Starter Kit for Level One Players

[theelcorspectre]

I love all of the different equipment options in Starfinder. Honestly, it's easily one of the biggest chapters in the core rulebook. However I feel like it may be daunting for new players deciding on what they want their characters to start with.

So I was wondering, if you had to do a starter kit that has everything a level one character needs, what would you put in it.

Obviously, different characters will need different armors and weapons.

[Lorcryst]

Honestly, from me they get a free credstick and 1000 credits, plus lots of time and several "are you sure you bought everything ?" at character creation ...

But I'm the kind of vicious GM that delights in players forgetting the basics ... like the hygienic kit, making them lose stealth in encounters due to the horrible stink they emit ... or clothes, always fun to remind them that nakedness can lead to jail time ...

I think the bare minimum should be basic clothes, hygienic kit, a bag, their choice of armour, choice of weapon and 1 pack of ammo for said weapon. But I won't tell them what to buy, just very heavily insist on them thinking for themselves.

[pithica42]

To start, I usually get:

Armor: Second Skin (250) or Golemforged Plating I (250)
Ranged: Pulsecaster Rifle (100) or Pulsecaster Pistol (250)
Melee: Survival Knife (95) or Assault Hammer (95)

Personal: Industrial Backpack (25), Everyday Clothing x3 (3), Environmental Clothing x6 (60), Travel Clothing (10), Professional Clothing^ (0 or 5), Lighter* (1), Canteen* (1), Hygiene Kit (3)

Technological: Personal Comm Unit (7), Fire Extinguisher (15), Basic Medkit^ (0 or 100), Professional Toolkit^ (0 or 20), Engineering Toolkit^ (0 or 20), Hacking Toolkit^ (0 or 20), Disguise Toolkit^ (0 or 20), Trapsmith's Toolkit^ (0 or 20),

Magical: 1-4 Mk1 Serums of Healing (50-200)

Misc: Field Ration (1) or R2E x8 (8)

*Items from Armory
^Items only purchased if taking the appropriate skills and don't get the effect of them for free.

That's a total between 621 and 1133, so you may not be able to get all of it. I'll adjust the weapons or armor based on proficiency and class. For humans and other races without darkvision, I'll usually add an infrared sensors armor upgrade if I can make that work. I try to replace the pulsecasters (which do nonlethal) with something that drops in the first fight that does lethal damage. For SFS I'll rebuild them away sometime before level 2. For campaign games, I'll keep them as backup weapons for as long as I have the bulk to carry them. The Golemforged plating, likewise, gets replaced ASAP because I hate the speed penalty and lack of dex bonus, but I tend to stick with second skin until near 4th or 5th level when I can afford a D-Suit.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, the above is intentionally missing some things that are very important in many games long term. It doesn't have Rope, a Tent, bedding, or Manacles, for example, which are all things I tend to buy before reaching 2nd level if I can. In my experience, though, most people don't need those sorts of things for the first game most of the time, and they tend to be heavy, so I don't usually start with them. There are also flavor items like holy symbols that I get for characters that would have them that aren't on that list, I tried to keep it generic on purpose.

[Dragonchess Player]

This is the "standard basic equipment" list I put together for Attack of the Swarm: Survival Knife (95 cr), Subzero Hail Pistol (120 cr), Tactical Plasma Bolter (280 cr), 2 Standard Batteries (120 cr), Second Skin (250 cr), Datapad (55 cr), Personal Comm Unit (7 cr), Consumer Backpack (3 cr), Bedroll (15 cr), Canteen (1 cr), Clothing/SDF Uniform (issued or 5 cr), Gear Maintenance Kit (5 cr), Hygiene Kit (3 cr), Mess Kit (2 cr), Sleeping Bag (10 cr), +34 cr (or +29 cr) of other equipment and items (including a Fire Extinguisher or Tool Kit, plus some R2Es).

A battle medic (with or without the theme) will probably replace the hail pistol, datapad, and one battery (235 cr) with a Needler Pistol (105 cr), 25 Darts (20 cr), and a Basic Medkit (100 cr); possibly adding a 4 person Mass Produced Tent (4 cr).

A heavy-weapon SDF trooper will probably replace the plasma bolter (280 cr) with a Subzero Hail Cannon (275 cr); they may also (especially if a race with natural weapons) consider replacing the knife, second skin, and datapad (400 cr) with Lashunta Ringwear I (415 cr). A weapon solarian would also probably consider replacing the knife, second skin, and datapad with ringwear I, taking Longarm Proficiency as their 1st level feat and keeping the plasma bolter.

