Below are all the introductory text, rules, and Combat Tricks I have done to-date for Starfinder First Edition, compiled and lightly edited. This is updated as I writer more of them. Links to many other Starfinder First Edition articles can be found at the Paying-Patreon Exclusive Starfinder First Edition Index.

I've been running Starfinder First Edition games, in one form or another, for years now. One of the most common issues I hear players have is that characters without spells or built-in spell-like or supernatural abilities just don't have enough options. This complaint isn't as loud as it has been in the nearly-2-decades I've been running the precursor fantasy RPG rules, but they are present, consistent, widespread, and backed up with real in-game examples, including over multiple campaigns that lasted years.

It is, in fact, the second most-common issue players in multiple regions, of multiple ages, experience levels, and playstyles have for Starfinder First Edition. It's especially true at low levels and, surprisingly, at high levels. (Mid-level combatant characters seem to be pretty happy with their expansion of options that come from getting new gear, but that satisfaction runs low when you begin to reach upper levels.)

And it's not (entirely) about effectiveness. Several players find they have one optimized go-to option, especially in combat, and find that... boring. And, honestly, as a GM, boring combat is one of my great fears. Now there is a lot a GM can do to make combat more dynamic and interesting: mixed-capacity foes, victory conditions beyond dropping enemies, varied and/or shifting terrain, and so on. But those elements work best of PCs have multiple effective options to pick from when responding to those changing or unusual conditions.

And when I get GammaFinders off the ground, I suspect that issue will be multiplied.

One of the things presented as an optional set of rules in the fantasy precursor to the Starfinder First Edition rules is Combat Tricks, a set of options that expand with the number of combat feats a character has. That feels like it might be a solution to this issue, but it would take someone with a LOT of experience with both game systems to graft Combat Tricks onto the science-fantasy ruleset.

Luckily, I am that someone.

Combat Tricks

Combat tricks are special abilities you gain with the Combat Stamina feat that allow you to spend Stamina Points or Vitality Points to modify how a feat works or gain a special benefit.

(A soldier switches to melee to use the Combat Trick for Coordinated Shot to boost his ally's chances of hitting a particularly tough foe. Art by Digital Storm.)

Gaining Combat Tricks

Access to Combat Tricks is gained through the Combat Stamina feat. Soldiers gain Combat Stamina as a bonus feat at 1st level, but cannot use Stamina Points gained from levels in other classes to fuel their tricks. Their Stamina Point cost remains based on their full character level, which means high-level characters with a single Soldier level might well have tricks they can only activate by spending a Vitality Point. A multiclass Soldier can choose to select the Combat Stamina feat despite already having it as a bonus feat, in which case they can use their full Stamina Point total to fuel Combat Tricks.

Combat Stamina (Combat)You stop at nothing to drive your attack home.Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1.Benefit: You gain access to the Combat Trick benefits of those combat feats you know that have Combat Tricks associated with them.Combat Trick (Cost--High): After you make an attack roll, but before the attack's results are revealed, you can perform this Combat Trick to reroll your attack roll, using all the same modifiers. You use the better result of your original attack roll or this new attack roll.

Using Combat Tricks

Once you have the Combat Stamina feat, most Combat Feat you have grant you the ability to perform an associated Combat Trick. (Proficiency feats do not have COmbat Tricks.) Unless otherwise specified, you can only perform a Combat Trick when you make an attack that requires an attack roll, but you can perform it along with any such attack. Performing a Combat Trick requires you to fuel the trick with Stamina Points or Vitality Points (see Combat Trick Use Costs, below).

The specific effects of each Combat Trick (and its cost in Stamina Points) are dictated by the related combat feats. Spending Stamina Points or Vitality Points in this way is not an action, but you can't do so if you are unconscious, fatigued, or exhausted. You can use as many Combat Tricks on the same action or attack as you like (as long as you can pay its cost), but you can't use the same Combat Trick twice within its scope. For instance, if you have a Combat Trick that affects a single attack, you can't use that Combat Trick more than once on the same attack.

Combat Trick Use Costs

Using a Combat Trick represents putting significant extra exertion into an attack or other effort in a way you can't maintain forever. As a result, you normally spend Stamina Points to fuel the use of a Combat Trick, and that cost is based on your character level. Combat Tricks list their Stamina Point cost as Low, Moderate, High, or None. A Combat Trick with a Low cost requires you to spend 1/2 a Stamina Point per character level (minimum 1 SP), a Moderate Cost requires you to spend 1 Stamina Point per level, and a High Cost requires you to spend 2 Stamina Points per level.

