Starfinder Society 5 session recommendation


Starfinder Society

Grand Lodge 2/5

I am going to be running a 5 session engagement of SFS for my gaming group. I am looking for recommendations from the community out of the 11 available scenarios which 4 should I add to #1-01 to give the group a great taste of what SFS is about. Give the 5 session length, we are likely using pre-gens so playing the level 3-6 scenarios is absolutely an option.

The group has a wide spectrum across the 3.5/Pathfinder/PFS experience going from total n00b to retired Venture-Captain. None of us have actually played Starfinder though.

Even if you don't have 4 (or 5 if you can convince me why I shouldn't run #1-01) recommendations I'll gladly take individual scenario recommendations. I would also appreciate it very much if you are clear about why you are recommending a given scenario. Was is the overall story? A great personal character moment? A fantastic, viscerally satisfying combat? Your favorite faction shined? Was it the Strawberry Machine Cake?

I realize I am sort of overlooking #1-00 because it is not part of my subscription. Is that a good move or a bad move?

Thanks for taking the time!

Dark Archive 3/5 5/55/55/5

2 people marked this as a favorite.

This sounds like fun.

I recommend the following scenarios in order:
* The Commencement (1-01)
* Yesteryear's Truth (1-03)
* Cries from the Drift (1-04)
* The First Mandate (1-05)
* Live Exploration Extreme! (1-09)

These scenarios really capture the feel of Starfinder. They give a great intro to the setting/major plot elements/characters while also all just being fun and engaging to play through. They introduce the PCs to all of the Starfinder Society faction heads (most in 1-01 but the First Seeker in 1-05) as well as a ton of NPCs in 1-05 that they should be meeting further down the road if you continue playing SFS. In my opinion the most exciting NPC from 1-05 also plays a major part in 1-09. I reviewed all of these scenarios on their respective product pages if you want to take a look there, but see below for few sentences of spoilers on each one.

1-01 The Commencement

Spoiler:
The PCs join the Starfinder Society and do some basic tasks for the SFS faction leaders, which include some skill challenges surrounding a hacker, a combat, designing and racing junkracer, and finding some lost children on a starship. The combat involves clearing out the new base (warehouse) of the Exoguardian's faction leader, Zigvigix (Ziggy), who's a ton of fun and runs gives the briefing in 1-04. This also introduces PCs to Strawberry Machine Cake, the most popular music in all of Starfinder and a recurring plot device in later scenarios.

1-03 Yesteryear's Truth

Spoiler:
Seemingly straight out of a Star Trek episode (in a good way), in this mission the PCs fly to an untouched world out in the Vast to seek out signs of life, make peaceful contact, boldly go where no... you get the picture. The opening starship combat is brutal, in that it has the potential to be very long, but even if the enemy drone ship "wins" it leaves the PC's ship alone to limp down to the planet's surface so there's not a TPK in our second scenario. On the surface the PCs meet two distinct sub-races of a formerly united race after a catastrophe befell the world in the past, with great RPing opportunities. The ending is probably my favorite, though, because it forces the PCs to make a choice that could have major implications for the planet's inhabitants depending on what they decide to do.

1-04 Cries from the Drift*

*There's the potential for some more challenging combats in this scenario. If it looks like the PCs would really benefit from being level 2, based on their performance in combats in 1-01 and 1-03, this scenario can be switched with 1-05 in the play order.

Spoiler:
Ziggy's back! Jamming out to Strawberry Machine Cake in his newly acquired home, the Exoguardian faction leader tells the PCs they need to recover data from a (probably disabled or destroyed) Starfinder ship that was fleeing the Exoguardians' previous home. After what I thought was the most interesting starship combat released to date, the PCs board the doomed ship to try and retrieve the files and recover the remains of the crew, but it is soon apparent they may not be alone. Great horror/investigative feel, if a little bit railroady at times.

1-05 The First Mandate

Spoiler:
One of SFS's best scenarios from a lore perspective. After the Scoured Stars Incident took away a majority of the SFS's agents and almost all of its leadership, First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo has yet to announce where she intends to lead the Society during her tenure as (nominated) First Seeker. Elsebo is throwing a gala at which to make her announcement, and the PCs are directed to make a good impression on all of the important guests. Roleplaying (and a variety of skill checks) await, including meeting Zo!, an undead elebrian media mogul who's looking for people to feature on his next adventure show. The PCs' role changes when a tip comes in that there might be an assassin trying to take out the First Seeker! Can the PCs track down clues to identify the assassin and make it back to the party in time to stop the assassin from striking?

1-09 Live Exploration Extreme!

