Welcome dear readers to the penultimate Creative Characters for Starfinder, for the moment at least. Sadly our time is up, and we’re beaming this last character – for The Charmers group – to you straight from the deck of a passing neutral starship, shaped like a giant silver disc with a wonky pair of engines attached. The captain is bald and obsessed with earl grey tea, while there’s a pale robot next to him and another fellow with wrinkles on his forehead and an angry scowl. Still! The show must go on.
Creative Characters is designed to give you access to groups of characters at various levels that you can drag and drop into your games. Do you need a character pronto, because someone jumped in at the last minute? Did Dylan forget his character sheet again? Do you need a baddy to replace the NPC that got killed very early on, that you hadn’t planned on? We’re the series for you!
Throughout this journey, we’ve met three groups. First was the group “Fortune’s Heist”, lead by Jefff “Triple F”, a Xenoseeker Human Mystic and his second in command Tech-ward, the Cyberborn Android Technomancer. This group were all level 1 (great for starting players, especially if they want to try a few different builds) who all worked together in heists, but “for the good guy” rather than for themselves. There was also Clara Skullstinger, Corporate Agent Elf Operative (Spy) aka the skills person of the group; Jurgen Bernhart, the Dream Prophet Soldier Dwarf; and Bazaar Longshot, a Cultist Ysoki Gunslinger with a heartless glint in his eyes.
The second group we met were “Valor Incarnate”. All of them were level 3 (so they got Weapon Specialization, yes!) and they were under the lawful employment of various authorities, and good at it, so everyone was of either the Lawful or Good alignments. Rachael Goldebarrel, an Icon Android Mechanic is the leader of the group, but as a cold, calculating Android her underlings never really saw the truth behind her aims. She leads well and with bravery, with no true second in command, though she delegates more tasks to the other Lawful members of the group. Matchbox, a Gladiator Ysoki Soldier was the unexpectedly capable fist of the group, chaotic but with a good heart. Clives, a Scholar SRO Envoy was merciless and Lawful to a fault. Augustus is a Priest Vesk Technomancer, a pious student of the Biune diety (he can even speak binary aloud), and as surprising as any holy Vesk can be. Starza Nyten is an Ace Pilot Kasatha Operative (daredevil), the heart of the group, but she’d always refer back to the boss before taking off. Having had even the slightest nod from the boss she’d box your head in, before speeding off in your car – “It’s for a good cause, promise!”
So today’s article will complete the current group, “The Charmers.” Everyone is level 6 so they get their second Theme ability, and 15,000 creds to buy with. The group starts with Vesk brothers Boom-box and Treadz (an Icon Vesk Soldier and Corporate Agent Vesk Mechanic respectively), a literal insane killing machine Glitterskull – an Icon Android Mystic – and perhaps funniest of all the characters Suzetta Biretta, Icon Space Goblin Operative (detective), or as she calls herself an Ex-Matron (“They weren’t even my kids I lost”).
Please read and enjoy all the characters above, and I have had a blast creating them all for you.
Now before I get to today’s character and their history, I’ll give you their sheet. Meet Clayton Forcecore, the actual reason all three groups exist.
Clayton Forcecore
Human techomancer 6 (dragonblood)
LN Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +2; Perception +6, darkvision 60 ft.
DEFENSE SP 36 HP 34 RP 7
EAC 21; KAC 22;
Fort +3; Ref +4; Will +5
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft
Melee +4 tactical spear (1d6+6 P, block, thrown)
Junksword* +4 (1d4+9 P, block, reach)
Ranged corona laser pistol +6 (2d4+3 E, burn 1d4)
* – Junksword must be cast before Clayton has access to it.
Spells
At-will—dancing lights, detect affliction, detect magic, fabricate scrap, mending, transfer charge (DC 16)
6/day 1st level—comprehend languages, junksword, hold portal, unseen servant
4/day 2nd level—inject nanobots (DC 18), invisibility, mirror image, summon creature
STATISTICS
Str 10; Dex 15; Con 12; Int 20; Wis 10; Cha 16
Feats Agile Casting, Combat Casting, Mobility, Skill Synergy, Spell Focus.
