Campaign Frameworks: Mystery, Horror, and Subgenre Adventures

Adapted from Starfinder 1E Sources:

SF1E Core Rulebook 1.3: Mystery Adventures
SF1E Core Rulebook 1.4: Horror Campaigns
SF1E Galaxy Exploration Manual 2.6: Sandbox Adventures (Subgenres)
PF2E Core Rulebook 1.4: Social Encounters with Initiative

For SF2E/PF2E FoundryVTT Module

Mystery Adventures
Horror Campaigns
Sandbox Subgenre Frameworks
Social Encounters with Initiative (PF2E Adaptation)
Computers Skill and Hacking
Electronic Eavesdropping

Mystery Adventures

Source: SF1E Core Rulebook (https://aonsrd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=412)

Mystery Adventures represent a distinct adventure type where characters investigate crimes, uncover conspiracies, and expose hidden schemes. These adventures center on player character investigations to discover culprits of crimes or other underhanded activities.

Mysteries extend beyond murder investigations to include:

Theft of physical goods or information
Destruction of property
Abductions and disappearances
Shady activity that isn't necessarily illegal
Smokescreen operations concealing larger schemes

Mystery adventures contain less direct combat than dungeon crawls or street battles. Action emerges as PCs approach exposure of culprits—chasing suspects through crowded marketplaces, defending against hired thugs, or confronting cornered criminals.

Critical Principle: Good mysteries cannot be solved with one successful skill check or divination spell. They require synthesis of information from multiple sources.

A Mystery's Three Pillars

Every criminal investigation revolves around three elements that must be established for each suspect:

Means

A suspect has means if they are physically able to commit the crime. Examples include:

Firing accuracy with specific weapons
Technical knowledge to bypass security systems
Physical ability to reach specific locations
Access to necessary tools or resources
Genetic or biometric compatibility with crime scene evidence

Investigation Note: Knowing that a suspect couldn't possibly have had the means to perpetrate the crime is probably the easiest way to eliminate them from consideration.

Motive

A suspect's motive must be compelling enough for them to want to break the law or act outside social norms. Common motivations include:

Financial gain (inheritance, payment, extortion)
Preventing revelation of secrets
Emotional responses (rage, jealousy, revenge)
Ideological beliefs or political causes
Coercion or blackmail by others

Investigation Principle: No criminal acts without a motive, even if the motive has little connection to reality or appears irrational to others.

Opportunity

A suspect has opportunity if they could have been at the location of the crime at the correct time. Critical considerations include:

Physical presence at the crime scene
Ability to reach the location undetected
Timing windows that align with the crime
Alibis that can be verified or disproven
Access to restricted areas or facilities

Investigation Reality: Most perpetrators try to establish an alibi for when the crime happened, making alibi verification a crucial investigative task.

Playing Mysteries: Player Guidance

Track Information Systematically

Players should maintain detailed notes about suspects, examining whether each suspect possessed means, motive, and opportunity. Consider creating:

Suspect Matrix: Chart listing each suspect with columns for means, motive, and opportunity
Relationship Map: Visual diagram showing connections between suspects, victims, and other involved parties
Physical Evidence List: Separate inventory of clues that can be cross-referenced as new evidence emerges
Timeline: Chronological sequence of events to identify contradictions and gaps

When you find a new clue, compare it to your existing evidence lists to see how it relates to other discoveries.

Search Everywhere

Thorough investigation matters significantly in mystery adventures. You need to look everywhere for clues, especially at the scene of the crime. Hidden evidence may exist:

Behind furniture or wall panels
In deleted computer files or communication logs
In environmental traces (chemical residue, DNA samples, energy signatures)
Among personal effects that reveal secrets
In unexpected locations the culprit visited

Don't assume obvious locations contain all relevant clues. Criminals often hide evidence in plain sight or in locations that seem unrelated.

Trust No One

Assume deception among suspects and witnesses. Assume each suspect is lying about something, even if that person is someone you know and like. However, this doesn't mean treating everyone as hostile or paranoid.

Balance: Avoid baseless accusations or aggressive behavior, as such conduct can cut off your access to suspects, making your investigation much more difficult. Maintain professional courtesy while remaining skeptical of claims.

Use Abilities Creatively

When stuck, employ character abilities creatively. Don't be shy about asking your GM if your PC can attempt a check or try an ability or spell that might shine some light on the mystery. Examples include:

Using enhanced senses to detect trace evidence
Employing technical skills to recover deleted data
Casting divination spells (though GMs should ensure these don't solve mysteries single-handedly)
Utilizing social abilities to build rapport with witnesses
Deploying surveillance technology or drones

Warning: Avoid overusing abilities as shortcuts. Solving a mystery through your own investigation is far more satisfying than bypassing it with magic or technology.

Running Mysteries: GM Guidance

Establish Relationships

Create a relationship map before the investigation begins:

Position the victim centrally
Surround the victim with all suspects
Draw lines connecting the victim to each suspect
Draw connections between suspects who have relationships with each other
Include notes about motives, alibis, and distinctive personality traits

Keep this map accessible during play for quick reference when improvising NPC responses or introducing new information.

Stay Flexible

Mystery adventures are usually more free-form than other scenarios. Players have the opportunity to pursue whatever leads they have in any way they see fit. As GM, you must:

Keep the entire crime picture in memory
Remember details of the incident and NPC motivations
Improvise when players pursue unexpected lines of inquiry
Allow reasonable investigative approaches you hadn't anticipated
Maintain consistency in what NPCs know and reveal

When investigations stall, introduce action that propels the plot forward. Examples include:

Hired thugs warning investigators off the case
New crimes committed while PCs investigate
Suspects fleeing or destroying evidence
Anonymous tips (accurate or misleading) arriving
Secondary victims creating urgency

Provide Clues Generously

The Three-Clue Rule: For every important piece of evidence necessary for the PCs to solve the crime, you should provide at least three ways for the PCs to discover it.

This redundancy ensures that:

Missed skill checks don't stall the adventure
Different character specializations remain useful
Players feel clever for finding clues through creative methods
The investigation has momentum even when players pursue suboptimal approaches

Hidden Clue Technique: Reserve all-important clues so that they appear wherever the PCs do their most thorough searching. This rewards player initiative while ensuring critical evidence is found.

Avoid Single Points of Failure: If the PCs need a specific piece of evidence to proceed from an earlier point, they might not find what they need and the adventure can stall. Build multiple paths to the same revelations.

Give Confessions

Upon confronting the correct suspect with overwhelming evidence, the culprit should confess to the crime in a dramatic fashion. This serves multiple purposes:

Provides narrative satisfaction and closure
Clarifies any remaining ambiguities in the investigation
Allows the culprit to explain their motives and reasoning
Creates a memorable dramatic moment
Prevents endless second-guessing by players

Post-Confession Complications: For grittier campaigns, explore what happens after the accusation:

What are the laws on the planet or space station where the crime was committed?
Do corrupt officials interfere with justice?
Are there powerful interests protecting the criminal?
Does exposing this crime reveal larger conspiracies?
What happens to victims and their families?