Spoiler:
Zo! is back and has partnered with the Society to make the PCs' exploration of an artificial moon broadcast to a live studio audience in orbit on his yacht! From dealing with the (mostly undead) camera crew rushing forward in combat to capture the action up close, trips to a reality TV-style booth throughout the delve, and major (and frankly disturbing) implications for what exactly the PCs are involved in at the very end, this scenario (along with 1-01 and 1-05) is one of the very best released so far.

Hope this helps!

Grand Lodge 2/5

Daniel Schultz wrote:
Hope this helps!

This certainly gives me a great start! I already had my eye on #1-09 because it would resonate with my players on a meta level. We played another game called SLA Industries that also has a reality tv/perform for the camera aspect that they will love as a sort of callback. Since #1-05 can be a bridge, that is excellent! The whole thing also gives me time to drop public vids to build hype for the "greatest exploration event this side of the Gap! Beamed live throughout the Pack Worlds! Brought to you with limited commercial interruptions by Nova Solutions and Clashwear!" It feels like a really good high note to go out on for this short run event. I'm totally psyched!

I love your reasonings and detail provided. Thank you so much!

I am certainly still open to other opinions and input of anyone else wants to share, but Daniel looks to have given me a solid list.

The Exchange 4/5 5/5

If you're going to do 1-05 and 1-09, I suggest you make 1-00 one of your choices as well (before 1-09). It's not essential, but it will make the players feel like they are "in the know" if they've been to Salvation's End before.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Mark Garringer wrote:
Daniel Schultz wrote:
Hope this helps!
This certainly gives me a great start! I already had my eye on #1-09 because it would resonate with my players on a meta level. We played another game called SLA Industries that also has a reality tv/perform for the camera aspect that they will love as a sort of callback. Since #1-05 can be a bridge, that is excellent! The whole thing also gives me time to drop public vids to build hype for the "greatest exploration event this side of the Gap! Beamed live throughout the Pack Worlds! Brought to you with limited commercial interruptions by Nova Solutions and Clashwear!" It feels like a really good high note to go out on for this short run event. I'm totally psyched!

SLA Industries and XCrawl definitely came to mind.

I agree with running Claim to Salvation, with a separation between them if you can, since they don't use the same characters but the information is known to the Starfinder Society (always assuming your 1-00 characters don't all die). It might be good to run it first, or afterwards as a flashback.

Grand Lodge 2/5

I may be able to sneak in one session before we officially start the 5 session game, running 1-00 would be a good choice to get a taste for everyone and then come to find out has a pay off later for having played it. I love it!

Sovereign Court 4/5 5/55/55/55/5 **** Venture-Agent, Georgia—Atlanta

My recommendation would be The following:

01-01 The Commencement

Spoiler:
Excellent first scenario. No starship combat. Has several threads that lead into future scenarios. Evergreen.

Quest 1: Into The Unknown
Spoiler:
Evergreen that can only be played at Level 1. Starship combats are a good introduction. Story is a bit disjointed, but can be tightened up by the GM. Contains several plot threads that will link to future scenarios, including 01-03.

01-03 Yesteryear's Truth
Spoiler:
In many ways, the story here is very interesting and flavorful, and it is one of my favorite Starfinder Society modules so far. This one has some combat, but is mostly diplomacy and skill checks. The story, if told correctly, can end with a truly emotion set of choices for the players. NOTE: Starship combat at beginning of module is the most complained about/problematic one. Truly depends on GM reading and understanding the Starship combat closely and understanding all the limitations of the enemy. Also requires players to pay attention to how you describe the scene, and for them to figure out how to concentrate their fire. A great pilot is best.

Now we need to pick, based on which of the subplots interested your players the most:

Strawberry Machine Cake/Dataphiles/Exoguardians/Sangoro's Bulwark
01-04 Cries From the Drift
01-07 The Solar Sortie

If you worked 01-00 Claim to Salvation in, then you could do the Scoured Stars/Claim To Salvation/Second Seekers Storyline
01-05 The First Mandate
01-09 Live Exploration Extreme!

Either way, assuming that they have not applied the credit for 01-00 Claim to Salvation, this would leave your players in a good place to play Dead Suns 1: Incident at Absalom Station in the future with these characters, which is an evergreen that can be played at level 1-2. But that would be for another day...

Second Seekers (Jadnura) 5/55/55/55/5

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

1-05, 1-07, and 1-09 are all really fun. If you are open to 3-6s as well then 1-08 is pretty fun as well.

I personally didn't care for 1-04 as much - I think the starship combat in that one is somewhat tedious, due in large part to the low level of the players.

1/5 5/5

Did you do it before or after the Starship Combat errata? My group didn't have too much trouble with it, nothing like 1-03.

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