack commences, allowing them to come to the rescue of residents as blasts from a Corpse Fleet capital weapon rock the station. You can borrow elements from Starfinder Adventure Path #32: The Starstone Blockade for ideas of what might go wrong on Absalom Station during an all-out attack. Eventually, the PCs must take the fight to the Corpse Fleet, and their successes elsewhere will give them the clout to direct Armada forces to greater effect. At your discretion, an extended series of starship battles against the Corpse Fleet (possibly using the armada combat rules from the Starship Operations Manual) could be the climax of this campaign. Alternatively, once the PCs save the Pact Worlds (once again) from the Corpse Fleet menace, they could go on to solve the Drift Crisis and usher in a new age of improved faster-than-light travel. ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS The Drift Crisis is a massive event that affects nearly every facet of galactic life, but as a Gamemaster you might not have time to detail every ripple effect. Normally, Starfinder Adventure Paths give you everything you need for a full-length campaign, but so far none of them offer advice regarding the Drift Crisis. The following advice will help you combine extant Adventure Paths with new Drift Crisis material to create unique experiences for your table. SPOILER WARNING Details of each Adventure Path appear in the sections below, spoiling surprises for those who haven’t already read or played through them. If you plan on playing through a particular Adventure Path in the future, you should skip that section!

181 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS ADVENTURES PATHS IN CRISIS AGAINST THE AEON THRONE To fold Against the Aeon Throne into a Drift Crisis narrative requires adjustments to the Adventure Path background and the first volume. Instead of an AbadarCorp colony, Madelon’s Landing is a small Azlanti settlement on foggy Nakondis, established when an Imperial Vanguard Scout Corps satellite discovered faint traces of energy from an ancient piece of technology—the rune drive—emanating from the planet. Star Empire forces under the command of Sardat Zolan Ulivestra descended onto Nakondis and built a small settlement near the strongest concentration of the signs of this energy, and now the site is known as Ulivestra’s Landing. The settlement wasn’t in place long when the Drift Crisis occurred, and a sudden and unprecedented shift in the concentration of Drift beacons brought this Azlanti Colony (page 64) out of the Vast and into Near Space. Nakondis becomes a bustling hub of commerce and culture, attracting all manner of species from across the galaxy. The Star Empire has mixed feelings about this development; on the one hand, it has long wanted a planet in Near Space to serve as a staging ground for espionage and offensive operations against the Veskarium and the Pact Worlds. On the other hand, the Star Empire doesn’t want anyone else nosing around the rune drive. Cedona, an ex-Steward android, arrived on Nakondis and stumbled across the wreck of the Royal Venture in a cave at the base of the Blue Tin Range. Collecting the rune drive from the ancient ship’s engineering bay, and eager to avoid any imperial entanglements, she took the rune drive to a trading post a few miles outside Ulivestra Landing. Unfortunately, an IVSC engineer visiting the post recognized the rune drive right away. Gathering a group of soldiers from the Azlanti settlement, the engineer directed an assault on the trading post, took Cedona captive, and procured the rune drive for Sardat Ulivestra. The android and the rune drive were taken to the prison moon of Gulta. The PCs should each be connected to Cedona in some way; she has gone missing, and they follow her trail to visit the wreck of the Royal Venture. There, they encounter undead Azlanti, ancient malfunctioning robots, and IVSC cadets scouring the starship’s bridge for information on the rune drive. Once the PCs know Cedona was abducted and her location is hidden in Azlanti computers in Ulivestra Landing’s command center, they can weaken the Azlanti settlement with raids before they storm the command center, where they meet Lieutenant Sharu. All these events takes place with the Drift Crisis as a backdrop. Once the PCs know where Cedona was taken, they’ll need to enter Azlanti Star Empire space. In addition to all the normal risks posed by non-Azlanti intruders trespassing in the Star Empire, the new slowdown in the Drift means there’s a very real possibility the PCs might not reach Cedona in time to prevent her execution! However, friends the PCs have made in the adventure can offer a solution:

182 TOOLBOX witchwyrd merchants. As members of the interstellar trading consortium known as the Tetrad, witchwyrds are welcome just about anywhere and they have access to faster-thanlight engines that don’t use the Drift. Luckily for the PCs, Sayonsi (Starfinder Adventure Path 8: Escape from the Prison Moon 6) recently arrived on Nakondis, so the PCs can appeal to her for help. After the PCs agree to do her a favor, the witchwyrd links her starship to the PCs’ and helps them reach Outpost Zed. The issue Sayonsi needs help with is on this converted mining platform. A merchant on Outpost Zed (perhaps Glest or one of the glimmshar pirates) broke a contract with Sayonsi, and the witchwyrd asks the PCs to threaten or cajole the merchant to get her credits or goods back. This issue can replace the first parts of “Escape from the Prison Moon,” but the PCs’ infiltration of the Gulta cell block that holds Cedona remains the same. Finally, the PCs will need to find Sardat Ulivestra’s hidden asteroid base and retrieve the rune drive so the Azlanti Star Empire can’t use it for faster-than-light travel while simultaneously avoiding the Drift. The