These complications can lead to additional investigations involving legal complications, political intrigue, or cold cases that resurface.

Horror Campaigns

Source: SF1E Starfinder #10: The Diaspora Strain pg. 46 (https://aonsrd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=427)

Introduction

Starfinder encompasses multiple genres—star pilots, scoundrels, and mystics exploring alien worlds. Within this expansive universe lies space for horror, an oft-misunderstood genre encompassing various flavors, tones, and subgenres.

Horror proves difficult to define. Not all horror frightens, and scary things may fail to be horror. Some rely on tension and jump scares; others methodically reveal dreadful clues. Some show heroes emerging brutalized but triumphant; others traumatize without respite. Some horror critiques cultural flaws; other horror plays tropes for laughs.

These guidelines provide tools to help players and GMs explore horror together, establishing what draws them to the genre and defining the type of horror they want in their game.

Types of Horror

Several horror subgenres blend well with science fiction and fantasy settings. As groups prepare horror campaigns, discuss whether player characters serve as potential victims, witnesses, or both.

Action Horror

Action horror features relentless menaces—undead hordes, alien creatures, or tireless pursuers—matching hero tenacity. Protagonists confront problems requiring unconventional methods, with standard techniques proving unreliable or producing unexpected results.

Witnesses discover such threats through others' plights, creating dreadful stakes while maintaining standard gameplay structure. They arrive after attacks, see aftermath, and work to prevent further carnage.

Victims learn that standing and fighting represents a last resort. Running, finding safety, regrouping, and attacking only when conditions favor them becomes the priority. Resource management and tactical retreat become survival essentials.

Body Horror

Body horror centers on physiology behaving unnaturally, betraying owners' expectations and sense of self. In science fiction settings with diverse alien species, body horror requires grounding in the mundane—when unusual bodies are commonplace, misplaced limbs lose their terror.

Witnesses interact with creepy beings whose bodies behave troublingly. They observe transformations, mutations, or violations of expected physical forms in others.

Victims suffer through:

Affliction rules (diseases, poisons, parasites)
Phantasm effects that distort body perception
Corruption mechanics that alter physical forms
Cybernetic malfunctions or biotech failures
Symbiotes or implants with their own agendas

These effects sever trust between PCs and their bodies, creating horror rooted in loss of bodily autonomy.

Cosmic Horror

Cosmic horror exploits existential fears—that incomprehensibly ancient beings older than time render our existence moot. Some horrific intelligence dominates the cosmos, and understanding it leads to madness. This subgenre pairs well with others, questioning reality's true nature.

Witnesses may confront this terror like any titanic fiend and its worshipers, potentially acting against it while remaining somewhat protected from its full horror.

Victims face despair that their world isn't what seemed true, tangling with cultists and lesser monsters before confronting the true menace. Corruption mechanics and afflictions represent the mental and physical toll of comprehending cosmic truths.

Psychological Horror

Psychological horror characters become victims of anxiety, belief, doubt, guilt, and passion—rooted in the personal. Horror manifests internally, driving destructive or appalling actions, or externally as phantasmal creatures or monsters reflecting inner turmoil.

Witnesses encounter NPCs with unnatural, troubling behaviors driven by their psyches toward shocking acts. They must understand disturbed minds to predict or prevent violence.

Victims face:

Creatures mirroring their fears or guilt
Curse-like afflictions affecting judgment or perception
Paranoia about allies or reality itself
Moral dilemmas with no good choices
Confronting past traumas made manifest

CRITICAL REQUIREMENT: Before playing horror games, groups must examine why they're drawn to the genre and establish boundaries together.

The Three Essential Questions

Why horror? What compels the group to play this genre?
What's out? What topics remain unexplored and off-limits?
What's scary? Within established bounds, what frightens players?

Important Guidance: Don't Judge

Everyone should answer honestly without feeling pressured toward bravery or edginess. Finding vampire romance most compelling is legitimate; the scariest thought might be unrequited love. Don't conceal your horror interests or pretend to be unafraid.

Be respectful of fellow players—spare them unsettling details without consent. To find boundaries, start safely and probe outward, asking vaguely about violence before depicting it. If someone declines, stop immediately. No explanation required.

Core Principle: Together, you explore horror with careful attention paid to each other's limits and comfort. Accept and work within constraints built together. Chase thrills collaboratively while keeping each other safe.

Why Horror?

Players take turns naming one compelling aspect of horror games—fears to face, monsters to confront, specific feelings, scenarios, or enjoyed horror media. Examples include:

Tension and suspense of being hunted
Mystery of uncovering terrible secrets
Body transformation and loss of control
Cosmic insignificance and existential dread
Survival against overwhelming odds
Specific monsters (vampires, ghosts, aliens, etc.)
Specific media ("I want something like Alien")

Listen to fellow players' answers and respond genuinely. Does the same thing compel you? Are you willing to explore it? Consider shared interests worth exploring together.

Critical requirement: Players' consent is necessary for horror games. If someone remains uncomfortable after discussion, set aside the genre—many other options exist.

What's Out?

Make boundaries explicit. Any topics groups don't want exploring should be named without requiring explanation. Common boundaries include:

Sexual violence
Harm to children or animals
Specific phobias (spiders, drowning, etc.)
Real-world traumas
Gore and body horror extremes
Harm to specific character types

During this discussion, acknowledge or seek clarification from fellow players. However, never justify exploring elements others oppose, and never argue or push back. Enforce the pact: none shall be judged—neither for aversions nor interests.

What's Scary?

Considering previous discussions, players take turns identifying what frightens them—horrifying elements existing within established boundaries. Examples include:

Being stalked or pursued
Betrayal by trusted allies
Isolation and abandonment
Loss of identity or self
Specific monster types within agreed boundaries
Environmental hazards (suffocation, darkness, etc.)
Technology turning against humanity

These needn't be original; they might derive from movies, books, games, or nightmares. This exploration serves dual purposes: revealing unexpected boundary crossings (speak up immediately), and setting mood while whetting appetites for upcoming horrors.

Playing Horror Games

Horror roleplaying differs fundamentally from horror media. When consuming horror movies or novels, players can distance themselves from characters or unconsciously decide whether they'd make different choices. In games, players bear conscious responsibility for their characters' actions, thoughts, and behavior.

Before playing, answer these personal questions:

Who's Afraid?

Determine whether you're addressing your fears or your character's (they may not align).

