In Starfinder, the players take on the role of player characters (PCs), while the Game Master portrays nonplayer characters (NPCs) and monsters. While PCs and NPCs are both critical to the story, they serve very different purposes in the game. PCs are the protagonists—the narrative is about them—while NPCs are allies, contacts, adversaries, and villains. That said, PCs, NPCs, and monsters share several characteristics.
Level is one of the most important statistics of the game, as it conveys the approximate power and capabilities of every individual creature. PCs range in level from 1st, at the start of the character’s adventuring career, to 20th, the very height of power. As the characters overcome challenges, defeat foes, and complete adventures, they accumulate Experience Points (XP). Every time a character amasses 1,000 XP, they go up a level, gaining new abilities so they can take on even greater challenges. A 1st-level PC might face off against a rampant assembly ooze or a hardlight scamp, but at 20th level, that same character might be able to decimate an army with a supermassive black hole or trade blows with a god.
In addition to level, characters are defined by attributes, which measure raw potential and are used to calculate most of their other statistics. There are six attributes in the game. Strength represents a character’s physical might, while Dexterity represents agility and their ability to avoid danger. Constitution indicates a character’s overall health and well-being. Intelligence represents raw knowledge and problem-solving ability, while Wisdom measures a character’s insight and their ability to evaluate a situation. Ultimately, Charisma encompasses charm, persuasiveness, and the force of personality.
Attribute modifiers for ordinary creatures range from as low as -5 to as high as +5, with +0 representing average human capabilities. High-level characters can have attribute modifiers that range much higher than +5. An attribute modifier above the average increases your chance of success at related tasks, while those below the average decrease your chance.
Your player character is also defined by some key choices you make. The first choice is a PC’s ancestry, representing the character’s parents and heritage. Next up is the PC’s background, which traces their upbringing from a sly smuggler to a famous icon. Finally, and most importantly, a PC’s class defines the majority of their aptitudes and abilities. In addition to these key choices, PCs also have many feats—individual abilities selected during character creation and as the character increases in level. Every feat has a type to denote where its explanation can be found (for example, android feats can be found in the android ancestry) and its theme (mystic feats, for example, grant abilities that deal with spells). Finally, characters have skills that measure their ability to treat wounds, use computers, pilot vehicles, and perform other common tasks.
All creatures in the game have an Armor Class. This score represents how hard it is to hit and damage a creature. It serves as the Difficulty Class for hitting a creature with an attack.
When a creature tries to harm another creature, it makes a Strike or uses some other attack action. Most attacks are Strikes made with a weapon, but a character might Strike with their fist, grapple or shove with their appendages, or attack with a spell.
Each creature has six attribute modifiers: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Each of these numbers represents a creature’s raw potential and general training.
Hit Points represent the amount of punishment a creature can take before it falls unconscious and begins dying. Damage decreases Hit Points on a 1-to-1 basis, while healing restores Hit Points at the same rate.
Source Player Core pg. 17
Unless you're the GM, the first thing you need to do when playing Starfinder is create your character. It's up to you to imagine your character's past experiences, personality, and view of the galaxy, and this will set the stage for your roleplaying during the game. You'll use the game's mechanics to determine your character's ability to perform various tasks and use special abilities.
This section provides a step-by-step guide for creating a character using the Starfinder rules, preceded by a guide to help you understand attribute modifiers. These modifiers are a critical part of your character, and you will be asked to make choices about them during many of the following steps. The steps of character creation are presented in a suggested order, but you can complete them in whatever order you prefer.
Many of the steps on pages 18–25 instruct you to fill out fields on your character sheet. The character sheet is shown on pages 20–21; you can find a copy in the back of this book or on paizo.com as a free PDF. The character sheet is designed to be easy to use when you're actually playing the game, but creating a character happens in a different order, so you'll move back and forth through the character sheet as you go through the character creation process. Additionally, the character sheet includes every field you might need, even though not all characters will have something to put in each field. If a field on your character sheet is not applicable to your character, you can just leave that field blank.
All the steps of character creation are detailed on the following pages; each is marked with a number that corresponds to the sample character sheet on pages 20–21, showing you where the information goes. If the field you need to fill out is on the third or fourth page of the character sheet, which aren't shown, the text will tell you.
If you're creating a higher-level character, it's a good idea to begin with the instructions here, then turn to the instructions on leveling up characters.