Skills Bluff +9, Computers +16, Culture +14, Diplomacy +9, Engineering +11, Intimidate +12, Life Science +11, Mysticism +11, Physical Science +11, Piloting +8, Profession (“Trainer”) Cha +9, Sleight of Hand +8.
Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Halfling, Infernal, Sylvan, Terran, Ysoki
Gear personal upgrade mk I (Charisma), advanced lashunta tempweave with infrared sensors, corona laser pistol, tactical spear, 5x serum of healing mk I, 5 creds.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Dragon Mien (Dragonblood Theme)
Clayton gets scary when he’s angry. When he demoralizes people they’re shaken for 1 extra round, and people he Intimidates are helpful to him for 10 minutes more than normal.
Spell Cache
Clayton’s own brain is his spell cache. Through ancient eldritch means, the witches of—I’ve already said too much.
Magic Hacks
Clayton has Empower Weapon and Magic Negation as his magical hacks.
Cache Capacitor
With his cache capacitor, Clayton has an Unseen Servant active 24/7. He never gets his own drink, opens the door for himself, or triggers a trap if he can avoid it.
And that’s his sheet. Now sit down, get a cup of tea, and prepare for the story behind 15 Creative Characters.
When he was a young child of only 5 years Clayton Thumbsmith was introduced to Dragons. His grandfather told amazing tales of legendary knights wearing sheets of metal and wielding wooden circles of magic. They bravely fought mean dragons and took back the gold (an ancient coin) that the dragons had stolen from the townsfolk. Enjoyable, but utter rubbish, of course.
Clayton graduated early from all forms of education and was the desire of many universities for a professorship, but Dragonhart University stole his imagination and heart. He enlisted and changed his last name to Forecore, immediately excelling in areas he applied focus. He quickly noticed a shift in people’s attitudes toward him. When he was marked low on an assignment (a mere “A” was very low) he only meant to discuss politely where the tutor marked him down. Instead, a great voice came out of him, and he thumped his hand on the table. The tutor apologized profusely and marked him up to an A++ instantly. He also developed a great liking for chili, which he previously had avoided at all costs.
He set up his own company (Forcecore Corps), training other Technomancers and meeting Augustus and Tech-Ward both sparingly, but his company never flourished despite immaculate work. This was when he first noticed the success of other groups despite their worse work, and he realized it was charisma that sold the PERSON doing the work, not the WORK being done. Though the idea had crept into his mind unasked for, while he was having a scathingly hot shower, just after a chili dinner with chili sprinkles on his ice cream for dessert.
He orchestrated the jobs performed by Fortune’s Heist, tickling security systems here and there, acquiring for himself items that he didn’t need, while paying Jefff Starclaimer and his gang. No one suspected any funny play. Clayton, due to his privileged position within the university, was also placed upon the committee who were in charge of finding a suitable punishment for one “Rachael Goldebarrel”. He proposed the idea of a physical “Golden barrel” that would be a pillory of punishment on the Android, which the committee agreed upon after some brief discussions. Clayton was tasked with creating and implementing the Golden barrel itself, which he created perfectly. Once again, the idea had come unasked for, from nowhere, though this time Clayton had believed the idea was his own clever “pun” as punishment, using Rachael’s own codename. What a deliciously clever man, right?. Since then he has metered out the tasks for Rachael and gang to perform, in order for her to “repay” the cost of imprisonment, and again anything collected, mythical artifacts even, have been discarded with much boredom once delivered to Clayton.
Most recently, after assembling his own team, Clayton Forcecore has been rivaling other groups of companies with his brilliantly charismatic team and pulling off many daring feats of business, building many new contraptions that can just outperform other groups entirely, and spreading his own influence at an immense speed.