If seeking personal fear:

Help the GM by offering fears you're willing to face
Place your character in situations requiring confrontation of those fears
Be honest about reactions, accepting potential mechanical disadvantages
Consider playing characters who don't share your fears but must confront them

If wanting only character fear:

Help others by offering your PC's fears and playing to them during games
Have your frightened character argue against strategically favorable actions
Work with fellow players to convince your character, or accept they make dangerous choices
Embrace that fear legitimizes poor tactical decisions

Who's the Focus?

Determine with the GM whether PCs serve as witnesses observing horrors affecting others, victims of that horror, or moving between both roles (typical in horror stories).

Witnesses step in with ample will and might to combat horrors. They remain somewhat protected from direct horror effects, maintaining agency and capability. If expectations adjust accordingly, creepy, unsettling adventures remain possible.

Victims face horror directly, with expectations that must adjust. Characters might not remain passive long, but relishing the terror temporarily proves important. Embrace fear despite mechanical disadvantages. Find small victories and steel yourself. Elements seeming unfair or unbalanced in non-horror contexts create horror effectively when PCs are victims.

Opting Out

MANDATORY SAFETY MECHANISM: Despite careful planning and boundary-setting, unexpected limits may be reached—no one can realize all boundaries beforehand. Therefore, players must be free to end game situations exceeding their limits anytime, without explaining or facing judgment.

Establishing the Opt-Out Method:

Before play, establish a wordless, rapid opt-out method:

Each player (including the GM) holds a token, card, or object
When someone raises or presents their token, play stops immediately
No explanation required
No questions asked in the moment

When Someone Opts Out:

Stop immediately - Don't finish the sentence or scene
Take a break - Step away from the table if needed
Private clarification - If the GM needs to understand what boundary was crossed, speak privately and briefly
Focus on boundaries - Discuss what bothered the player and where boundaries exist, not why they feel this way
Respect going forward - Don't cross that boundary again

Alternative Opt-Out Systems:

"X-Card" system where anyone can touch a card marked X
Hand signals (raising closed fist, making T-sign for "time out")
Private messaging systems in virtual play
Code words established in advance

Running Horror Games

The GM's challenge involves transforming games about brave adventurers seeking the unknown into experiences where terror becomes prominent. This isn't solitary work—recruit players as allies. Reach out, encourage, and check in regularly regarding comfort levels. Ensure no limits were crossed.

Core Principles:

Secure consent and buy-in from players
Learn what scares them and respect their boundaries
Ask if they'll engage with specific horror elements
Help facilitate their willingness to be frightened
Remember to scare yourself too—share what fascinates you before playing

Personal and Impersonal Horror

When creating menaces, the personal proves scarier than the impersonal. Focus on aspects hooked into PC or player stories, whichever needs frightening. Set sights on fears mentioned during group discussions. Invest time pondering those fears, finding menaces within metaphor.

Animals:

Many explore animal fears—wild dogs, spiders, sharks. But what specifically causes fear?

Dogs: Are they scary because they're feral versions of beloved pets? What do PCs cherish that can twist into ferality?
Spiders: Do they terrify through movement patterns or omnipresent lurking potential? Focus on that specific element.
Sharks: Do they frighten through unseen movement and sudden striking? Make predators invisible until they attack.

Tap these specific fears rather than just using monstrous versions.

Infection:

Horror draws from infection wells—undead hordes, lycanthropic bites, pandemics, parasites. Affliction and corruption rules cover post-infection states, but uncovering fear's nature remains your responsibility:

Does vulnerability to the unseen create fear?
Does agency loss over body or health frighten?
Could apocalyptic civilization-fate fears apply?
Does infection breed fear of losing your essential self?

Invasion:

Horror and sci-fi overlap in invasion tales—military devastation, insidious infiltration through shapeshifting or domination, harvesters disguised as ambassadors, beings treating other species trivially. Dig into manifest fears:

Does cultural identity loss terrify?
Could primal prey-becoming fears apply?
Does terror of familiar people betraying you resonate?

Real and Unreal Balance

Balancing real and unreal elements proves crucial. Unreal elements permit distancing from horror while producing wonder, offering reprieve. However, excessive unreality overwhelms horror with mere spectacle.

Mundane elements anchor us, even when twisted unnaturally. Consider this progression:

Unreal example:

"A giant pillar composed of fleshy faces twists, towering over barren plains beneath twin suns."

Real anchor version:

"Your companion leans forward toward the pillar, head cocked. He looks back, furrowed-browed, saying 'Don't you hear it? They're whispering our names.'"

The second version adds human reaction and personal connection, making the horror immediate and relatable.

Balancing Approach:

When preparing adventures, balance unreal emphasis against real-anchor emphasis
In play, if adjustments are needed, ask whether current situations lean unreal or real
Push narratively opposite to restore balance

Reason and Perception

PCs rely on reason and perception to parse possibility into motivations. Shaking PCs from this paradigm into repulsive or frightening ones creates compelling material. PCs unable to trust senses or how minds interpret those senses suffer intense anxiety.

Perception Rewiring:

Perceptions can be rewired through:

Drugs and toxins affecting sensory input
Traumatic experiences altering interpretation
Subliminal messages or psychological manipulation
Technology interfacing directly with brains
Magic affecting thought patterns

Menaces can hide beneath these alterations or lurk plainly within false sensory inputs—fruitful horror grounds requiring no mental-illness stigmatization.

Important Guidance:

Don't describe PCs "losing sanity"
Focus on perception shifts and actual thought-pattern changes
Emphasize what's genuinely happening from an external perspective
Use phantasm mechanics where characters experience things that aren't accurate
Forewarn players that not everything seems real in horror campaigns
Some truths hide; some falsehoods seem true

Unknown and Known

Tension exists in all adventures, found most at critical moments—before unknown becomes known. Your task: draw out tension by sowing doubt and anxiety about outcomes. This balancing act between hope and despair requires precision; shifting too far either way eliminates doubt.

The Unknown:

Hide the horror's truth—the mystery to solve. Not all horror needs mystery, but it classically builds tension.

Hide the true menace by showing aftermath:

"Globules of blood and viscera float in microgravity. Everything else remains pristine."

Or show prelude:

"Countless city people stop, turning to stare at one distant point. An inhuman scream thunders from that direction. Then people walk toward it."

Causes remain indiscernible. Let PCs chase, uncover clues, discover red herrings, develop theories. Don't position true menaces for premature forced confrontation.

The Known:

Great tension emerges from the known. Horror manifests when truth is plain and looks dire:

"Deeper into asteroid mines, other survivors huddle at their own barricade. Infected creep into the intersection between barriers, then more... and more."

Players understand stakes. Show them ghastly challenges. Prepare for Pyrrhic victories. Often tension hinges on PCs unable to save everyone, potentially deciding who survives and who faces horrendous fates.

