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Starfinder Society Faction Preview: The Cognates

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Illustration by Michele Giorgi

Hello Starfinders!
Earlier this month, we announced Starfinder Society Year 5: Year of Redemption’s Rise. While the previous blog post is packed full of information on the year itself,
today we’re focusing on one of the new factions you can expect to see in the Year of Redemption’s Rise: the Cognates! For more information on the Advocates, check
out Starfinder Society Faction Preview: The Advocates.

The Cognates
In the aftermath of the Data Scourge, a growing number of Starfinders lost their faith in technology and Guidance, sparking an anti-technological movement that
swept through the Starfinder ranks. Led by Royo, and joined by the countless agents whose lives have been altered for the worse by technology, the movement caused
heated debate between agents. After First Seeker Ehu Hadif opened a dialogue with Royo and his fellows, the movement solidified into a new minor faction, the
Cognates. While some Cognates still aim to eschew technology completely, the faction now focuses on a multi-disciplinary methodology.

Faction Leader: Royo (LN male ysoki). A well-respected member of the Forum, the elected ruling body of the
Starfinder Society, Royo is a scholar who believes information and a thorough education should be accessible to
everyone, regardless of status, wealth, or connections. Denouncing the impermanence and mutability of digital data,
he maintains a massive archive of physical manuscripts and tomes spread across facilities in countless star systems.
Royo’s beliefs often lead him into disagreements with the Dataphiles.

Motto: Diversity in knowledge, unity in purpose.

Objectives: Cognates believe technology is but a single tool in a well-stocked toolkit, and that over-reliance on any one
discipline, such as the Starfinder Society’s current over-reliance on technology, is close-minded, dangerous, and
ineffective. Instead, Cognates focus on a multi-disciplinary approach to innovation, operations, and problem-solving,
including natural, magical, and low-tech analog methodologies, to form a balanced and secure foundation for the
Society.

Year 5 Goal: The Cognates aim to reduce the Starfinder Society’s dangerous over-reliance on technology, including
Guidance, and refocus instead on magical and natural innovations, along with analog and other low-tech solutions.

Royo, Illustration by Bruno Cesar

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Illustration by Luis Fernando Mesquita

Boons: Like all our factions, the Cognates have a slate of unique boons available for purchase with Achievement Points by members of the Cognates faction with the
appropriate amount of Reputation. Today we’re revealing three of these boons! Note that these boons are not yet final and may change slightly before release.

Multidisciplinary Approach (Social Boon):

The Cognates believe that a multidisciplinary approach to knowledge is fundamental to the future stability of the Starfinder Society, and you have cultivated contacts
in a variety of fields of study. When slotting this boon, select either Life Science, Mysticism, or Physical Science. You gain a circumstance bonus to that skill check equal
to half your current Cognates Reputation Tier (rounding up).
Other Notes: 5+ Reputation with Cognates
AcP Cost: 4

Prudent Technophobe (Slotless Boon):

You know well the dangers of technology and have trained to protect yourself from technological foes. You gain a +1 insight bonus to AC against attacks from a
creature with the technological subtype.
Other Notes: 15+ Reputation with Cognates
AcP Cost: 4

Portable Archive (Slotless Boon):

You maintain a detailed, well-indexed physical archive, such as a book or collection of essays, which you always keep with you and can reference on the fly. During an
adventure, when you attempt a skill check to recall knowledge, you can spend 1 Resolve Point to reference your portable archive. If you do so, you roll the skill check
twice and keep the higher result. Referencing your portable archive takes 10 minutes.
Other Notes: 25+ Reputation with Cognates
AcP Cost: 4

I hope you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek at the upcoming Cognates faction! Come back mid-April when we discuss the Starfinder Society’s third minor faction, the
Manifold Host!

Wishing you all the best, Starfinders!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

More Paizo Blog.

Tags: Factions Organized Play Starfinder Society Starfinder Society Scenarios

23 comments. Link.

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Second Seekers (Luwazi Elsebo) Justin Norveg Thu, Mar 31, 2022, 03:18 pm

Ahhh.. I love datapads for convenience but there's nothing like the smell of old books. 1 person marked this as a favorite.

Pa'aan Inubrix Thu, Mar 31, 2022, 03:48 pm

"Back home,after the dragons came back to do their corporate takeover shenanigans the best way to defeat them was to keep everything off the
datanets and in hard-copy. Of course, that hard-copy had to be dragon-proofed with many decoys created, but the older ways helped us."

Kishmo Thu, Mar 31, 2022, 05:11 pm

Pathfinder Starfinder Society Subscriber 5 people marked this as a favorite.
Yeeeeesssssss, finally, my wanton trash-talking of healthy skepticism towards Guidance has paid off! Looking forwards to this new faction!

Dubious Scholar Fri, Apr 1, 2022, 07:52 am

So uh, not sure if serious, considering the date.

Sasha Laranoa Harving Fri, Apr 1, 2022, 09:02 am

It's a faction that's been talked about in blog posts for over a month now and was posted March 31st Paizo time. If it's an April 1 person marked this as a favorite.
Fool's joke it's not a very good one.

Alex Speidel Organized Play Coordinator Fri, Apr 1, 2022, 09:46 am

Kishmo wrote: 6 people marked this as a favorite.

Yeeeeesssssss, finally, my wanton trash-talking of healthy skepticism towards Guidance has paid off! Looking forwards to this new faction!

You and me both, buddy. I ain't trust that AI for a nanosecond.

Alex Speidel Organized Play Coordinator Fri, Apr 1, 2022, 10:05 am

Dubious Scholar wrote: 3 people marked this as a favorite.

So uh, not sure if serious, considering the date.

