Prompted of course by the 5e discussion, I was wondering what people would consider the best introductory/starter sets for any RPG. The three I can think of that are widely praised are:

1) 1981 Moldvay Basic D&D - 64 pages, very clear and concise, particularly notable for how well it leads new GMs through creating their own dungeon adventures. Feels like the distilled essence of D&D.
2) 1983 Mentzer Basic D&D - building off Moldvay, probably the most famous starter set of all time. Perhaps most notable for the choose-your-path adventure with Bargle the Infamous and Aleena that featured genuine (for many players) pathos, and got people hooked right in to fantasy adventure.
3) 2010 Pathfinder Beginner Box (reprint Jan 2014) - notable for its slick presentation, lavish components, and how comprehensive it is, covering wilderness and city adventuring as well as Moldvay/Mentzer style dungeoneering.

Are there other good starter sets - how about the Dragon Age one? I saw the Star Wars Edge of the Empire one criticised, is that no good? How about the later TSR stuff like Thunder Rift?

Edit: Oh, I have a battered copy of the Classic Traveller box from the early '80s, that deserves a mention as it's pretty well the full game in a box. But that was an era of much shorter games, I'm not sure if it wouldn't just have been considered the full Traveller RPG minus supplements. Is the need for starter sets mostly a D&D phenomenon?

You have to define your terms better.

Is a starter set a box set with a rule book notes etc.
Or does it have to be an introductory piece for a wider game.

So the MERP box set was great but not really a start set (although tangentially I guess its a starter for rolemaster.)
Daredevils great box set but also the complete game so not a start set.
CoC first edition box set great, but whole game not starter set.

Actually Mentzer Basic D&D can probably be cast as a complete game not a starter set as well

Stormbringer box set, James bond box set etc etc ....

I woudl say the most fun from any box set was Boot Hill. We played that beast to death the map was excellent and the overhead views of the guys awesome. Not great as an RPG maybe but definitely the box set that gave me the most fun beyond the core rules.

Quote from: jibbajibba;752144You have to define your terms better.

Is a starter set a box set with a rule book notes etc.
Or does it have to be an introductory piece for a wider game.

Yeah, I wondered about that myself when I remembered my Traveller box, hence edit above. I guess it has to be introductory in some sense to a wider game, so I wouldn't count Daredevils or other obviously complete-in-box games.

I think the Holmes/Moldvay/Mentzer etc boxes definitely count because there is a very clear sense that 3 levels is not the whole game; your Mentzer Fighter-3 certainly can't solo a red dragon as shown on the box cover. The Pathfinder box really is more complete than those three, and has a similar scope to many complete RPGs, but is clearly intended as an introduction to a bigger game.

I like the Moldvay Basic as it really eased you into the whole thing so well.

Small note. The Keep on the Borderlands pack-in module actually has more rules in it. It is essentially an extension of the DM section.

The Mentzer Basic just never grabbed me. Mostly it was the layout. It felt off. But that was a problem for me with nearly all TSRs product from that particular era. The layout of the text was... Cold? Mechanical?  Otherwise pretty good if a bit too overly wordy.

The MSH basic was ok. Got the job done and set the stage for the real game.

That is about the sum of my experiences with actual Basic starters.

The pack in Basic Starter for Star Frontiers was kinda meh. Glad that wasnt a starter all on its own.

2nd ed Gamma World has much the same approach as the BX starter. A chunk of rules are in the pack in module.

Quote from: Omega;752161The Mentzer Basic just never grabbed me. Mostly it was the layout. It felt off. But that was a problem for me with nearly all TSRs product from that particular era. The layout of the text was... Cold? Mechanical?  Otherwise pretty good if a bit too overly wordy.

I agree, I find the Moldvay layout much better, and I use it a lot more often than Mentzer. I did use Mentzer with my son as he specifically requested a game with Elmore art and dragon-riding PCs.

Moldvay of course is great from the old days.  The purple Alpha Dawn Star Frontiers was pretty good.  I was very happy with Dragon Age, I think that's the boxed set that is closest to Moldvay in ease of use and completeness.  If I knew a kid I was trying to get them into Roleplaying I would without a doubt use Dragon Age Set 1, especially if they have heard of it.  For the people looking for the Holy Grail of the new basic, DA was it, it just wasn't D&D.

