Welcome to the Society!: Starfinder: Scoured Stars Reviewed

Title: Starfinder – Scoured Stars

Publisher: Paizo Inc

Authors: Eleanor Ferron, Thurston Hillman, Vanessa Hoskins, Jenny Jarzabski, Mikko Kallio, Cole Kronewitter, Lyz Liddell, Shahreena Shahrani, Christopher Wasko, Nicholas Wasko, and Larry Wilhelm

Artists: Kiki Moch Rizky, Franklin Chan, Graey Erb, Nicolas Espinoza, Giorgio Falconi, Tawny Fritz, Michele Giorgi, Weston T. Jones, Priscilla Kim, José Luis Islas López, Paulo Magalhães, Alexander Nanitchkov, Mirco Paganessi, Miroslav Petrov, Sebastian Rodriguez, Kevin Sardinha, Crystal Sully, Bryan Syme, Rodrigo Gonzalez Toledo, and Leon Tukker

Year: 2023

Genre: Science fantasy adventure campaign for newcomers to the Starfinder roleplaying game

Pages: 256 pages

MSRP: Hardcover $54.99 or $34.99 in PDF

Paizo takes players back to the beginning in Scoured Stars, a super-sized Adventure Path set in the early days of the Starfinder Society. In the wake of a massive loss of personnel and resources to an ill-fated expedition, players take on the role of greenhorn society members who must help to recover their missing colleagues.

Scoured Stars is a major divergence from the typical Starfinder Adventure Path in two key areas. The first is its length; clocking in at twelve installments, Scoured Stars is substantially longer than the standard Adventure Path, even if its individual adventures may be somewhat shorter. This allows for more involved player character growth and development, as well as the opportunity to develop player and NPC relationships, player-driven goals, and backstory-driven asides. The additional length also helps to ensure “moments of awesome” for a variety of playstyles and character types.

Though a mega-sized Adventure Path may give some pause, Scoured Stars is well paced with narrative landmarks that feel natural and rewarding. Each individual adventure has been designed around a variety of mechanical challenges supported by narrative evolution that feels organic and well-considered. The decision to expand the adventures occurring at the half-way point and the finale does wonders to maintain the sense of tension while still rewarding progress. At no point does Scoured Stars drag or feel adrift; there is always a hook, something to propel the table along and keep the experience feeling fresh.

The other divergence is in format. Typically, Adventure Paths are released in monthly installments. Scoured Stars, however, includes all twelve component adventures in a single volume. This Adventure Path also shows off a refreshed visual look, though its key layout elements remain recognizably intact. Whether you’re relying on print or digital, Paizo has gone out of its way to ensure reading and navigation won’t be a source of undue angst.

By providing GMs with the complete picture upfront, Scoured Stars also helps to account for inevitable player divergences and derailments. In knowing where the narrative is headed. GMs are able to steer wayward parties back on track in a way that feels seamless rather than ham-fisted.

While Paizo has been a major player in the tabletop gaming space for years, in the wake of last year’s OGL debacle, the company seems to have taken a more active role in pitching its vision for what gaming can be and the dynamic ways a design system seemingly oriented around combat can be used to tell other stories. In that sense, Scoured Stars feels like a well-developed, full-length pitch, perfectly appealing for those new to roleplaying or to the system, while still packing in appeal for existing players and fans.

Scoured Stars is a delightful addition to the Starfinder library, one that helps the setting’s history to truly come alive while delivering on a diverse and fulfilling gameplay experience. No matter what brings a party to the table, Scoured Stars has something up its sleeve that’s sure to please ― no small feat in this day and age.