Alternatively, for Combat Tricks with a cost of Low, Moderate, or High. you can spend 1 Vitality Point to perform the Combat Trick without spending any Stamina Points. Doing so must still follow all the normal rules for using combat tricks.

Combat Tricks with a cost of None work slightly differently. You don't have to spend Stamina Points to use these Combat Tricks, but they do have some other requirement listed (such as not being out of Stamina Points). You must meet this requirement and cannot use the Combat Trick without doing so, not even by expending a Vitality Point.

Combat Tricks By Feat

Obviously, in the long run you'd want nearly all combat feats to have associated Combat Tricks, but let's start with the combat feats in the core rulebook. Here are the Combat Tricks for the first 42 non-proficiency combat feats from that book.

Above and BelowCombat Trick (Cost: Low): Perform this Combat Trick after rolling damage, to allow you to reroll all damage dice with a result of 1. Each die can only be rerolled once.

Adaptive FightingCombat Trick (Cost--Low): Perform this Combat Trick to extend by one minute the duration for which you gain the benefit of a feat you have selected with Adaptive Fighting.

Add LeverageCombat Trick (Cost: Low): Perform this trick while using the Add Leverage feat to move your target an additional 5 feet.

Advanced WarningCombat Trick (Cost: High): When using Advanced Warning you can perform this trick to either use that feat even when you are flat-footed (in which case you remain flat-footed even after using the feat), or to use that feat as part of another action (rather than as a swift action).Special: You perform this Combat Trick either as a swift action or as part of any one other action (rather than as part of an attack).

Amplified GlitchCombat Trick (Cost--High): Perform this trick to use Amplified Glitch to create new, surprising noises that creatures you have targeted with the Amplified Glitch feat in the past 24 hours are not immune to.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a standard action (rather than as part of an attack), which counts as the standard action required to use Amplified Glitch.

BarricadeCombat Trick (Cost--High): Perform this trick to use Barricade a second time in an area you have already used Barricade, without that area having to be particularly crowded.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a move action (rather than as part of an attack), which counts as the move action required to use Barricade.

Blind-FightCombat Trick (Cost--Moderate): When you hit the AC of a creature that benefits from concealment, you can perform this Combat Trick to ignore that creature's concealment until the end of your next turn.

BodyguardCombat Trick (Cost--Low): Perform this trick to increase the AC you grant with one use of the Bodyguard feat to +4.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a reaction (rather than as part of an attack), which counts as the reaction required to use Bodyguard.

CleaveCombat Trick (Cost--Low): Perform this trick to not take the -2 penalty to your AC for using the Cleave feat.

Combat CastingCombat Trick (Cost--High): When you cast a spell, you may perform this Combat Trick to increase the AC you gain from Combat Casting to +4.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as part of the action to cast a spell (rather than as part of an attack).

Coordinated ShotCombat Trick (Cost--Low): You can perform this Combat Trick to allow your allies that gain a bonus to attack from your Coordinated Shot to ignore any other concealment the foe has.

Deadly AimCombat Trick (Cost--Low): Perform this Combat Trick to reduce the penalty you take from Deadly Aim by 1 (minimum penalty -1).

Deflect ProjectileCombat Trick (Cost--Moderate): When your attack roll with Deflect Projectile fails to cause the triggering attack to miss you, you can perform this Combat Trick to make a Boosted Reroll of your attack roll, using the better of the two attack roll results.

Dive For CoverCombat Trick (Cost--Low): When you perform this trick, movement you take using Dive For Cover does not provoke attacks of opportunity.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as part of the Reflex save that triggers Dive For Cover (rather than as part of an attack).

Drag DownCombat Trick (Cost--Low): Perform this trick to gain a +4 bonus to the trip attack allowed by Drag Down.

Far ShotCombat Trick (Cost--Low): When you Perform this trick , you only take a -1 penalty per two full range increments between you and your target.

FleetCombat Trick (Cost--Low): When you perform this trick, all your speeds increase by 10 feet until the beginning of your next turn. This calculation is made after the benefits of the Fleet feat.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as part of movement (rather than as part of an attack).

FusilladeCombat Trick (Cost--Moderate): Perform this trick to only expend a total of 12 rounds of ammunition when you use Fusillade, dividing the ammo expenditure equally among your weapons.

Great CleaveCombat Trick (Cost--Low): When you miss with an attack using Great Cleave, you can perform this Combat Trick to make an attack against an additional legal target of Great Cleave despite missing an attack. You may use this Combat Trick multiple times during the same use of Great Cleave, but only once against each legal target (and no legal target can ever be attacked twice).