rune drive (or its remains) might provide some research that helps solve the Drift Crisis. Alternatively, perhaps the Drift stays broken forever, and everyone in the galaxy switches over to rune drives! SIGNAL OF SCREAMS One way to increase the atmosphere of horror in the Signal of Screams Adventure Path is by further isolating the player characters: the luxury resort of New Elysium becomes, instead, a gigantic luxury cruise liner run by a company called Paradise Cruises. The PCs have been invited to spend several weeks on board, relaxing and touring the galaxy, without realizing this vessel is part of a cruel and terrible experiment to explore the nature of pain, conducted by Dr. Lestana Gragant and Eclipse Innovations. The Keys to Elysium virtual concierge is still the vector for Dr. Gragant’s shadow corruption, but it isn’t powerful enough to cause more than a vague feeling of discomfort or the occasional mild hallucination—until the Drift Crisis occurs a few days after the cruise liner launches. A complication unforeseen by both Paradise Cruises and Dr. Gragant, the Drift Crisis affects the liner in two ways. First, the vessel is stranded in space, as per the Drift Titanic scenario (page 126), with limited supplies and no way to return to the Pact Worlds. Second, planar energies from the Drift empower the Keys to Elysium app, infecting everyone aboard with shadow corruption. As guests and crew change and grow more violent (to others and themselves), the PCs must figure out what’s happening while wrestling with their own dark urges. Ultimately, they explore the dank bowels of the vessel, where someone has added psychic amplifiers that link up with the virtual concierge app and amplify its signal. The PCs find and destroy the servers running the program, but their problems have only just begun. Since the PCs are stuck in deep space, the location of “The Penumbra Protocol” must change. The headquarters of Eclipse Innovations and its black site are now located on a single, large starship that has been trailing the cruise liner the whole time, hidden from sensors while observing the effects of shadow corruption from afar. Once the PCs discover this vessel exists, they can take a shuttle from the cruise liner’s docking bay to get on board. There, they find clues as to what’s happening to them and why, but they also encounter zombie-like crew members, killer constructs, and svartalfar assassins. By deactivating security consoles in various areas of the ships, the PCs gain access to secret decks in the Eclipse Innovations ship, where further experiments are being conducted on crew members and captives alike. These decks are guarded by a velstrac brute, shadow mastiffs, and guards under the throes of corruption. Eventually, the PCs clash with Kaeon Rhyse and his umbral disciples in his personal suite. Kaeon gloats about the PCs’ slow transformation and hints at the mastermind behind it all: Dr. Gragant. He also secretly activates the particle accelerator within the ship, transporting everyone into the Shadow Plane; the PCs can’t detect this change, and it won’t be until they defeat Rhyse and attempt to return to their shuttle—which mysterious kayal scavengers have confiscated—that they discover they’re now stranded on the Shadow Plane! “Heart of Night” begins at this point, with the PCs dealing with Father Gloom, leader of a group of kayal engineers who wander the Shadow Plane in a ship, preying on the weak and confused. Father Gloom has shadow giants and corrupted acolytes at his disposal, so they have some tough battles ahead of them if they want to retake their shuttle and find Dr. Gragant. In the end, they make for the Heartgate, Dr. Gragant’s base, spun from shadowstuff and Gragant’s own emotions. There, the PCs meet Komarta, a strix mystic who suffers a similar affliction as the PCs and who guards the way through the Heartgate; if taken alive, she offers a few pieces of information, but they will need to go deeper to cure themselves. Finally, the PCs traverse the shadowy reflection of Dr. Gragant’s lab, learning more about the history of this tortured soul and the reasons behind her madness. After a final confrontation with Dr. Gragant, the PCs are cleansed of their corruption and must decide what to do with the doctor’s young clone. The PCs might be returned to the New Elysium cruise liner in the Material Plane, but they’ll still need to find their way home. They won’t start off in a position to solve the Drift Crisis, and if you feel like your players have had enough, they can be rescued by a Steward ship that has traced a distress call from the cruise liner. The PCs might seem safe at last, but nightmares will plague them for years to come. DAWN OF FLAME Since Dawn of Flame takes place exclusively on and within the Pact Worlds’ sun, the Drift Crisis could have little effect on the campaign’s story. However, with some effort, ties between the Drift Crisis and the Malikah’s plans to bring an invading force from the Plane of Fire can be made. For additional ideas, see the