Isolation and Betrayal

Common horror themes involve social-safeguard losses through:

Severed communication systems
Blocked safety routes and escape paths
Inappropriate behavior from safety-maintaining figures
Authorities who can't be reached or respond inadequately
Organizations with agendas making them dangerous as the menaces themselves

Example Implementation:

Is the pathogen the real danger, or the doctor secretly infecting colonists for tests? Arriving Stewards helping against mind-controlling symbiotes quickly fall victim because one was already controlled.

Starfinder PCs rarely rely on authorities, but horror games should block these rare appeals. Find ways authorities become unavailable, ineffective, or part of the threat.

Death and Rebirth

Death occurs more frequently in horror than typical games. How groups handle this requires clarity from the start. Establish expectations about PC death likelihood and treatment before play. Forewarning helps players buy in.

Resurrection Options:

When PCs die, normal resurrection methods work. However, science-fantasy-horror intersections offer alternatives:

Weird science reanimation with side effects
Sinister sorceries with dark prices
Dark pacts with malevolent entities
Spontaneous reanimation as undead or similar
Consciousness transfer to new bodies (clones, androids, uploaded minds)

Critical Questions to Answer:

What ghastly PC revivification options exist in your setting?
What horrific prices accompany using those options?

These answers should be established before play so players understand the stakes and costs of character death.

Sandbox Subgenre Frameworks

Source: SF1E Galaxy Exploration Manual 2.6 (https://aonsrd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=1804)

These frameworks adapt the core game for specific subgenres, providing guidance on setting attributes, character roles, and thematic elements. Each framework includes recommendations for technology levels, magic prevalence, accord (social stability), religion, and alignment trends.

Cyberpunk

Core Elements: Urban decay, hacker protagonists, soulless corporations, information as power, digital universe danger. Cyberpunk recognizes futures where privilege increases inequality—some experience the technological future while others remain forgotten.

Setting Characteristics

Locations:

Urban biomes dominate (sprawling megacities, corporate arcologies, undercity slums)
Occasional eccentric locations (billionaire villas, orbital mansions, isolated data havens)
The digital realm (cyberspace, virtual reality networks, corporate databases)

Technology and Magic:

High technology with low accessibility for ordinary people
Cutting-edge cybernetics and biotech available to wealthy or criminals
Low or absent magic (though urban fantasy crossovers add spellcasters)
Corporate control of innovation and patents

Society:

Corporations replace governments; accord is low
Mega-corporations control districts, security, and law enforcement
Economic inequality divides society
Chaotic antiheroes opposing lawful evil tech billionaires

Character Roles

Key Classes:

Mechanics and Technomancers: Access the digital realm, hack corporate systems, maintain illegal tech
Biohackers: Install cybernetic and biotech augmentations, often operating illegal clinics
Operatives: Mercenary soldiers and assassins serving corporate contracts or running in the shadows
Envoys: Corporate negotiators, fixers who broker deals between shadowrunners and clients

Thematic Focus: The relationship between the human body and machines through augmentations. Consider allowing characters to exceed normal augmentation limits in these settings, with potential consequences (cyberpsychosis, corporate tracking, rejection syndromes).

Campaign Themes

Corporate espionage and data theft
Rebellion against mega-corporations
Uncovering conspiracies in digital networks
Surviving in the undercity while pursued by corporate security
Transhumanist questions about identity and consciousness

Hard Science Fiction

Core Elements: Realism and accurate science; everything plausible according to understood physics (with possible exceptions like FTL travel requiring justification). Settings emphasize the harsh realities of space and focus on Earth and nearby planets.

Setting Characteristics

Locations:

Real solar system locations (Mars deserts, Europa ice fields, Io volcanoes, Jupiter storms, asteroid belts)
Near-future Earth (orbital stations, lunar colonies, research outposts)
Generation ships or slow-boat colony vessels
Realistic space travel constraints (no FTL, or limited/expensive FTL)

Technology and Magic:

High or medium technology extrapolated from current science
No magic; replaced by drones, projectile weapons, AI, pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering
Environmental threats (vacuum, radiation, temperature extremes) pose serious dangers
Fuel and life support become critical resources

Society:

Variable accord and religion depending on conflict emphasis
Corporate or government-controlled space infrastructure
Scientific realism grounds all technological capabilities
Ethical questions about genetic engineering, AI rights, and transhumanism

Character Roles

Key Classes:

Envoys: Represent planetary governments, corporations, or diplomatic missions
Operatives: Fly independent spacecraft with mechanic copilots, serving as scouts or troubleshooters
Mechanics: Essential for maintaining life support and propulsion systems
Soldiers: Security personnel for stations, ships, or colonies

Species Considerations: Alien Archive species may be replaced with genetically engineered humans, uplifted animals, or AI constructs to maintain hard SF realism.

Campaign Themes

Realistic space exploration and colonization
Scientific mysteries requiring investigation
Resource scarcity and survival in hostile environments
Corporate or national competition for space resources
First contact scenarios with realistic alien biology

GM Opportunity: Research actual science topics to ground settings, speculating on future developments while acknowledging that scientific knowledge constantly evolves.

Military

Core Elements: PCs serve as military unit members on galactic missions. They might be mercenaries in border wars, civil war participants, or interplanetary defense forces against invasion.

Setting Characteristics

Locations:

Military bases (from listening posts to large installations)
Active combat zones (very low accord)
Occupied territories and contested borders
Battlefield environments across diverse biomes

Society:

High accord except in active combat zones (very low accord)
Lawful structure; alignment could be good, neutral, or evil
Clear opposition and obvious stakes
Every class has military roles, especially with medium/high magic

Command Structure:

PCs often receive orders from superiors
Authority increases with level/promotion through ranks
Leadership system mechanics for military forces under PC command

Character Roles

All Classes Have Military Roles:

Soldiers: Obvious frontline combatants
Operatives: Special forces, reconnaissance, infiltration
Mechanics: Combat engineers, vehicle maintenance, fortification construction
Technomancers: Electronic warfare, communications, countermeasures
Mystics: Battlefield medics, chaplains, psychological operations
Envoys: Officers, diplomats, morale officers

Campaign Structure

Military campaigns often follow invasion/war timelines:

Unexpected Enemy Appearance: Early enemy victories, PCs engage in desperate holding actions
Retreat Phase: Additional losses, introduction of new enemy capabilities or commanders
Rally Stage: Recruiting allies, gathering intelligence, weakening enemy strength
Desperate Gambit: Enemy final offensive or PC-led counterattack to end the war

Key Development: Invest effort in enemy forces, including:

Recognizable enemy commanders PCs "love to hate"
Diverse enemy forces with different capabilities
Enemy tactics that evolve as PCs defeat them
Moral complexity in enemy motivations

Preparation: Generate various enemy creatures and colorful commander antagonists. Use leadership system mechanics for military forces under PC command.