A sniper SDF trooper will probably replace the plasma bolter, batteries, and datapad (455 cr) with a Precision Coil Rifle (390 cr) and 25 Sniper Rounds (75 cr).

Other configurations are possible, but may need more changes.

[Ravingdork]

It might be worth noting that if you're wearing modern armor, your armor has a comm unit built into it. No need to spend valuable limited credits on one unless you plan on being separated from your armor (but not your comm unit?) or just really want a spare.

[pithica42]

To that, there is... table variation on how varying GM's interpret the capabilities of both the personal comm unit and the built in comm unit of the armor. Some treat the armor comm unit like a blue tooth headset. Some treat it like a full fledged comm unit (tier 0 computer et al). And different GM's interpret the capabilities of the base comm unit differently. For example, by default it doesn't have a camera, but many GM's treat it like it has all the capabilities of a modern smart phone (including a camera). I think it's worth the 7 credits just to be sure, but I also play in SFS where I may have a different GM at every table I sit down to. If your GM says that the two are redundant, don't waste the credits.

[Hmm]

What we can find in Armor:

Really, they've scattered the rules about what is standard issue with armor everywhere in the CRB. Although the comm unit is redundant, it is also cheap enough that I have often bought a secondary one to have on me to give to NPCs, or for other shenanigans. Still, if you are a few credits short... Know that your armor includes the comm unit.

Planetary Comm Units

CRB Pg 430 wrote:

Personal comm units are common, inexpensive devices that are capable of communicating with each other on a single planet or between ships orbiting a given world. Small enough to be carried in a pocket, they also come automatically integrated into all armor of 1st level or higher.

Flashlights & Games

CRB, Pg 218 wrote:

A personal comm unit also includes a calculator, a flashlight (increases the light level one step in a 15-foot cone), and several entertainment options (including games and access to any local infospheres). You can upgrade a personal comm unit to function as some other devices (such as full computers and scanners) by spending credits equal to 110% of the additional device's price.

Boot Clamps

CRB, pg 196 wrote:

Unless otherwise specified, the boots include a functionality that can anchor your feet to a solid surface in a zero-gravity environment, allowing you to orient yourself or return to normal footing when needed (for more about moving in zero-g, see page 402).

CRB, Pg 402 wrote:

A creature anchored to a solid object (such as by the boot clamps available with most armor) receives a +4 bonus to this check.

Environmental Protections

CRB, pg 196 wrote:

Unless otherwise specified, all armors protect you from a range of hazards to ensure that you can survive for at least a few days if you must make emergency repairs to the hull of a starship, explore an alien world, or endure exposure to an environmental breach in a space station.

[Charli Poshkettle]

By the way, I believe Pithica's starting list is great. My friend Bret has a default Starfinder ITS spreadsheet that I just love for tracking gear and faction reputation in SFS. On it, he lists some of the same default purchases that Pithica did.

I do agree that the hotelier survival tent is one of the best purchases that one can make. Charli used hers to represent her portable tea stand out of which the Poshkettle Tea empire started, but it's actually seen a lot of use as a shelter on various adventures. Definitely not first level starting gear, but great by second level.

[HammerJack]

One other note I would add, if you don't have dark vision (and aren't buying an armor mod for it), spend a few credits to buy a decent light source (like a 25 credit spotlight or beacon that can give you a 100 ft cone or 50ft radius of light).

Do not try to rely on 15 ft of illumination from your comments unit.

[Metaphysician]

I can't really see there being a single "starter kit" because it wildly depends on the nature of the game. A campaign set on a space station does not require MREs or tents. A free trader campaign probably does not require rope or heavy backpacks. A military game on the front line probably doesn't require a second set of clothing. Etc.

I suppose, if I had to put together a bog standard minimum list:

1. Survival Knife ( everyone always needs a sharp knife sometimes; if the GM will let you substitute some kind of Space Army Knife, that's even better )

2. Comm Unit ( assuming you don't get one free with your armor, and probably even if you do )

3. Medpatch ( assuming you don't have any better source of healing, everyone wants the ability to stabilize someone in an emergency )

4. Hygiene Kit ( staying clean is nice... though really, if you have quarters of some kind, they *should* have the equivalent )