A lot of Stafinder is content is focused on providing new lore, new options, in spaces not yet explored in Pathfinder. That is great, but there are some things hinted at in Golarion lore (and Near Space) that I’d love to have realized in Starfinder. One of those is the Sekmin, or Serpentfolk from ancient Golarion. Lords of the surface world (and a massive Darklands empire) before the rise of the Azlanti, the Sekmin had mastery over magic not seen since. There are also hints that they, or something very like them, existed as the Caiagaras on Vesk Prime, before being hunted to extinction by the Vesk. Given that the Azlanti managed to carve out an empire of their own beyond Golarion, and that there is no reason to think the Sekmin didn’t have interplanetary or even interstellar magic of their own, it isn’t hard to imagine a functioning Sekmin society somewhere out in the Vast, just waiting for the mammals to stumble into their coils.
In Pathfinder and Pathfinder 2e the Sekmin have always been presented as monsters, but in Starfinder I would argue that they are a sentient species that, while gifted in magical abilities and focused on the arcane more than technology, are not so different than any other playable species. As such, here is how I’d stat them up.
SEKMIN
Ability Modifiers +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Str
Hit Points 4
SIZE AND TYPE
Sekmin are Medium monstrous humanoids with the Sekmin subtype.
COLD-BLOODED
Sekmin receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects and poisons.
DARKVISION
Sekmin have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
INHERENT MAGIC
Sekmin gain the following spell-like abilities: At will: charming veneer, energy ray, telepathic message 1/day: charm person. The caster level for these effects is equal to the sekmin’s level, and the key ability score is Intelligence.
LIMITED TELEPATHY
Sekmin can mentally communicate with any creatures within 30 feet with whom they share a language. Conversing telepathically with multiple creatures simultaneously is just as difficult as listening to multiple people speaking.
NATURAL WEAPONS
Sekmin are always considered to be armed. They can deal 1d2 lethal piercing damage with unarmed strikes, which have the operative weapon property, and the attack does not count as archaic. Sekmin gain a unique weapon specialization with their natural weapons at 3rd level, allowing them to add their character level to their damage rolls for their natural weapons (instead of adding just their half their character level, as usual for operative weapons).
TASTE THE AIR
Sekmin have blindsense scent with a range of 30 feet.
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Jeremy Corff
Artist and Writer