Space Western

Core Elements: Mysterious gunslingers, rival gangs, frontier mining rushes, settlement defense against corporations, bandits, and creatures. Blends western and space opera genres with frontier themes.

Setting Characteristics

Frontier Emphasis:

Small pockets of safety, security, and law surrounded by expanses of chaotic wilderness
Multiple biomes (desert planets, mountain worlds, snowy peaks, canyon systems)
Mining camps, humble farms, boom towns (use settlement generation tools)
Low accord with high religion (faith as salvation organizing principle)

Technology:

Low magic; technology mixes archaic and modern (black powder and rust with lasers and androids)
Anachronistic technology blend creates distinctive aesthetic
Technology reliability varies in harsh frontier conditions

Society:

Diverse antagonists: greedy corporations, cruel mine bosses, rowdy raiders, organized-crime gangs, monstrous creatures
Frontier law: sheriffs, bounty hunters, vigilante justice
Civilians threaten to expel heroes once current problems resolve (classic western trope)
Emphasis on self-reliance and community defense

Character Roles

Common Character Types:

Soldiers: Most common; veterans from past wars, gunslingers, lawmen
Envoys: Sheriffs, negotiators, town leaders
Operatives: Bounty hunters, scouts, wilderness guides
Mechanics: Maintains critical frontier technology

Magic Considerations: Magic viewed as mysterious and dangerous; mystics and technomancers treated with suspicion or awe.

Environmental Diversity

Create variety through:

Multiple biomes within the frontier region
Mining operations in different terrains
Settlements at different development stages (ghost towns, boom towns, established settlements)
Wilderness emphasizing biome variety

Campaign Themes

Defending settlements against threats
Bounty hunting across frontier worlds
Mining rush competition and claim disputes
Gang warfare and organized crime
Corporate exploitation of frontier worlds
Exploration of uncharted territories

Critical Consideration: The western genre has traditionally been home to many harmful tropes, none of which have a place in Starfinder. Use the science fantasy setting to transcend stereotypes. Create diverse casts, avoid appropriation of real-world cultures, and focus on universal themes of frontier life rather than reproducing historical injustices.

Horror (Subgenre Framework)

Core Elements: Existential threats, body horror, cosmic entities, psychological terror, and survival against overwhelming odds. This framework combines horror campaign guidance with sandbox exploration.

Setting Characteristics

Locations:

Isolated facilities (research stations, abandoned ships, remote colonies)
Corrupted environments (plague worlds, haunted locations, dimensional rifts)
Urban horror (cities with dark secrets, corporate horror)
Cosmic horror sites (ancient alien ruins, reality-thin zones)

Technology and Magic:

Variable based on horror type selected
Technology may fail at critical moments
Magic might attract unwanted attention or have terrible costs
Knowledge itself becomes dangerous

Society:

Accord varies; isolation and betrayal common themes
Authority figures absent, inadequate, or corrupt
Communication breakdowns prevent calling for help
Social bonds tested by horror's presence

Character Roles

All Classes Face Horror:

Mystics: May understand cosmic threats but risk madness
Technomancers: Digital horrors and AI threats
Biohackers: Body horror, disease, parasites
Soldiers: Combat often ineffective against true horror
Operatives: Stealth and escape become primary survival tools

Player/Character Relationship: Determine whether players, characters, or both should feel fear. See full Horror Campaigns section above for detailed guidance.

Campaign Structure

Horror sandbox campaigns require:

Safe Haven: Initial base that may become compromised
Expanding Threat: Horror that grows if not confronted
Investigation: Mystery elements uncovering horrible truth
Escalation: Increasing horror intensity with clear boundaries
Consent Framework: Mandatory safety tools and boundary discussions

Integration with Other Frameworks: Horror blends effectively with other subgenres:

Horror + Cyberpunk: AI consciousness, transhumanism gone wrong
Horror + Military: Unit faces unknowable enemy or corruption from within
Horror + Space Western: Frontier town harbors dark secret
Horror + Hard SF: Realistic space horror, alien first contact

Source: PF2E Core Rulebook adaptation for SF2E/PF2E

Social encounters with initiative transform negotiations, interrogations, debates, and high-stakes diplomatic situations into structured turn-based encounters. This system applies when outcomes are uncertain, stakes are high, and time pressure matters.

Use structured social encounters when:

Stakes are high: Negotiations determine war/peace, lives/deaths, or major resource allocation
Opposition is present: NPCs have conflicting goals and actively work against PC interests
Time pressure exists: Limited time before situation changes or opportunities vanish
Multiple parties: Several factions negotiate simultaneously with competing interests
Tension is high: Volatile situations where wrong words trigger violence or disaster

Don't use for: Casual conversations, information gathering from cooperative NPCs, or situations where failure has minimal consequences.

Determining Participants

Identify all participants with stakes in the outcome:

PC negotiators (usually Envoys, but any PC can participate)
NPC decision-makers with authority
Advisors or representatives with influence
Outside parties with interests in the outcome

Rolling Initiative

Participants roll initiative using appropriate skills based on their approach:

Deception: Lying, misleading, creating false impressions
Diplomacy: Honest negotiation, building trust, finding common ground
Intimidation: Threats, shows of force, psychological pressure
Performance: Inspiring speeches, emotional appeals, theatrical presentations

Special Cases:

Society: Recalling cultural protocols, precedents, or legal frameworks
Culture (specific): Understanding cultural nuances of specific species or civilizations
Computers: When negotiating in digital space or through virtual reality (see Hacking section below)

GMs may allow other skills if players justify their relevance.

Setting the Stage

Before the first turn, establish:

Location: Where negotiation occurs (neutral ground, hostile territory, virtual space)
Atmosphere: Tension level, environmental factors, audience presence
Opening Positions: What each side initially demands
Success/Failure Conditions: What outcomes count as success for each side
Influence Points: Starting influence based on prior relationships (typically 0-3)

Basic Actions

Make an Impression (1 action)

Make a Diplomacy check against target's Will DC
Critical Success: Target's attitude improves two steps and you gain 2 Influence Points with them
Success: Target's attitude improves one step and you gain 1 Influence Point
Critical Failure: Target's attitude worsens one step

Request (1 action)

Make a Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Deception check against target's Will DC (modified by request size)
Success: Target complies with reasonable request
Failure: Target refuses; attempting same request again applies -2 circumstance penalty

Feint (1 action)

Make a Deception check against target's Perception DC
Success: Target is off-guard to your next social action this turn

Demoralize (1 action)

Make an Intimidation check against target's Will DC
Success: Target is frightened 1 (frightened 2 on critical success)
Frightened applies penalty to Will DC, making them more vulnerable to your arguments

Aid (1 action or reaction)

