Starfaring Species: Psychic Space Cats (SFRPG)

This installment of the Starfaring Species-series clocks in at 8 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD, leaving us with 5 pages of content, 2 pages of which are devoted to a huge rendition of the neat cover, so let’s take a look!

So, this pdf introduces the race of the Bastef, who look, behave and operate like housecats, and we get information on their home-world and relations with other races. I am not going to elaborate in detail on this, for the writing is genuinely funny; to give you an example: “Bastef, as a species, get along with everyone. Some species don’t get al0ong with bastef. Bastef don’t seem to notice.” That is perfectly dead-pan and fitting. Minor nitpick: the pdf does nit include “Playing a bastef…” or “If you are a bastef, others….”-sections, which I tend to find useful as roleplaying cues.

Much to my pleasure, the pdf does come with vital statistics (age, height and weight). Racial trait-wise, bastef get 2 HP, +2 Dexterity and Charisma, -2 to Constitution and are Tiny monstrous humanoids. The type might seem odd, but makes sense when seen from a design perspective in Starfinder. Bastef get at-will ghost sounds[sic!] (an “s” too much here) and token spell, as well as 1/day detect thoughts. They get a +10 bonus to Disguise checks to pass as housecats, but that bonus should be typed as “racial” in SFRPG. They get limited telepathy, and they do not have hands – patting at things with their claws is treated as though their Strength score is 6 lower. However, their telekinetic powers allow them to use, carry and manipulate items as though a Medium creature with 2 limbs. They can use Medium equipment and hang it on their field; they need to have line of effect to an object thus manipulated, and their range is similarly that of a Medium creature – unless they choose to have the space and reach of a Tiny creature, with mode-change taking a swift or move action. This otherwise functionally behaves as psychokinetic hand, as a supernatural ability.

The pdf has no supplemental feats, equipment or the like.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are good on a formal and rules-language level – the pdf gets the important functionality right, but does sport a few minor, aesthetic hiccups. Layout adheres to the series’ two-column full-color standard, and the pdf sports a neat full-color artwork. The pdf has no bookmarks, but needs none at this length.

Owen K.C. Stephens delivers a genuinely funny, well-crafted little pdf that makes being a cat a viable build in SFRPG. I love that. I am cat-person, even though my allergies prevent me from having one. My only true gripes with this pdf are that I’d have loved to see supplemental material. Perhaps in an expansion?

If you btw. love goofy Hitchhiker’s Guide scifi and need inspiration for playing a psychic space cat, I’d wholeheartedly recommend Catherynne M. Valente’s HILARIOUS “Space Opera”; the books more raunchy than Douglas Adams’ classic, but I rarely laughed this much while reading a book.

Oh, final verdict? Yeah, well, I while I can’t award this the full 5 stars, I’ll give it 4 stars and, considering the low and fair price of $1.95, I’ll add my seal of approval for it! I mean, come on! Space cats! 😀

You can get this cool, inexpensive little pdf here on OBS!

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Endzeitgeist out.

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