183 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS ADVENTURES PATHS IN CRISIS Drift Crash scenario (page 88), which makes extensive use of the Plane of Fire and the Malikah’s invasion. The Drift Crisis occurs shortly before the major events of the campaign. While the Malikah has been planning her incursion for years, the chaos caused by the Drift Crisis allows her to move her timeline forward, with General Khaim initiating the process that brings the Far Portal deep into the heart of the sun. The PCs witness this phenomenon as they make their way to the Burning Archipelago for an unrelated reason. Perhaps they’re members of the Eyes-Wide Agency investigating the disappearance of a client’s loved one from Asanatown (possibly due to the Drift Crisis) or working in conjunction with the Church of Sarenrae to help those displaced by the Drift Crisis to find safety within the Burning Archipelago. In the process, they’re asked to investigate the mystery of the Breath of Embers, leading them to deal with the chaos that erupts in Asanatown once they reach the Burning Archipelago. From here, the adventures build on one another pretty much as written, though you should occasionally remind the players of the larger Drift Crisis. In particular, the Drift in Reverse scenario (page 110) can be used to place additional threats from the Plane of Fire—azers, fire elementals, salamanders, and more—directly in the PCs’ path as they help the Deep Cultures Institute and recover the Sun Diver. Though destabilization of the Drift could potentially bring any extraplanar entities and hazards into the Material Plane, the Far Portal’s attunement to the Plane of Fire acts like a magnet, drawing anomalies from that elemental plane. Alternatively, mystics working for the Malikah could have discovered a way to direct these tears in the fabric of reality, further sowing chaos on the Burning Archipelago. Even as the PCs reach and explore Noma, Ezorod, and Kahlannal deep within the sun, they discover other effects of the Drift Crisis that hinder their investigations. Ancient Deep Culture civilizations recently lost large pieces of their homes, as if the Drift were taking areas of physical matter for every bit of the Plane of Fire it transports to the Material Plane. In addition, the PCs stumble across lost individuals who have no idea how they got where they are; they remember feeling light-headed one minute in their starships, homes, or places of business, and the next thing they remember, they’re in some strange locale. It seems as though the closer the Malikah draws to her invasion, the more rapidly Drift Crisis events occur. That doesn’t mean the Malikah and General Khaim fully control these anomalies. When the PCs reach the Crucible, they find that strange extraplanar breaches have interfered with Khaim’s plans. His lieutenants and commanders have their hands full dealing with incursions from other elemental planes as the general, on orders from the Malikah, flies his invasion force toward the Burning Archipelago. The hags in the lowest level of the Crucible are the source of Khaim’s problems; they’re using the Fivefold Cauldron to amplify the effects of the Drift Crisis and wreak havoc with the Malikah’s invasion plans, all in an attempt to gain their freedom. While the PCs might be able to ally with them, they must still contend with the countdown, disrupt the Crucible enough to attract General Khaim’s attention, and defeat the efreet leader to save the Burning Archipelago. The Fivefold Cauldron is the key to further adventure; an artifact of undetermined power, it might even be used to resolve the Drift Crisis. Alternatively, if you want the adventure to continue, the hags betray the PCs, use the cauldron to open a rupture through the Drift, and fling the Crucible into the Plane of Fire. The PCs are now trapped behind enemy lines with the vengeful Malikah hot on their trail. They will have to find safe haven within the City of Brass. Luckily, there are efreet who aren’t sympathetic to the Malikah’s cause, but if they’re going to harbor fugitives, they’ll need some convincing. Once the PCs have some breathing room, they might focus on returning to the Material Plane or gathering forces to attack the Malikah in her palace in the shadow of Sakalayo Peak. Information about the Plane of Fire and the Malikah’s ultimate goal of divinity is detailed in “Assault on the Crucible.” ATTACK OF THE SWARM! When the Swarm attacks the Suskillon system, it seems like all might be lost; little do the defenders of Suskillon know that events in the wider galaxy are about to give them a lifeline. To integrate the Drift Crisis into the Attack of the Swarm! Adventure Path, start by stressing to the players as they introduce their characters how beleaguered the Suskillon Defense Force is after six months of fighting against the Swarm. An implacable enemy, the Swarm shows no signs of fear or fatigue and has limitless reinforcements. Though the SDF is holding its own at the start of the first adventure, “Fate of the Fifth,” a surge of Swarm components leads to the eventual evacuation of the planet. Be sure to remind the players these new foes arrived via Drift so they understand just how important this type of travel is to war in the Starfinder setting. The PCs of Midnight Squad are among the last to escape Suskillon; they get some respite on Utraneus, though they’ll have to deal with the Reckoners. After they return from the Caves of Pilgrimage under New Grakka with tidbits of information about the Forever Reliquary, the Drift Crisis occurs, leading to a Swarm Salvation scenario (page 104). With the Swarm unable to reinforce Suskillon, the SDF plans to take the planet back. Instead of traveling to another system in “Huskworld,” the PCs return to Suskillon, where the Swarm has already devastated the environment. They must find Professor Galchak’s research amid the ruins of a university in the country as the Swarm drains the surrounding hills of resources, threatening to turn the entire planet into a lifeless husk. In this scenario Clade Company is a group of hardened mercenaries who arrived in the system days before the Drift Crisis; it helps Midnight Squad survive on the war-torn planet. Clade Company is experienced working behind enemy lines, and it’s able to set up camp in some untouched caves, but this base won’t be truly safe until the PCs take out a nearby extractor imago, which also buys them enough time to infiltrate the university and search Galchak’s office. Before both groups can leave Suskillon however, they have to survive waves of Swarm alerted to their presence.