Make a skill check against DC 20 to help an ally's social action
Success: Grants ally +1 circumstance bonus
Critical Success: Grants ally +2 circumstance bonus

Present Evidence (1-2 actions)

Present physical evidence, data, or testimony supporting your position
Make a skill check to present evidence effectively (typically Diplomacy or relevant Lore)
Success: Gain +2 circumstance bonus on your next Request or Make an Impression action
Critical Success: Gain +3 circumstance bonus and may immediately attempt Request as free action

Invoke Higher Authority (2 actions)

Invoke law, cultural tradition, religious doctrine, or powerful patron
Make a Society check or relevant Lore check against Will DC
Success: Target must comply with request aligned with authority, or publicly reject that authority
Failure: Target dismisses authority as irrelevant

Call for Support (2 actions)

Rally allies or audience to your side
Make a Performance or Diplomacy check against observers' Will DC
Success: Gain 1 Influence Point with each observer who supports you
Critical Success: Gain 2 Influence Points and observers vocally support you, imposing -2 penalty on opposition's social actions

Make Concession (1 action)

Offer compromise on contested point
No roll required; describe concession
Effect: Gain +4 circumstance bonus on your next Request for a different demand
Limitation: Can't make same concession twice

Break Protocol (free action)

Deliberately violate social conventions or etiquette
Effect: All your social actions take -2 circumstance penalty until encounter ends
Benefit: You can use Intimidation instead of Diplomacy for all actions, and may attempt actions normally unavailable

Reaction Actions

Counter Argument (reaction)

Trigger: An opponent makes social action targeting you or your ally
Make appropriate skill check against opponent's check result
Success: Negate opponent's action effects

Seize Opportunity (reaction)

Trigger: An opponent critically fails a social action
Make a Request or Make an Impression against that opponent as a reaction

Influence and Negotiation Points

Influence Points

Influence Points represent how much a participant trusts or respects you. Track separately for each NPC.

Gaining Influence:

Successful Make an Impression actions
Presenting compelling evidence
Making valuable concessions
Aligning with NPC's values or goals

Using Influence:

Spend 1 Influence Point to gain +1 circumstance bonus on Request
Spend 3 Influence Points to make a significant demand the NPC would normally refuse
Spend 5 Influence Points to fundamentally change NPC's position on major issue

Losing Influence:

Critical failures on social actions lose 1 Influence Point
Lying and being caught loses all Influence Points
Threatening NPC's core values loses 2 Influence Points

Negotiation Points

For complex multi-issue negotiations, track Negotiation Points (NP) representing progress toward resolution.

Setting Total NP: GM determines total NP needed based on complexity:

Simple negotiation (one major issue): 3 NP
Standard negotiation (multiple related issues): 5 NP
Complex negotiation (many issues, multiple parties): 8 NP
Grand negotiation (peace treaties, mega-corporate mergers): 12+ NP

Earning NP:

Successful Request: 1 NP
Critical Success on Request: 2 NP
Making valuable concession: 1 NP (GM's discretion)
Presenting compelling evidence: 1 NP

When NP Total is Reached:

Negotiation concludes with agreement
Terms reflect which side earned more NP and nature of arguments/concessions
PCs achieving 2/3 or more NP get favorable terms
Equal NP split results in compromise
Opposition achieving more NP results in unfavorable terms

Social encounters end when:

Agreement Reached: Negotiation Points total achieved
Violence Erupts: Social encounter transitions to combat encounter
Deadline Expires: Time runs out, negotiations fail
Party Withdraws: One side leaves the table
Attitude Becomes Hostile: NPC attitude drops to hostile, negotiations break down

Consequences of Failure:

Negotiations may be attempted again after cooling-off period
Failed negotiations may have cascade effects (war, economic sanctions, etc.)
NPCs remember how they were treated, affecting future interactions
Some opportunities may be permanently lost

Interrogations

When PCs interrogate prisoners or suspects:

Setup: One or more PCs vs. suspect
Goal: Extract information or confession
Special Actions:
- Good Cop/Bad Cop (2 actions, requires 2 PCs): One PC uses Intimidation to Demoralize while another uses Diplomacy to Make an Impression; both make checks, use better result for each
- Present Evidence of Guilt (2 actions): Show proof of suspect's wrongdoing; success increases suspect's frightened condition by 1
Resolution: Accumulate 3 Negotiation Points to get truthful information, 5 NP for full confession

Debates

Public debates before audiences:

Setup: PC vs. NPC debater before audience
Goal: Sway audience opinion
Special Mechanic: Track audience support separately; audience starts neutral
Actions: Call for Support action becomes critical
Resolution: Side with more audience support at end wins debate

High-Stakes Bluffs

When lying in critical situations:

Setup: PC attempting major deception
Challenge: Opposition uses Sense Motive actions to detect lies
Special Rule: Each lie told increases DC of subsequent Deception checks by 2 (cumulative)
Consequence: If lie is detected, lose all Influence Points and may trigger hostile response

Digital Negotiations

Negotiations in virtual reality or through digital interfaces:

Initiative: Can use Computers instead of social skills
Special Actions: Digital environment allows new actions (see Hacking section below)
Environmental Factor: Digital space may be controlled by one party, granting them bonuses
Risk: Failed Computers checks may expose data or allow hacking attempts

Computers Skill and Hacking

Adaptation Note: This section adapts SF1E Computers skill for PF2E-style social encounter framework, treating hacking as a form of social/technical attack.

Computers Skill Overview

Key Ability: Intelligence Untrained: Can attempt basic computer use Trained Required for: Hacking, creating complex programs, detecting intrusion Expert Required for: Bypassing advanced security, counter-hacking Master Required for: Infiltrating corporate mainframes, AI systems Legendary Required for: Hacking galactic-level systems, sentient AI negotiations

Computer Uses

Access System (1-3 actions, varies by complexity)

Attempt to gain access to a computer system without authorization.

Basic Access (Untrained):

Simple personal devices: DC 15
Unsecured terminals: DC 18

Hack System (Trained):

Standard security: DC 20
Good security: DC 25
Exceptional security: DC 30
Corporate/Military grade: DC 35+

Time Required:

1 action for already-logged-in systems
2 actions for standard security
3 actions for advanced security
May require extended downtime for elaborate intrusion attempts

Consequences of Failure:

Failure: Can't access system; can retry with +5 DC
Critical Failure: Trigger security alert; system administrator notified

Detect Intrusion (1 action, reaction)

Trigger: Someone attempts to hack a system you're monitoring

Make a Computers check against the intruder's Computers DC.

Success: You detect the intrusion attempt and can attempt to counter-hack
Critical Success: You detect intrusion and learn intruder's physical or digital location

Create or Detect Backdoor (2 actions)

After accessing a system, create a hidden backdoor for future access, or search for existing backdoors.