FASA Trek was a complete game, not a starter but Holy Christ was chargen fun.  I must have made half the crew of a Constitution class cruiser.

1) The Star Wars Introductory Adventure Game by WEG. Everything you needed to play and conversion rules for when you wanted to buy more. Dice, maps, and cardboard fold standers included. Hands down the winner, even beats my other favorites.

2) Starter Traveller. Hey, did you know it is a free download?

3) Pathfinder Beginner's Box

Now, with each of these you could get about a year's worth of weekly sessions in before the lack of informative depth became a problem. You don't have to necessarily buy anything else.

This guy-



Rules explained in a very simple programmed way with cards, solo adventure, support to level 5 (iirc), miniatures, counters, poster map of a dungeon.  I didn't start with this one but it always seemed the best one to me for actually teaching beginners how to play.

Quote from: mhensley;752180This guy-



Rules explained in a very simple programmed way with cards, solo adventure, support to level 5 (iirc), miniatures, counters, poster map of a dungeon.  I didn't start with this one but it always seemed the best one to me for actually teaching beginners how to play.

I am obviously biased, having started with this bad boy, but I concur. The solo adventure, broken down in installments for each chapter of the rules... genius.

Quote from: mhensley;752180This guy-



Rules explained in a very simple programmed way with cards, solo adventure, support to level 5 (iirc), miniatures, counters, poster map of a dungeon.  I didn't start with this one but it always seemed the best one to me for actually teaching beginners how to play.

Found some info on it here - http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/17533/the-new-easy-to-master-dungeons-dragons

It looks nearly identical to the TSR 'Dragonquest' game I have.

Quote from: mhensley;752180Rules explained in a very simple programmed way with cards, solo adventure, support to level 5 (iirc), miniatures, counters, poster map of a dungeon.  I didn't start with this one but it always seemed the best one to me for actually teaching beginners how to play.

Agreed.  I have a lot of love for this one as "My First D&D".

In retrospect, however, I feel both Moldvay and Mentzer accomplished the same with less pages/fiddly bits.  The poster map and counters could lead a kid to believe that all dungeons must be played on poster board with counters/miniatures, as happened to me.  It was almost a year before I learned better.

Quote from: jibbajibba;752144So the MERP box set was great but not really a start set (although tangentially I guess its a starter for rolemaster.)
Daredevils great box set but also the complete game so not a start set.
CoC first edition box set great, but whole game not starter set.
ules.

I forget what it was called precisely, but think they did a simplified version of MEEP called Lord of the Rings, that was an excellent introductory boxed set. Been ages since I read it, but it really stood out to me at the time (this had to have been around 1990 or so).

Edit: just looked it up and believe it was Lord of the Rings Adventure Game, but i might be wrong.

My vote would be for Ancient Odysseys: Treasure Awaits! by Precis Intermedia.  Small box, four low page count pamphlets, one of which is a solo adventure.  Rules are very straight forward, character generation takes about five seconds, and the game itself structured (there is an order of events when one enters a new room).  For some reason this game always flies under the general rpg radar.


contents sans box.

Yeah, black box basic. The only thing that would have improved it was real miniatures.

It might look similar, but Dragon Quest was a nerfed system that tried to compete with Hero Quest but lacked the hard core toy value that Milton Bradley could produce.  The black box was a full rule book that was much nicer than the one in the red box.  There was also a GM Screen / Card File system with rules summaries.  It was a great set.

The Lord of the Rings Adventure game was a nice little system that was let down by its condescending tone and overly limited setting.  I've always wanted to see it fleshed out more and have regretted that I let it go and never got the two supplements.  Sadly ICE never would listen when it came to that idea.

I'd also like to note that a starter that isn't a complete game is just an advertisement that you had to pay for and thus shouldn't even be in the running.

I'd like to say GURPS Lite, but without any setting support or help for a new GM it's a lovely handout but it's a horrible starter.  A few of the GURPS books that came with it included like WWII and Vorsigken (whatever) might count.

Marvel Super Heroes original boxed set (the yellow one).  Two rulebooks that explained the rules step-by-step in a way a little kid can not only understand, but read to himself.  Dice.  Character cards.  Awesome map.  Short adventure.

There are enough powers and campaign advice in that box to keep you going in perpetuity, without ever "graduating" to the later-published Advanced set.