What Starter Sets Are As Good As The Full game?

[payn]

PF1 really set the bar high for all other beginner box sets. Not sure if anything has come close besides Free Leagues offerings.

I agree, I think they really set the standard. There was some argument going on at the time because there are a few philosophies on starter sets out there. Some folks are of the mind it should be dirt cheap and bare minimum to entice impulse buying. I have, for quite some time now, been down on that philosophy. In my experience, you always get your beak wet and then realize how much more stuff you need/want. You probably should have talked to someone in the know beforehand and done your research to get the better first investment. I view this the same in all hobbies, which I guess, I have many as i'm told.

Now, if the item is a gift for a person/kid that has merely mentioned in passing an interest, then the bare bones cheap kit might be the way to go. Though, the PF1 beginners box was one of a handful of times I have actually felt in good conscious I could recommend it as a starting place.

 

[uzirath]

The Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game boxed set is not marketed explicitly as a starter set for GURPS, but it fills that niche, and I think it is pretty fabulous. The rule books are radically smaller than the GURPS Basic Set, focusing on just the elements that apply to a high-powered faux medieval fantasy milieu. I've been running full campaigns and shorter scenarios with just the rules from the box since 2017 and haven't slowed down. Even when I run other GURPS genres, I always bring the DFRPG books because I know my way through them more easily, so if I just need to look up a hit location or critical hit or miss, I can find the info faster than in the Basic Set.

 

[Aldarc]

I need to remember this because I’d like to learn that game at some point. Do you know if it’s available as a Foundry module?

Sorry, but I do not use so VTTs so I don't know.

 

[stormwriter]

Everything I've seen from Free League honestly.

Solid components like world maps and unique dice that are beneficial to future campaigns, well written adventures that showcase how games should be prepped and ran, and their self-contained enough to be fantastic stand-alones if the desire to expand out isn't there.

Even better if you want the custom dice. I've managed to get some of their starter sets cheaper than just the dice sets.

 

[aramis erak]

Have you ever encountered an RPG starter set that was as good, or even better, than the whole game -- or, at least, worked great as a standalone game without all the extras from the full set?

None Better, one as good as...
The as good as: Tunnels and Trolls. The T&T 5 Light bound into the corgi editions was 100% compatible with core T&T 5. It's also been the core for Free RPG day. It's a true subset.

Modiphius' Dune and STA starters are excellent (I playtested the Dune one), but there's so much more in the core that neither are as good as. But both are playable campaigns.
All of Modiphius' previews are pretty close to the full rulebook's rules, but severely subset, and no char gen, unlike Dune.... Dune, you're defining as you play the character's abilities.

FFG's Beginner Games are «bleep»ing awesome - both the ones for SW and the one for L5R 5th. Not only do they teach the players, but they also can and do teach the GM. Plus, when one gets full rules, one can rerun them with all the bells and whistles. But they're not, strictly speaking, as good as the core.

 

[Von Corellon]

PF1 Beginners box was excellent for folks looking to keep the complexity down. I am not aware if the PF2 version kept that course.

Starfinder Beginner’s Box was also stellar, following with the same production values, and concise and well-designed player/gm resources. A weighty box of loot.