Overview
On Step 3: Select an Ancestry and Step 5: Choose a Class, you'll see a visual representation of ancestries and classes, respectively, that provides at-a-glance information for players looking to make the most of their starting attribute modifiers. In the ancestries overview on Step 3, each entry lists which attribute modifiers it boosts, and also indicates any attribute flaws the ancestry might have. You can find more about attribute boosts and flaws in the Attribute Modifier Overview sidebar.
The summaries of the classes on Step 5 list each class's key attribute—the attribute modifier used to calculate the potency of many of their class abilities. Characters receive an attribute boost in their key attribute when you choose their class. This summary also lists one or more secondary attribute modifiers important to members of that class.
A character's background also affects their attribute modifiers, though there's more flexibility in the attribute boosts from backgrounds than in those from classes. For descriptions of backgrounds, see the backgrounds page.
Source Player Core pg. 17
What sort of character do you want to play? The answer to this question might be as simple as “a starship pilot,” or as complicated as “a kasatha seer raised on a generation ship far from their ancestral home world, devoted to Talavet, goddess of community and tradition.” Consider your character's personality, sketch out a few details about their past, and think about how and why they adventure. You'll want to peruse Starfinder's available ancestries, backgrounds, and classes. The summaries on Step 3 and Step 5 might help you match your concept with some of these basic rule elements. Before a game begins, it's also a good idea for the players to discuss how their characters might know each other and how they'll work together throughout the course of their adventures.
Each player takes a different approach to creating a character. Some want a character who will fit well into the story, while others look for a combination of abilities that complement each other mechanically. You might combine these two approaches. There is no wrong way!
Once you have a good idea of the character you'd like to play, move on to Step 2 to start building your character.
Character Sheet
Once you’ve developed your character’s concept, jot down a few sentences summarizing your ideas under the Notes section on the third page of your character sheet. Record any of the details you’ve already decided, such as your character’s name, on the appropriate lines on the first page.
Optional Voluntary Flaws
Sometimes, it’s fun to play a character with a major flaw regardless of your ancestry. You can elect to take additional attribute flaws when applying the attribute boosts and attribute flaws from your ancestry. This is purely for roleplaying a highly flawed character, and you should consult with the rest of your group if you plan to do this! You can’t apply more than one flaw to any single attribute modifier.
Alternate Ancestry Boosts
The attribute boosts and flaws listed in each ancestry represent general trends or help guide players to create the kinds of characters from that ancestry most likely to pursue the life of an adventurer. However, ancestries aren’t monoliths. You always have the option to replace your ancestry’s listed attribute boosts and attribute flaws entirely and instead select two free attribute boosts when creating your character.
Source Player Core pg. 18
If one of Starfinder's character ancestries, backgrounds, or classes particularly intrigues you, it's easy to build a character concept around these options. The summaries of ancestries and classes give a brief overview of these options (full details appear in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, respectively). Each ancestry also has several heritages that might refine your concept further, such as a venom thought vesk with psychic talents or one with armored scales. Some heritages, known as versatile heritages, can even be applied to any ancestry; for instance, any mortal touched by the essence of the Drift can be a prismeni, regardless of their ancestry. Additionally, the game has many backgrounds to choose from, representing your character's upbringing, hobby, or profession. Backgrounds are detailed later in Chapter 2.
Building a character around a specific ancestry, background, or class can be a fun way to interact with the galaxy's lore. For example, you could play a pacifist vesk who prefers negotiation over conflict, or a pahtra imperial spy.
Source Player Core pg. 18
Perhaps you'd like to play a character who is a devout follower of a specific deity. The peoples of the galaxy follow myriad faiths and philosophies spanning a wide pantheon, from Damoritosh, the Conqueror, god of duty, war, and ancestral patron of the Veskarium; to Eloritu, the Hidden Truth and god of history, magic, and secrets; to Oras, Agent of Change, god of evolution and transformation through science. Starfinder's major deities appear here. Your character might be so drawn to a particular faith that you decide they should be a disciple or mystic of that deity; they might instead be a lay worshipper who applies their faith's teachings to daily life, or a skeptic cursed with the church's blessing.