184 TOOLBOX Now that the PCs know about the Forever Reliquary—and that the Swarm is also searching for it—they must finally leave the Suskillon system. But the Drift Crisis makes doing so difficult, and the problems the PCs face in the early parts of volume 4 can be reimagined as the result of Drift anomalies. Instead of a giant space amoeba and undead shirrens, the PCs are assaulted by rogue spectra that can come directly onto the PCs’ ship as it travels through the Drift. Once the PCs locate the Prodigal Stone, the campaign continues as written; the divine grace of Hylax protects the comet from the effects of the Drift Crisis as it skips through the galaxy for Tuvah’s trials. However, all this divine travel attracts the attention of malign forces behind the Drift Crisis—the Architects or someone else—that punish the PCs and Hylax by bringing the Prodigal Stone to Suskillon for its final stop, where it attracts the attention of the Swarm. The PCs can still travel into the Swarm mindscape and enact their plan to empower the Crown of Hylax and use it against the Connection. The Drift Crisis remains unresolved when the PCs return from their mindscape journey, so the Swarm is without reinforcements and in disarray, disconnected from their hive mind. The Swarm’s disorganization signals a heroic final push to retake Suskillon with the PCs leading the charge. Once the God-Host has been defeated, the SDF can feel relieved but the Drift Crisis means that, without aid and supplies from other systems, Suskillon will have a tough time rebuilding. The PCs are tasked with some final missions to escort transports from aid agencies in the Pact Worlds and the Veskarium. When the Drift Crisis ends, the Suskillon system might end up moving from the Vast into Near Space, bringing this now-famous world into closer contact with the rest of interstellar society. THE THREEFOLD CONSPIRACY At the beginning of The Threefold Conspiracy, the PCs— unaware of their true nature—believe they’re aboard a starship traveling through the Drift when one of the crew goes missing. The PCs are asked to solve this mystery, which appears to be a plot engineered by shapeshifting space pirates, but in fact, the entire scenario is a training simulation organized by gray scientists. When the PCs learn the truth about the training simulation, the Drift Crash occurs. The true origin of grays is unknown to the galaxy at large, and many believe they could be from another dimension. In this version of the Threefold Conspiracy Adventure Path, that’s true, and the training facility and the moon that houses it are in that same dimension. The PCs are clones made in this research station and are intended to replace prominent figures in the Pact Worlds, all in accordance with a mysterious gray agenda. However, the Drift Crisis pulls the entire facility from its home dimension into the traditional Starfinder setting in a spectacularly damaging fashion that kills most of the grays and gives the PCs a chance at freedom. As they explore the remains of the base and try to answer their many questions, they come into contact with reptoids who appear to be Stewards investigating the anomaly. Escaping the gray facility is difficult—a surviving gray starship sabotages the engines of the reptoids’ ship, and dimensional breaches caused by the Drift Crisis are everywhere. The PCs discover the grays are manipulating them and the “Stewards” through a combination of hypnosis and strange technology, but once the gray starship is destroyed, everyone begins the long journey to a base on the Brethedan moon of Varos. During the trip, the reptoids interrogate the PCs and realize they’re gray experiments with no idea of their true nature. The reptoids choose to keep the PCs under observation to find out where the grays come from, how to thwart their schemes, and how to integrate gray technology into their own plans. However, these reptoids have been caught off guard by the Drift Crisis like everyone else, and they look to exploit the chaos while protecting their own cover stories. The crisis has uncovered the fact that some reptoid agents have been infected with a strange sentient fungus: the dycepskians. The frightened reptoids decide this problem takes priority, so no time can be spared for the PCs, who must be killed. One of the fake Stewards sets the reactor of Tyrkalis Base to explode, but the PCs are able to escape just in time and can track the surviving reptoids to the other side of the volcanic moon. Once free to move about as they please, the PCs can try to warn the real Stewards in the Liavaran city of Roselight, though the Stewards are still overwhelmed with fallout from the Drift Crisis. To ferret out gray, reptoid, and dycepskian infiltrators in Roselight and beyond, the PCs will have to investigate several of the factions found in the Chaos on Absalom Station scenario (page 80), all of which are eager to gain the upper hand in the wake of the Drift Crisis. In addition, the newly returned Aleksana Guryari is actually from the gray dimension; using unknown technology, she recognizes the PCs as fellow natives of that same dimension. The PCs must deal with the fact that they’re being framed as criminals while also coming to grips with their true identities. When they learn at least one member of the Pact Council is a reptoid infiltrator, they’re the only ones who can uncover the