Starfinder Buyer's Guide

Released in 2017, Starfinder is the sci-fi version of Pathfinder RPG. In a world where magic and technology co-exist, you get to play one of many alien races and travel the galaxy aboard your own starship. Don't know where to start? Read on and let Golden Goblin Games guide you.

Starfinder Beginner Box

If you never played a roleplaying game or want to get into Starfinder smoothly, consider buying the Beginner Box. It will introduce you to the rules gradually through a solo adventure and a proper adventure for up to six players.

Included in the Beginner Box are a complete dice set, six pregenerated characters, a 96-page rulebook covering character creation, a 96-page game master guide, a double-sided map, and 80+ character and monster pawns to use during combat encounters. An amazing deal!

Starfinder Core Rulebook

After buying the Beginner Box (or instead of buying it), grab the Starfinder Core Rulebook.

This huge 528-page book presents 13 races, seven classes, and nine character themes, making each hero unique. Equipment, spells, game mastering tips, and starship combat are also covered in detail.

The Core Rulebook is available either as a standard 8.6" x 11" hardcover book or as a smaller 6.5" x 8.4" softcover pocket edition. The pocket edition presents the same contents as the standard edition in a smaller sized softcover for a lower price and better portability.

Other Starfinder Rulebooks

The Core Rulebook already offers tons of options for character creation, equipment, spells, and such but if you want more, there is more.

The Alien Archive is the next rulebook you should consider buying since monsters are not included in the Core Rulebook.

Below is a summary of all rulebooks available at the time of writing.

• Alien Archive: 80+ creatures, 20+ playable races, and new alien technology.
• Alien Archive 2: 100+ creatures, a dozen playable races, and new alien technology. 
• Alien Archive 3: 100+ creatures, a dozen playable races, and new alien technology. 
• Alien Archive 4: 90+ creatures, a dozen playable races, and new alien technology.
• Armory: new weapons, new armors, new cybernetics, and more.
• Character Operations Manual: three new classes (biohacker, vanguard, witchwarper), equipment, spells, and more.
• Drift Crisis: a sourcebook describing this historical event and 20 adventure seeds.
• Galactic Magic: one new class (precog), 100+ new spells, rituals, and magic gear.
• Galaxy Operations Manual: a sourcebook on space exploration. How to create worlds, planets, and biomes.
• Interstellar Species: one new class (evolutionist), 25 playable races, and 100 NPCs.
• Near Space: a sourcebook on dozens of worlds including Veskarium.
• Pact Worlds: a sourcebook on the 14 worlds of this system. New races, new starships, and more.
• Ports of Call: a sourcebook describing 10 spaceports. New races, side job adventures, and more.
• Starship Operations Manual: 40 new starships, 100 new starship weapons, and improved rules for starship combat.
• Tech Revolution: one new class (nanocyte) and mech combat system for robot battles.

Starfinder Adventures

There is no better way to jump into Starfinder than playing a ready-made adventure, especially if you don't have the time or energy to write your own. There are two types available:

• Standalone Adventures are short and normally last from one to three sessions of play. Be sure to check the required party level before purchasing one! You don't want to throw your new group of level 1 heroes into an adventure designed for level 10. 
• Adventure Paths are campaigns, meaning a succession of adventures sold separately but linked together. Think of them as a TV series that generally last six episodes. Each adventure path approaches a different theme (exploration, hacking, etc.) and a different setting (crashed spaceship, asteroid fields, city, etc.). Simply choose one to your liking.

Below are a few examples. Click here to see all Starfinder Adventures.

Starfinder Accessories

Accessories are the nice-to-have products that make gameplay faster and smoother. Accessories fall into the following sub-categories:

• Game Master Screen: the ultimate tool to hide your secrets from sneaky players. Full of tables for easy reference.
• Cards and Decks: don't like to flip through 500 pages to find that spell you want? Use a Spell Deck. Can't imagine a new planet fast enough as a GM? Use the Deck of Many Worlds. Cards and decks are useful shortcuts.
• Maps: Flip-Maps are 24x30" double-sided paper maps that come folded and Flip-Tiles are sets of 6x6" double-sided tiles that can be connected to create a full map. Both are coated and can be written on using non-permanent markers.
• Pawns: for tactical combat, no need to invest in expensive 3D miniatures. Starfinder offers double sided color pawns and standees for heroes and monsters alike.

Below are a few examples. Click here to see all Starfinder Accessories.

Have any questions? Feel free to contact us!

Last updated: February 2023.