Review: Starfinder Galactic Magic (Paizo)

There’s a rhythm to the expansion books for roleplaying games. They might focus on new settings, introduce new character classes or class options, or add armories full of gear and planets full of possible enemies. Most often, there’s a touch of everything in there — the literal “something for everyone.”

Paizo’s latest Starfinder tome, Galactic Magic, bundles all of those expected goodies into a solid 160 page book. But you also get some delicious extras like a deep dive into how magic works at the character, societal, and even universe level.

There’s a lot to talk about in here, so let’s browse through the top five things that you need to know about Starfinder Galactic Magic.

The Long-Anticipated Precog Class

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Precogs manipulate time just like mechanics assemble parts. The key ability score for a Precog is Dexterity, but Intelligence is almost as important. A Precog’s Dexterity governs the paradox side of their abilities (a new magical power), while Intelligence covers the spell casting side.

Every Precog character also selects one of six anchors to represent the source of their connection with time. The selected anchor governs how the character can use paradoxes to change die rolls in the game. The anchor choice is permanent, so know your overall character design before choosing.

We expect to see plenty of Android, Elf, and Ysoki characters in this class, as well as the occasional Ikeshti, Kiirinta, and Tiefling.

Magic for You and You and…

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Every character class gets new magical abilities of some kind from Galactic Magic. Witchwarpers can create an energy whip to flay reality, Envoys can talk to magic and make it listen them, Mechanics can learn to use spell chips, and so much more.

Soldiers get some special treatment. Sure, they get a magical fighting style (no surprises there), but they also get a non-magical style called Archer. Characters using this style inflict ranged damage from analog bows and various arrows. If that sounds cool, check out the book’s section on Apocalypse Bows, because you’re going to love them too.

Taking Inventory of Gear

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It’s only fitting to find a slew of magical and hybrid technological items lurking in a book about magic. The Starfinder development team won’t disappoint you, no matter what you hope to find.

Our favorite items include the everlatch rope, null-space kennel (big enough for a friendly renkroda), “gimmicks” that personalize your spells, and the trench coat of utility. New weapon fusions and armor upgrades round out the offerings. And for people running home games, Galactic Magic offers two legendary artifacts for your characters to drool over.

Spells, Schools, and Faiths

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Here’s where Galactic Magic really does something, well, magical with Starfinder. The book includes pages of new spells along with updated spell lists for Precogs and all other casting classes. For home games, it also adds alternative casting options and instructions for dealing with lengthy rituals that should set every home-brew storyteller’s heart aflame.

We truly loved the sections that fleshed out the faiths and deities of the Starfinder universe. It’s one thing to read the pantheon highlights in the Core Rulebook, but another to dive into the details revealed here.

Twenty major gods get full-page explanations with detailed descriptions, plus eight more get half-page introductions. Then the book keeps going with sections about ancestral deities, elder and eldest gods, and outsider deities. The amount of background source material here will inspire any storyteller’s imagination.

Magic in the Universe

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The last section of the book goes on a deep dive into the roots of magic in the Starfinder galaxy. How does it work? Why does it work? Is it consistent? How do characters study it? You get answers to all these questions and so many more in Galactic Magic.

Granted, this info isn’t for everyone (and it might even bore some people), but if you want to really ground yourself in the lore and philosophy behind Starfinder, this section makes a great starting point.

Verdict

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Galactic Magic deserves to be on every Starfinder player’s shelf, but the book will appeal at a whole different level to the game masters, storytellers, and deep-dive character creators who love explore the how and why behind this universe. We highly recommend it.

If you play Starfinder Society games, you’ll be pleased to know that Galactic Magic is already approved for Society play. The Paizo web site lists the details of both the modifications and prohibitions in place for Society characters. There aren’t too many, but they may feel a little complex the first time you read through them. We recommend reading through the rulebook first, then referring to the Paizo site’s Options Listing by Book (paizo.com/starfindersociety/characteroptions) for the details.