Source Player Core pg. 18
You might want to coordinate with other players when forming your character concept. Your characters could have something in common already; perhaps they are travelers from the same home world, or maybe they work together as part of the same faction. You might discuss mechanical aspects with the other players, creating characters whose combat abilities complement each other. It can be helpful for a party to include characters who deal damage, characters who can absorb damage, and characters who can heal and support their allies. However, Starfinder’s classes include a lot of choices, and there are many options for building each type of character, so don’t let these broad categories restrict your decisions.
Source Player Core pg. 18
At this point, you need to start building your character's attribute modifiers. See the overview of attribute modifiers for more information about these important aspects of your character and an overview of the process.
Your character's attribute modifiers each start at +0, and as you select your ancestry, background, and class, you'll apply attribute boosts, which increase a modifier by 1, and attribute flaws, which decrease a modifier by 1. At this point, just note a +0 in each attribute modifier and familiarize yourself with the rules for attribute boosts and flaws on page 23. This is also a good time to identify which attribute modifiers will be most important to your character; for instance, if you want to play a dashing space pirate captain, you might want to focus on a character with a high Dexterity attribute (to ensure they're good with Piloting and Stealth) who also has a bit of Charisma (to fast-talk the authorities if they get caught). See the Six Attribute Modifiers sidebar above and the class summaries for more information.
Attribute Modifier Overview
Each attribute modifier starts at +0, representing the average. As you make character choices, you'll adjust these modifiers by applying attribute boosts, which increase an attribute modifier, and attribute flaws, which decrease an attribute modifier. As you build your character, remember to apply attribute modifier adjustments when making the following decisions.
Ancestry: Each ancestry provides attribute boosts, and sometimes an attribute flaw. If you're taking any voluntary flaws, apply them in this step (see Optional Voluntary Flaws).
Background: Your character's background provides two attribute boosts.
Class: Your character's class applies an attribute boost to their key attribute: the attribute modifier most important for that class.
Four Free Boosts: After the other steps, you apply four more attribute boosts to attributes of your choice to finalize your starting attribute modifiers.
Attribute Boosts
An attribute boost normally increases an attribute modifier's value by 1. However, if the attribute modifier to which you're applying an attribute boost is already +4 or higher, instead mark “partial boost” on the character sheet for that attribute. If the attribute already has a partial boost invested in it, increase the modifier by 1 and uncheck the box. At 1st level, a character can never have any attribute modifier that's higher than +4.
Whenever your character receives an attribute boost, the source indicates whether it must be applied to a specific attribute modifier, to one in a limited list, or whether it's a “free” boost that can be applied to any attribute of your choosing. For example, a Vesk character receives an attribute boost to their Constitution modifier and their Strength modifier, as well as one free attribute boost, which can be applied to any other attribute of choice.
When you gain multiple attribute boosts at the same time, you must apply each one to a different modifier. This means you can't apply a partial boost to an attribute modifier and apply another boost simultaneously to increase it.
Attribute Flaws
Attribute flaws are not nearly as common in Starfinder as attribute boosts. If your character has an attribute flaw—likely from their ancestry—you decrease that attribute modifier by 1. Vesk, for example,receive an attribute flaw to Wisdom.
Any character can choose to take two free boosts instead of the listed boosts and flaws (Alternate Ancestry Boosts).
The Six Attribute Modifiers
One of the most important aspects of your character is their attribute modifiers. These numbers represent your character's raw potential, and they influence nearly every other statistic on your character sheet. Determining your attribute modifiers is not done all at once, but instead happens over several steps during character creation.
Attribute modifiers are split into two main groups: physical and mental. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are physical attribute modifiers, measuring your character's physical power, agility, and stamina. In contrast, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are mental attribute modifiers and measure your character's learned prowess, awareness, and force of personality.
Excellence in an attribute modifier improves the checks and statistics related to that ability, as described below. When imagining your character, you should also decide what attribute modifiers you want to focus on to give you the best chance at success.
Strength
Strength measures your character's physical power, and is important if your character plans to engage in hand-tohand combat. Your Strength modifier gets added to melee damage rolls and determines how much your character can carry.
Dexterity
Dexterity measures your character's agility, balance, and reflexes, and is important if your character plans to make attacks with ranged weapons or use stealth to surprise foes. Your Dexterity modifier is also added to your character's AC and Reflex saving throws.
Constitution
Constitution measures your character's health and stamina, and is important for all characters, especially those who fight in close range. Your Constitution modifier is added to your Hit Points and Fortitude saving throws.