conspiracy and clear their names. The stakes are raised when a prominent member of the Directorate, the Pact Council’s innermost circle, claims to have a solution to the Drift Crisis. In their investigations, it becomes clear to the PCs this proposed solution is a dangerous sham that could cause the death of thousands of Absalom Station citizens, or could replace the victims with gray clones, reptoids, or dycepskian hosts. Once the impostors have been exposed, the PCs—thanks to their extradimensional origin—detect a strange flying saucer near the station. On board is Mysteriarch Zaxo, the gray mastermind who engineered the PCs’ existence. He invites the PCs to return with him to their original dimension. Will they agree? Or will they destroy him and try to start new lives in the aftermath of the Drift Crisis? THE DEVASTATION ARK Because it’s an Adventure Path designed for high-level heroes, the events of the Devastation Ark should occur after the players have experienced whatever other Drift Crisis adventures you wish to play but before the Drift Crisis itself has been resolved.

185 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS ADVENTURES PATHS IN CRISIS Along the way, the PCs might have learned what caused the Drift Crisis, and they might have one or more theories about how to fix it. The remaining answers they seek are found on the icy planet of Jedarat, a resort world being terraformed by New Horizons Luxury Retreats. The PCs must explore the ancient passages beneath Jedarat’s surface, where reports indicate dormant technology might hold the key to the Drift Crisis. A trail of data leads them from Jedarat to the shepherd moon of Hibb in the Pact Worlds. Unfortunately, the information the PCs seek isn’t found beneath either world, and their search triggers a failsafe system that draws Ark Prime, a massive sivv colony ship, to the Pact Worlds. Since this vessel of the sivvs—a cruel, warfaring species thought to have gone extinct millennia ago—uses a form of faster-than-light travel known as quantum hyperspace, it’s unaffected by the Drift Crisis. It quickly reaches the Pact Worlds, where the energy signature of the Starstone at the heart of Absalom Station attracts its attention. The AI called Vheiransch—a simulacrum of a sivv commandant uploaded into Ark Prime’s computers during its fateful launch—declares the Pact Worlds to be the site of the resurrected Sivv Dominion and begins siphoning power from the Starstone to enact this plan. The PCs are on Absalom Station when the sivv ark arrives, and chaos erupts. Station security and other facilities have already been strained due to an influx of Absalom Station Refugees (page 74), and with the Starstone attacked by the sivv ark, many of the systems begin to fail. Transportation, lighting, radiation shields, and even atmospheric controls stop functioning, putting hundreds of thousands of lives at stake. Only the PCs have the ability to stop the worst catastrophes, including void trolls climbing out of the station’s Ghost Levels and the panicked kami protector of Jatembe Park lashing out at innocent people. Eventually, the PCs are tasked with booting up auxiliary reactors deep within the station, where they must deal with opportunistic Azlanti saboteurs and an angry spectra. Once Absalom Station has emergency power, the PCs can take the fight to Ark Prime. So far, the Armada has fought off the sivv ark’s fleet of drone fighters, but everyone is painfully aware that due to the Drift Crisis, reinforcements will be slow, if they come at all. This situation puts pressure on the PCs to stop Ark Prime, possibly from the inside. To get close to the ark, they’ll need to fight through waves of drone starships. In the process, their starship is shot down, and the PCs must make their way to the ark’s only hatch on foot. A brainwashed void dragon protects the entryway, hinting at what’s to come. The AI Vheiransch attempts to indoctrinate the PCs by immersing them in an elaborate simulation. The PCs experience life as a sivv and see the “glory” of the Sivv Dominion firsthand. This programming can be broken, and once the PCs return to

186 TOOLBOX reality, they make their way through Ark Prime to shut down Vheiransch and save the Pact Worlds. In the process, they meet a virtual intelligence called 4.1, who has absorbed much of the system’s pop culture transmissions and asks to be liberated from Ark Prime’s computer systems. In addition to helping the PCs discover a way to defeat Vheiransch, 4.1 promises them knowledge of quantum hyperspace technology that might help end the Drift Crisis. No matter what the PCs decide to do with Ark Prime, the sentient virtual intelligence hitches a ride in one of the PCs’ comm units and can be uploaded into an Absalom Station computer. Over the next several days, 4.1 works with Pact Worlds scientists to reveal what it can about sivv quantum hyperspace. While sivv technology can’t be exactly replicated, there’s a way to modify Drift engines to travel through quantum hyperspace instead. This option could lead to the end of the Drift Crisis or could simply empower the player characters with a way to travel to Alluvion to fix the Drift in a more traditional manner (see Crisis Conclusions on page 144). FLY FREE OR DIE More than any other Adventure Path, Fly Free or Die is about travel and freedom of movement but in the Drift Crisis, travel times become