Starfarer Adversaries: Void Banshees (SFRPG)

This installment of the Starfarer Adversaries-series clocks in at 7 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page advertisement, 1 page SRD, 1 page editorial, leaving us with 3 pages of content, one page of which is devoted to a one-page version of the creature-artwork, suitable to act as a handout.

All right, in space nobody hears you scream? Well, kind of. But some undead, namely the void banshee, send distress signals through the bleak infinity, compelled to investigate. The pdf presents three different iterations of the void banshee – one at CR 3, one at CR 7 and one at CR 12. Void banshees are incorporeal undead. They have perfect maneuverability and should specify, that their fly-speed is supernatural, which they, as presented, do not. The builds use the expert array, and the grafts have been properly applied. Bluff, Intimidate and Stealth are the master skills, with Acrobatics and Sense Motive.

The void banshee’s damage is contingent on the values of her spells, which brings me to an important note: This absolutely REQUIRES Starfarer’s Companion to be used. The main improvements of the banshees are SPs, and these almost exclusively draw from said book. At this point, it should come as no surprise that I’m not happy with that, as the level 9 spellcasting interacts weirdly with the SPs: Wail of the banshee, for example, has a massive DC 26 for a CR 12 critter, which is 5 higher than the ability DC, and 3 higher than a monster usually can have at the CR. Since Starfinder usually has a 6-level spellcasting system. Not a fan.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are good on a formal and rules-language level; not perfect, but it can be used sans major snafus. Layout adheres to the series’ two-column full-color standard, and the artwork is nice. The pdf has no bookmarks, but needs none at this length.

I am not a big fan of Jacob Blackmon’s void banshees, primarily due to their reliance on Starfarer’s Companion and the ensuing oddness. I also couldn’t help but feel that they could have used a couple more unique things…perhaps something locking ships down so they don’t escape? The concept is cool, but the execution could be more exciting. It’s not bad, but neither is it particularly mind-blowing. My final verdict will clock in at 3 stars.

You can get this pdf here on OBS!

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Endzeitgeist out.

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