Intelligence
Intelligence measures how well your character can learn and reason. A high Intelligence allows your character to analyze situations and understand patterns, and it means they can become trained in additional skills and might be able to master additional languages.
Wisdom
Wisdom measures your character's common sense, awareness, and intuition. High Wisdom helps your character detect hidden things and resist mental effects. Your Wisdom modifier is added to your Perception and Will saving throws.
Charisma
Charisma measures your character's personal magnetism and strength of personality. A high Charisma modifier helps you build relationships and influence the thoughts and moods of others with social skills.
Source Player Core pg. 19
Select an ancestry for your character. The ancestry summaries on page 27 provide an overview of Starfinder's core ancestry options, and each is fully detailed in Chapter 2. Ancestry determines your character's size, Speed, and languages, and contributes to their Hit Points. Each also grants attribute boosts and attribute flaws to represent the ancestry's basic capabilities.
You'll have four decisions to make when you choosing your character's ancestry.
Pick the ancestry itself.
Select a heritage from those available within that ancestry, further defining the traits your character was born with.
Assign any free attribute boosts and decide if you are taking any voluntary flaws.
Choose an ancestry feat, representing an ability your hero learned at an early age.
Character Sheet
Write your character's ancestry and heritage in the appropriate space at the top of your character sheet's first page. Adjust your attribute modifiers, adding 1 to an attribute modifier if you gained an attribute boost from your ancestry, and subtracting 1 from an attribute modifier if you gained an attribute flaw from your ancestry. Note the number of Hit Points your character gains from their ancestry—you'll add more to this number later. Finally, in the appropriate spaces, record your character's size, Speed, and languages. If your character's ancestry provides them with special abilities, write them in the appropriate spaces, such as darkvision in the Senses section on the first page and innate spells on the fourth page. Write the ancestry feat you selected in the Ancestry Feat section on your character sheet's second page.
Source Player Core pg. 20
Your character’s background might represent their upbringing, an aptitude they’ve been honing since their youth, or another aspect of their life before they became an adventurer. Character backgrounds appear in Chapter 2. They typically provide two attribute boosts (one that can be applied to either of two specific attribute modifiers, and one that is free), training in a specific skill, training in a Lore skill, and a specific skill feat.
Character Sheet
Record your character’s background in the space at the top of the first page of your character sheet. Adjust your attribute modifiers, adding 1 to an attribute modifier if you gained an attribute boost from your background. Record the skill feat the background provides in the Skill Feat section of your character sheet’s second page. On the first page, check the “T” box next to the name of the specific skill and for one Lore skill to indicate your character is trained, then write the name of the Lore skill granted by your background.
Source Player Core pg. 20
At this point, you need to decide your character's class. A class gives your character access to a suite of heroic abilities, determines how effectively they fight, and governs how easily they can shake off or avoid certain harmful effects. Each class is fully detailed in Chapter 3, but the summaries image on the right provides an overview of each.
You don't need to write down all of your character's class features yet. You simply need to know which class you want to play, which determines the attribute modifiers that will be most important for your character.
Character Sheet
Write your character’s class in the space at the top of the first page of your character sheet, then write “1” in the Level box to indicate that your character is 1st level. Next to the attribute modifiers, note the class’s key attribute modifier, and add 1 to that attribute modifier from the attribute boost the class provides. Don’t worry about recording the rest of your character’s class features and abilities yet—you’ll handle that in Step 7.
Source Player Core pg. 21
Now that you've made the main mechanical choices about your character, it's time to finalize their attribute modifiers.
Do these two things:
First, make sure you've applied all the attribute boosts and attribute flaws you've noted in previous steps (from your ancestry, background, and class).
Then, apply four free attribute boosts to your character's attribute modifiers. Choose a different attribute modifier for each and increase that attribute modifier by 1.
Remember that each attribute boost adds 1 to the base modifier of +0, and each attribute flaw subtracts 1. You should have no attribute modifier lower than –1 or higher than +4.
Character Sheet
Write your character’s starting attribute modifiers in the box provided for each on the first page.
Source Player Core pg. 21
Your next step is to record all the benefits and class features that your character receives from the class you've chosen. You'll want to be sure to record the following class features.
To determine your total starting Hit Points, add together the number of Hit Points your character gains from their ancestry (chosen in Step 3) and the number of Hit Points they gain from their class.