It's legit, we don't do pranks for April Fool's, just nonsense :)

CorvusMask Venture-Agent, Finland—Tampere Fri, Apr 1, 2022, 10:11 pm

This does kind of work for my pro magic character sort of, but need to finish gathering Edu Hadif reputation for that one ;P

UnArcaneElection Sat, Apr 2, 2022, 12:31 am

The Cognates have a point: Paper doesn't crash . . . .

Sebastian Hirsch Venture-Captain, Germany—Bavaria Sat, Apr 2, 2022, 12:51 am

My characters mostly hit people with manifested or physical weapons... maybe that's a good fit as far as the factions are concerned.

Gary Bush Venture-Captain, Nebraska—Omaha Sun, Apr 3, 2022, 09:08 am

UnArcaneElection wrote: 1 person marked this as a favorite.

The Cognates have a point: Paper doesn't crash . . . .

But it will burn, get eaten, fade in the sun, it is easy to rip apart.

Hilary Moon Murphy Contributor Sun, Apr 3, 2022, 09:29 am

Now I find myself wanting to make an SRO mechanic and put it in this faction! The multidisciplinary approach is wonderful 1 person marked this as a favorite.
though, as is the motto! And I simply love this art for Royo!

Second Seekers (Luwazi Elsebo) Justin Norveg Sun, Apr 3, 2022, 12:48 pm

"I do feel i have to note that the goals of analog media and accessibility seem almost mutually exclusive. There are 2 people marked this as a favorite.
many laudable advantages to analog media but accessibility isn't one of them. A book in a library is only available to
one person at a time, and only to those people geographically close to the library.. forget about planetary distances. A digital book is available to
everyone in the pact worlds or veskarium in 6 days at most and is infinitely expandable to meet demand. A lecture hall can hold 100 students, but
millions can tune into a podcast on Quabarat Universities "The Great Courses of Celestial bodies.. "

UnArcaneElection Sun, Apr 3, 2022, 07:57 pm

Gary Bush wrote:

UnArcaneElection wrote:

The Cognates have a point: Paper doesn't crash . . . .

But it will burn, get eaten, fade in the sun, it is easy to rip apart.

Electronics and their media also burn, can be caused to deteriorate by a variety of processes including biological, are susceptible to damage by adverse electromagnetic
conditions including solar flares, and are easily crushed.

John Mangrum Mon, Apr 4, 2022, 12:07 pm

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Companion, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber 1 person marked this as a favorite.
Fortunately, technology in the Pact Worlds has long since plateaued, so you avoid the problem of "Oh, yeah, all that data we recorded 20 years ago? None of
our current computers can read it."

Alison-Cybe Mon, Apr 4, 2022, 08:58 pm

Alex Speidel wrote: 2 people marked this as a favorite.

Kishmo wrote:

Yeeeeesssssss, finally, my wanton trash-talking of healthy skepticism towards Guidance has paid off! Looking forwards to this new faction!

You and me both, buddy. I ain't trust that AI for a nanosecond.

Awww, poor Guidey! What'd they ever to to anyone to deserve that?

Aside from, y'know... the things...

I think my first duty as First Seeker will be to rename this faction to 'Evil Luddite Agitators'! Who will vote for me? :D

Nah seriously, love the idea for this faction, can't wait to see how they mesh with the others!

CorvusMask Venture-Agent, Finland—Tampere Tue, Apr 5, 2022, 02:48 am

I do sense pattern of robo discrimination here ;D

But yeah, best form of analog media if you want something to last forever?

Stone slabs :P

Second Seekers (Luwazi Elsebo) Justin Norveg Tue, Apr 5, 2022, 06:58 am

CorvusMask wrote: 3 people marked this as a favorite.

I do sense pattern of robo discrimination here ;D

But yeah, best form of analog media if you want something to last forever?
Stone slabs :P

"Tell that to those guys who don't know there's supposed to be 15 commandments"

CorvusMask Venture-Agent, Finland—Tampere Tue, Apr 5, 2022, 09:09 am

Justin Norveg wrote:

CorvusMask wrote:

I do sense pattern of robo discrimination here ;D

But yeah, best form of analog media if you want something to last forever?
Stone slabs :P

"Tell that to those guys who don't know there's supposed to be 15 commandments"

Never seen stone break that easily :D

Second Seekers (Luwazi Elsebo) Justin Norveg Tue, Apr 5, 2022, 05:30 pm

CorvusMask wrote: 2 people marked this as a favorite.

Never seen stone break that easily :D

"It's because laws are so easy to break.

ow ow ow.. oh come on you walked into that one ow ow ow a paper medium would be great right now now ow ow ow..."

Aaron Shanks Marketing & Media Manager Thu, Apr 14, 2022, 10:39 am

Don't miss the EN World interview, "The Starfinder Society and the Future of the Starfinder Galaxy", in which Linda Zayas- 2 people marked this as a favorite.
Palmer, Organized Play Managing Developer, and Jessica Catalan, Starfinder Society Season Developer, talk about the
Starfinder Society, the state of the Starfinder galaxy, and what’s to come!

Aaron Shanks Marketing & Media Manager Thu, Apr 14, 2022, 10:47 am

Learn more about The Advocates! Watch: "A New Faction! Starfinder Society Special Report 2022 - Know Direction: Beyond" 2 people marked this as a favorite.

Xenocrat Mon, Apr 18, 2022, 12:30 pm

John Mangrum wrote:

Fortunately, technology in the Pact Worlds has long since plateaued, so you avoid the problem of "Oh, yeah, all that data we recorded 20 years ago? None of our current computers can read
it."

It hasn't plateaued, it has asceneded.

"Oh, yeah, all of that data on an alien computer system in an unknown language that we discovered 20 seconds algo? We can easily hack it."

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