Source Player Core pg. 99
Just as your character's ancestry plays a key role in expressing their identity and worldview, their class indicates the training they have and will improve upon as an adventurer. Choosing your character's class is perhaps the most important decision you will make for them. Groups of players often create characters whose skills and abilities complement each other mechanically—for example, ensuring your party includes a healer, a combat-oriented character, a stealthy character, and someone with command over magic—so you may wish to discuss options with your group before deciding!
The rules within each class allow you to bring a wealth of character concepts to life. Perhaps you want to create an observant but impulsive mystic who can see the pain in someone's eyes but can't follow the instructions to bake them a cake. Or perhaps you want your character to be a bullet-spewing veteran who shrugs off bullets when she activates her force field. Maybe they'll be a cool-headed witchwarper whose far-off gaze seems to look past our reality into potential timelines long lost. The choices you make for your character within their class—such as a mystic's choice of connection, a soldier's choice of fighting style, or a witchwarper's anchor—bring these visions to life within the context of the rules and the world.
The entries on the pages that follow describe six classes in Starfinder. Each entry contains the information you need to play a character of that class, as well as how to develop them from their humble beginnings at 1st level to the dizzying heights of power at 20th level. In addition to the class entries, you might need to reference the following sections, which detail additional character options and how to advance your character in level.
Leveling Up tells you how to make your character stronger when you get enough Experience Points to reach a new level.
Archetypes gives you thematic options that allow you to further customize your character's abilities. Though these rules are not recommended for beginners, the archetypes in this book allow you to gain abilities from other classes starting at 2nd level.
Reading Class Entries
Every class entry includes information about typical members of the class, plus suggestions for roleplaying characters of that class and playing these characters in the game's various modes. Each class provides your character with an attribute boost to a key attribute; a number of Hit Points they receive at each level; proficiency ranks for various abilities, equipment, and skills; special abilities from their class features; and more. Your character's class entry also provides the information needed when they gain levels, so it will be a vital reference throughout the course of your campaign.
The first section of each class describes the interests and tendencies typical of that class, as well as information on how others view them. This can help inspire you as you determine your character's actions and define their personality, but you aren't obligated to play your character as this section describes.
This is the attribute modifier that a member of your class cares about the most. Many of your most useful and powerful abilities are tied to this attribute in some way.
For instance, this is the attribute modifier you'll use to determine the Difficulty Class (DC) associated with your character's class features and feats. This is called your class DC. If your character is a member of a spellcasting class, this key attribute is used to calculate spell DCs and similar values.
Most classes are associated with one key attribute modifier, but some allow you to choose from two options. For instance, if you're a witchwarper, you can choose either Intelligence or Charisma as your key attribute.
This section tells you how many Hit Points your character gains from their class at each level. To determine your character's starting Hit Points, add together the Hit Points they got when you chose their ancestry and the amount listed in this entry, which equals your Constitution modifier plus a fixed number. Classes that intend for characters to rush into battle with weapons raised gain a higher number of Hit Points each level, while characters who cast spells or engage in trickery gain fewer.
Each time your character gains a level, they increase their maximum Hit Points by the amount listed in this entry.
When you choose your character's class, they gain a set of initial proficiencies. Proficiencies measure your character's ability to perform tasks, use abilities, and succeed at checks. Proficiency ranks range from trained to legendary.
Each class entry specifies your character's initial proficiency rank in Perception, saving throws, attacks, defenses, and class DC. You gain the trained proficiency rank in several skills. The exact number depends on your class, and some classes specify certain additional skills that you're trained in. If your class would make you trained in a skill you're already trained in (typically due to your background), you can select another skill to become trained in.
A proficiency rank can unlock various feats and class features, and it also helps determine the modifier for any check you roll or DC you calculate related to that statistic.
Spellcasting classes grant a proficiency rank for spell attacks and DCs, which are further detailed in each class's entry. These classes rarely use their class DC.
Envoy: the Envoy is the voice that steadies a crew when the hull breaches, the charm that secures passage when credits run dry, and the tactical mind that turns desperate odds into narrow victories.