The Initial Proficiencies section of your class entry indicates your character's starting proficiency ranks in a number of areas. Choose which skills your character is trained in and record those, along with the ones set by your class. 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.
See the class advancement table in your class entry to learn the class features your character gains at 1st level. You have already chosen an ancestry, background, and free attribute boosts, but these are listed in the table as a reminder. Some class features require you to make additional choices, such as selecting spells.
Character Sheet
Write your character’s total Hit Points on the first page of your character sheet. Use the proficiency fields (the boxes marked “T,” “E,” “M,” and “L”) on your character sheet to record your character’s initial proficiencies in Perception, saving throws, and the skills granted by their class; mark “T” if your character is trained, or “E” if your character is an expert. Indicate which additional skills you chose for your character to be trained in by marking the “T” proficiency box for each skill you selected. Likewise, record your character’s armor proficiencies in the Armor Class section at the top of the first page and their weapon proficiencies at the bottom of the first page. Record all other class feats and abilities on the second page. Don’t worry yet about finalizing any values for your character’s statistics—you’ll handle that in Step 9.
Source Player Core pg. 23
At 1st level, your character has 150 credits to spend on armor, weapons, and other basic equipment. Your character's class lists the types of weapons and armor with which they are trained (or better!). Their weapons determine how much damage they deal in combat, and their armor influences their Armor Class; these calculations are covered in more detail in Step 10.
You'll also want equipment like cable line, flashlights, toolkits, and other traveling gear, and maybe even a serum or sprayflesh for emergency medical needs. Augmentations that change your body, upgrades for your armor and weapons, and magic items are pricier options that you probably won't be able to afford yet, but window shopping is free!
Character Sheet
Once you’ve spent your character’s starting wealth, calculate any remaining credits they might still have and write those amounts in the Inventory section on the second page. Record your character’s weapons in the Melee Strikes and Ranged Strikes sections of the first page, depending on the weapon, and the rest of their equipment in the Inventory section on the second page. You’ll calculate specific numbers for melee Strikes and ranged Strikes with the weapons in Step 9 and for AC when wearing that armor in Step 10.
Source Player Core pg. 24
With most of the big decisions for your character made, it’s time to calculate the modifiers for each of the following statistics. If your proficiency rank for a statistic is trained, expert, master, or legendary, your bonus equals your character’s level plus another number based on the rank (2, 4, 6, and 8, respectively). If your character is untrained, your proficiency bonus is +0.
Character Sheet
For Perception and saving throws, write your proficiency bonus and the appropriate attribute modifier in the boxes provided, then record the total modifier in the large space. Record the proficiency bonuses, attribute modifiers, and total modifiers for your melee Strikes and ranged Strikes in the box after the name of each weapon, and record the damage for each, along with the traits for that attack. For skills, record the attribute modifier and proficiency bonus in the appropriate box for each skill, and then write the total skill modifiers in the spaces to the left.
If your character has any modifiers, bonuses, or penalties from feats or abilities that always apply, add them into the total modifiers. For ones that apply only in certain situations, note them next to the total modifiers.
Source Player Core pg. 24
Your character’s Perception modifier measures how alert they are, and is equal to their proficiency bonus in Perception plus their Wisdom modifier. See Perception for more.
Source Player Core pg. 24
For each kind of saving throw, add your character’s Fortitude, Reflex, or Will proficiency bonus (as appropriate) plus the attribute modifier associated with that kind of saving throw. For Fortitude saving throws, use your character’s Constitution modifier. For Reflex saving throws, use your character’s Dexterity modifier. For Will saving throws, use your character’s Wisdom modifier. Then add in any bonuses or penalties from abilities, feats, or items that always apply (but not modifiers, bonuses, or penalties that apply only in certain situations). Record this number on the line for that saving throw.
Source Player Core pg. 24
Next to where you’ve written your character’s melee and ranged weapons, calculate the modifier to Strike with each weapon and how much damage that Strike deals. The modifier for a Strike is equal to your character’s proficiency bonus with the weapon plus an attribute modifier (usually Strength for melee Strikes and Dexterity for ranged Strikes). You also add any item bonus from the weapon and any other permanent bonuses or penalties. You also need to calculate how much damage each weapon’s Strike deals. Melee weapons usually add your character’s Strength modifier to damage rolls, while ranged weapons might add some or all of your character’s Strength modifier, depending on the weapon’s traits. See the weapon entries in Chapter 6 for more information.