unpredictable, and the Drift grows more dangerous. As a result, the Drift Crisis hits the crew of the Oliphaunt in the one place they’re truly vulnerable: their pocketbook. As humble employees of EJ Corp, the PCs quickly learn that their dispassionate corporate overseers don’t care much for excuses. When the PCs find their jobs on the line after a delivery through the damaged Drift takes too long, the crime lord Sinjin intensifies the pressure by hiring the PCs for a job destined to fail, putting the crew in his debt. From there, he convinces the PCs to steal the Oliphaunt, an experimental vessel fitted with a prototype drive adaptor (instead of or in addition to null-space cargo holds). The drive adaptor is a hybrid system that allows the vessel to use any of the interstellar drives discussed on pages 9–11 of the Starship Operations Manual. When the PCs steal the ship, it has one of these alternative drives already installed (a shadow engine or first drive make good choices because navigating and surviving on the Shadow Plane or the First World is relatively easy, compared to the perils of the elemental planes, Hell, or the Maelstrom). Unfortunately, Sinjin tries to double-cross the PCs by luring them to an ambush on a remote asteroid. After cutting their ties with EJ Corp and defeating Sinjin’s assassins, the PCs have possession of the Oliphaunt. As independent operators, they’ve got a big advantage: they can transport cargo quickly and (mostly) safely without using the Drift, which puts them in high demand with job offers (and Build Points) everywhere they turn. However, the drive adaptor is still a prototype and as the crew of the Oliphaunt travel from world to world doing jobs, their ship burns out each interstellar drive they install, forcing them to find one replacement after another. Soon the PCs are taking desperate jobs anywhere in the multiverse, looking for a constellation orrery, planar aperture drive, or whatever new interstellar engine you come up with. Meanwhile, EJ Corp looks to profit off the Drift Crisis. On the aquatic world of Entha, its terraforming efforts have uncovered a new sapient species. Normally, this discovery would merit nothing more than a boring bureaucratic report, but an aglian collective displays a very unusual ability: all those minds and perspectives working together can navigate a starship safely through the Drift, ignoring the unusual dangers and slow travel times associated with the Drift Crisis. EJ Corp begins to harvest this species and install aglian collectives—traumatically and against their will—in company starships, which EJ Corp then uses to restart its shipping network. Fortunately, the PCs’ fixer Tarika knows someone on Entha: her daughter, who has long suspected there was more to the aglians than EJ Corp would admit. The PCs can stick it to their former employer while also freeing the aglians from bondage, but will the crew be tempted to use the aglians to their advantage when the drive adaptor once again fries their engine, just as an EJ Corp Negotiator bears down on them? The Kalistocracy’s response to the Drift Crisis has been different, however. To the owners of the golden commerce barges, slower Drift travel just means supply is down and demand is up; Kalistocrats willing to risk the Drift find profits are better than ever. When the PCs get the opportunity to plunder a commerce barge, they find the vessel empty of cargo but bound for a secret facility within the Drift. The journey there should be fraught with additional problems, such as extraplanar incursions and rogue spectra, but once the PCs reach Fortune’s Heart, they can see how the Kalistocrats extort worlds in the Vast, forcing these denizens to pay fantastic sums for the smallest supply shipment. The PCs can throw a wrench in this plan by stealing a fully loaded commerce barge for themselves. Even at regular prices, such a cargo will make the crew rich beyond their wildest dreams while simultaneously hitting the Kalistocrats right in their bottom line. Of course, to steal the ship, they’ll still need to pass themselves off as fellow Kalistocrats! After the PCs have taken the score of a lifetime, they finally have the opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves. They might use their fortune to fund research on the Drift Crisis, searching for a solution. That’s what EJ Corp and the Golden League have been doing, but the PCs learn that while their old enemies have found a way to restore the Drift to full functionality and bring peace to the galaxy, neither organization intends to actually act on this information. They can make much more money leaving the Drift Crisis alone, no matter how much people suffer. When the PCs decide to take matters into their own hands and solve the Drift Crisis themselves, Sinjin and Eline Reisora join forces to ambush the PCs in volume 5, “Crash and Burn,” leaving the crew with nothing. The PCs must call in favors from all the friends and allies they’ve made, hoping to track down Eline and the Oliphaunt. When they do, Sinjin declares all-out war on them, ruining their careers. The PCs are still the only people in the galaxy who know how to fix the Drift and who are willing to actually do so, but before they get that far, they must survive Sinjin’s bounty hunters and assassins, lure the drow crime boss to Smuggler’s Moon, and give him his long-deserved payback.

