Cosmic Crit: A Starfinder Actual Play Podcast

Welcome, one and all, to the Cosmic Crit show, where we are rolling dice on an Actual Play podcast of the Starfinder Roleplaying Game. Our first few episodes will be coming out in August, right after the game releases. In the meantime feel free to subscribe early, take a look at our player and character bios on our website, or contact us about the show. We would love to hear about what you want in a Starfinder podcast. For even more of a sneak peek, check out our recent interviews on The Drift and The More You Nerd podcasts, or visit our website at https://cosmiccrit.com.

Get to know each of the five players (and our awesome GM) who will be participating in the Cosmic Crit podcast.  Our experience levels vary greatly. Some of us are just starting out with tabletop RPGs, while others have enjoyed them for more than a decade. But we're all big science fiction / fantasy fans, and we're incredibly excited to try out Starfinder! We are starting with the first book of the Dead Suns Adventure Path, Incident at Absalom Station. But we'll throw in a hefty dose of homebrew and original character work along the way. Join us as we learn the rules of the game and explore the cosmos in Cosmic Crit. If you want to know more about us, you can also check out the Meet the Players page on our website.

In our inaugural episode, we meet each of the playing characters as they cross paths in the seedy "HUD Bar" deep in Absalom Station in the Starfinder universe. Rami, Alyndra, ANDIS, Edrass, and Gnak each have their (relatively) innocuous reasons for entering the bar. But an encounter with a cadre of gang members adorned with a red fist symbol incites a brawl. Emerging bruised and beaten, our heroes barely get out alive. To make matters worse, Alyndra has a spooky experience ... but what does it mean?!

In our first episode based on the Dead Suns Adventure Path of Starfinder, our heroes embark on a mission to meet their Starfinder Society contact for orders when they find themselves caught between two opposing factions. Still virtual strangers, the five of them have to work together to defeat the foes. Will they succeed?

Following their defeat of the Level 21 Crew and the Downside Kings, our adventurers decide to pay a visit to Starfinder Society headquarters. But as they start to leave, they run into three unexpected obstacles, and our heroes are put to the "test."

The Starfinder Society graciously welcomes our adventurers at their station headquarters, The Lorespire. There, they meet with a Shirren, whose name no one knows how to spell or pronounce except the GM. The Shirren suspects Kreel may not have been merely an innocent bystander when the cross-fire happened in Episode 002: Opening Volley, and they can't help but wonder --  could he have been a target? Their suspicions finally aroused, the adventurers head to Kreel's apartment and search for clues about what may have actually happened that fateful day in Docking Bay 94. Crit Bits: Updates from DragonCon!

As our adventurers continue to unravel the mystery surrounding Kreel's death, they must work through some disagreement and confusion. But despite a few communication difficulties, they succeed in attaining more information, thanks in large part to the clever Ysoki Gnak Sizrack. He may not be much of a fighter, but he knows how to talk (sometimes). But in the middle of their investigation, our heroes run up against the same Strong Absalom Movement (SAM) thugs they encountered in Episode 001: Space Hooligans. Will they make it out of the alley alive? Crit Bits: Get to know each of the characters a little better as Edrass leads us in an in-character vocal warm-up.

Following the leads discovered in their investigations during Episode 5: The Hardscrabble Connection, our heroes meet up with the Level 21 Crew as scheduled. The discussion proves fruitful, thanks, in part, to Ysoki camaraderie. Next, the adventurers make their way to the Downside Kings' infamous hideout, the Fusion Queen. It has all the hallmarks of a typical night club -- neon lights, a dance floor you can't deny, awkward attempts at conversation, and fights between friends. But the fun doesn't last long, and the adventurers find themselves ambushed by thugs. Will they survive? Crit Bits: Jason Nelson of Legendary Games gives us the inside scoop on their Starfinder-compatible Alien Bestiary.

As the band of misfits continues their search of the Downside Kings' hideout, the Fusion Queen, they come across some unsavory characters. Engaging in nearly constant combat, the adventurers wonder if they have finally met their match, but in the end, one stands out as an unlikely hero.

We catch up to our heroes at the end of their harrowing fight against Ferani Nendaz and the Downside Kings in the Fusion Queen. They call in a few favors from their 'friendsies', the Level 21 Crew, then head to the HUD Bar to meet up with Chex Mix, the Shirren of the Starfinder Society whose name they still don't know how to properly pronounce. After their official induction into the Starfinder Society, the five adventurers craft a clever response to the mysterious note from "DG" that they found on Ferani Nendaz's datapad. While they wait for a reply, they head to a special vendor to tick off a few purchases from their wish lists.

All rested up, our heroes receive a summons from the Eoxian Embassy on Absalom Station. They agree to meet with the diplomat Gevalarsk, who sends them on their next mission to find out the truth about the Acteon, the ship that mysteriously returned with a large asteroid in tow and no crew onboard. Jason Keeley, Developer at Paizo and friend of the show, joins us for this Crit Bit to talk Starfinder.

Gnak and his friends face off against a trio out for some ysoki blood. The party visits Astral Extractions headquarters, and ANDIS finds a disturbing image from their past. The heroes board a space shuttle and begin their mission to the Acreon.

After their harrowing starship battle in episode 10, our heroes find themselves in range of their destination, the Acreon. Cautiously, they decide to venture inside. But it turns out the Acreon isn't as empty as they thought! No spoilers; You'll have to listen to find out how they fare aboard the mysterious ship. Crit Bits: Hear Gnak's backstory.

Happy Halloween! In this very special episode of Cosmic Crit, our adventurers take a break from the battles aboard the Acreon for a creepy tale.

Our contribution to Extra Life Game Day comes in the form of a fun special episode, featuring side stories and amazing Absalom Advertisements submitted by our listeners.

Our adventurers proceed with their search of the Acreon, but another teammate falls prey to the Akata -- who will it be?

We join our heroes as they attempt to rest up, but their respite is short-lived as one of the already-weakened party members is bitten for a second time. They do get some help from some old "friends," though -- familiar faces from Episode 3: Gobstopped.

All healed up, our heroes venture out of the Acreon and to the dreaded drift rock. While they're not sure exactly what they're looking for, what they do find is certainly not what they had expected. So... what's down there on that rock? Crit Bit: Hear a haunting story from ANDIS-147's past.

For the first time since joining forces, the group splits the party, as ANDIS-147 flies off in pursuit of their nemesis, Darius Gilcrest. Who will live and who will die out there on that drift rock? Crit Bit: Get to know Alyndra Vallis.

Cautiously, the group continues their search through the mysterious cave on the Drift Rock. But they quickly discover they aren't alone. Will they survive the zombie-infested cave? And just what kind of "cave" is this, after all?