Off The Shelf: Starfinder Beginner Box

The Starfinder Beginner Box is a new way to get started in the TTRPG space with a little buy in


Published: May 2, 2019 1:00 PM /

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I've been playing Starfinder since shortly after Gen Con 2017. Before the show I hadn't really thought much about the game, which was seeing its initial release during the convention, but when I got home from Indianapolis my normal gaming group surprised me when they told me that they'd be interested in playing it. We're primarily board gamers, and 3 of the 4 of them had never even played a pen and paper RPG before, but we've been playing ever since. We started with just the core book, but after receiving a copy of the brand new Starfinder Beginner Box, and taking a look at everything it has to offer I wish it had been available right from the start. Not only are there a ton of excellent resources for new players, especially players who have never played a tabletop RPG before, but there are some items in the box that I'm going to use in all of my Starfinder sessions going forward. Let's dive in and take a look at exactly what comes in the box.

Starfinder Beginner Box Unboxing

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There is a lot in the Starfinder Beginner Box, and it's laid out in a way that is easy to follow and understand.

 

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The included character sheets are great for brand new players who want to create their very own low level characters.

 

 

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The pre-generated character sheets feature the Starfinder Iconic heroes, and do a good job of explaining the various stats, skills, feats etc. that the characters have access to.

 

If rolling up a character from scratch seems like too much of a task to tackle straight away there are 6 pre-made characters that represent six of the seven Starfinder Iconic heroes. There's no option to play as a Solarion unless you get the Starfinder Core Rulebook, although if you're curious enough to pick up the beginner book then that will be the next logical step to take to get further into Starfinder.

 

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The Beginner Box books and materials feature evocative, interesting artwork that fits perfectly with the theme of the game.

 

The mini-Game Master's Guide and Heroes' Handbook do a good job of introducing the game. There is a short adventure included for players to begin playing straight away if they have a group available, and even a short solo adventure for the Game Master to play by themselves if they want to get a better feeling of how a game of Starfinder might play out.

 

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The three Pawn sheets feature a wide variety of baddies to fight, and various standees that could represent the player characters even if they choose not to play as one of the Starfinder Iconic heroes.

 

All told, the Starfinder Beginner Box is a great value for anyone looking to get in to Starfinder, and it's especially well suited to people who have never played a tabletop RPG before or for people who will be playing with brand new players who have never played before. If you are already deeply entrenched in a Starfinder campaign I doubt there is enough in this box to warrant a purchase, although I'll be using the flip mat, Pawns, and Turn/Status cards in just about every game of Starfinder that I play going forward, and I'll probably end up using the pre-built character sheets, and the low level sheets with my kids once they get old enough to actually play the game, as they are already showing interest in wanting to play the game.

Keep an eye on TechRaptor for more information about the Starfinder Beginner Box as Associate Tabletop Editor Adam Potts plans to guide a group through their first steps in Starfinder using the Beginner Box in the near future.

 

The copy of the Starfinder Beginner Box used in this article was provided by Paizo.

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twilliams
| Senior Writer

Maestro of cardboard and plastic, former Tabletop Editor. Now I mostly live in the walls and pop in unexpectedly from time to time. If you ever want to talk… More about Travis

More Info About This Game
Learn more about Starfinder
Game Page Starfinder
Publisher
Paizo Publishing
Release Date
August 1, 2017 (Calendar)