Greater FeintCombat Trick (Cost--Low): You may perform this trick to use Bluff to feint in combat as a swift action, but when you do so, the foe is only Flat-Footed against your next attack made against them before the end of your next turn.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as part of the swift action to use Bluff to feint in combat (rather than as part of an attack).

Improved Combat ManeuverCombat Trick (Cost--Low): You can perform this Combat Trick in place of the Combat Trick for Combat Stamina, allowing you to reroll the attack roll for the related combat maneuver at a Low cost, rather than a High cost.

Improved CriticalCombat Trick (Cost--Moderate): You can perform this Combat Trick to apply the critical effect of a successful attack, even when you do not score a critical hit with the attack. The damage is not increased, only the critical effect itself is applied.

Improved FeintCombat Trick (Cost--High): When you make a Bluff check to feint, after you roll but before your failure or success is revealed, you can perform this Combat Trick to gain a Boosted Reroll* for your Bluff check.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as part of the Bluff check to feint in combat (rather than as part of an attack).

Improved InitiativeCombat Trick (Cost--Low): When you roll for initiative, after you roll but before your place in the initiative order is known, you can perform this Combat Trick to gain a Boosted Reroll* for your initiative check.Special: You perform this Combat Trick when you roll for initiative, rather than as part of an attack.

Improved SidestepCombat Trick (Cost--None): As long as you have at least 1 Stamina Point, you can perform this trick to use the Improved Sidestep feat as a free action that you can take during your opponent’s turn.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a free action (rather than as part of an attack).

Improved SidestepCombat Trick (Cost--None): As long as you have at least 1 Stamina Point, you can perform this trick to use the Improved Sidestep feat as a free action that you can take during your opponent’s turn.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a free action (rather than as part of an attack).

Improved Stand StillCombat Trick (Cost--Moderate): If you succeed at the attack roll to use Stand Still, you can perform this Combat Trick so that on its next turn the target's movement rates are halved and it is unable to take a guarded step on its next turn.

Improved Unarmed StrikeCombat Trick (Cost--Moderate): Perform this trick to increase the damage dealt by a single unarmed strike by a value equal to half your base attack bonus.

In Harm's WayCombat Trick (Cost--Low): Perform this trick to reduce the damage from the intercepted attack by an amount equal to your base attack bonus. This does not alter other effects from that attack (such as bleed, poison, etc.), even if the damage is reduced to 0.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a free action whe you use In Harm's Way (rather than as part of an attack).

Kip UpCombat trick (Cost--Low) Once per round you can perform this trick to use Kip Up as a free action.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a free action (rather than as part of an attack).

LungeCombat Trick (Cost--Low): Perform this trick to not take the -2 penalty to your AC for using the Lunge feat.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a free action when you use Lunge (rather than as part of an attack).

MobilityCombat Trick (Cost--Low): Perform this trick as a free action to double the AC bonus granted by the Mobility feat until the start of your next turn.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a free action (rather than as part of an attack).

Multi-Weapon Fighting(Cost--Moderate): Perform this trick to reduce the penalty to attacks made with Multi-Weapon Fighting by an additional 1.

Mystic Strike(Cost--Low): Perform this trick as a swift action to target a creature you hit with a melee or ranged attack with a 0-level spell you know, regardless of range, as long as the creature is otherwise a legal target of the spell.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a swift action (rather than as part of an attack).

Nimble Moves(Cost--Low): You perform this trick as part of movement, so until the beginning of your next turn you can move through an unlimited distance of difficult terrain this round as if it were normal terrain.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as part of movement (rather than as part of an attack).

Opening Volley(Cost--Moderate): Perform this trick to double this feat's bonus to your next melee attack roll against the opponent before the end of your next turn.

Parting Shot(Cost--High): Perform this trick to use this feat, despite already using it since you last Recuperated**.

Penetrating Shot(Cost--Moderate): Perform this trick to add your base attack bonus to the amount you reduce a target's energy resistances and damage reduction for one weapon attack.

Pull the Pin(Cost--High): Perform this Combat Trick to gain a +4 bonus to the attack roll required to use the Pull the Pin feat.

Quick Draw(Cost: None): As long as you have at least 1 Stamina Point, you can perform this tyrick to sheathe a weapon as a swift action.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as part a swift action (rather than as part of an attack).

Reflect Projectiles(Cost--Moderate): Perform this Combat Trick to not take a -4 penalty on the attack roll to use this feat.

Shot on the RunCombat Trick (Cost--High): Perform this Combat Trick to use this feat as a standard action instead of a full-round action.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as part of a standard action (rather than as part of an attack).