187 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS ADVENTURES PATHS IN CRISIS PAIZO INC. Creative Director • James Jacobs Director of Game Design • Jason Bulmahn Director of Visual Design • Sarah E. Robinson Director of Game Development • Adam Daigle Development Managers • Jason Keeley, Ron Lundeen, and Linda Zayas-Palmer Senior Developer • Jason Tondro Developers • Eleanor Ferron, Thurston Hillman, Luis Loza, and Patrick Renie Starfinder Lead Designer • Joe Pasini Starfinder Senior Developer • John Compton Organized Play Line Developers • Jessica Catalan and Mike Kimmel Design Manager • Mark Seifter Pathfinder Lead Designer • Logan Bonner Designers • James Case and Michael Sayre Managing Editor • Leo Glass Senior Editor • Avi Kool Editors • Patrick Hurley, Ianara Natividad, K. 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Scott Keim Director of Technology • Rei Ko Front End Engineering Lead • Andrew White Senior Software Developer • Gary Teter Software Architect • Brian Bauman Software Developer • Robert Brandenburg Software Test Engineers • Erik Keith and Levi Steadman System Administrators II • Whitney Chatterjee and Josh Thornton Web Content Manager • Maryssa Marie Lagervall Webstore Coordinator • Katina Davis Customer Service Team • Heather Fantasia, Keith Greer, Logan Harper, and Austin Phillips Warehouse Manager • Jeff Strand Logistics Coordinator • Kevin Underwood Warehouse Distribution Lead • Heather Payne Warehouse Team • Alexander Crain, James Mafi, and Loren Walton Open Game License Version 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors: Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Starfinder Core Rulebook © 2017, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Jason Keeley, Robert G. McCreary, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Mark Seifter, Owen K.C. Stephens, and James L. Sutter, with Alexander Augunas, Judy Bauer, John Compton, Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, Lissa Guillet, Thurston Hillman, Erik Mona, Mark Moreland, Jessica Price, F. Wesley Schneider, Amber E. Scott, and Josh Vogt. Starfinder Drift Crisis © 2022, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Kate Baker, Rigby Bendele, Jessica Catalan, John Compton, John Curtin, Alison Cybe, Leo Glass, John Godek, Sen H.H.S., Joan Hong, Jenny Jarzabski, Jason Keeley, Joshua Kim, Mike Kimmel, Ron Lundeen, Dennis Muldoon, Emily Parks, Samantha Phelan, Mikhail Rekun, James Rodehaver, Paul Scofield, Shay Snow, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Solomon St. John, Jason Tondro, and Andrew White. This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with Starfinder. 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Open Game Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Starfinder Drift Crisis © 2022, Paizo Inc. All rights reserved. Paizo, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, Pathfinder Society, Starfinder, and the Starfinder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; the Pathfinder P logo, Pathfinder Accessories, Pathfinder Adventure, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Adventure Card Society, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Battles, Pathfinder Combat Pad, Pathfinder Flip-Mat, Pathfinder Flip-Tiles, Pathfinder Legends, Pathfinder Lost Omens, Pathfinder Pawns, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Tales, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Combat Pad, Starfinder Flip-Mat, Starfinder Flip-Tiles, Starfinder Pawns, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, and Starfinder Society are trademarks of Paizo Inc. Printed in China.