Create Backdoor:

Make a Computers check against system's security DC
Success: Create backdoor allowing future access without checks
Critical Success: Backdoor is extremely well-hidden, increasing detection DC by +5
Duration: Backdoor lasts until system is thoroughly audited or upgraded

Detect Backdoor:

Make a Computers check against hacker's Computers DC + 5
Success: Discover and remove backdoor

Manipulate Data (1-3 actions)

Once inside a system, alter, delete, or copy data.

Copy Data (1 action):

Make a Computers check against DC 15
Success: Copy desired data
Failure: Data is corrupted or incomplete

Alter Data (2 actions):

Make a Computers check against system's security DC
Success: Make convincing alterations
Critical Success: Alterations are undetectable without Master-level forensic analysis
Failure: Alterations are obviously fake
Critical Failure: Trigger audit trail revealing your intrusion

Delete Data (2 actions):

Make a Computers check against system's security DC -5 (easier to destroy than create)
Success: Data is deleted
Critical Success: Data is irrecoverably destroyed, even from backups
Failure: Data remains or is only partially deleted

Crash System (3 actions)

Overload or sabotage a computer system to render it inoperable.

Make a Computers check against system's security DC + 5
Critical Success: System crashes immediately and requires 1d4 hours to restore
Success: System becomes erratic, imposing -2 penalty on all checks using it
Failure: System remains functional
Critical Failure: Your intrusion is detected and traced

Control Device (1-2 actions)

After accessing a system, control connected devices (doors, cameras, life support, weapons).

Make a Computers check against device's security DC
Success: Issue one command to device
Critical Success: Take full control, can issue commands as free actions for 1 minute
Failure: Device doesn't respond
Critical Failure: Device alerts security or locks down

In high-stakes scenarios, hacking can be treated as a social encounter action when targeting systems while opposing forces try to stop you.

Initiative: Roll Computers for initiative in cyberspace confrontations

Hacking Actions in Social Encounters:

Digital Assault (1-2 actions)

Make a Computers check against target system's security DC
Success: Gain 1 Negotiation Point toward accessing system (typically 3 NP needed)
Critical Success: Gain 2 Negotiation Points
Failure: No progress
Critical Failure: Trigger countermeasures; take mental damage equal to system level × 2

Deploy Icebreaker Program (2 actions)

Make a Computers check against DC 25
Success: Reduce target system's security DC by 5 for your next Digital Assault
Critical Success: Reduce by 10

Trace Target (2 actions)

Make a Computers check against opposing hacker's Computers DC
Success: Discover opposing hacker's physical or digital location
Critical Success: Also learn their identity and current system access level

Defensive Firewall (1 action)

Make a Computers check DC 20
Success: Gain +2 circumstance bonus to defend against incoming Digital Assaults until your next turn

System Lockout (3 actions)

Make a Computers check against target system's security DC + 10
Success: Lock opposing hacker out of system for 1d4 rounds
Critical Success: Lock them out for encounter duration

Counter-Hacking (reaction)

Trigger: An opponent attempts to hack a system you control or are defending

Make a Computers check against opponent's check result.

Success: Negate opponent's hack attempt
Critical Success: Negate attempt and impose -2 penalty on opponent's next Computers check

Security Levels and DCs

Security Level	DC	Examples
Minimal	15	Personal commlinks, civilian terminals
Basic	20	Small business systems, residential locks
Average	25	Corporate workstations, secured doors
Good	30	Financial institutions, research labs
Excellent	35	Military installations, corporate HQ
Masterful	40	Intelligence agencies, AI core systems
Legendary	45+	Galactic government, ancient alien tech

Modifiers:

System administrator actively monitoring: +5
Outdated or poorly maintained: -2
Recently upgraded: +2
Multiple redundant security layers: +5
Isolated from networks (air-gapped): +10 or impossible

AI and Sentient System Negotiations

When hacking sentient AI or highly advanced systems, use full social encounter rules with Computers checks replacing traditional social skills.

AI System Actions:

Digital Intimidation: AI threatens data destruction, reports to authorities, or locks user into virtual environment
Bargain: AI offers information exchange or conditional access
Test: AI poses riddles, logic puzzles, or ethical dilemmas that must be solved

Success: Depends on influence built with AI; may require combination of Computers and social skills

Electronic Eavesdropping

Electronic surveillance and counter-surveillance form critical elements of espionage, investigations, and information warfare.

Eavesdropping Devices

Device Types and Capabilities

Audio Bugs

Concealed Microphone: Simple audio recording; DC 20 Perception to spot
Laser Microphone: Reads vibrations from windows/surfaces; no physical device to find
Subvocal Sensors: Detects throat movements for whispered conversations; DC 25 Perception
Omnidirectional Array: Records all conversations in room; DC 15 Perception (larger)

Visual Surveillance

Microcamera: Tiny video camera; DC 25 Perception to spot
Holographic Lens: Records 3D images; DC 22 Perception
Thermal Imaging: Detects heat signatures through walls; no line of sight needed
Drone Surveillance: Flying camera with AI; Perception check with +4 circumstance bonus to spot

Data Interception

Network Tap: Intercepts data transmissions; DC 30 Computers to detect
Quantum Entanglement Listener: Intercepts quantum-encrypted communications; DC 40 Computers
Infosphere Monitor: Tracks all digital activity in area; DC 35 Computers

Biometric Scanners

DNA Sniffer: Collects genetic material; DC 28 Perception
Retinal Tracker: Logs all individuals entering area; DC 20 Perception
Behavioral Analysis AI: Analyzes movement patterns and identifies individuals

Device Quality and Detection

Device Quality	Perception DC to Detect	Cost Modifier	Computers DC to Disable
Cheap	15	×0.5	20
Standard	20	×1	25
Professional	25	×5	30
Military Grade	30	×25	35
Intelligence Agency	35	×100	40
Experimental	40	×500	45

Planting Surveillance Devices

Plant Device (1 minute to 1 hour)

Make a Stealth check to place device without being noticed, and optionally a Crafting or Engineering check to conceal it within existing infrastructure.