Source Player Core pg. 24
In the second box to the right of each skill on your character sheet, there’s an abbreviation to remind you of the attribute modifier for that skill. For each skill in which your character is trained, add your proficiency bonus for that skill (typically +3 for a 1st-level character) to the indicated attribute’s modifier, as well as any other applicable bonuses and penalties, to determine the total modifier for that skill. For skills your character is untrained in, use the same method, but your proficiency bonus is +0.
Source Player Core pg. 24
Now add the following details to your character sheet by filling out the boxes on page 3 of the character sheet.
Spells and Spellcasting
Many characters can learn a few cantrips or focus spells, but the mystic and witchwarper gain spellcasting—the ability to cast a wide variety of spells. If your character’s class grants spells, you should take time during Step 7 to learn about the spells they know and how to cast them. The fourth page of the character sheet provides space to note your character’s magic tradition and their proficiency rank for their spell attack modifier and spell DC. It also gives space to record the spells in your character’s repertoire. Each class determines how and which spells a character can cast, but the spells themselves and detailed rules for spellcasting are located in Chapter 7.
Source Player Core pg. 24
You can choose to take on edicts and anathema to reinforce your character's beliefs and guide how they'd react in certain situations. Edicts are behaviors your personal philosophy or code encourages. Anathema are the opposite: actions contrary to your point of view and violations of your personal code. For example, you might follow an edict to keep records of any planet you visit, or you might consider it anathema to erase data or conceal information from the public.
For most characters, these are entirely optional, though it's best to consider taking some on as you create your character to hone in on how they think. If you follow a deity, you might take inspiration from the edicts and anathema listed for them on the Deities page. Ancestry entries list edicts and anathema prevalent among their communities.
Source Player Core pg. 25
Edicts and anathema can change during play as a character’s beliefs evolve, or as you realize that your character’s actions reflect a different set of values than you once thought. In most cases, you can just change a relevant edict or anathema and continue playing.
Source Player Core pg. 25
Your character’s port of call is a place where they spend downtime between adventures or have adopted as a temporary home. This might be a world or space station they spend a lot of time on, or even a generation ship like the Idari where they currently live or often visit.
Source Player Core pg. 25
Your character’s home world is the planet, satellite, or starship where they were born or grew up. See the Planets page for more information about major locations in the galaxy where your character might be from, or make up your own!
Source Player Core pg. 25
Write down the deity your character worships, if any. Your character might worship several deities as part of a personal pantheon. You might instead choose a philosophy or decide your character is an atheist. See the Deities page for more about Starfinder’s deities.
Source Player Core pg. 25
Decide your character’s age and note it on the third page of the character sheet. You can play a character of whatever age you like. There aren’t any mechanical adjustments to your character for being older, but you might want to take it into account when considering your starting attribute modifiers and future advancement. Particularly young characters can change the tone of some of the game’s threats, so it’s recommended that characters are at least young adults.
Source Player Core pg. 25
Characters of all genders are equally likely to become adventurers. Record your character’s gender, if applicable, and their pronouns on the third page of the character sheet.
Source Player Core pg. 25
A class DC sets the difficulty for certain abilities granted by your character’s class. This DC equals 10 plus their proficiency bonus for their class DC (+3 for most 1st-level characters) plus the modifier for the class’s key attribute modifier.
Source Player Core pg. 25
Your character usually begins each game session with 1 Hero Point, and you can gain additional Hero Points during sessions by performing heroic deeds or enthusiastic gameplay. Your character can use Hero Points to gain certain benefits, such as staving off death or rerolling a d20.
Source Player Core pg. 25
Your character’s Armor Class represents how difficult they are to hit in combat. To calculate your AC, add 10 plus your character’s Dexterity modifier (up to their armor’s Dexterity modifier cap), plus their proficiency bonus with their armor, plus their armor’s item bonus to AC and any other permanent bonuses and penalties.
Source Player Core pg. 25
Your character’s maximum Bulk determines how much weight they can comfortably carry. If they’re carrying a total amount of Bulk that exceeds 5 plus their Strength modifier, they are encumbered. A character can’t carry a total amount of Bulk that exceeds 10 plus their Strength modifier. The Bulk your character is carrying equals the sum of all of their items; keep in mind that 10 light items make up 1 Bulk. You can find out more about Bulk in Chapter 6.