(A soldier prepares to run from cover to cover, making a Shot on the Run attack as she does so. Art by warmtail.)

SidestepCombat Trick (Cost--Low): When this feat lets you move, you can perfrom this trick to move 10 feet instead of 5. You must still remain in your opponent’s threatened area. You still lose your guarded step or 5 feet of movement on your next turn—the movement lost doesn’t increase to 10 feet.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as part of the movement of Sidestep (rather than as part of an attack).

Slippery ShooterCombat Trick (Cost--High): Perform this Combat Trick to double the AC bonus granted by this feat.

Spring AttackCombat Trick (Cost--High): Perform this Combat Trick to use this feat as a standard action instead of a full-round action.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as part of a standard action (rather than as part of an attack).

Stand StillCombat Trick (Cost--Moderate): Perfrom this trick to gain a +4 bonus on the attack roll to use the Stand Still feat.

Spry CoverCombat Trick (Cost--Low):Perform this Combat Trick to apply the bonus from the Spry Cover feat to all Acrobatics tricks your ally makes before the beginning of your next turn.

Step UpCombat Trick (Cost--Moderate): Perform this Combat Trick whenever an adjacent foe attempts to move away from you. You can move up to your speed as a reaction as long as you end up adjacent to the foe that triggered this ability. On your following turn, you are staggered.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a reaction (rather than as part of an attack).

Step Up and StrikeCombat Trick (Cost--High): Perform this Combat Trick whenever a foe in your line of sight and within 30 feet of you attempts to move away from you. You can move up to your speed as a reaction as long as you end up within 30 feet of the foe that triggered this ability. You may make a melee or ranged attack once during this movement. On your following turn, you are staggered.Special: You perform this Combat Trick as a reaction (rather than as part of an attack).

Strike BackCombat Trick (Cost--High): Perform this Combat Trick when you ready an action to attack someone outside of your melee reach to take a Guarded Step when you ready. You must move closer to the attacking creature. You can take this Guarded Step even if your readied action includes a Guarded Step.Special: You perform this Combat Trick when you ready an action to use the Strike Back feat (rather than as part of an attack).

Suppressive FireCombat Trick (Cost--Low): Perform this Combat Trick when you use Suppressive Fire to perform covering fire. The covering fire applies to all your allies, from all attacks by foes within the cone of your Suppressive Fire.

(Out of range to hit the foe with his Big Scifi Sword™, a soldier aids his allies with Suppressive Fire, for which the fact his machine-pistol doesn't do as much damage as his BSS doesn't matter. Art by grandfailure.)

Unfriendly FireCombat Trick (Cost--Low): When you take a reaction to use the Unfriendly Fire feat, perform this Combat Trick to gain a +4 bonus to the associated Bluff check.

Versatile FocusCombat Trick (Cost--Low): Perform this Combat Trick when you make an attack using a weapon you are not proficient with. You take no nonproficiency penalty for that attack.

Versatile SpecializationCombat Trick (Cost--Low): Perform this Combat Trick when you make an attack using a weapon you are not proficient with but that can be selected with Weapon Specialization. You gain the benefit of specialization for the damage roll of that attack.

Weapon FocusCombat Trick (Cost--Low, Moderate, or High): Perform this Combat Trick when you make an attack using a weapon for which you gain a bonus on attack rolls from Weapon Focus. You gain a bonus to your attack roll based on the Stamina Point cost you pay--Low +1, Moderate +2, High +3.

Weapon SpecializationCombat Trick (Cost--Low, Moderate, or High): Perform this Combat Trick when you make an attack using a weapon for which you gain a bonus on damage from Weapon Specialization. You gain a bonus to your effective character level for the damage bonus on that attack based on the Stamina Point cost you pay--Low +2, Moderate +4, High +6.

NEW RULE TERMS

I refer to "Boosted Rerolls" and "Recuperate" in the Combat Trick rules. Here are explanations for those terms.

*On a Boosted Reroll, if your reroll d20 result is 1-10, you gain a +10 bonus (effectively meaning your d20 result is always 11-20 on a Boosted Reroll).

**Recuperate is my game term to describe when a character takes a 10-minute rest and expends a Resolve Point to regain Stamina Points. You can Recuperate even if you don’t need to recover Stamina Points, but it still takes 10 minutes and costs 1 Resolve Point.

SHAMELESS PLUG

Soon I'll be running a Kickstarter for the Ultimate Spellbook, a project to have OGL-compliant versions of EVERY official spell for Pathfinder First Edition in ONE pdf, and print books that present all the Arcane, Divine, and Psychic spells!

Sign Up to be notified when we go live!