He loves working with Treadz and Boom-box in their spare time because the brothers really help him to calm down, and they look a bit like Dragons, the Vesk race. He enjoys the giddiness he feels whenever he’s around Glitterskull, who he is certain he hired because he wanted her on the team (and not because she mind controlled him at all, AT ALL), and he enjoys the squeaky but stubborn Suzetta Biretta because of her old world, a tough-as-nails way of life. Despite having no source of income she had an entirely functional life, and that was to be admired!
Very recently, and without his group knowing, Clayton Forcecore has been meeting with the University higher-ups, and they mostly discuss Dragons of ages past, not the kind you get in the present day. More and more he listens and gets addicted to the stories, and if you happened upon him at these meetings you’d see the eyes half closed, as he dreamed about Dragons from the past, deep within the foldings of time, Dragons older than time itself…
He began to suspect something was up when he awoke several mornings in a row, chalk on his hands. He was unshaven, his studio apartment a mess, and every single item that Fortune’s Heist or Valor Incarnate had “recovered for the authorities” were strewn about his apartment. It was like a treasure hoard! He showered, ate a strong breakfast and began to investigate the past few days events with the aid of his technomantic skills. The moment he began remembering however he stood up, against his will. He walked down to his basement, fighting himself all the way, and when he opened the door there were white stars drawn on the floor. Circles within circles, then circles within even greater circles, everywhere.
“Great Gods,” he said before he his arms flung outwards. He began chanting a spell in a tongue he’d never heard before, a mix between sylvan, gnomish and fluent binary, Try as he might be couldn’t control his arms, nor close his mouth, and before he knew it the white circles around the room projected toward the roof, filling the room with hard white bars of solid magic. “No, stop! Please!” he managed to shout after the spell was done, but he simply started casting another.
This spell was spoken in the same tongue. His arms moved in large circles. As he resisted with all his mental might, he saw a large gathering of dark material and shadows, tucked away within the cage of white bars. It had legs and arms, an immense torso, and a head that connected to a large, long neck. What am I summoning? he asked himself. What foul trickery is all this?
The body turned a dark silhouette within the stark white bars, facing Clayton Forcecore. “Greetings mortal,” it said. It spoke fluent Gnome, then changed to Halfling and alternated towards Vesk. “Thank you for your ego. I’ve never met anyone quite so happy to run along with plans as you.” The figure stepped forward, hands on the white bars, before sticking its long neck and head out between them. The solid shadow filled the room. “You, Forcecore, I will kill last.”
Clayton suddenly had a voice. And some control. “Who… who are you?” he said, throat sore. “What do you want?”
“Is my treasure hoard ready?” came the only reply. “I’ve got a very special item to build, and I needed those very specific items you had your peasant groups search out.”
Clayton shook his mind, remembering his spell cache. The Magic Negation! He could use that on this demon, or monster, or whatever it was. Send it back to the realm it came from. “I’m sorry,” Clayton said with a smile. “I think you’ve got the wrong number,” and he willed his spell cache to activate, triggering his magic hack to find the thin veil between reality and this monster’s magic, and tear the two asunder.
The being laughed softly, as it waved one of its hands. “I’m afraid this is the right number, you child of magic,” it said slowly, voice like rolling thunder. The hand cut through Clayton’s concentration, but not before the hack could achieve some small effect.
The veil of shadows and blistering white chalk was pulled away, and Clayton saw perfectly. The white beams of magic were cold iron, infused with glowing white holiness, magic unknown in these parts. And the shadowed beast was revealed in full color. It withdrew it’s head and stood erect, to give Clayton the full benefit of its appearance.
“What have I done?” Clayton asked himself in horror, as his mouth hung with disbelief. He regained full control of himself at that moment, but that simply meant his magical ability to hold the chalk bars in place washed away, and the white bars evaporated instantly and spilled upon the floor.
“I can’t believe it was that easy, actually,” said the green, long-necked Dragon. “I should have tried it earlier, don’t you think?” said the Jabberwock whimsically. It smiled at the stunned and aghast Technomancer, before walking freely and openly out the room, up the stairs, and into the world of promise.