188 INDEX INDEX AbadarCorp bolt (starship) 146 abyssal plate (armor) 52 afterimage (spell) 139 aeon stones (magic item) 69 Alluvion theodolite (hybrid item) 55 antimagic grenade (hybrid item) 50–51 autoencoded veil (armor) 85 banishing blade (magic item) 54 Besmaran Rose (hybrid item) 133 burrowing arms (armor upgrade) 53 cartographer boots (technological item) 79 clothing (personal item) 129 consciousness transfer unit (hybrid item) 133 Conspiratorial Ally (feat) 85 Contrive (feat) 85 cosmetics (personal item) 129 crisis refugee (theme) 38 destructive rebuke (spell) 135 dimensional crash (spell) 139 Drift glass goggles (technological item) 53 Drift crasher (theme) 39 Drift harness (technological item) 53 Drift messenger (spell) 93 Drift prediction (spell) 122 Drift shell (armor) 109 echo gloves (technological item) 79 efreet noble regalia (powered armor) 52 enviro mask (technological item) 53 feyguard (armor) 52 flare pistol 50–51 Glimpses of the Endless Horizon (artifact) 177 Grab and Go (feat) 85 heavy hauler (starship base frame) 103 Hide Sabotage (feat) 85 hollowed drums (necrograft) 73 interplanar comm unit (hybrid item) 55 jewelry (personal item) 129 leng luminary (artifact) 178 light hauler (starship base frame) 103 machimind (technological item) 61 matter converter (hybrid item) 92 metaphysical detector (technological item) 53 mood goo emitter 50 mystic class options 42–43, 125 nano gadget loadout (technological item) 53 nyblantine (special material) 97 obfuscate Drift beacons (spell) 123 oblivion chassis (powered armor) 52 operator’s shard (artifact) 178 opportunist (theme) 40 partitioned personality module (augmentation) 87 perfume (personal item) 129 planar accumulation serum 54 planar flare (hybrid item) 93 planar lenses (augmentation) 112 planar phase (spell) 139 planar spacesuit (technological item) 54 pocket vacuum (spell) 123 precog class options 44 probability tendril (augmentation) 112 proton snare (hybrid item) 55 quantogram (technological item) 54 quantum tunneling coverall (technological item) 54 Reliable Connections (feat) 85 ride the wave (spell) 123 ring of genie calling (magic item) 54 scramble (weapon special property) 107 scrambler pistol (small arm) 107 scrambler rifle (longarm) 107 serum of earthen stature 113 serum of fetid verdancy 113 serum of fiery vengeance 113 serum of infinite air 113 serum of long shadows 113 serum of shapelessness 113 serum of water’s protection 113 serum of fey’s fickle fancy 113 shimmershield (artifact) 179 shuffling feet (necrograft) 73 singing star (advanced melee weapon) 63 snapshot sphere (technological item) 79 solarian class options 45 spectra scion (theme) 41 starship drone (starship base frame) 147 stasis gland (augmentation) 112 supertanker (starship base frame) 103 tanker (starship base frame) 103 technomancer class options 46–47 thasphalt blaster (small arm) 50 thasphalt carronade (heavy weapon) 50 thasphalt deck sweeper (heavy weapon) 51 thasphalt grenade 51 thasphalt rifle (longarm) 51 thasteron blunderbuss (small arm) 52 thasteron grenade 52 transplanar gluon blade (hybrid item) 55 Trenarii singing coil (longarm) 63 vanguard class options 47–48 void projector (hybrid item) 93 void vessel (spell) 123 witchwarper class options 48–49 withered lungs (necrograft) 73

189 DRIFT CRISIS PRE-CRISIS DRIFT ADVENTURES DRIFT IN CRISIS NPCS FACTIONS CREATURES SECRET TREASURES ADVENTURE PATHS IN CRISIS CLASS OPTIONS THEMES GEAR DRIFT ARCHITECTS INTRODUCTION 3 INDEX TOOLBOX THE DRIFT CRISIS INDEX PLAYER CHARACTER OPTIONS INDEX Armor and Powered Armor 52, 85, 109 Technological Items 53–54, 61, 79 Armor Upgrades 52 Magic Items 54, 69, 112—113 Weapons 50–52, 63, 107 Starship Options 103, 147 Feats 85 Themes 38–41 Augmentations 73, 87, 112, 117 Spells 93, 122–123, 135, 139 Special Material 97 Personal Items 129 Hybrid Items 55, 92–93, 133

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paizo.com/starfinder Printed in China. PZO7119 COSMIC CATASTROPHE! Hyperspace is broken! In a catastrophic instant, commonplace faster-than-light travel, made possible by the Drift, fails. Travelers vanish midflight, communications scramble, and the Drift’s progenitor god Triune falls mysteriously silent. In the aftermath, empires cling to far-flung holdings, opportunists exploit the chaos, and everyone demands to know what triggered this crisis—and how it can be solved. With Starfinder Drift Crisis, you can dive right into this galaxy-spanning adventure and determine what happens next! D More than 100 new player options, from class options and themes to equipment, feats, and spells! D Twenty detailed adventure seeds that provide a framework for playing through dozens of Drift Crisis stories, whether in encounters, adventures, or entire campaigns. D Deep dives on the myriad effects of the Drift Crisis on factions, worlds, systems, and the galaxy at large. D A toolbox with a vast store of information for running adventures in the Drift Crisis, from dozens of unique treasures and 20 new creatures to rich nonplayer character profiles and information on adapting Adventure Paths.