Review: Starfinder Alien Archive 2 (Paizo)

Aliens bring science fiction worlds to life in books, movies, and Paizo’s Starfinder roleplaying game. They spice up your starships, add texture to Absalom Station encounters, and make sure that grimy pubs on outback desert planets get enough business to survive without serving droids.

In Paizo’s new Starfinder Alien Archive 2 book, the company delivers species at all challenge rating (CR) levels, plus new technologies, magic items, and spells to enhance your games. The book also unlocks a wealth of luscious details about the Pact Worlds, providing lots of cool story hooks for your future games.

Here are the top five things you need to know as you embark on a race through the new and exotic creatures of Alien Archive 2.

Animals, Undead and More

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With “alien” is in the title, you know you’ll meet a lot of new fiends (and some friends) in this book. And, of course, some of them want to eat your character.

You’ll find the high-tech species you want, like the cerebric fungus and the glitch gremlin, but they’re just the beginning. Going to the other end of the spectrum, more generic entries like herd animal and predator give you world-building (and populating) tools that every GM loves.

We particularly liked the modernized versions of classic monsters, like ghosts, ghouls, giants, hobgoblins, and orcs. The golem and nanotech golem are favorites thanks to the way the book reimagines their creation as a mixture of technology and magic.

Polymorphing 101

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One of the most exciting parts of the book is the introduction of polymorphing, the ability to change the shape of a creature. This comes through four spells for mystics and technomancers, along with the Polymorph Adept feat.

At first level, spellcasters can learn polymorph or baleful polymorph. At fourth level, they add mass polymorph and mass baleful polymorph. The basic spells let them affect one to four willing subjects; the baleful versions work against one to four unwilling creatures

The spell effects depend on the level of the spell slot used in the casting along with the polymorph forms that the caster knows. At first level, the polymorphed target looks like their normal form combined with a creature form. At higher levels, the transformation completely changes the target into a different form.

If this ability catches your attention, invest the time to read the new rules carefully, because there’s a lot to know. Consult with your game master (GM) as well to make sure they’re okay with your plans.

Brave New Gear

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Alien Archive 2 also introduces over 50 new items, upgrades, fusions, and even some new feats (although you can’t use one of the feats in Society play; more about that in a moment).

All of the items relate to specific new creatures in one way or another. For instance, Heat-Amp Gauntlets come from the burrowing quorlu, who developed them due to the ambient heat of their volcanic home. Glass Skin, on the other hand, is built from the harvested scales of a glass serpent combined with specialized augmentation technology.

Creature Creation

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Opening to the back of the book takes you to the appendixes. Several of them are useful cross references, like the lists of all creatures organized by CR, type, and terrain where they live. You’ll also find a reference list of the new rules options for gear, feats, spells, and such.

But for world-building GMs, the true magic of the appendixes comes from the sections on grafts. These lists help you customize creatures to your exact specifications based on its subtype, natural environment, and special abilities.

Combined with the creature-specific template grafts scattered throughout the book, Alien Archive 2 is a veritable creature creation laboratory.

Playing in Society Games

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The Starfinder Society organized play system draws a lot of people into the game by giving them a place to get started and grow their skills.

Because the Society games aim to create a consistent, balanced experience for all kinds of players and characters, Paizo sometimes bans certain items from Society games, even though they’re completely legal for home play.

With Alien Archive 2, the company decided that nine specific items and one feat were just too much for Society games. To find out what didn’t make the cut, check Paizo’s Additional Resources list (paizo.com/starfindersociety/additional). The list gets updated frequently, so check it regularly.

The Verdict

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Whether you run a home game, play in Society events, or just love the Starfinder stories, Alien Archive 2 fills in a lot details while adding a few new mysteries.

Fans of the Starfinder universe will want to read Alien Archive 2 for the new lore and the vivid descriptions of life among the Pact World planets. Those running home games will love the extensive cross-references in the book’s appendixes.

And if Starfinder Society play is your cup of space tea — well, let’s say that the book is a who’s who (or maybe a “what’s what”) of monsters awaiting you in future missions.