Placement Check:

Critical Success: Device is perfectly concealed; increase Detection DC by +5
Success: Device is placed as normal
Failure: Device is poorly placed; reduce Detection DC by -5
Critical Failure: Device is obviously visible or triggers security alerts

Optimal Placement Locations:

Communication hubs for data interception
Private offices or meeting rooms for audio/visual
Ventilation systems for mobile sensors
Personal belongings for targeted surveillance
Public spaces with power sources for long-term monitoring

Detecting Surveillance

Sweep for Devices (10 minutes per room)

Active Sweep:

Make a Perception check to physically search for devices
Make a Computers check to scan for electronic signatures
Use both checks; either success reveals devices

Electronic Counter-Surveillance:

Specialized equipment grants +2 to +5 circumstance bonus
RF scanners detect wireless transmissions
Thermal cameras reveal power sources
Spectrum analyzers identify unusual electromagnetic activity

Passive Awareness:

PCs with Master in Perception may automatically detect poorly-placed devices (DC 20 or lower)
Paranoid NPCs regularly sweep their spaces
High-security areas have automated detection systems

Counter-Surveillance Equipment

Bug Detector

Grants +2 circumstance bonus to detect audio/visual devices
Automatically detects transmitting devices within 30 feet (no check required)

Signal Jammer

Prevents wireless devices from transmitting within 60 feet
Obvious to anyone with electronics; may alert surveillance operators

White Noise Generator

Prevents audio surveillance; DC 30 to overcome
Doesn't prevent laser microphones reading vibrations

Faraday Enclosure

Room or container that blocks all electromagnetic signals
Prevents remote surveillance but also blocks communication devices

Counter-Intrusion Software

Detects network taps automatically (Computers check with +5 bonus)
Alerts administrator to attempted data interception

Using Surveillance Intelligence

Gathering Information (Downtime Activity)

After planting surveillance devices, PCs gather information over time.

Information Quality:

1 day of surveillance: Basic information about target's routine
1 week of surveillance: Detailed information about contacts and activities
1 month of surveillance: Comprehensive intelligence including secrets

Computers Check to Analyze:

DC 15: Identify basic patterns
DC 20: Discover important meetings or contacts
DC 25: Uncover secrets or hidden activities
DC 30: Predict target's future actions
DC 35+: Discover deep cover or well-hidden information

Leverage Surveillance (2 actions)

Reveal information gathered through surveillance to target
Make an Intimidation check against target's Will DC
Success: Gain 2 Influence Points and target is frightened 1
Critical Success: Gain 3 Influence Points and target is frightened 2
Note: Only works once per piece of information; targets become wary after

Present Evidence from Surveillance (2 actions)

Play back recorded conversations or show video evidence
Grants +4 circumstance bonus to your next Request or Make an Impression
Can be used as Present Evidence action in social encounters

Counter-Intelligence Operations

Feeding False Information

Once PCs detect surveillance on themselves, they can exploit it:

Plant Misinformation (1 hour)

Stage conversations or activities while knowing surveillance is active
Make a Deception check against opposition's Perception DC
Success: Opposition believes false information
Critical Success: Opposition acts on false information in ways beneficial to PCs
Failure: Opposition suspects misinformation
Critical Failure: Opposition knows information is false and gains insight into PC plans

Double Agent Communications

Use compromised communication channels to:

Feed false intelligence to enemy organizations
Identify who is monitoring communications
Create false trails leading away from actual operations
Coordinate with allies while enemy thinks they know your plans

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Legality varies by jurisdiction:

Pact Worlds Core: Strict privacy laws; unauthorized surveillance is illegal
Corporate Worlds: Corporations monitor employees; minimal privacy expectations
Frontier Worlds: Few laws; surveillance common but retaliation expected
Military Zones: All communications monitored; no privacy expectations

Ethical Questions for Players:

Is surveillance justified for investigation or security?
How much privacy should individuals expect in public spaces?
What are limits on surveillance in personal relationships?
Should AI be allowed to analyze surveillance data without human oversight?

GM Guidance: Surveillance creates moral gray areas. Allow players to make choices and face consequences—both positive (gathering critical intelligence) and negative (violating trust, legal repercussions).

Campaign Integration Guidelines

Combining Frameworks

These frameworks can be layered for rich campaign experiences:

Mystery + Horror + Cyberpunk

Investigate serial murders in corporate megacity
Victims have experimental neural implants
Trail leads to rogue AI conducting experiments
Social encounters with corporate executives who may be complicit
Hacking into databases reveals horrible truth
Horror elements: body horror (implants), psychological (AI manipulation)

Military + Space Western + Social Initiative

Mercenary unit defends frontier colony
Negotiating with local government, corporate interests, and native species
High-stakes social encounters determine alliance structures
Combat missions interspersed with diplomatic negotiations
Western themes: frontier law, self-reliance, corporate exploitation

Hard SF + Mystery + Electronic Eavesdropping

Realistic space station murder mystery
Limited suspects in closed environment
Surveillance devices crucial for gathering evidence
Social encounters during investigation interviews
Hard SF constraints make investigation challenging (no magic solutions)

Pacing and Structure

Session Structure for Combined Elements:

Investigation Phase: Mystery elements, gathering clues, surveillance
Social Phase: High-stakes negotiations using social initiative
Action Phase: Combat or other challenges based on investigation outcomes
Reflection Phase: Horror elements, consequences, character development

Campaign Arc Structure:

Act 1: Establish setting, introduce mystery or conflict, build relationships
Act 2: Escalate complications, reveal deeper conspiracies, social/combat challenges
Act 3: Climactic confrontations (social and combat), resolution, consequences

GM Preparation Checklist

For Mystery Adventures:

Create relationship map with victim and suspects
Establish means, motive, and opportunity for each suspect
Design at least three ways to discover each crucial clue
Prepare confession or climactic revelation

For Horror Campaigns:

Conduct Session Zero with consent discussion (Why? What's Out? What's Scary?)
Establish opt-out mechanism (X-Card or equivalent)
Determine if PCs are witnesses, victims, or both
Balance personal/impersonal and real/unreal horror elements

For Social Encounters:

Identify all participants with stakes in outcome
Set initial Influence Points based on prior relationships
Determine total Negotiation Points needed
Define success/failure conditions for each side
Prepare NPC goals and red lines they won't cross

For Hacking/Surveillance:

Establish security levels for important systems
Determine what information is available through surveillance
Decide on legal/ethical framework for surveillance in setting
Prepare consequences for detected intrusions

For Subgenre Frameworks:

Choose primary subgenre and determine technology/magic/accord levels
Identify which character classes are common vs. rare
Create setting details that reinforce subgenre themes
Prepare subgenre-appropriate challenges and adversaries

Conclusion

These campaign frameworks provide versatile tools for creating diverse adventures within the SF2E/PF2E system. By combining mystery investigation structures, horror's emotional intensity, subgenre-specific atmospheres, and tactical social encounters, GMs can craft campaigns that engage players on multiple levels—intellectually through mysteries, emotionally through horror, strategically through social negotiation, and tactically through technical challenges.

Remember the core principles:

Player agency drives sandbox exploration
Consent and communication enable horror safely
Multiple paths ensure mysteries remain engaging
Tactical depth makes social encounters meaningful
Technical challenges reward specialized skills

Adapt these frameworks to your table's preferences, always prioritizing player enjoyment and safety over rigid adherence to any particular structure.

Document Version: 1.0 Last Updated: 2026-01-14 Compatibility: SF2E/PF2E FoundryVTT Module